Conventional automatic transmission?

Nebbit

Can anyone recommend a small used car with a conventional automatic gearbox? I am loyal to Toyota and Honda but their Yaris/Jazz have CVT gearboxes and I would rather have a mechanical one, as I do on my larger Toyota and Honda. This is for my daughter, who can only drive automatic, and we are looking to spend up to £7000.

daveyjp

For that budget. Suzuki Swift, Hyundai i10, Kia Picanto, Mazda 2.

Goudy

A lot with depend on the year of the car.

Some like the Swift had the old style torque converter gearboxes for earlier models but have now changed to CVT of late.

The trouble is, these torque converter gearboxes aren't really efficient in a world that now penalises manufacturers for producing inefficient cars, so you mainly get Dual Clutch, CVT or Automated Manuals on most smaller cars.

I wouldn't discount a good Dual Clutch automatic and by that I mean a wet clutch version or a CVT. Sure the CVT had a bad name years ago but they are far better these days and tend to be very robust.

Steer clear of dry Dual Clutch gearboxes as they tend to wear out quickly. Also steer clear of Automated Manuals, they just don't drive very well and won't creep like all the others, which makes reversing a really headache.

Woodstok2000

Needs a bit of work, but this would fit the bill:

EssexExile

In my experience conventional automatics don't work well in small cars, which is probably why not many small cars have them.

SiliconChip

What's your objection to CVT? I drive a Yaris hybrid (after 40 years driving manual cars) and I have no issue at all with the CVT, it's really a more relaxing drive than a traditional auto as there's never any gear changing. I'd suggest that you allow your daughter to drive examples of both type and choose whichever she prefers.

daveyjp

Keep in mind the £7k budget, it isn't that much when seeking what is being looked for.

I'd have no issue with a Yaris hybrid, but with £7k you need to find that private seller hidden gem,

knightstyle

How about a Ford Focus? Pre 2017 powershift boxes could be a problem if not serviced, oil change every 4 years but later one are very good.

We have a Cmax 2013 120k miles and the gearbox is still smooth as the grearbox oil is changed every 4 years.

leosayer

All gearboxes are mechanical.

Torque converter gearboxes are generally the smoothest and most reliable type of auto gearbox. They differ from CVTs and dual clutch (DSG, Powershift, S-Tronic etc.) gearboxes in that they don't have use a clutch to pull away from rest. Instead they use use fluid to drive a turbine which makes take up from rest much smoother.

1st gen Nissan Notes used a torque converter auto and they go for much less than £7k.

facade

1st gen Nissan Notes used a torque converter auto and they go for much less than £7k.

I had one for 12 years. They are good reliable little cars, very nice ride quality & fairly economical given it is a TC auto, except for two things that need checking

1. water leaks into the rear, possibly around the high level brake light. (The bulb goes all the time, and to replace it the light has to come out. A new gasket is unbelievably expensive -£20 or so! so owners just bodge it with sealant that doesn't ever work properly) Water gets into the spare wheel well, and can run forward, soaking the very thick insulation under the carpet which will make the carpet go mouldy and the car absolutely stink. (Watch out for misted up windscreen- it is NOT because the car has just been valeted..)
2. The autos have a design flaw where the subframe front mount on the passenger side rips out of the bodywork under the battery. This causes a twittering squeak in the early stages and a creak then knock as it gets worse. They absolutely ALL do it, most will have been fixed by welding the mount, but there could be a few that still haven't been done.

The engine & gearbox are excellent (as they are Nissan designs) the build quality is poor though. They are a bit awkward to reverse especially in the dark, many have damage to the rear bumper!

The later cars (e12) have the dodgy CVT and a rather dodgy engine too, that suffers from problems with the VVT system.

ididgetwhereiamtoday

Depending on mileage and whether you can charge from home a 30kw Nissan leaf could be just the ticket. I had one and as long as you never go more than 80 miles they are a brilliant car and well within budget now.