Cheap auto for new driver
Cheap auto for new driver
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dfen5

Original Poster:

2,398 posts

240 months

Friday 18th November 2022
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My lad’s just doing lessons, auto only. He wants a cheap auto so any recommendations on suitable make/model that have a good rep’? Ford autos seem to have a bed reputation? Budget up to about £4K

Bobupndown

2,890 posts

71 months

Friday 18th November 2022
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My son's girlfriend just passed her auto only test and has bought a Kia Picanto auto. Seems like a decent enough, if uninspiring little car.

ZX10R NIN

30,418 posts

153 months

Friday 18th November 2022
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dfen5 said:
My lad’s just doing lessons, auto only. He wants a cheap auto so any recommendations on suitable make/model that have a good rep’? Ford autos seem to have a bed reputation? Budget up to about £4K
The Fords of this era will have conventional auto's & will be fine with this in mind I'd take a good look at a Focus:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202211131...

DS3

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202209109...

defblade

8,026 posts

241 months

Friday 18th November 2022
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My daughter bought a ready-bashed/scraped Toyota Corolla 1.6 auto for £1400 about 18 months ago to learn in, then drive now she's passed.
She's added a couple of scrapes herself since, but it just doesn't matter!

It needed both front calipers changing shortly after purchase (I think it had been stood a while). £75/side with slider+seals kit.
The end of the cable that runs from the the selector to the gearbox broke off (at 115k miles) and needed replacing - new was about £300 IIRC; second hand would have been cheaper but she wants to keep the car.
The aux belt shredded the other day; she drove it about 30 miles altogether before she got home... turned out the odd banging she'd been complaining about when she parked at work that morning was the coolant boiling nicely inside the engine. New belt was £26 and topped up the coolant, been 100% fine since!
Just gone through its 2nd MOT with us - advisory for rust on the rear subframe, so I'll be giving that a quick rub down and paint in my week off.

It's a solid thing that's really quite pleasant to drive and be in.
Insurance was about £1100 with no black box which was middling for the cars we were looking at (all small-to-medium autos. If IIRC, Smarts were the cheapest at about £900, other 1.4/1.6 hatches ranged up to £1300-1400 randomly).
It's a very old school auto, 3 speed plus overdrive. Gets about 35mpg (up from 30 once I'd changed the dragging front passenger caliper wink ).

If I was shopping for a shed for myself, I'd be very happy with it.

dfen5

Original Poster:

2,398 posts

240 months

Friday 18th November 2022
quotequote all
Some good options 👍