We need a small car with an automatic gearbox for someone to pass a driving test. With a budget of €4,000, what are the best options?
From a Dublin-based reader
Although this request seems a simple one, it’s a bit trickier than it looks.
The Irish car market is currently going automatic-crazy – 78 per cent of the cars we buy come with automatic gearboxes, which is not just customer preference, but a reflection that in the interests of efficiency in both driving and manufacturing, car makers are offering fewer and fewer manual gearbox options in the new car market.
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Traditionally, however, Ireland was a manual gearbox market, mostly because the imposition of Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT) as both a de facto import and wealth tax meant that we, as a market, have always preferred our cars to be pretty basic. Automatics were, in the past, generally more the preserve of larger, pricier, ‘executive’ style cars.
Which means finding a used car that’s both cheap to buy, small, and comes with an automatic isn’t going to be the easiest job in the world.
We’re indebted, then, to Paddy Comyn of DoneDeal.ie who helped us to track down a 2010 Kia Soul, with an automatic gearbox, for sale in Wexford for precisely your €4,000 budget.
That first generation of Kia Soul is a firm favourite around these parts. It was quirky to look at, engaging to drive, and thanks to Kia’s seven-year warranty, they tend to have been looked after properly. This one has a hefty 212,000km on the clock, but it’s from an AA-approved dealer, and if it comes with a full service warranty, then it should be okay.
If a Kia Soul isn’t to your taste, how about a 2007 Audi A3 1.6-litre with an automatic? We found one in the Dublin area, for just €3,250, which sounds like a bargain for a car that still looks passably modern from the outside. It has just over 200,000km on the clock, and if it’s been cared for properly, that ought not to be a big deterrent.
It does come from a private seller, though, and that is a riskier route to take when buying a used car. At your budget level, though, it might be that the risk is worth the reward, and you may get a better car for your cash when you’re not paying for a dealer’s profit margin and overheads.
Just make sure that you use the usual rules of thumb when buying from a private seller.
Are they happy to answer questions? Do they have all of the car’s paperwork correct, in order, and ready to inspect? Are they happy for you to take a test drive? If the answer to any or all of those questions is ‘no’, walk away. Rapidly.
You may also want to go smaller than the Soul or the A3, which is understandable for a learner driver. On a purely personal basis, we’d say that learning on the biggest car possible is actually the best route, as it makes life much easier later on when you may need to upgrade to something more family-friendly.
How about a 2009 Toyota Vitz? That’s the Japanese-market version of the Yaris, and we found one with an auto box from an “independent dealership” in Dublin for €3,950.
With Japanese imports, you need to do your homework to ensure that all of the parts are interchangeable with European-market equivalents, and the likes of the radio and/or infotainment system have been properly converted to work with European systems.
Also, check for rust-proofing underneath the body, but in general Japanese domestic market (JDM) cars are much better-kept and looked-after than original Irish cars, so as long as all the paperwork matches up, you should be on solid ground with a Vitz.
[ Should I buy a used car privately or through a dealership?Opens in new window ]
Keeping things more local, there’s a 2006 Volkswagen Polo auto for sale from a private seller in Limerick for €3,200 and that’s a legendarily solid car, which should be reliable. Again, check all the paperwork, but if it’s been serviced regularly, it should be a good car.
Finally, there is one car that really turned our heads. We did find, from a private buyer, a 2009 BMW 118d hatchback with an automatic. Now, it probably won’t be as solidly reliable as some of the Japanese-brand options, but with fantastic steering and proper rear-wheel drive balance, that would make an awesome car in which to learn to drive and pass your test (assuming you can get it insured – it’s a 2-litre engine).
