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In her 70's my mother (who can still drive fine) wants to get a new small car, maybe her last, only used locally - rarely on longer trips. She had a Honda Jazz auto for the past 11 years and liked it a lot. Her requirements are; automatic, only really needs and would prefer 2 doors but 4 okay, easy access, tax exempt, long warranty, cheap servicing, good reliabilty record, sub £10K (preferably available on a deal with say 50% upfront and rest on 0% over 2 or 3 years). She's been thinking of a Jazz again when the new ones come out but proposed prices start too high now and they have grown in size, anything smaller and cheaper to consider? I'll take her around some dealers soon to check out & look for deals when we have narrowed it down. Cheers
VW Up! ??
Tried one with my mum who was about 83 at the time.... I liked it but she went for a Mini Cooper and regretted it (harsh ride).
Hyundai i30, Toyota Yaris, Vauxhall Adam ???
Fabia - may not be tax exempt though
The new Smart Car or the new Renault Twingo(the 4dr Smart is essentially a twingo anyway)
Adam. My mum just got one and loves it. She's 73.
Edit: I just saw your mum wants automatic so not an Adam then.
VW Up! is a great car but the auto is terribly jerky because the car is so light.
My Mum (similar to yours OP) drives a Yaris, she has the 2 door a 1.4 auto petrol and TBH it's the best car she's owned (her words) She owned a Jazz before that and a before that a 208 etc. etc. all auto's..
Try a test drive I'd say.
Thanks all, I know she likes jap stuff for the reliability
Skoda Citigo. We will have another soon.
VW Up+1
Really like mine, perfect for town and happy enough on the motorway for relatively short hops. Overtaking requires tactics and favourable winds admittedly,
Go get the Skoda Citigo or Seat Mii clones if you like, doesn't matter until you come to sell it. And then I doubt it'll make much difference on that model.
I went with the Up solely based on the immense laziness of the Skoda dealer.
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Hyundai i30
I had an i30 automatic as a courtesy car the other day. Seemed ok if you like that sort of thing, biggest complaint I had was that they appeared to have installed a volume control instead of an accelerator. Suppose that'd be less of an issue to your Dear Old Mum. They do an i20 too, which I expect is less of the same.
We loved our Citigo- it was just so much better thought you than everything else the same size.
Fabias are good, that's what we run now, but if you just want 2 doors it's pretty big. £20 tax.
i thought Honda Jazz was the choice for older folk ?
Nissan micra?
No idea on if there is an auto option or engine sizes/tax etc.
The Smart Car is actually not a bad little car for short trips.
They have hundreds in Vienna and are great for getting home when it's raining.
https://www.car2go.com/en/wien/
Suzuki Swift SZ4 1.3 5dr auto ... not tax exempt thought but only £110.
I loved my VW High Up! But it was the manual rather than the auto. Hoots of fun, for around town, and fine on the motorway bar the winds, as said above.
Used automatic Mazda MX-5!
I had a jazz on loan from the dealer whilst the crv was in for a service, it was bloody awful only had 2k miles on it and it rattled like my mother in law!!!!