Car choice: What's the best choice for a small, reliable automatic first car?

Luqmaan Makadam is after his first car which must be automatic. He has been looking at the Toyota Aygo

For a first-time driver, a Nissan Micra makes for a reliable ride

A car for the head

First cars should always be relatively cheap. First cars can accumulate parking scrapes and all sorts of first owner abuse, so it is better to buy a low cost motor that you don’t have to worry about. For that reason I would recommend an old Nissan Micra – and they are incredibly reliable. I found a 2004, 70,000 mile example in S trim which means it has power steering and CD, which is pretty standard and just about the basic requirement these days and all a first time driver really needs all for £1,500.

The Volkswagen Polo is equally affordable and efficient

A car for the heart

Although I think that the Toyota Yaris is an excellent choice I also think that Luqmaan should consider a Volkswagen Polo. Having bought a Polo for a teenager in the last few years and I found that it was very affordable to run and insure, and the same should apply to an automatic model. I spotted a 2003 1.4S version with 98,000 miles which also has air conditioning. This is a well equipped model finished in silver. It was on sale at a dealer, so it had a warranty and a year’s MoT.

If you would like James Ruppert to help with your car choice, email james@freecarmag.com. For more motoring views visit freecarmag.com