Car choice:Suzuki or Seat for a small automatic?

Doreen Owen is retired, on a fixed income and, in her words, has a dicky right knee. She needs a small automatic, with economy a priority

(Suzuki)

A car for the head

What Mrs Owen needs is reliability and as I often point out that means buying Japanese. I would pick something like the Suzuki Splash. Being a Suzuki, provided it is serviced regularly, there will be no reliability issues at all. It has a high roof and seating making it much easier to get in and out . The 1.2 SZ4 will have enough space and be very well equipped with air conditioning. It will also have a reversing aid and keyless entry to make life even easier. A 2011 model would be priced around £4,690.

(Seat (Seat)

A car for the heart

A more conventional and cuter car would be the Seat Mii. They are rare, but it is possible to find automatic examples. Refinement can be difficult to achieve in a city car like this but in the Seat, outside noise is kept to a minimum. That boot can cope with a weekly shop and the rear seats do split and fold to help out with packing. Standard equipment is good when you get above the cheapest models as most automatics are. We found a 2013 1.0 5 door SE with just 15,000 miles at £5,489, with a warranty.

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