Top 10: Best Automatic Cars For New Drivers

The Volkswagen Up! is a firm favourite of ours, owing to its excellent finish and efficient engines. It’s more practical than you might expect for a reasonably compact car, too, with its tall, boxy proportions meaning that you can get taller passengers inside than you’d think. Inside, it’s got the tell-tale Volkswagen solid build quality that keeps this car looking fresh regardless of mileage.

The good news is that it’s also available with an automatic gearbox, so there’s no need to miss out on the Up! experience if you’re doing an auto-only test. Coupled with a turbocharged 1.0-litre engine, it’s a setup which has more than enough performance to get you up to speed in good enough time, but one that won’t push the budget when it comes to running costs or insurance premiums. It’s even quite refined on the motorway, so longer trips aren’t out of the question.

The Audi A1 is a great example of how to put a premium finish on the typical city car. Small but very pleasant both inside and out, the A1 is definitely an upmarket way to start your driving adventure but thanks to its popularity, there are many to choose from the used market for a variety of budgets.

The A1 is also available with a smooth-shifting automatic gearbox, so you don’t need to skip the Audi experience if you’re doing an automatic-only test. Plus, the little A1 feels composed and easy to drive, with the usual Audi levels of refinement which help to make this car both quiet and comfortable on the move. All versions get a good amount of equipment as standard, too.

If you’re doing an automatic-only test, then there’s even more reason to consider an electric car. After all, nearly every EV has an automatic gearbox, so it qualifies perfectly for this list. The Nissan Leaf is one of the most commonly-found used EVs on the market today and the latest version brings a good deal of equipment too.

Newer versions of the Leaf could bring up to 239 miles of range from a single charge, but even older versions should still be able to manage around 180. Remember, too, that if you’re able to take advantage of low-cost home energy rates then running the Leaf will be considerably cheaper than with an equivalent petrol or diesel car, though bear in mind that insurance premiums are likely to be higher.

The Clio is an ever-popular choice among those who are learning to drive. It helps that this car is relatively inexpensive to purchase used – providing you’re happy with a higher-mileage example – while its light controls are easy to get used to if you’re new to the world of driving. Overall visibility is good, too, so getting that parallel park nailed shouldn’t be a problem.

You can get it with an automatic gearbox, too, which when combined with light steering makes the Clio a breeze to drive, particularly around town. You’ll find that every engine the Clio is offered with provides good efficiency, too, and you shouldn’t see insurance premiums climbing too high if you do choose the Clio as your next car.

If you had to pick out a stereotypical first-time car, it would be the Volkswagen Polo. Inexpensive to run and insure, it’s a popular choice among those who are heading out onto the roads for the first time. It’s available with an automatic gearbox, too, and when coupled with the Polo’s good choice of engines, make this into a very fine option indeed.

While the Polo’s interior may be a little grey and uninspiring in areas it is well made, with materials that feel as though they’ll stand up to all kinds of abuse. A big boot and a reasonably good amount of rear-seat headroom means that the Polo is more practical than you might expect, too, and it’ll prove a good partner on an adventure.

Kia’s Picanto is the kind of hassle-free car you want when you start driving for the first time. While it might not be the largest nor the most practical option on this list, where it excels is its fuel-sipping abilities and low rates of tax and insurance. Put shortly, if you don’t want a car that’ll cost the earth, the Picanto could be a good choice.

This latest-generation Picanto gets an automatic gearbox option, too, and this works remarkably well with the 1.0-litre engine under the bonnet. Though it can feel a little breathless at greater speeds, it’s a setup which is perfectly suited to life around town or in the city. As a result, it could be a good option as an urban runabout as well.

It might be Hyundai’s smallest model, but the i10 is just as capable as some of its bigger vehicles. For one, clever packaging means that the i10 has more space inside to offer than you might expect, while its road manners are polished and refined. It’s a great car to learn in, too, thanks to its small proportions and lightweight steering.

The five-speed automated manual transmission – essentially a manual that has been converted to shift by itself – isn’t as smooth as the gearboxes in other cars on this list, but it does a good job of getting the i10 along. However, the 1.0-litre engine it’s linked to should prove frugal and inexpensive to maintain, while insurance costs will be impressively low as well.

How could we draw up a list of the best automatic cars for new drivers without mentioning the ever-popular Ford Fiesta? It was a sorry day when Ford announced that it would be putting the Fiesta out of production following decades on-sale, but its near-consistent popularity means that there’s a steady supply of used versions to tap into. There are plenty of specification options, too.

While the manual gearbox in the Fiesta has been famed for its smooth action, the automatic alternative isn’t bad either and makes this compact Ford even more usable. In fact, there’s little downside in opting for the automatic version, so you don’t need to feel like you’re missing out in overall drivability through picking it.

Toyota’s Aygo X (pronounced ‘cross’) is a modern-day interpretation of the classic city car. It’s incredibly compact, but with its chunky design and large alloy wheels it makes quite a presence out on the road. You can even get it with a fold-back fabric targa roof that can help bring some of the outdoors inside when you’re driving in good weather. A range of funky colours add some extra life to this car as well.

It’s extremely strong in terms of efficiency, too, with there being very little drawback in this area when choosing the automatic over the manual. In fact, Toyota says that you could get well over 50mpg combined in the Aygo X, while low CO2 emissions should mean that taxing this compact model won’t sting each year.

The Mini Cooper remains one of the most desirable options in the first-time car market. Despite having been on sale in one form of or another for decades, the ‘modern’ Mini continues to be a hit with those driving for the first time thanks to its quirky styling, solidly built interior and plentiful equipment.

While you will pay more for a Mini due to its popularity, it’s a common sight on the used market so you should be able to find one which fits your budget. At this age, the automatic Mini models really came on stream, too, so getting one with an auto ‘box shouldn’t require too much searching – just make sure that it has been looked after with a full history of repairs and maintenance.