Best value automatic cars

Click on the picture or heading for a full review. For more info on the different gearboxes see this post; Automatic gearboxes. 

 

Toyoya Yaris Hybrid

Toyoya Yaris Hybrid

Toyota Yaris Hybrid

The 1.5 litre petrol engine is helped along by a small electric motor operating in tandem for normal driving, no charging required the battery stores power from braking and when the engine is running. When traveling under 18 miles per hour the Yaris can run on battery power alone, using no petrol or producing any exhaust fumes. The Yaris offers a claimed 80.7 miles per gallon on a combined cycle but around town this car can reach over 90 miles per gallon.

 Autumn Best Buy – Toyota Yaris Hybrid ‘Icon Tech’ Automatic   –  £195 Advance Payment  (£64.10 wpms)

 

 

Seat Arona

Seat Arona

The Arona is based on the excellent Seat Ibiza, 15mm raised ride and 79mm longer, the taller cabin increases the interior space leading to more headroom and a better view for all and the 400 litre boot means the Arona has ample room for four adults and their luggage. FR trim has 17 inch alloy wheels, full LED headlamps, dark-tinted rear windows and twin exhaust pipes and ambient interior lighting in a range of user-selectable colours ,FR Sport adds 18-inch wheels, black Alcantara suede upholstery and dynamic chassis control. The 113bhp three cylinder petrol engine is excellent, reaching 62 mph in just under 10 seconds and power is delivered seamlessly, with little of the lag you sometimes get with turbocharged engines, economy is an excellent 56.5 mpg as a twin cutch Automatic.

Autumn Best Buy – Seat Arona Xcellence Lux 1.0 tsi petrol (113bhp)  Automatic – £99 Advance Payment (£63.47 wpms)

 

 

MG ZS

MG ZS

The MG ZS is a compact SUV offering a 448 litre boot with room to carry four adults in comfort. All cars come with an 8 inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay, climate control, heated wing mirrors, front fog lights, 17 inch alloys, rear parking sensors and cruise control. The 109bhp 1.0 three cylinder petrol (Vauxhall shared) 6 speed automatic can reach 62 miles per hour in 12.4 seconds and return 44.9 miles per gallon.

Autumn Best Buy – MG ZS Excite (109bhp 1.0 litre petrol) Automatic  –  £59.20 per week (you keep £2.00 per week of DLA/PIP) or Nil (£62.81 wpms) in Exclusive trim

 

Hyundai IONIQ Hybrid

The Ioniq draws its power from a 1.6 litre 103bhp petrol engine alongside a 43bhp electric motor, the two power units work in tandem, the electric motor will start the car off and will be joined by the petrol when required, you can drive solely on electric power for only very short distances before the batteries go flat, these are charged by both the petrol engine running and by regenerative powers like braking, there is no ‘Plug’ to charge the batteries. The IONIQ can return a claimed 83.1 miles per gallon for urban driving, compared to a Hyundai i30 1.6 petrol car that returns a claimed 34 mpg around town.

Price reduced from previous quarter price Autumn Best Buy – Hyundai IONIQ Hybrid ‘Premium’ Automatic  –  £99 Advance Payment (£63.47 wpms)

Price reduced from previous quarter price Autumn Best Buy – Hyundai IONIQ Hybrid ‘Premium SE’ Automatic  –  £449 Advance Payment (£65.78 wpms)

 

 

Mini Countryman PHEV

The Mini Countryman Plug in Hybrid has a 1.5 litre 3 cylinder petrol engine powering the front wheels and an 88hp electric motor powering the rear wheels, the total power avaialble combining the two engines is 224 brake horse power and a 0-62 miles per hour can be achieved in 6.8 seconds. More importantly you can drive up to 25 miles (around 17 in reality) on electric power alone from a fully charged car. Charging can be as fast as two hours fifteen minutes and it is also possible to charge from a household 3 pin plug, though does take longer.

Autumn Best Buy – Mini Countryman PHEV Cooper S ‘E’ Classic  –   £1749  Advance Payment (£636.85 wpms)

 

 

Vauxhall Grandland X

The Vauxhall Grandland X is based on the same platform as European Car of the Year (2017), the Peugeot 3008. The 1.2 litre three cylinder petrol with 128 bhp is a joy to drive around town, quiet and reasonably punchy, 0-62 in 11.1 seconds, it officially returns 55.3 mpg as a six speed automatic. SE models offer a seven-inch touchscreen with Apple Carplay and Android Auto, DAB radio, rear parking sensors, 17-inch alloy wheels, automatic headlights and wipers, cruise control, dual-zone electronic climate control, leather-covered steering wheel, steering column adjustable for reach and rake, steering wheel mounted audio controls and front fog lights.

 Autumn Best Buy – Vauxhall Grandland X  ‘SRi Nav’ 1.2 litre 128bhp petrol Automatic  –  £699 Advance Payment (£67.43 wpms)

 

Volvo XC40

The XC40 was previous only avaialble in entry trim Momentum, now we have Momentum Pro, Inscription (leather seats) and the sporty R-Design  The prices have reduced but remain at the top end, but now offer better value. The 1.5 litre three cylinder T3 offers 154 bhp and only drives the front wheels. Performance is brisk, 62 miles per hour can be reached in 9.4 seconds with a top speed of 124 mph. Economy, on the other hand, is not astounding, with a claimed combined effort of 45.6 miles per gallon. The Automatic only 2.0 litre T4 has an extra cylinder and pumps out 187bhp with an impressive 300nm of torque giving a 0-62 time of 8.4 seconds, available in front or all wheel drive. New this quarter is the 148bhp 2.0-litre Diesel D3, available as a front wheel drive manual or Automatic car.

Price reduced from previous quarter price Autumn Best Buy – Volvo XC40 R-Design T3 1.5 litre petrol 161 bhp front wheel drive Automatic –  £1299 Advance Payment (£186.85 wpms) or Price reduced from previous quarter price£1499 (£386.85 wpms) in Inscription Trim (No option to upgrade to Pro)

 Autumn Best Buy – Volvo XC40 R-Design T4 2.0 litre petrol 187 bhp 2 wheel drive Automatic –  £1799 Advance Payment (£686.85 wpms) or £1999 (£886.84 wpms) in Inscription Trim (add £200 to to upgrade to Pro)

Price reduced from previous quarter price Autumn Best Buy – Volvo XC40 R-Design T4 2.0 litre petrol 187 bhp 4 wheel drive Automatic –  £2399 Advance Payment (£1286.84 wpms) or £2599 (£1486.85 wpms) in Inscription Trim (No option to upgrade to Pro)

 

 

Mazda CX-5

The big Mazda has been reduced by £700 as a petrol car, the same £700 it increased by last quarter, prices now start at £799 for the petrol SE-L+ trim. The Diesel car is now avaialble in 2wd with 148bhp or 4wd with 181bhp. Both can to 2000kg but the 4wd with 420 nm of torque is a great tow car, despite the relatively small nose weight of 88kg. Full prices here.

Price reduced from previous quarter price Autumn Best Buy – Mazda CX-5 ‘SE-L+’  2.0 litre Petrol (163 bhp) Automatic  –  £999 Advance payment  (£68.35 +£159.09 wpms)

 

 

BMW 2 Series Active tourer

BMW 2 Series Active Tourer

BMW’s are all about desirability and the Active Tourer hits the mark, excellent driving credentials, superb design and powerful engines, but with practicality at its core, wide opening doors and a 468 litre boot. The SE trim comes with built in Sat Nav, an electric tailgate, rear parking sensors, electric folding rear seats operated from a button in the boot (but you do have to pull them up by hand), engine start stop button, 16″ alloy wheels, automatic wipers and lights, dual zone climate control, DAB radio and a 6.5″ colour screen centrally mounted display. The Automatic only 220i petrol offers 189bhp and can reach 62 mph in 7.4 seconds and return 50.4 miles per gallon, quite a package.

Autumn Best Buy – BMW 2 Series Active Tourer 218 1.5 Petrol ‘SE’ Automatic   –  £599 Advance Payment (£66.77 wpms)

 Autumn Best Buy – BMW 2 Series Active Tourer 220d 2.0 diesel ‘Luxury’ Automatic X Drive 4wd  –  £1599 Advance Payment (£486.85 wpms)

 

 

New Mercedes A-Class

Mercedes A Class

The new A-Class sits on a revised platform with sublime twin 7 inch digital screens and a super new petrol engine. The sleek exterior moves the old car’s aerodynamics into a new dimension. Although it’s a similar size to the likes of the Ford Focus and Vauxhall Astra, the Mercedes A-Class is an alternative to more ‘premium’ models, such as the Audi A3 and BMW 1 Series. The 1.33 litre turbo charged petrol engined is as a A180 with  134 bhp 0-62 in 9,2 seconds and economy of 54.3 mpg, the larger output A200 has 161bhp and can hit 62mph in 8 seconds and return a claimed 53.3 miles per gallon, both can be paired to a 6 speed manual or a 7 speed dual clutch automatic. The Sport trim has LED headlights, 17 inch 10-spoke alloy wheels, black man-made leather seats and climate control.

Autumn Best Buy – Mercedes A-Class A180 Sport 1.33 petrol Automatic   –  £899 Advance Payment (£68.35 + £59.09 wpms)

Price reduced from previous quarter price Autumn Best Buy – Mercedes A-Class A220d  2.0 diesel 8 speed Auto AMG Line –  £2199 Advance Payment (£1086.85 wpms)

 

 

Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace

The on – off situation regarding the Allspace continues, the latest news is that it is now back on the Scheme in the new ‘Match’ trim which includes, adaptive cruise control, sat nav, parking sensors, front and rear, 19 inch alloy wheels, keyless entry, privacy glass, electric tailgate, three zone climate control and park assist with rear view camera. The 148 bhp 2.0 litre diesel is nothing short of fantastic. Three cars are on the Scheme, a six speed manual (£1149 AP) or a 7 speed DSG automatic with either two or four wheel drive, bizarrely the 4wd car is cheaper, £1449 AP compared to £1649 for the front wheel drive car.

Autumn Best Buy – Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace 2.0 diesel 148bhp Automatic ‘Match’ 4wd  –  £1449 Advance Payment (£336.85 wpms)

 

 

VW Sharan – Large 7 Seater

Volkswagen Sharan

The Volkswagen Sharan is a large MPV with seven individual seats for adults, and is able to offer 300 litres of luggage space with all seven seats in use. SE models have 16″ alloys wheels, cruise control, chrome window surrounds, roof rails, 3 zone climate control, under seat storage, leather trimmed multifunction steering wheel, automatic lights and parking sensors for the rear and front, 6.5 inch touchscreen media system that can stream media from your mobile phone and Apple Carplay. The two litre 150 brake horse power diesel is a perfect companion as a DSG automatic 9.9 seconds from standstill to 62 miles per hour and a top speed of 120 miles per hour. Official economy figures suggest 57 miles per gallon is not achievable but you can get mid 40’s if you are very careful.

 Autumn Best Buy  –  Volkswagen Sharan 150bhp Diesel DSG Automatic ‘SE Nav’ –  £1999 Advance Payment  (£886.84 wpms) as an Automatic