What four-door automatic will I replace my Fiat Punto with?
My wife wants to change to a car with automatic gears as she has broken her leg and now her ankle has plates in it and recently she fractured a bone in the same foot, the left foot.
She does not put up much mileage and drives only local, no country or even cross-city. She has a 2006 Fiat Grande Punto with 18,000 miles on the clock. She wants a four-door and carries a few grandkids quite often. What would you recommend in an 08 or 09?
F D (Dublin)Jun 2010 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi Frank,
You are likely to get up to €6,000 for your Grand Punto as a trade-in. Having spoken to you via e-mail we know that you have a budget of around €8,000 - €10,000 on top of this.
A car like the Mazda3 saloon with an automatic transmission would make a great choice, as it would be more than suitable for the small mileage your wife does and even though it is a petrol engine it won't cost a lot to run. Here is an example that should be well within budget.
If you wanted something that is a little bigger and more comfortable, then you could have a 2008 Volkswagen Passat automatic within budget. Here is a 2008 one on sale in Naas.
Another good choice would be a Honda Civic saloon automatic, which would be ultra reliable. This model would be well suited to your wife's needs.
I know that you didn't mention an SUV, but if your wife suffers from mobility problems, it can be a lot easier to get in and out of a higher vehicle and this Suzuki Vitara could be great, as it comes with an automatic transmission and has plenty of space for the grandkids too.
Out of all these, my hunch is that the Mazda3 would make the best buy for your needs. I hope this helps. Feel free to come back to us if we haven't quite hit the mark!
Complete Car Adviser