Automatic Cars

The Volkswagen Polo does everything well. Its high-quality interior has space for four adults and their luggage and is available with lots of clever kit. It’s an easy car to drive and its 95hp petrol engine is frugal and available with a smooth-shifting seven-speed automatic gearbox.

The BMW X1 is a posh family car with lots of space for four people and their luggage. It’s cheap to run but also fun to drive. The petrol 20i model is quick and it comes as standard with a seven-speed automatic gearbox that takes the stress out of city driving.

The Mercedes E-Class comes with a smooth-shifting automatic gearbox as standard that – along with its quiet interior and comfortable suspension – makes it a very relaxing car to drive. It has space for four people and their luggage and has an excellent range of engines.

The Skoda Kodiaq is a spacious SUV with plenty of space for four people and a huge boot. You can even have it with seven seats. It’s an easy, comfortable car to drive and its optional seven-speed automatic gearbox shifts smoothly and is available with a choice of engines.

The fast Volkswagen Golf R has grippy four-wheel drive and is also available with a seven-speed automatic gearbox that makes it relaxing to drive in town. On top of this, the Golf R feels nicely built and has space for four people and their luggage.

The Volkswagen Polo is a small car that feels like a big car. It’s easy to drive, comfortable and its excellent range of engines including a 95hp 1.0-litre petrol that can be paired with a smooth-shifting automatic gearbox. The Polo’s interior is well-built, roomy and also comfortable.

The Hyundai i10 has just enough space for four people and a small amount of luggage. Choose the 87hp 1.2-litre model and you can have an automatic that is smoother shifting than the gearboxes you’ll find in other small cars – taking the stress out of stop-start traffic.

The tiny Smart ForTwo two-seater can park in spaces other cars can’t and has a tight turning circle that makes it very manoeuvrable. It costs buttons to run and all models are available with an automatic gearbox that takes the monotonousness out of town driving.

The Ford Fiesta’s pin-sharp steering and darty nature make it fun to drive – fit it with Ford’s six-speed automatic gearbox and peppy 100hp petrol engine and it becomes something of a go-kart. The Fiesta feels modern inside and has space for four adults and a little luggage.

The Mini 3-door is a highly personalisable small car that’s very stylish, great to drive and available with a smooth-shifting six-speed automatic gearbox. Its interior is classy but has a tight back seat and a boot that won’t hold much more than a few bags of shopping.

The Ford Focus has a neat interior that’s crammed full of technology and spacious enough to handle everything that a family can throw at it. It’s available with a good choice of petrol and diesel engines, most of which can be combined with an eight-speed automatic gearbox.

The Volkswagen Tiguan’s tall body means it has lots of space and a big boot and its interior is well built and intuitively designed. The Tiguan is comfortable to drive – even more so when fitted with its optional seven-speed automatic gearbox – and cheap to run in diesel form.

The Volkswagen Polo is a great small family car because it has room for your family and their stuff, plus its interior has a smart design and is very well built. The Polo’s nippy 95hp petrol engine is cheap to run and available with a seven-speed automatic gearbox

The Audi A4 Avant is a beautifully built estate car with a posh and roomy interior. It’s a relaxing car to drive and you can choose to fit it with a seven-speed automatic that changes gears smoothly. The excellent 1.4-litre petrol engine is smooth and cheap to run.

The Mini 5-door is as cool as the 3-door but a good deal more practical thanks to a back seat that’ll just about fit tall adults and a boot that can swallow more than a few bags of shopping. The Mini is great to drive and its eight-speed automatic gearbox is very smooth.

The BMW 530e is a posh saloon that’s quick and comes with an automatic gearbox as standard. It feels like a normal car to drive but can return fuel economy of 141.2mpg. The BMW feels expensive inside, has lots of equipment and has plenty of space for a family.

The Toyota Prius comes with an automatic gearbox as standard and can return excellent fuel economy of 94.2mpg. It’s a relaxing car to drive with a quiet cabin and light controls. Its space-age looks hide a spacious interior that has room for four adults and a few suitcases.

The Nissan Leaf is an electric that costs buttons to run. It comes with an automatic gearbox and has Nissan’s E-Pedal, which means the car brakes itself when you stop accelerating. It feels like a normal car in every other way though and is practical enough for a family.

The Volvo XC90 TwinEngine is a hybrid car that comes with an automatic gearbox as standard. It is quick, but can also get 134.5mpg fuel economy if you have somewhere to top up its batteries. The XC90’s posh interior is spacious, with room for four and a massive boot.

The BMW i3 Range Extender uses an electric motor powered by a small petrol engine to provide spectacular fuel economy of 141mpg. Small, nippy and with an automatic fitted as standard, the i3 is brilliant for driving in town and its interior is spacious for a car of this size.

The Skoda Superb’s a comfortable car that makes even more sense when fitted with an effort-saving automatic gearbox. The Superb’s interior is well-built and logically laid out but – above all else – it is very spacious with lots of rear legroom and a massive boot.

Car’s don’t get much more comfortable than the Mercedes E-Class, which gets an automatic gearbox as standard no matter which of its excellent engines you pick. Its posh interior has room for four people and their luggage and is available with some incredibly clever tech.

The Volvo XC60 sits in the middle of Volvo’s SUV lineup. It’s luxurious inside, has space for four and a huge boot. It’s a relaxing car to drive and has an automatic gearbox as standard. It’s also available as a hybrid model that’s cheap to run if you have somewhere to charge it.

The Volkswagen Passat doesn’t have a fancy badge, but it feels high-quality with a neatly styled and durable interior. It’s also roomy enough for four tall adults and their luggage. It is available with a seven-speed automatic gearbox that makes it easy and comfortable to drive.

The Audi Q5 is posh inside but not flashy. It has loads of room for people and a big boxy boot that’s perfect for swallowing bulky luggage. The Q5’s seven-speed automatic gearbox makes it easy to drive and it’s a brilliant car for covering big journeys in.

The Range Rover’s high driving position, soft suspension, powerful engines and smooth automatic gearbox make it an extremely comfortable car to drive. It’s very luxurious inside and has plenty of room for four people and a load of luggage.

The Audi Q5 is almost perfect if you’re after an automatic SUV. Its cabin feels very expensive and has space for four people and a load of luggage, too. It comes as standard with a seven-speed automatic gearbox and is an extremely comfortable car for long drives.

The Skoda Karoq SUV is a great family SUV that’s available with a seven-speed automatic gearbox across the range. The Skoda’s dashboard has a neat design and the interior has space for four people and their luggage. You can even remove all the back seats for big jobs.

The Audi Q7 SUV is a huge seven-seater with a massive boot. It comes with a range of powerful engines, all of which are paired with a smooth-shifting eight-speed automatic gearbox. The Q7 is a quiet and comfortable cruiser that’s crammed full of clever technology.

The BMW X3 SUV is another great family car that has an eight-speed automatic gearbox as standard. It has space for four people and a big boot and while it’s not interesting to look at, the interior feels very well built. The X3’s USP is that it’s surprisingly good to drive for a big car.