Features
Manual or automatic?
If you do a lot of city driving, or conversely, if you spend ages on the motorway, then an automatic gearbox can make life easier. But bear in mind that - a couple of modern transmission systems aside - an auto's fuel consumption will inevitably be higher, as will
carbon dioxide emissions and thus taxation. It will also be slower.
Some automatic gearboxes are described as
CVT (continuously variable transmission), a gearless system usually fitted in small city cars. Then there's Tiptronic, S-tronic, Multitronic and
DSG within the Volkswagen Group range alone - but what it comes down to is not having to use your left foot on a clutch pedal.
Some sporting and high-performance models have a DSG (Direct Shift Gearbox)-type system; like Tiptronic et al. This is a sports-oriented set-up which allows you to make 'manual' gear selections via a shift lever or steering wheel-mounted paddles.
Try before you buy
Once you've identified a car to suit your needs, find a local dealer selling this model. Remember that these are the people you'll need to deal with for servicing and maintenance, at least for the first few years of the car's life - if you don't like the staff, and aren't impressed by the reception you get or their customer service, look elsewhere. There are plenty of good cars to choose from, from other manufacturers.
Before even test-driving the car, check it out in the showroom. Can you get in and out of the seats easily? Are the seats comfortable and supportive? Can you adjust the seats and the steering wheel to a comfortable position, and get a good view of the road ahead and behind? Do the headrests adjust high enough to protect your neck against whiplash injuries in the event of an impact?
Can you fit a child seat safely and easily? If you're not very tall, can you reach up to an open tailgate? Will your old dog be able to jump high enough into the boot? Or your aged mother climb out of the passenger seat? Will your children be able to sit in the rear seats without incessantly kicking the backs of the front seats? Is the boot deep and wide enough to accommodate anything you might need to carry, from musical instruments to golf bags? It's amazing the things that people forget to consider when choosing their car.
