What Car? Q&A - Which small autos can I buy?

Q: I've been driving Mercedes estate cars for the past 25 years, but am becoming increasingly ashamed of hauling around such huge cars, since I rarely carry passengers or large loads any more.

Are there any small cars with decent automatic gearboxes that would suit my needs better? I'd like to spend between £8000 and £12,000.
Frank McDougall

A: A smaller automatic would not only make more sense, it would also be a lot cheaper to run than your Mercedes.

There are plenty of decent automatics within your budget. We'd probably go for a supermini, such as the Vauxhall Corsa or Renault Clio.

The 1.2- or 1.4-litre Corsa can be specified with an auto gearbox within your budget.

If you do lots of miles and would prefer a diesel, try the Clio 1.5 dCi 86 Dynamique S.

If you fancy something a little more stylish, and can stretch to around £12,500, the Mini One makes a great buy, and will hold its value far better than the other cars.