The Yaris Hybrid would be an excellent choice particularly for city use. Its only downside is that Toyota are way behind the times with their infotainment: only recently have they added Androis and Apple Carplay, and I'm not sure about Bluetooth.

But well worth checking what's available: if hard to find, the Auris hybrid is commoner and nit that much bigger than the Yaris.

There's also the Honda Jazz hybrid - but this also has a poor infotainment system.

Is the preference for a hybrid down to fuel efficiency? A hybrid Yaris will be more expensive than a similarly specced petrol model - depending on how much mileage your mother does, the savings on fuel in a hybrid may not offset the additional purchase cost. You might be better off with a non-hybrid automatic.

That said, I have a hybrid Auris and it’s a very relaxing car to drive. The automatic transmission is very smooth and perfect for city traffic.

Hi Everyone,

I'm looking for a used 5dr automatic for my mum, somewhere in the range of £10k. 95% of the time it'll be used as a city runaround. Should be:

• 2-4 yrs old
• Reliable
• Have parking sensors (front & bak preferred, but only back wil do)
• Have bluetooth connectivity (android auto is a bonus but just bluetooth will do)
• fuel-efficient (hybrid?)
• automatic
• 5dr
• small hatchback type

My mum will be mostly using it in and around greater London. Any reccomendations, thoughts or suggestions?

I've been thinking about the Toyota Yaris Hybrid as an option - any thoughts?

I personally wouldn't worry about getting a hyrbid for a city runaround - especially if it's only going to be a shopping car doing occasional short journeys from cold - the ordinary (non-hyrbid) battery will likely deplete in short order as it won't charge up much as the car will be running on hybrid power a reasonable amount, meaning it'll fail and need to be recharged from flat at home, using a breakdown service or a freidn/neighbour/family member/garage.

Best in such circumstances to get a simple design standard petrol engined car - not going hybrid will also mean you can afford a newer one, possibly still in warranty and which will easily meet ongoing regs on the London ULEZ for a good few years.

Doing so also gives you more choice, especially as regards the parking sensors and phone/ICE connectivity. Most of these cars will easily get mid-high 40s mpg in town. Don't go for cars with dual clutch gearboxes (VAG's DSG, Ford's Powershift; KIA/Hyundai ok) or Nissan/Renault CVTs (those from other brands ok). Lots of cars to choose from:

Non hybrid Yaris CVT

Mazda2

Suzuki Swift

Honda Jazz (not the i-Shift version)

Kia Picanto and Rio

Hyundai i10 and i20 (sister cars of the KIAs but with only 5 year/unlimited miles [whichever comes first] warranties instead of 7 years100,000 miles)

For a better ride, don't go for the upper spec 'Sport' models and stick to as lower spec as you can stand to get both a newer car (and hopefully still in warranty, especially for those with 5 years and more warranties) and higher profile tyres (50 profile and above, preferably 60+) shod on sensible wheels which give a far more compliant ride, are less susceptibale to damage, last longer and cost less to replace (and have a better selection of good quality tyres).

Has your mum driven autos before? Whilst they are less of a hassle to drive than manuals in town, they need getting used to and are far more difficult to learn this skill the older you are. OAPs are well known for being involved in fatal accidents because they selected D instead of R or pressed the accelerator pedal instead of the brake.

If she hasn't been driving an auto before and she's well into old age (especially if not so good in terms of co-ordination, etc), I would strongly recommend her NOT getting an auto car and sticking with a standard manual gearbox. Doing so would also improve mpg and mean she could get a newer car or save money compared to an auto/hybrid of the same age.

Any car still in warranty must be serviced at a main dealer to keep the warranty, and its service/MOT history must be checked/verified in that regard before purchase.