Used automatic cars for sale
in the UK
Used automatic cars from UK sellers, each with its asking price, mileage and photos. An automatic has no clutch pedal, and there are several kinds of automatic gearbox, so see below which one a car has.
Which automatic?Driving licence rule
Automatic cars available
View all
Automatic vans for sale
Automatic motorbikes for sale
Automatic motorhomes for sale
Quick summary: used automatic cars
Used automatic cars on Autoza right now are priced from £1,495 to £239,950, averaging £15,820. An automatic has no clutch pedal. The gearbox can be a torque converter, a dual clutch (DSG, S tronic, PowerShift), a CVT or an automated manual, and they drive and wear differently, so check which one a car has.
This page uses the same gearbox filter as Autoza's search, so cars advertised as semi-automatic are included. Cars listed as manual, or with no gearbox stated, are not.
Which automatic? The five kinds of two-pedal car
An advert that says “automatic” can mean any of these. They share a missing clutch pedal and little else, so ask the seller which one the car has. The maker's name for the gearbox is usually in the handbook or on the sale paperwork.
Torque-converter automatic
The traditional automatic: a fluid coupling joins the engine to a gearbox with a set number of fixed gears. Usually the smoothest of the kinds at walking pace.
Names you will see: Often advertised simply as "automatic". Makers give their own names to their versions.
What to check: Changes should be quick and smooth, with no jolt into Drive or Reverse and no flare, where the revs rise before the next gear arrives. Ask for proof the gearbox oil has been changed where the maker calls for it.
Dual-clutch (DCT)
Two clutches, one for the odd gears and one for the even, so the next gear is already waiting. Changes are quick, and the driving feels closer to a manual.
Names you will see: DSG (Volkswagen), S tronic (Audi), PowerShift (Ford), EDC (Renault) and other makers' names.
What to check: Watch for hesitation or shudder pulling away, and for jerky changes in slow traffic. Some early dual-clutch units have had reported faults with their electronic control unit (the "mechatronic"), so ask about the gearbox's history and whether the oil and filter have been changed where the maker calls for it, and check the car for recalls.
CVT (continuously variable)
No fixed gears: a belt or chain between two cones slides through the ratios, so the revs can rise and hold while the car catches up.
Names you will see: CVT, Xtronic and similar names. A hybrid's version is often called an e-CVT.
What to check: A steady, droning engine note under hard acceleration is how a CVT normally behaves. Judder, a whine that changes with speed, or revs that rise without the car speeding up are not, so test it from cold and ask for the service records.
Automated manual (single-clutch)
A manual gearbox with a computer working the clutch and the gear changes. There is no clutch pedal, so it counts as an automatic for the licence, but changes can be slower and more jerky than the other kinds.
Names you will see: Vauxhall's Easytronic and Fiat's Dualogic are two. Many adverts call these "semi-automatic", and this page includes them, as Autoza's search does.
What to check: The clutch is a wear item and can be costly to replace, so ask when it was last done. Drive it in town: the changes should not lurch, and the car should not roll back on a hill.
Electric cars and most hybrids
An electric car has a single-speed drive and no clutch pedal; most hybrids also have no clutch pedal. There is nothing to shift.
What to check: No gearbox to judge on an electric car. The checks that matter are the battery and the charging, covered on the electric and hybrid pages below.
Checking a used automatic
- Start it cold. Select Drive, then Reverse: it should engage promptly and without a clunk.
- Pull away gently, then hard, up a hill if you can. Changes should be smooth, with no shudder, no hesitation and no revs rising without the car speeding up.
- Look at the dashboard after the start-up check. Any gearbox, transmission or engine warning light is something to ask the seller about before you go further.
- Ask for the service history, and look for the gearbox oil being changed where the maker calls for it. Makers differ: some set an interval, others describe the oil as filled for life, so ask what the schedule says for this car.
- Check the MOT history for advisories about oil leaks, and the car for open recalls.
The free registration check shows a car's MOT history, advisories and recall status from its number plate, and GOV.UK has its own vehicle recall check. Neither shows a gearbox fault, so a test drive and the service history still decide it.
Driving licence: automatic or manual?
If you pass your driving test in an automatic or semi-automatic car, your licence only covers automatic and semi-automatic cars. If you pass in a manual car, it covers both. GOV.UK describes a manual car as one with 3 pedals and an automatic or semi-automatic car as one with 2, and says that a driver who takes the test in a semi-automatic car can only drive automatic and semi-automatic cars once they have passed (GOV.UK: using your own car for your driving test).
To drive a manual later you upgrade the licence by passing a practical driving test in a manual car; GOV.UK says you do not need to take the theory test again. GOV.UK: upgrade an automatic car driving licence to a manual one.
An electric car counts as an automatic: DVSA's examiner guidance on GOV.UK says an electric vehicle has no conventional gearbox and no clutch, and categorises it as automatic transmission.
Automatic hybrids, electric cars and budgets
Two kinds of car are automatic almost by definition. Used electric cars have no clutch pedal at all, and most used hybrid cars do not have one either. For a petrol or diesel car, used petrol cars and used diesel cars list both gearboxes, so use this page, or “View all” above, to see only the automatics.
To work from a budget, see every used car under £5,000, under £10,000, under £15,000, or under £20,000. The guide to what each budget buys compares automatics with the rest of the market by price band, and the “Is this a good price?” checker shows whether one automatic's asking price is high or low against similar cars.
Popular automatic makes
Frequently asked questions about automatic cars
How much does a used automatic car cost?
Can I drive an automatic car on a manual licence?
Can I drive a manual car if I passed my test in an automatic?
What are the main types of automatic gearbox?
Are electric cars automatic?
What should I check when buying a used automatic?
Is an automatic more expensive than the manual version of the same car?
Warranty and your rights
Autoza does not sell cars or attach a warranty to them. Whether a car comes with a warranty, and for how long, is up to the seller — check the advert or ask them. When you buy from a business you also have rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015: the car must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and as described.
You can message the seller directly on Autoza, ask what you want and arrange a viewing.