The Toyota Yaris is already one of our favourite small cars regardless of gearbox. But its hybrid system is so smooth and so well-matched to the rest of the driving experience that it's probably our favourite small automatic car. 

The Yaris uses a 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine mated to an electric motor and CVT gearbox. Whereas the old Yaris hybrid was decent to drive in town but noisy and frustrating out of it, this newer model has a smoother-sounding engine, is less likely to send revs screaming when you accelerate, and will run for longer in all-electric mode.

We can't think of an easier way to get about: just stick the car into Drive and there are no gearchanges to worry about. That, combined with the light-yet-direct steering, good handling and comfortable ride, means it's a superb all-rounder. 

What's more, it'll do 60mpg-plus pretty much everywhere you drive it. The only downsides are that it's not cheap, and the interior is a bit bland.

The Volkswagen Polo is the small car that feels fully grown up. Think of it as a VW Golf that's a bit cheaper and takes up less space on your driveway, and you'll understand its appeal. 

Yes, it's a bit straight-laced and unexciting, but if you want comfort, refinement, space and quality rather than outright thrills, it's difficult to beat. The driving experience is smooth and sophisticated, while the latest model is crammed full of useful comfort and safety technology. 

The VW Polo can be specified with a dual-clutch (DSG) automatic gearbox with seven gears. That makes it very quick-shifting and quite enjoyable to drive, although it can feel a bit more jerky at very low speeds than the Yaris' smooth CVT. The Polo's other problem is its cost, because you can only get the automatic on higher trim levels.

The latest Skoda Fabia is probably the smartest-looking version there's been, but it's still a rational, head-over-heart small car. 

What it sacrifices in style and posh interior finish, it more than makes up for in practicality and comfort, though. There's almost as much space in the back as a car from the class above - four tall adults can get comfortable - while the 380-litre boot is just one litre short of the VW Golf's. What's more, with Skoda's neat 'simply clever' features, you get loads of little helpful touches. 

The Skoda Fabia is very nearly as refined on the road as the VW Polo, and comes with a decent amount of standard equipment despite its keener price. Like the Polo, you can only have the Fabia with a seven-speed DSG automatic gearbox with the top engine option, however.

Along with the Polo and Fabia, it’s no surprise to see the third member of the Volkswagen Group’s small-car trio - the SEAT Ibiza - on this list as well. Like its supermini siblings, the SEAT Ibiza is an impressively comfortable and refined car to drive, smoothing over bumps in the road with the minimum of fuss. Where the SEAT differs, though, is that it adds an extra layer of handling zip into the mix, and sharp steering adds to the fun, too. 

Inside, there isn’t quite as much room as in the Fabia, but it’s really not far behind, with lots of passenger space and a big boot. Again, the DSG automatic gearbox is only available with the 110PS engine, but at least you can combine this pairing with one of the more affordable trim levels. Early cars were a little bit short on equipment, but this was remedied with a 2021 facelift.

It may no longer be on sale as a brand new car, but the Ford Fiesta is still massively worthy of inclusion here as a used buy, simply because it’s such a brilliant little car. No small car is as enjoyable to drive as the Fiesta thanks to its agile handling and its sharp, communicative steering, while the baby Ford also has most rivals beaten for ride comfort, too. Only the more powerful 125PS engine is available with the seven-speed Powershift automatic, but the good news is that Ford sold so many Fiestas that you should have no trouble finding an auto’ version on the used market.

It’s perhaps not the most practical car of its type, nor the best for interior quality, but it’s good enough in both areas to convince, while prices are keen and equipment levels are high.

The Honda Jazz has a bit of a reputation for being the small car of choice for the sedate elderly driver. But, when you think about it, is that such a bad thing? 

Older folk love it because it's wonderfully simple to live with, easy to get in and out of, easy to drive, practical, well-made and impressively reliable. The latest, fourth-generation model is all of those things still, but quite a bit more desirable and high-tech. 

The latest Jazz is hybrid-only, making it a key alternative to the Toyota Yaris. It also gets a 1.5-litre petrol engine, along with not one but two electric motors, and like the Yaris you don't have to faff about charging it up. It's refined, will run around on electric power alone at low speeds, and even has a pretty strong turn of pace, doing 0-62mph in 9.4 seconds. 

The Jazz's negatives are again its outright cost, and a ride that's a bit on the firm side.

Some of the best small automatic cars above the Peugeot 208 in this list are very worthy, but lack real flair and style. The little Peugeot has that in spades with a distinctive interior design and a surprisingly upmarket and pleasant cabin.

The 208 shares much with the Vauxhall Corsa underneath, but has a good deal more pizzazz about it. That means you also get the choice of petrol or electric power with no big difference to how the car looks inside or out. 

If you go for a petrol Peugeot 208, you can have an eight-speed automatic gearbox (badged EAT8) with either the Puretech 100 or punchier Puretech 130 petrol engine. It's a well-matched combo, with relatively smooth shifts plus decent performance and economy. If you go electric with the Peugeot e-208, there isn't a gearbox at all, but it drives like an automatic with only forward and reverse.

What's more, you can have the automatic on lower-end trim levels of the petrol 208, so you don't need to spend big (although the EV is pricier). Just be aware that the Corsa is more affordable, while there's not as much space in the back as many rivals here.

Think some of the small automatic cars on this list are a bit dull to look at? Well the latest Hyundai i20 is anything but. In fact, there's almost too much styling, with its mad creases and slashes.

While the bold styling stands out, the Hyundai i20 is actually more sensible underneath. It's pretty spacious in the back and in the boot, it comes with lots of impressive tech including a large infotainment screen and digital dials, and it should prove easy to live with. 

Sure, the actual interior quality isn't all that premium, with plenty of hard plastics. But when a small car is this well-equipped you can live with that. To get the Hyundai i20 as an automatic you don't need to opt for a high-spec trim level or the more powerful engine: it's available across the range.

That makes the Hyundai i20 automatic pretty affordable, and the dual-clutch gearbox is pretty good overall. Bar the rather plasticky cabin and a ride that's on the firm side, there's plenty to like.

The Vauxhall Corsa has always been oh-so-sensible, with buyers loving it for its keen pricing and easy driving experience. But because the latest model is also based on the Peugeot 208, it's actually quite good to drive as well. 

Sharing its oily (or coppery) bits with the 208 means you also get the choice of petrol and electric power. Again, in the Vauxhall Corsa petrol you can have the smooth-shifting eight-speed automatic gearbox on even the cheapest trim level, although you will need either the 100PS or 130PS turbo petrol engines to do so. 

The Corsa isn't quite as striking to look at on the outside as its French sibling, and nor is it as classy inside. But for those looking for an easy-to-live-with cabin, it's actually a little more intuitive than the 208's, particularly because it has proper separate climate controls. 

In truth, the driving experience is good but not remarkable, with a sometimes bouncy ride. But the electric Corsa-e is one of the cheapest electric cars you can buy.

The MINI has been available with automatic gearboxes for years and years, but with the latest 2024 car, you can only have it as an automatic. However, go for the latest car with an internal combustion engine, and the platform and engines that sit beneath its curvy, cutesy bodywork are just updated versions of those found in its predecessor. So, you might as well save yourself a few quid and go for an automatic version of that car instead.

The last MINI may not be as stylish inside as the latest car, and may not have the wow-factor derived from the latest car's circular infotainment screen. However, the last-generation car is far more ergonomically sound than the latest one, so if you're more interested in actually using your car's infotainment system rather than just looking at it in admiration, you'll actually be better off. And obviously, like all MINIs, it's a thrill-a-minute to drive.

A word of warning if you fancy an electric MINI, though: the latest electric MINI has a different platform, battery and motors to the previous one, and so also has a much greater range as a result. So, if buying electric, we'd recommend the newer iteration. Like with most electric cars, there's no gearbox - automatic or otherwise - but you operate it just like an auto' by selecting Drive or Reverse.