Malaga is a fascinating destination for a holiday, being a coastal city of historical importance that also boasts a wonderful climate, a wide range of bars and restaurants and some great shopping opportunities. You can also hire a car and take the chance to explore the wider region of Andalusia, with its beautiful countryside and old, ruined castles, as well as towns such as Seville and Ronda. The region is also famous for its small, picturesque white towns, which you can easily visit by touring around in your hire car. Take the time also to appreciate the great food and drink offered in the many cafes and restaurants – seafood is a speciality and the area is famous for its sherry.

Many people prefer automatics to manual cars and for those looking for automatic car hire Malaga has many choices available. The assumption that you would have to hire an expensive, larger vehicle if you want an automatic is not true. Although the more luxurious end of the market is catered to, with many models of Mercedes or BMW on offer, it is perfectly possible to hire a small car such as a Nissan Micra or Ford Fiesta with an automatic gearbox. You can also find mid-size vehicles – a Volkswagen Golf or Ford Focus, for example – if that is what you prefer.

Driving in Malaga and Andalusia has its own challenges and visitors should take care to learn the local laws and customs of the road before venturing out. Speed limits, for example, are quite strictly enforced and tourists are often required to pay on-the-spot fines if stopped by the police. Using a mobile phone while driving will also lead to such fines. The driver of the car and all passengers are required to wear seat-belts and children under twelve years old are not allowed to sit in the front passenger seat. You will also find that the drink-driving limit in Spain is set very low. Random spot-checks on this are common and the penalties for failing a breath test are severe. The best advice is not to drink at all if you are going to be driving.

Don’t let all of these warnings put you off however. If you just apply common sense, you can enjoy a great driving holiday in Spain. On arrival, make your choice from the varieties of automatic car hire Malaga has to offer and you can then set off on a wonderful trip exploring the town and further afield into Andalusia.

We are big fans of autos here at Automatic Car Hire but you should be aware that there are pitfalls of using an Automatic car over a manual (fuel economy, performance etc). Here we will look at the differences between identical models with different types of transmission but ultimately, for us anyway, driving an automatic hire car is just better!

Choosing an automatic car has its advantages and particularly on short journeys through town, the fact that you aren’t constantly changing gear has to be a positive. However, as with most choices of this kind, there are some down sides to automatic vehicles too. The most obvious disadvantage to driving an automatic car comes with the overall fuel consumption. If you have two identical models of vehicle and take them on the same journey, fuel economy from the manual car is noticeably better. The technical reasons for this are a little complicated but essentially, some of the power is used to heat up transmission fluid and this makes an automatic car less efficient and with fuel prices continually rising, this is an aspect worth keeping in mind.

You may also experience issues with overall performance with an automatic because you don’t have so much control over acceleration and deceleration. While many modern automatic cars can allow you to shift to ‘manual’ control, the absence of a clutch doesn’t help the performance issue in any way. This is why real driving enthusiasts are unlikely to go near an automatic as they prefer the thrill of true driving that a manual transmission gives them.

While there have been many improvements in automatic gearboxes in recent years, many drivers still experience issues with a transmission that has a finite shelf life. Automatic transmissions can, in some cases, fail relatively early in the life of a car and they are expensive to replace. Other parts of your car are likely to wear more quickly too and with no clutch to control your driving in slower traffic, you will rely very heavily on the brakes in any automatic car. This naturally means that brake pads will need replacing on a more regular basis and this is another expense that you’ll need to be aware of when buying an automatic vehicle. This is not something though you will have to worry about at all when hiring a car. Automatic Car Hire uses industry leading brokers and suppliers meaning you get a car that is checked before you take it and is generally less than six to eight months old.

If you do decide to purchase an auto though, you may also find that buying an automatic vehicle is a tough challenge. Although there is much more choice today than there has ever been in the past, manual transmission cars for sale will outweigh automatics by a large proportion and buyers can sometimes find that they have to ‘settle’ for a car that they’re not especially happy with. While there are some undoubted advantages to buying an automatic car, there are some clear pitfalls too so it makes perfect sense to weigh up both sides of the argument before making your decision.

Automatic cars are not that common in the UK but for anyone who wants a relaxing, smooth driving experience they can be a great choice. There are plenty of good automatic cars available to buy and if you are tired of shifting gears and riding the clutch then they can be the perfect antidote. Here are a few of the best selling automatic cars on the market.

Volvo XC90

This family wagon is large, luxurious and above all practical. If you pick it with the Geartronic semi-automatic gear box you get a 2.4 litre diesel engine under the bonnet. The six speed gear ratio delivers 34 miles per gallon and accelerates to 62 miles per hour in 10.3 seconds, which means is relatively sprightly for a large automatic vehicle. It may be a little too spacious and expensive for some, but if you want a hard-wearing all-rounder then this is it.

Skoda Superb

Skoda has managed to become one of the most respected motoring brands around after years spent wallowing in obscurity. This automatic edition of the Skoda Superb estate delivers good fuel economy with 46.3mpg and its diesel engine will pull you to 61mph in under 9 seconds thanks to the 170 horsepower it can muster.

Ford S-Max

This people carrier has a six speed auto Powershift gearbox with an engine that closes in on providing combined fuel consumption of 50mpg, a real feat for such a versatile, expansive family vehicle. Perhaps the most impressive thing about the S-Max is that its exterior styling manages to remain desirable without reducing the practicality of this versatile car.

Smart Fortwo Coupe

The Softouch Auto gearbox in this supermini may be in control of a tiny engine than accelerates to 62 in a weedy 13.7 seconds, but when you are getting over 65 miles to the gallon you can hardly complain. If you only have need for a dinky car for city run-arounds then this might be perfect. Because it is an automatic it will take the strain out of sitting in traffic and it is small enough to slot neatly into even the tightest parking space.

Toyota Prius

The premier hybrid car that is synonymous with green motoring is the Prius. Its electric engine requires just one gear for city driving, while the 1.8 petrol engine will kick in when you hit the motorway, so you get the best of both worlds.

Summer 2010 will be upon us before you know it and to guarantee your Automatic car rental for your travels you should book early to avoid disapointment. Why?

• Automatic Car Hire searches multiple suppliers to bring you the cheapest guaranteed automatic transmission vehicles world-wide.
• Car rental fleets are smaller this year as suppliers anticipated much lower business amounts due to the financial depression of 2009. Early numbers though predict higher than expected demand.
• Automatic vehicles are a small proportion of the average rental fleet world-wide (USA and Canada the exception)
• All our suppliers allow amendments and cancellations – so you can book early with confidence.

So don’t delay and book today to secure your vehicles world-wide with our market leading car rental comparison search.

Automatic Car Hire

Let Automatic Car Hire take the leg work out of finding the right rental car for your upcoming trip. We search multiple suppliers worldwide bringing you the best choice and prices available for your selected dates. Unlike other car rental sites we show you who you are dealing with and even give you the choice of adding in refundable Zero Excess insurance at market leading prices.
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