There are two basic types of cars, manual and automatic. This distinction refers to the cars transmission which is the part of the car responsible for changing gears. In a manual car you press the clutch down in order to change gears, whereas in an automatic the transmission changes gears automatically.
There are pros and cons to both kinds of cars. For automatic cars the transmission is obviously more intricate and so it can be more expensive to replace if something were to go wrong. Just like any other part of the car a transmission has a lifespan.
And just like any other part of the car the lifespan is increased if it is properly cared for and maintained. In order to care for an automatic car you must check your parking space regularly to make sure that no transmission fluid is leaking from the transmission.
This fluid is responsible not only for transferring force within the transmission; it is also responsible for lubricating and cooling it. This fluid does not get used up, so the only way for it to diminish is for it to leak, so watch out for this.
If the transmission fluid is in good condition and you take your car in for its regular services then your automatic transmission will last as long as it possibly can.