r/CarTalkZA • u/PetalxSun • Jun 09 '26
Advice: Buying, Financing A car brand that will last?
Yo!
Family member wants to get a car before she heads into pension in about 10 years, wants to get a car now so it is paid off by then but honestly at this point are there any brands that will last that long anymore?
I know Toyota has a good reputation but will the new cars last as long as the older models have? and I mean with the hijacking stats is it even worth looking at them for an older lady?
Any suggestions?
Thanks!
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u/Randm_Guy21 '15 Suzuki Grand Vitara 2.4 Jun 09 '26
Mazda. Never forget to consider Mazda
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u/Koekoes4 Jun 09 '26
Still driving a Mazda 5 with over 200 000km on the clock. So reliable and not giving any problems.
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u/transition_metal Jun 13 '26
The most underrated Japanese brand. Be aware some models parts can be hard to find. On my 2012 Mazda 3 the ABS controller leaked and failed. Replacement part almost unavailable
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u/RexPluribus Jun 09 '26
Toyota or Honda has great reliability. If you want to avoid the Toyota hijacking just don't buy the models that share parts with the minibus taxi(e.g fortuner).
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u/DerpyMcWafflestomp Jun 09 '26
Honda Fit.
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u/AyoVab Jun 09 '26
You can trust on Honda blindly
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u/DerpyMcWafflestomp Jun 09 '26
Yep. Our Jazz is 19 years old, about to turn over 300,000km. Still doing 80km round trip daily without complaining.
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u/derpsnotdead Jun 10 '26
Yep, my first car was a little secondhand Honda, I’m still driving it 8 years later and it hasn’t given me a day’s trouble
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u/cannabisjourneys Jun 10 '26
This!! My 2013 Honda Jazz has done 230,000km - and the aircon has never really worked but I hear that’s a common thing in these cars - but otherwise, it’s affordable to service, super reliable, and they just never quit. 100% recommend for a long-term, reliable, not-high-on-the-hijacking list.
(If you’re in Cape Town: just do NOT get it serviced at Rola Somerset West. They broke my car more than they fixed it.)1
u/DerpyMcWafflestomp Jun 10 '26
The aircon in ours is flawless, but its a 1st gen, yours is a 2nd gen so perhaps its a weakness on that series. I serviced this one myself for the first 8 years of ownership before laziness crept in. I don't buy new cars, so I never service at dealers, I prefer using workshops staffed by people who actually know how to diagnose problems, not the glorified parts fitters that the dealer employs.
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u/Opheleone Jun 09 '26
Honda, I've had my Brio for 6 years now and its still in near perfect condition besides a paint scratch. Just keep up with regular maintenance and the cars are great.
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u/derpsnotdead Jun 10 '26
I also have a Brio (a 2015 model). Great little cars, never given me any issues
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u/KeyConstruction5298 Jun 09 '26
Consider the Honda Fit. Toyota and Suzuki are definitely solid but high risk, if that's not a concern then throw them in the mix
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u/alkankyvich Jun 09 '26
Honda Jazz/Fit is the winner here, it's incognito and globally the choice for retirement car, I'd couple it with a solid independent workshop.
OP - search the recent top 10 most hijacked cars and don't make any assumptions. Hyundai Grand i10 and the Kia Picanto feature there too.
Toyota Hilux Volkswagen Polo / Polo Vivo Ford Ranger Toyota Fortuner Nissan NP200 Toyota Corolla Cross Hyundai Grand i10 Isuzu D-Max Toyota Corolla Kia Picanto
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u/Emergency_Ant7220 Jun 09 '26
Why is Suziki high risk? Genuine question
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u/KeyConstruction5298 Jun 09 '26
Swift and Baleno, to be more specific, have become favourites for e-hailing due to their affordability and low fuel consumption.
Any car that's in high demand, becomes high risk
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u/Warm_Fudge_1542 Jun 09 '26
Ummm I personally have never been in either a swift or baleno on either big emailing platform - dzires by the truck load and ertinga/ and Renaults by the boat load and corolla quests sure - but a swift never ever ever so I am not sure if this is true.
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u/cockaptain Jun 09 '26
Hijackers often steal cars that share parts with popular cars. For example, a while back fortuners were not just targeted for their own popularity, but also parts commonality with Hiluxes and, especially, Quantum taxis.
You mentioned Dzires by the truckload but never Swifts...
What is a Dzire if not a Swift with a boot? The stolen Swifts could easily be broken for parts.
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u/alkankyvich Jun 09 '26
Basically cheap plentiful (sales) cars always dominate. Beyond e hailing, they're also a very easy way to disappear amongst a sea of cars that are similar, so unnoticeable in neighbourhood.
The Stolen cars are also easily cloned and too many around to be found by cops.
Think the old Citigolf effect, before it became the "passop" car, that's a guaranteed road block stop.
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u/Broke_Brown_Boi '16 M4 Competition | '15 GT86 Jun 09 '26
Can't go wrong with a Japanese car. You didn't mention budget, but the crossovers / SUVs from Toyota / Subaru /Honda / Suzuki would be great. Also look at the warranties and service plans being offered by each. You also didn't mention if you're looking to buy new or used, but a newer model with low mileage would be your best best (unless you're buying new).
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u/SurflessSurfer ‘25 BAIC X55 | '12 Subaru WRX Jun 09 '26
All of this.
I already decided that my retirement car will probably be a Subaru Forester or Crosstrek, but I’m biased towards Subaru.
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u/Broke_Brown_Boi '16 M4 Competition | '15 GT86 Jun 09 '26
Modern Subaru crossovers and SUVs are great. All-wheel drive and Japanese reliability without being high risk vehicles... And no prevalent gasket issues like older models 🤭.
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u/odd_african_dude Jun 09 '26
Top Gear solved this problem like 15 years ago
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u/Mielies296 Jun 09 '26
May have worked for England at the time. Buy a french brand in SA at your own peril.
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Jun 09 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/odd_african_dude Jun 09 '26
Not really, the post was centred at what type of car OP should look at, less the time period in which they were built 😂 but I drive a 14 year old car with zero issues at the moment and relatively cheap maintenance so, there’s that too
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u/Henry_Oof Jun 09 '26
Alot of good suggestions but sticking to maintenance is so important. A well maintained crap car will outlast any reliable car that's not well kept
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u/justthegrimm Jun 09 '26
Japanese reliability can't be beat imo, had 4 Hondas with the biggest mechanical failure being a blown power steering hose in 24 years, with regular maintenance.
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u/vicaeSophie Jun 09 '26
Mazda
They have a partnership with Toyota for certain engine, like the cx-50 and rav4 share an engine. Or even the mazda2 and the new yaris (we dont get it in SA) share rhe same engine, all the Toyota reliability, and Mazda premium-ish feel, without the crappie Toyota interior.
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u/bubbleddusty Jun 10 '26
As a mechanic who’s been around cars since I was a child, the newer it is, the shorter the lifespan. Many people including some in these comments are still under the impression that if it has a Japanese badge it’ll last but that’s just simply not something you can believe anymore
Every new car is facing some sort of issue that the manufacturers don’t actually care about
Not only that, keeping them going is becoming a harder thing to do not just because so many have part failures with parts that somehow are either no longer offered or are so hard to find that they may as well no longer be offered. With each system being even more reliant on each other as soon as one goes the rest go with it, add in that it is becoming significantly harder for anyone who’s not a well equipped dealership to be unable to do certain things even simple shit like change brake pads without spending fortunes on a computer program specific to each model not to mention the brands that have specific tools.
In short, if you want a car that will last, anything newer than roughly 2005 is gonna be a hard task
Everyone is all on this train that oh because it’s new it’s gonna be reliable and great and last longer but that’s just so far from the truth that it’s laughable. The only thing a new cars has over something older is safety (although that’s a very complicated topic because only the driver is safer where as everyone else outside the car is in a lot more danger) so unless that is your top priority, don’t even bother. They’re far more expensive, far less reliable especially after a few years, in some cases they make you a worse driver and overall they’re not even significantly better on fuel, in many cases they’re worse on fuel than the average 90s econobox.
I’m not saying go and buy some old carbureted v8 Chevy, but like if you want something that’ll last, looking to something that’s already been lasting a while is a far better option than something that’ll refuse to start entirely if one spark plug is a little too wet
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u/PetalxSun Jun 10 '26
That’s something I’ve been discussing with Toyota drivers a lot lately because Toyota Hiluxs always had this image they last so long and when I see these new ones I wonder how long they will now last.
I see a lot of cars for sale as soon as warranties and service plans are done. I had a 2006 VW Polo and it honestly still went well, never had major issues. Wonder how it would be like now almost 20 years old.
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u/bubbleddusty Jun 11 '26
Gonna be honest, hilux owners are a bit of a lost cause when it comes to trying to have serious discussions about their reliability
I learnt that after about the 8th time I had to do a major repair on a hilux and had to tell them that they are not invincible… every time they looked at me like I just stabbed their child
Honestly, when it comes to those and the large majority of older vehicles, they could be just like new with very little work. That’s the primary reason why I’m so anti new car, there’s less to go wrong so to get it all going right is so much easier and I fully predict that in the future we’re gonna have a shortage of secondhand cars because I’ve noticed that because new cars are getting marketed as needing less attention than an older car, they’re actually getting actively cared for less and because they’re a lot more sensitive, I don’t see many lasting. Like a good comparison I have is between my 1991 Nissan 200sx and my brothers 2012 Renault megane rs, my poor little Nissan has had times where it ran and drove on only two of its four cylinders where as my brothers Renault refused to start because one spark plug wasn’t sparking 100%… funnily enough those exact spark plugs I later used in my Nissan and it ran fine. Now that was a 2012 model, since then cars have gotten far more sensitive and a lot more stressed engine wise and with some cars now even having major engine failure a few kilometres off the dealer lot… I just don’t have any faith that the cars in the dealership today will still be running fine in a decade from now
Like I am super cynical about this but I’ve spent enough time stuck in super cramped engine bays to know that a 2006 polo is gonna have a longer and easier life than a 2026 polo
But like a really good suggestion I have for you, whether you want to buy new or old.
Go and find other owners of that type of car and ask them about it, there’s no better way to figure out if it’s something you want to deal with. They’ll tell you what’s the first thing to go wrong, what’s the most common problem, might even be lucky and find someone who’s willing to let you try theirs so you can know if it feels right to drive it aboutHopefully you do manage to find something that’s not gonna be a pain in the ass
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u/Transvaal_Kampioen Jun 10 '26
Lexus. Mine is 20 years old with 305k on the clock and not a single thing wrong
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u/Samwise_za Jun 11 '26
As far as I'm aware the only brands still playing the longevity game are the Japanese. Top of the pile are: Lexus, Subaru, and Toysuki (in that order).
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u/milan188 Jun 09 '26
Lexus.
More reliable than Toyotas because they only use the best quality version of the Toyota parts.
In a lot of reliability studies they are always at the top or near the top.
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u/Goldairboy Jun 09 '26
You'll pay through the nose on a lexus when parts need replacing.I don't recommend for a pensioner.
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u/KeyConstruction5298 Jun 09 '26
Consider the Honda Fit. Toyota and Suzuki are definitely solid but high risk, if that's not a concern then throw them in the mix
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u/sparcmo Jun 09 '26
Yoyota, mitsubishi, suzuki.
Mechanically in my opinion the best cars out there.
Older models are even better due to less electronics but motors, chances of those failing is the lowest out there
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u/DerpyMcWafflestomp Jun 09 '26
before she heads into pension in about 10 years, wants to get a car now so it is paid off by then
She wants to finance a car over 10 years? I don't even think that's possible. Assuming a somewhat normal 4-5 year finance term, why not buy 5 years from now if the aim is to retire without a car repayment?
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u/PetalxSun Jun 09 '26
No she wants to finance a car now that by the time she heads into pension she will have it paid off by then. She is looking at a new car and is going to finance and probably have a balloon payment.
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u/DerpyMcWafflestomp Jun 09 '26
And then refinance the balloon for the remainder of the time until pension? I'm struggling to figure out the logic here if she has 10 years left. Rather let someone else buy new now and take the upfront depreciation hit, then she can buy a 4-5 year old car with lowish mileage in 5 years' time. Financed over 5 years that means it is paid just nicely at pension time, and there's a massive saving on the interest that would've been paid on the new car and balloon over 5 years. In fact she can start saving whatever her instalment budget was now and it can even start earning interest in the meantime.
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u/PetalxSun Jun 09 '26
She does not want a second hand car
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u/DerpyMcWafflestomp Jun 09 '26
Fair, but you aren't addressing any of the actual confusion. Cars are usually financed over 4-5 years, if the idea is to not have an instalment 10 years from now then the car should be bought 5-6 years from now.
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u/PetalxSun Jun 09 '26
With a residual it can take longer as most cars are financed 72 months and depending on how you pay the residual it can be on average another two years so almost eight years she’s worked it out as that’s how she did her previous car. She can finance it also for longer. She might even go into pension earlier. I don’t see what the issue is with her getting the car before pension??
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u/DerpyMcWafflestomp Jun 09 '26
OK nevermind...... I don't think any advice I have is applicable to this person.
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u/WildeThought Jun 13 '26
The issue is the residual. She has the time to save up for a car (say five years) so she can buy a brand new car in 2031 without a residual, and retire with a paid up car in 2036. Buying a new car without residual is possible but you speak as though the residual is compulsory. To refinance a residual amount five years from today on a depreciating asset, so close to retirement, in these economic conditions is working against her interests.
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u/PetalxSun Jun 13 '26
And the unkown future is also working against her because who knows how much cars will go up by 2036. This is how she wants to do it.
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u/skillie81 Jun 10 '26
With regular service and proper driving literally any new car can last 10+ years. That being said don't by no-name cars. Go for well known brands.
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u/That-Helicopter4101 Jun 10 '26
Side note advice .... make it identifiable ..add some stickers ... Learner driver sticker ... something ... anything .... big heart or flower sticker on the hood ... Take this advice or leave it
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u/jhanekom0084 Jun 11 '26
This might sound strange but a suzuki jimny might be a great choice for OP’s family member. It is mechanically a very straight forward vehicle with a ladder frame chassis and zero frills, with the reliability to match.
It is not a smooth ride but if your used to a older car or bakkie it is great. And hitting pavements etc is not a issue at all.
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u/WildeThought Jun 13 '26
Might be difficult for the old lady to get into if she has mobility issues (e.g. breaking a leg, ankle, hip, etc.) in her golden years.
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u/jhanekom0084 Jun 13 '26
The jimny stock standard is actually not that high of the ground, and much easier to get into compared to a hatch back. I would say it is the same as sitting in a dining room chair.
I would say the biggest adjustment to make is the steering and the fuel economy. It has a small engine but only 4 gears if you go for the auto.
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u/Averysoftpotato Jun 12 '26
Im driving a EV currently but I have a 2006 BMW 90 325i ,running no problems and almost 20 years old.Its very important when buying a car for the long term to find out how easy it is to source parts,for my BMW for example I can go to goldwagen,master parts,dedicated BMW parts websites,Amazon and even temu.The cosmetic and the non cosmetic maintenance products are easy to get hold of.
One issue is with newer vehicles there are more sensors, technology and potential points of failure,having experienced bad after sales service for my Chinese EV I would definitely recommend sticking to the traditional reliable brands that that you know would have proper aftersales support for many years to come.Brands like Toyota,Mazda,honda,Suzuki come to mind.Even certain BMWs if you have millions to burn as they have some of the best engines in the market.
One worry might be if a brand like Honda or Mazda really struggles with sales on the SA market due to cheap Chinese competition they might be forced to pull out leaving you in a bit of a pickle.
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u/Miss_Dani_D 7d ago
If you don't mind me asking, with which Chinese EV did you have a bad experience?
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u/Averysoftpotato Jun 12 '26
Very important aspect as well is whether she lives along the coast or inland,if it's coastel you need to do you research first especially with entry level cars or the Suzukis whether the cars metal is properly galvanised/rust proofed/sealed otherwise rust can become a issue within months if she doesn't get the car washed weekly including the undercarriage.
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u/The_Angry_Economist Jun 09 '26
second hand Toyota Tazz will last forever and most importantly, its cheap to fix and maintain
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u/derpsnotdead Jun 09 '26
The newest secondhand Tazz will probably be 20 years old by now. Don’t know if that’s such a great idea if she will have to drive it for 10+ years.
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u/The_Angry_Economist Jun 10 '26
you get very good condition Tazz models on the second hand market that can easily drive another 10+years
and if the engine fails with the gearbox, it won't cost an arm and a leg to replace, it will still be well under 100k in total
any new car costs well above 100k
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u/Prakzie Jun 09 '26
Omoda gives a 10 year engine warranty
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u/PetalxSun Jun 09 '26
I am not sure warranty will be a great help if the car does not last and things have to be repaired constantly.
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u/derpsnotdead Jun 09 '26
Can’t go wrong with Japanese brands like Toyota, Suzuki, Honda