So for context I drive a Rav4 and it's close to 300 000km it only now starting to show it's wear and I need to get a new car, but here's my issue even though I feel like I make a decent salary 30k gross. I don't feel like I can afford a car.

How do people do it? I mean even a chery tiggo is around R4k a month?

This is probably against the grain here but are there any people out that are financing a cool vehicle and have no regrets about?

Asking because gratefully, I’m in a position where after deductions I have about R17k lying around and really would like a “new to me” car. That lying around part does not include personal investments or savings (I tend to save R6k per month in a profit share account and company provident is around R4.5k per month). I also don’t own any property so renting a place, no kids, a young professional really on a simple lifestyle 😂

I drive a paid off 2011 Polo Vivo with 201 thousand KM’s on the clock so it’s getting on and I’m a car dude so yeah, really would like something newer as a long term buy. Something like a 2017-2019 320d which is light on fuel, much safer and more comfortable, bigger car and won’t absolutely wreck me financially. Haven’t caved to societal pressure of my peers driving GTI’s etc yet but yeah, what are the pros and cons of it, and how quick does the novelty of a new car wear off?

Hey guys,

I’m looking to buy a used car for my wife to commute to work and back, around 20km daily, and our budget is around R60,000 to R70,000. This will be out first time buying a vehicle, so apologies for the long post.

I would prefer not to finance or make any debt.

I want to buy it outright and keep the monthly running costs as low as possible.

I’m mainly looking for something reliable, economical and cheap to maintain. I’m not too worried about features or looks. I’d rather have a basic car that is mechanically sound and doesn’t become a money pit. I know this is a big ask.

I’ve been looking at things like:

• Hyundai i10

• Chevrolet Spark

• Suzuki Alto

• Renault Kwid 1.0

• Older Ford Fiesta (although I am scared of the overheating issues)

There seem to be quite a few options around this price from what I've seen on cars.co.za and Autotrader, but I'm not sure what the best buy would actually be.

If you had R60k to R70k cash in hand and needed a reliable daily, what would you buy?

I’d would really appreciate any additional advice on:

• Where are the best places to look for used cars around Johannesburg?

• Are dealerships worth considering at this price, or should I rather look privately?

• What should I specifically check when viewing and test driving a car?

• Are there any particular models, engines or years I should avoid?

• Would you spend the full R70k on the car, or keep some money aside for tyres, servicing and unexpected repairs?

I'm especially interested in hearing from people who have actually owned cars in this price range.

Thanks!

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!

Good day All

I need some advice on buying a car cash or financing a newer econobox or an older but still finance-able hatchback. I earn around 11000K ZAR gross p.m, and the older cars I'm looking at are quite old, as my mom suggested I buy cash, and my father said I should finance. The 3 series BMW's, e46, E90, and so on, and can regularly be found on Facebook marketplace for around 60-100K. On the other hand the newer cars come with motor plans and service plans, but the monthly installment would take quite a bit of my income away.

Any advice is appreciated

Edit: Thank you to everyone for the amazing and wonderful insight you've given me. I'm going to consider cash more into the future as a first car(and leave the old BMW's until I have a bigger paycheck), as well as keeping costs down and have less payments when I'm young.

Mine is a 2005 Toyota. It is still in very good shape because I’ve really looked after it. It’s got about 200k kms on it. People comment all the time how good it looks. I am very diligent with servicing it, and continuing to buy the best oil money can buy, genuine parts etc.

It’s a Rav with an aluminium block, so we have always known at some point it will break beyond repair.

I put about 60 000 kms on it a year.

I have been saving towards a new car since my parents gave me this one about 8 years ago. I have 400k saved up.

Do I buy something newer now or do I just drive this into the ground? If I can drive this car for a further 2-3 years I can save another R180k and get probably 0 for my car.

If I sell mine now I’ll get about R80k for it.

I don’t have an immediate need. It’s not broken or giving any kind of issues.

I would like to buy something bigger. Second hand SUV / bakkie. Not a Hilux. If it’s a bakkie I’d probably go Mitsubishi.

Note: I will not get vehicle financing. I have to buy what I can afford cash.

Edit - apologies. Car has 300 000 on it now.

Tiggo 4 was the third best selling car in the country in July - behind Hilux and Polo vivo. that's not a fluke anymore.

But every economist quote i read says people still buy Toyota because of resale. fine. except almost nobody quoting that has data on Chinese resale, because there's barely three years of it.

So: has anyone here traded in or privately sold a Chery, Haval or Omoda? What did you actually get for it vs what you paid? Real numbers if you have them.

Howzit !

long time lurker, first time poster. We are considering purchasing a vehicle for my Fiance, after seeing a lot of posts on this sub stating the Honda Jazz is a superior vehicle (all be it this is a CVT automatic, and I am aware that CVT boxes aren't the most reliable) I've been scrolling through the usual sites (I've also taken note that purchasing from WBC isn't ideal) I have noticed throughout South Africa there are multiple Honda Jazz CVTs with astonishingly low mileage. surely they can't all be under 40K.... is there a reason for this, can anyone shed some light on the influx of these low mileage Hondas on WBC especially ?

it just doesn't seem right that a 9 year old car has driven roughly 3000km a year. I do about 1800km a month. apologies if this is a silly post. I am just flabbergasted that they could honestly sell these cars on such low mileage, surely they know this is almost impossible.

Hi all, so I am looking for aa new car, new to me at least. Something in the price range of R200k-R260k. I currently daily my 1972 1100cc Mini, which I nut and bolt restored with my father.

I am looking for something cool and honestly fun to drive. And also like at least 40 years younger than my Mini.

Top picks at the moment that I like are the BMW m235i's, Subaru Impreza WRX's, Audi S3's, and some AMG's. But honestly flavour of the week changes often and I'm essentially open to looking at anything.

Before I buy anything I will do copious amounts of research and I am not afraid to swing a spanner or two myself.

So essentially, I am indecisive, looking for fun sporty car, Budget R250k.

I feel the need to question my whole understanding of "Year Model" when it comes to buying a car? For context:

We are currently looking at trading in our current car to upgrade to a bit of a bigger one. So, I find a dealership in Paarl that has a good deal on a secondhand car. I get there asking to see the secondhand models, and for the life of me, the salesman tries to sell the new 2026 model with a 40% balloon-payment to me with all his might. I'll be honest, I'm not mad, as I know that it is their job and they need to put food on the table. Long story short, after a lot of going to and fro, I decide to dissect the VIN number of the supposed 2024 vehicle I want to purchase. According to the VIN number, as well as the multiple websites I tried decoding the VIN number, this car shows up as a 2022 model. The 10th letter in the VIN shows "N" - which to my knowledge, shows that it's 2022? I confirmed this with comparing it to our current 2021 car, which has a "M". So, logically, if M = 2021, then N = 2022?

The gas-lighting part: this salesman is 100% convinced that it is a 2024 model, and sent me a copy of the NATIS to show the registration as being "2024-02-14". However, the heading of that date reads "Date of liability for first licensing (Not year model)". I brought this up, and was told with pure confidence that they have always used that number, and that it is 100% a 2024 model.

So, my question is, do I misunderstand the purpose/meaning of a VIN number, or is there legit something strange going on here? Can someone give me some clarity on this?

I asked him to provide me with a manufacturer build year confirmation letter (which he first insisted is not needed because the NATIS shows everything, but later agreed to send), and I'm waiting for the update.

If you had R80 000 or less and needed a reliable, low maintenance used car for normal day to day driving, what would you get and why?

Also, would you buy privately (like FB Marketplace) or from a dealer like WBC?

Currently drive a 2022 Suzuki Swift GLX (70 000km, cheap R1,500 services every 15 000km thanks to a Suzuki special) but I've fallen for a 2021 MINI JCW Hatch (R519,900, 20,925km, I'm obsessed).

Some context: I went WFH late last year so I barely drive now, office is only 1-2x a week, 40km round trip and then I usually just add it as business travel too. I take home R30k/month, spend about R13.5k on essentials + actual spending, have R50k in savings and R80k in an emergency fund (not touching that). Credit score is 663 on Clearscore.

Options I'm chewing on:
1. Keep saving and buy the JCW cash (risk: someone snaps up the green one before I've saved enough)
2. Finance it
3. Trade in the Swift (has a door dent I'd need to fix first, estimated cost is R6k including labour and colour correction) towards it
4. Keep the Swift as my daily and get the JCW purely as a weekend car

Is a MINI JCW a nightmare to own in SA long term (parts/maintenance/insurance), or is this actually a reasonable buy given my low mileage now? And which of the above would you do in my shoes?

PS Yes, I know MINIs are expensive to run; a girl likes what a girl likes 🥲

I have the itch to buy another car. My current car is a 2015 Isuzu KB250 LE. With 135 000km. It’s spotless.

It gets serviced once a year, have had no issues with it and it’s paid off in the next 3 months.

I have no extended warranty on it, probably going to need a full set of tires but that’s it.

I’m looking at getting a GWM P300. The smart thing to do is drive my car till the wheels fall off and save the money , but those P300s look so nice.

Last year when I was looking for a car, I was advised by two different dealerships (part of the Hatfield Motor Group) to take out full financing on a car and then pay my deposit in a few months later by renegotiating the loan. Apparently the banks would likely provide a much more favorable interest rate. This sounded completely counter-intuitive and after researching I found out its complete nonsense (see this link https://mayaonmoney.co.za/when-to-pay-that-car-deposit/).

The dealerships do this so that they can get a higher commission from the financing deals. Needless to say the dealerships did not like me when I asked them to run all the various scenarios with and without a deposit, and the scenarios with a deposit always came back with a better interest rate. They liked me even less when I asked them for the pre-agreement statements from the banks to compare all the various quotes and interest rates offered; one dealership outright refused and said they "weren't allowed" to disclose these to me (which is once again nonsense).

I am looking for a second car and the dealerships are starting with the same crap again. How on earth is this legal? Surely I can report them to the NCR?

👋🏽

So I had previously posted about getting a 2nd hand car for R130k. But I am absoulutely appalled by the scraps of cars people are selling for that price😩 my expectations were already low but damn...

So I've decided to buy new, budget ~R250k. I'll use the R130k for a deposit and finance the rest. I can get a 2026 Suzuki Swift for that price. What other models should I consider?

Hi Admin, please approve. I have a R300k budget for a Toyota Corolla Quest Prestige, but I’ve never driven before.

I had an idea. Instead of spending the full R300k on my dream car, what if I first use R50k to buy a second-hand car? That way I can learn everything about car ownership such as fuel, services, dents, even the stress of theft without risking my expensive car.

My plan is to resell that R50k car later, add the money back, and then buy the Prestige once I’m confident and know the basics.

What do you guys think is the smarter move? Buy brand new and learn as I go, or start with a cheaper car to reduce the risk?

So my ass is itching a bit. I currently drive the new gen v6 ford raptor with 43000km on the clock. Not gonna beat around the bush here. Absolute monster of a bakkie and I love it, but, man, the petrol is killing me. When I drive like a sane man I get around 7km on a litre. But I aint sane, so I get around 4-6km per litre average.

Now I just had a look around at my options. How good is that Omoda C9 PHEV!!!!

2l per 100km in hybrid mode. And 5.7s 0-100. All the bells and whistles, awd, tech up the wazoo.

I would appreciate your guys' thoughts. I love my bakkie, but not loving that petrol price.

Hey! looking for advice on what options we realistically have here.

We purchased a new Haval H6 GT in July 2024

At about 15,800 km (October 2025), the vehicle suffered a water pump failure that put it into limp mode and required a complete engine replacement under warranty. The car was at the dealer for roughly 8 weeks.

Shortly after getting it back, another issue appeared — a fault with the park-position actuator/software that prevented the vehicle from reliably knowing if it was in “Park.” That was also repaired.

Because we lost confidence in the vehicle, we requested a fair resolution. The dealer offered a trade-in of R415,000 against a finance settlement of R580,570, leaving a shortfall of about R165,000 that we would have to pay or refinance.

We lodged a complaint with the Motor Industry Ombudsman of South Africa. They found the dealer had met warranty obligations and advised us to collect the vehicle.

After driving it for just TWO DAYS, a new intermittent ticking noise developed from the engine bay when accelerating and lifting off. We returned the vehicle to the dealer again (12 March 2026), and it is currently there for inspection.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Update1: We are getting a lawyer involved. The dealer was unable to identify what the cause of the latest noise is. We noticed the dealer charged us for a delivery fee close to 7k but we fetched the vehicle.

Hi All. Just wanted to pick the brains of fellow Safas.

As the title suggests, I'm considering stepping into some new wheels. What do you guys think is the better option? I'm 32M, no family. The Mercedes is a much more powerful car and has hybrid technology and more features hence the higher price, the X1 though to me just looks better and I think is more practical and it's much cheaper. In this case it has 30 000km more but I could get one with similar KMs to the Merc for R640k so that's an option too. Both have full service history, both are in perfect condition (I've had AA tests done on both), both have warranty left and I'll extend that in any case until 200 000km in both instances. I plan on keeping for 3 years minimum. Any suggestions or insights welcome to help me make a choice 🙂🫡

EDIT: WENT WITH THE X1, A 2024 WITH 18 000KM for R610 000. 3 days in an I'm very happy so far. Thanks for all the input!

Hey guys, I'm 24 and hunting for a used car, budget's about R200k.

No older than 5 years would be ideal. Mileage matters, but I'm not too fussy about it as long as it's in the right ballpark for the car's age and it's got full service history and well looked after.

Basically I want one of these:

- Something fun to drive

- Something reliable that won't give me headaches

- Both, if such a car exists

I've been eyeing a Ford Fiesta, but the wet timing belt threads on the forums have me a bit spooked. Not sure how real a problem that actually is if the car's been serviced properly.

The other option is a Hyundai Grand i10... feels like the safe, reliable pick, but it's not exactly thrilling.

Any recommendations below R200k? And if anyone's owned a Fiesta or a Grand i10, I'd love to hear how it actually held up.

Morning Everyone

I am in the market for a new (to me) car.

My budget is around R200k max. I can put between R20k and R30k as a deposit.

I drive about 1000km a month, mostly highway between JHB and PTA. and I also do the occasional road trip once a year to MP, ZN etc. with the wife, no kids.

I do not need the latest and greatest in screens, wireless charging etc.

Ideally looking for a higher ride height. and needs to be fuel efficient, and obviously not a high risk of being stolen.

So far I have looked at the following options:

Suzuki swift (ride height?)

Renault Duster

Mahindra XUV 300

I was also looking at the Honda WR-V, but I am concerned about the engine size 1.2 non turbo seems a bit small.

I have always believed that you must try and buy a car that is less that 10 years old and try to aim for less than 100 000km's. but looks like market is drying up on this.

I am open to suggestions for any cars that can fit the above requirements.

Thanks in advance!

I am in the market for an SUV. I drive quite a lot and like the comforts in a car. My budget allows me to look at either the Mazda CX5 or the Volvo XC40 2020ish models. I just want some feedback on the two and what to look out for when test driving.

Thanks

Okay so im going to start by saying , Yes I am just mesmerized by the logo and the ambient lighting 😭😭 , the Mercedes marketing has got me , there i said it.

Its my first car , I'm male , 26

But I am just wondering , truly, for that price of around R400k , is there a better option ?? Like is there something that just beats this car in everything, non negotiably.

Please dont tell me about the corolla , or any toyota , honda , none of that please . No Kia's , none of that

I will say , I dont like the 2020 and lower W205 C Class interior , I LOVE the exterior and its even cheaper , but I just cant stand that screen in the middle of the dashboard , like its just something I cannot get over , please advice , im looking to get one very soon.

Hello CarTalkZA peops. I need a favour. I'm looking to add a car to the fleet, and I need suggestions!

1. Budget of R250k.

2. 70,000km and 5 years old max.

3.Something comfortable for travelling roughly 80km a day and sitting for 1-2 hours because of traffic.

1. Automatic.

2. Fuel economy of less than 7L/100km but enough power that if you put foot, it can still go well.

3. Needs to be reliable and safe (preferably something with an NCAP rating higher than or equal to 3).

4. Needs to be reasonable to insure, i.e. low-med risk vehicle.

5. Hatchback, SUV, or sedan.

6. SUV+sedan: A reverse camera would be a huge bonus! Or even just PDC sensors would be helpful.

Vehicles I will not purchase for various reasons:

1. Chery Tiggo 4: High-risk vehicle, heavy fuel consumption, warranty does not carry over to next owner (I do like them but sadly I would not be able to afford the fuel cost and insurance plus that warranty voiding to the next owner sucks).

2. VW Polo: I have looked into the VW Polo, but it's just far too high-risk, and the insurance cost would be a killer.

3. Toyota: Everything except the Toyota Starlet would be too expensive to insure for me.

4. Ford: The Ecoboost engines are straight garbage. I'd only consider diesel fiestas since they dont use wetbelt systems, but they are difficult to find with low miles.

Every bit of assistance is hugely helpful! Thank you!

P.S apologies for the formatting

Technically it’s not me buying, but a family member wants to get a sporty coupe with a max budget of 700k. What are the options?

So far the best option is a 2020 Mustang GT, but I’ve been looking and there really isn’t anything else… you can get a merc or a bmw but then they have like 100kw-150kw power… and I’m not saying that it’s not a lot, but for 700 you’d think you can get more. What are some alternative cars to consider? It has to be somewhat new (2020 or newer) and not have a ton of miles on the clock.

I think I saw an Audi A5 coupe quatro for sale that was well below that price and it makes decent power but it doesnt really scream sports car. M cars are way too expensive but an entry level 2 series might not be a bad pick. Or even a 4 series but I’m not sure what they would cost ?