First Car buying advice

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OreIghty

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Hi everyone.

I recently got my license and am looking at getting my first car.
Firstly, the budget is R95k (pretty tight).

Important factors for me are:
Reliability (I want a car that i can keep for the next 5-7 years);
low running/maintenance costs (insurance & maybe motor plan included); and safety.
I "need" to have an AUX port, while on-wheel controls and leather seats are preferred, but aren't essential.

What I've been looking at:
2012-2013 Kia Rio 1.4 (Tec if possible)
2012 Audi A4 1.8T
2011+ Opel Corsa 1.4/1.6
2011+ Mazda 3 1.6
(The newer I can have the better;))

Which of the above would be the best buy for the price and for longevity?

P.s I'm open to other suggestions as long as it's not an i10 or Etios :)
 
xcaliber said:
For the price range you might look at a Sandero. It's not bad and pretty cheap to maintain.
Click to expand...

When I started looking I considered the Sandero (they are abundant). But how does it measure up safety wise and in terms of lifespan?
The bonus here would definitely be getting a newer model just out of warranty with low mileage:unsure:
 
At that budget, the Kia Rio is out at lower Kms.. wife recently bought a 2013 1.4 Tec and it was months of searching for the right one.. looked at plenty of them, all variants of the Rio, never came across a 2012 or 2013 model for under 120k..

At least, this is true for the western cape..
 
OreIghty said:
Hi everyone.

I recently got my license and am looking at getting my first car.
Firstly, the budget is R95k (pretty tight).

Important factors for me are:
Reliability (I want a car that i can keep for the next 5-7 years);
low running/maintenance costs (insurance & maybe motor plan included); and safety.
I "need" to have an AUX port, while on-wheel controls and leather seats are preferred, but aren't essential.

What I've been looking at:
2012-2013 Kia Rio 1.4 (Tec if possible)
2012 Audi A4 1.8T
2011+ Opel Corsa 1.4/1.6
2011+ Mazda 3 1.6
(The newer I can have the better;))

Which of the above would be the best buy for the price and for longevity?

P.s I'm open to other suggestions as long as it's not an i10 or Etios :)
Click to expand...
The Audi A4 1.8T, while a lovely car, has some challenges. Google 1.8T overheating. Another drawback is the plastics they use. The longevity is not on par. No flaming pls - Audi driver here.
The Corsa's are not what the earlier ones were. The servicing of them is also a bit of a hit, miss and sometimes a real ripoff when it comes to diagnostics (trial & error for your acct)..

Kia? No real experience. But they have built up a good solid rep imho.
Mazda? Leave it in your will for your kids. ;)
 
OreIghty said:
When I started looking I considered the Sandero (they are abundant). But how does it measure up safety wise and in terms of lifespan?
The bonus here would definitely be getting a newer model just out of warranty with low mileage:unsure:
Click to expand...
It is a tiny, turbocharged engine, no matter what anyone tell you, that is not a recipe for longevity. The first step in looking for a car that would last you years us to try and eliminate turbos and other fancy and expensive stuff from the equation.

You can also look at the Hyundai i20, Toyota Auris, previous gen Kia Cerato and the earlier Honda Civic or Ballade.
 
Last edited:
Hyundai i20, Toyota Corolla, Mazda2, Kia Cerato, Ford Fiesta, Suzuki Swift 1.4
 
Yeah at r100k budget back away from things like audi....

For a first car even think about lowering the budget and getting a simpler car like a corsa lite or something
 
thechamp said:
It is a tiny, turbocharged engine, no matter what anyone tell you, that is not a recipe for longevity. The first step in looking for a car that would last you years us to try and eliminate turbos and other fancy and expensive stuff from the equation.

You can also look at the Hyundai i20, Toyota Auris, previous gen Kia Cerato and the earlier Honda Civic or Ballade.
Click to expand...
Sandero is not turbo charged?

I had one for 9 years (1.6) and had not one issue

Edit: Opps see the new ones have a turbo
 
WAslayer said:
At that budget, the Kia Rio is out at lower Kms.. wife recently bought a 2013 1.4 Tec and it was months of searching for the right one.. looked at plenty of them, all variants of the Rio, never came across a 2012 or 2013 model for under 120k..

At least, this is true for the western cape..
Click to expand...

I concur, it's a struggle here in the Western Cape * sign *.
I also haven't found a 2012+ Rio with low km's. Perhaps I should eliminate it from the search
 
Sollie said:
The Audi A4 1.8T, while a lovely car, has some challenges. Google 1.8T overheating. Another drawback is the plastics they use. The longevity is not on par. No flaming pls - Audi driver here.
The Corsa's are not what the earlier ones were. The servicing of them is also a bit of a hit, miss and sometimes a real ripoff when it comes to diagnostics (trial & error for your acct)..

Kia? No real experience. But they have built up a good solid rep imho.
Mazda? Leave it in your will for your kids. ;)
Click to expand...

Thanks for the input. I figured the Audi was a not-so-wise option, but was hoping to be proofed wrong:crying: I wanted to buy with the heart...
 
OreIghty said:
Thanks for the input. I figured the Audi was a not-so-wise option, but was hoping to be proofed wrong:crying: I wanted to buy with the heart...
Click to expand...

A 7 year old turbo high-mileage Audi is a stupid decision.

You'll be spending R95k+ for the next few years just to keep it running, and by then it will be a 12 year old heap of trash.
 
Out of those options definitely the Rio.
The '11 Mazda 3 is solid but quite dated now. The newer ones are muuch better but $$$.
 
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