Seeking Advice: Time for a New Car?

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ADrunkenSandwich

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Hi everyone,

I'm currently contemplating getting a new car and could use some insights. I've been driving a 2014 Ford Figo 1.4 Trend with 103,000 km on the clock. It's been a reliable companion since I bought it from my parents in 2018, but it's starting to show its age with clutch issues and sun-damaged paint. It's still in good working condition and fully paid off.

My daily commute involves driving from Pretoria to Johannesburg, and the manual transmission of the Figo is becoming a bit cumbersome. The car's smaller size also feels a bit risky on the N1, notorious for accidents. I drive around 15,000 - 18,000 km annually and would plan to keep my car for an extended period, should I get a new one.

Financially, I can afford a car up to R400,000 without significantly impacting my savings (I save around 40%-50% of my salary each month). I plan to sell my Figo (hopefully for around R70,000) and add R20,000 for a deposit.

I've narrowed down my options to three:

  1. VW T-Cross 1.0 TSI Comfortline Auto
  2. Suzuki Fronx 1.5 GL Auto
  3. Mazda CX-3 Auto
I'm leaning towards the VW, but I'm open to suggestions. I've found a secondhand VW T-Cross with 14,500 km for R400k, some secondhand Mazdas, and a new Suzuki Fronx with all features for about R310k.

I don't want to base my decision solely on cost but also consider performance, parts availability, servicing, resale value, and overall driving experience.

If anyone has recently test-driven or owns any of these cars, your input would be invaluable. Your experiences, insights, and recommendations will greatly help me make an informed decision.

Thanks in advance!
 
Based on the first paragraph, I would say keep the Figo and just fix the clutch. That is probably about R7k if you stay away from Ford dealership.

Based on the 2nd paragraph, I say buy a new car.

Ultimately your reason for wanting a new car has nothing to do with the first paragraph so get a new car. Go test drive them yourself and see which one you like. People find different things good or annoying about different cars so you cannot base your decision on what someone else says, unless they will pay for it.

If you want to know about resale value, go to Autotrader or Cars.co.za and see how much each of these cars sells for around the mileage you think you will sell yours. This will be a guide because things change over 4-5 years.
 
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I would fix the clutch and keep the Figo. All those savings could be put toward buying a car cash or a larger deposit down the road. R400k is about R8k/month in repayments. Minus your deposit and you're at R6-R6,5k.

All to keep doing the same thing you're already doing.
 
The Suzuki Fronx is a lovely car. Brand new, 5 year warranty, 4 year service plan. I'd go for the GLX Auto for R345k (just add auto locking doors for R4k and smash&grab tint), the tech is nice and it has 6 airbags too.
 
You already made up your mind. From your post you seem to be financially disciplined which is why you are hesitant to make debt.

Per @FiestaST advice on a different thread, ride your car as long as possible, save up and buy a car for cash.

Unecessary debt is bad.
 
You guys are missing the point, Op just simply wants a new car. Let him get a new car.

T-cross will hold its value better, But you will have to sell it at 90 000kms, no one wants to buy a 1.0L turbo charged engine car at high mileage because most don’t believe it will make it to 200 000km. Secondly a new T-cross is coming out next year so that once again will impact your resale. Dsg gearbox also isn’t traffic friendly like a traditional torque converter gearbox.

So only get the T-cross if you plan to own it during the warranty period and not outside of it.

Suzuki fronx has a really outdated everything, lack of power, gearbox from the 80’s, cheap materials, but it will work.

Now my worry about Suzuki is that they change their nameplates way too often, they won’t use the Fronx nameplate when the new model comes out and that is going to affect your resale, They also seem to update their cars way too quickly which is a bad thing in my books. You won’t stuggle with parts though because all their cars are basically the same thing underneath, the only difference is the body styling.

Mazda will feel a bit more premium and has an adequate engine and gearbox, you don’t have to worry about owning it out of warranty.

Get the Mazda.
 
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ADrunkenSandwich said:
Hi everyone,

I'm currently contemplating getting a new car and could use some insights. I've been driving a 2014 Ford Figo 1.4 Trend with 103,000 km on the clock. It's been a reliable companion since I bought it from my parents in 2018, but it's starting to show its age with clutch issues and sun-damaged paint. It's still in good working condition and fully paid off.

My daily commute involves driving from Pretoria to Johannesburg, and the manual transmission of the Figo is becoming a bit cumbersome. The car's smaller size also feels a bit risky on the N1, notorious for accidents. I drive around 15,000 - 18,000 km annually and would plan to keep my car for an extended period, should I get a new one.

Financially, I can afford a car up to R400,000 without significantly impacting my savings (I save around 40%-50% of my salary each month). I plan to sell my Figo (hopefully for around R70,000) and add R20,000 for a deposit.

I've narrowed down my options to three:

  1. VW T-Cross 1.0 TSI Comfortline Auto
  2. Suzuki Fronx 1.5 GL Auto
  3. Mazda CX-3 Auto
I'm leaning towards the VW, but I'm open to suggestions. I've found a secondhand VW T-Cross with 14,500 km for R400k, some secondhand Mazdas, and a new Suzuki Fronx with all features for about R310k.

I don't want to base my decision solely on cost but also consider performance, parts availability, servicing, resale value, and overall driving experience.

If anyone has recently test-driven or owns any of these cars, your input would be invaluable. Your experiences, insights, and recommendations will greatly help me make an informed decision.

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
So I had this Ford Focus for about 16 years, but I had to replace it because the ABS pump gave out. The tricky part was that Ford didn't have spare parts for my model anymore, teaching me the importance of checking parts availability as a car gets older.
Now, when it comes to getting a new ride, my advice is to test-drive all the options you're considering. Dealers might try to pressure you into buying after a test drive, but don't feel obligated. Just tell them you need some time to think things over; it's crucial not to rush into a decision.
I tried out the Suzuki Baleno, which shares an engine with the Fronx. At 100 km/hr, the engine seemed to struggle a bit. Personally, I think Mazda is a better choice among the ones you listed. Also, think about checking out used Corolla Cross models, especially since some Toyota dealerships are offering Black Friday specials on them.
 
Can I throw a spanner in the mix for all the car fundis to consider. Hyundai are running a special with their 2.0l Kona executive going for R409k new. What's your view on this?
 
Epah doesn't like the Suzukis, but he/she likes to sukkle.

You can get the top Grand Vitara Auto for R410k.

Reliable and good resale.

But you need to do 5 things 1st;
1. Make a list of your requirements.
Things like:
Price
Performance
Consumption
Space
FULL size spare Y/N
Leather
Service intervals
Service plan
Warranty
Etc.
2. Buy the latest CAR Magazine and go through the list at the back writing down all the vehicles that meet your criteria.
3. Whittle that list down to 5 vehicles.
4. Go test drive and get quotes.
5. Buy
 
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