Which car to buy?

C

Charlie600

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Hello all,

I need to make a decision and thought I will ask your objective and independent feedback… :)

My little car (2011 Polo Hatchback) was recently stolen and the insurance is paying out.

The conundrum is now however which car to buy.

For some background and context:

We don't currently have any kids (the bambinos will arrive in about 2-3 years) whilst we've very recently sold our house in Jozi, seeing that we're going to build in Centurion. As such I would have kept the polo for at least another 12 months if my hand wasn't forced…I furthermore also intend to keep the new vehicle for at least 3 years, as to ensure that there’s enough storage space for a pram and all other anti-sleep stuff that coincide with kids.

I don't want to spend more than R400k-R450k (hopefully much less in order to pay more into the bond) and as such decided on the following shortlist after shopping around (both new and demo / low km variants are being considered):

1. Golf 7 GTI DSG (my immature boy racer choice) :)
2. Audi A3 Sportback / Sedan (1.8Turbo S-tronic)
3. Audi A4 (2.0 TDI or Turbo petrol Auto)
4. BMW 3 series (320/320d/328 Auto)

Then also as the conservative (safe / boring?) choices:
5. Volkswagen CC DSG (a surprising nice looking car with tons of features, albeit quite big)
6. Volkswagen Passat DSG (2.0 TDI)

I've specifically steered clear of the French/Swedish manufacturers seeing that I don’t want to keep the car for life given their extreme depreciation.

Won’t you please let me know your thoughts in this regard – I would really appreciate all other suggestions/opinions/comments.
 
Get an i20 and put the rest of the money you would have spent into the bond :)
 
I am going through car choices myself at the moment and the Audi A4 and VW Jetta were/are two of my considerations, so I'd probably suggest the Audi and Passat. But be warned, apparently my choice in cars is rather boring and lacks the thrills some find necessary :) Based on your kids comment I'd certainly scrap any three door options. Three doors and babies do not work. (EDIT: Scrap this, I only read A3 and not A3 Sportback, so you're good. Still definitely consider boot space, prams are not small).

My choices are smaller engine capacities though as fuel efficiency is a big consideration for me. I was originally leaning heavily towards diesel based on this but a number of comments and further research lead me to realise that maintenance costs may well be higher on the diesel versions thus negating any fuel savings.

Also be warned that some on here may "attack" you for even asking and will suggest you research it yourself and just test drive them all :p
 
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I've specifically steered clear of the French/Swedish manufacturers seeing that I don’t want to keep the car for life given their extreme depreciation.
Click to expand...

Renault at the moment has better deprecation than Audi/BMW... The latest issue of top gear has a few pages at the back of the magazine with a wide variety of models/manufactures from different years, and it makes interesting reading.. The New Clio is 25-30% per year i think, the BMW 320's/ Audi A4's are 30-35...

Thats one of the many reasons why I bought my Clio RS...
 
AjAx30 said:
Renault at the moment has better deprecation than Audi/BMW... The latest issue of top gear has a few pages at the back of the magazine with a wide variety of models/manufactures from different years, and it makes interesting reading.. The New Clio is 25-30% per year i think, the BMW 320's/ Audi A4's are 30-35...

Thats one of the many reasons why I bought my Clio RS...
Click to expand...

Interesting to read how facts differ from perceptions.
 
Why not try looking at second hand cars? I've been looking at a purchase myself and noticed that the higher tier Audi's (A5 and up) depreciate heavily, allowing you to get a great car for much less than the normal price.

For example, here's a 2011 A6 3.0 TDI with 53,000 km. Seems to be in good condition, going at 350k. Much more car than a GTI honestly, cheaper as well, and lighter on fuel.
http://preowned.audi.co.za/Search/StockItem/2351368?clientIdForView=0
 
The fact that you can get a demo 320i for 320k, which is about 90k below new price sums it up nicely I think..
 
If you say 3yrs, then pick a car with atleast better resale value. CC DSG or G7 GTi(best of all).
VW holds their value well if you looking to sell in 3 years. BMW and AUDI, might be a struggle to get rid of them in 3years time. But if you change your mind and look at much longer term, then others are worth consideration..
 
If you're thinking about kids then it's pretty much a no brainer in my mind... Passat, a4 or the 320i... Pick the one you like the most
 
Charlie600 said:
Hello all,

I need to make a decision and thought I will ask your objective and independent feedback… :)

My little car (2011 Polo Hatchback) was recently stolen and the insurance is paying out.

The conundrum is now however which car to buy.

For some background and context:

We don't currently have any kids (the bambinos will arrive in about 2-3 years) whilst we've very recently sold our house in Jozi, seeing that we're going to build in Centurion. As such I would have kept the polo for at least another 12 months if my hand wasn't forced…I furthermore also intend to keep the new vehicle for at least 3 years, as to ensure that there’s enough storage space for a pram and all other anti-sleep stuff that coincide with kids.

I don't want to spend more than R400k-R450k (hopefully much less in order to pay more into the bond) and as such decided on the following shortlist after shopping around (both new and demo / low km variants are being considered):

1. Golf 7 GTI DSG (my immature boy racer choice) :)
2. Audi A3 Sportback / Sedan (1.8Turbo S-tronic)
3. Audi A4 (2.0 TDI or Turbo petrol Auto)
4. BMW 3 series (320/320d/328 Auto)

Then also as the conservative (safe / boring?) choices:
5. Volkswagen CC DSG (a surprising nice looking car with tons of features, albeit quite big)
6. Volkswagen Passat DSG (2.0 TDI)

I've specifically steered clear of the French/Swedish manufacturers seeing that I don’t want to keep the car for life given their extreme depreciation.

Won’t you please let me know your thoughts in this regard – I would really appreciate all other suggestions/opinions/comments.
Click to expand...

Thinkyou should rather look at Honda Civic or Ford Focus.
 
Originally Posted by AjAx30

Thats one of the many reasons why I bought my Clio RS...
My condolences.
Click to expand...

As fazda said, the Clio made it on to my short list, which is a personal choice.

If you are buying a car which you intend to keep for a while, then you should buy the car that you are happiest with and you will enjoy the most of that period. All cars lose value over time, but you need to weigh up all the pros and cons that come with each particular car. I never would have considered a Clio until I actually test drove it, so my advice, as others have said, is to go and test drive a wide variety of cars and see which one appeals to you the most.
 
D4N said:
Get an i20 and put the rest of the money you would have spent into the bond :)
Click to expand...

+1. Buy something big enough at a good price. Look at getting yourself something more premium when you're further into settling your bond...

So in that case: i20, i30, Golf 7, Focus, Rio, Cerato, etc...
 
Charlie600 said:
Hello all,

I need to make a decision and thought I will ask your objective and independent feedback… :)

My little car (2011 Polo Hatchback) was recently stolen and the insurance is paying out.

The conundrum is now however which car to buy.

For some background and context:

We don't currently have any kids (the bambinos will arrive in about 2-3 years) whilst we've very recently sold our house in Jozi, seeing that we're going to build in Centurion. As such I would have kept the polo for at least another 12 months if my hand wasn't forced…I furthermore also intend to keep the new vehicle for at least 3 years, as to ensure that there’s enough storage space for a pram and all other anti-sleep stuff that coincide with kids.

I don't want to spend more than R400k-R450k (hopefully much less in order to pay more into the bond) and as such decided on the following shortlist after shopping around (both new and demo / low km variants are being considered):

1. Golf 7 GTI DSG (my immature boy racer choice) :)
2. Audi A3 Sportback / Sedan (1.8Turbo S-tronic)
3. Audi A4 (2.0 TDI or Turbo petrol Auto)
4. BMW 3 series (320/320d/328 Auto)

Then also as the conservative (safe / boring?) choices:
5. Volkswagen CC DSG (a surprising nice looking car with tons of features, albeit quite big)
6. Volkswagen Passat DSG (2.0 TDI)

I've specifically steered clear of the French/Swedish manufacturers seeing that I don’t want to keep the car for life given their extreme depreciation.

Won’t you please let me know your thoughts in this regard – I would really appreciate all other suggestions/opinions/comments.
Click to expand...

Get the DSG GTI, you can buy the sensible sedan when you sell/kids are on their way... Plus the GTI holds its value
 
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