Which would you pick?

Isn't Active the lowest spec on the Mazda?

The Suzuki or the Jolion gets my vote.

The Fronx is basically a Starlet Cross... And GLX is the upper trim, right?

Active is entry level spec yes.

Fronx and Starlet Cross are identical, apart from some minor cosmetic changes. GLX is upper trim, GL is lower.
 
I found this graph (and actually the whole report), pretty interesting. It's the value loss of a new car over 3 years.

View attachment 1871897

It from the cars.co.za industry report

P.s. car wise Corolla cross would be my first choice, but they theft rate on those is ridiculous.

You are buying second hand though which means you are buying into the depreciation bargain not being affected by it.
 
Personally I would disregard all the NA cars.

We are in 2025 after all, nobody needs to struggle or compensate with capacity.
 
The Suzuki or the Jolion gets my vote.
Admittedly, I don't know any of these models other than the Mazda.

I have to say, the Jolion looks awesome. Personally, I have no issue with GWM. They have been around for a while and their cars are all over central America doing their thing as well as any other.

The little Suzuki reminds me of the Kia Sonet a little and for sure, Suzukis are solid little cars. I like it!
 
I need some expits to help me out here. I sold my car today, so need to make a decision on the new car pretty soon. Faced with the following, which would you pick

  • 2024 Suzuki Fronx GLX, 25 000km. 1.5 NA. Comes with 4 year service plan. R304 500.
  • 2024 Haval Jolion City Plus, 30 000km. 1.5T. Comes with 7 year service plan. R304 500.
  • 2022 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross GLS, 57 000km. 1.5T. Out of service plan. R284 500.
  • 2024 Mazda CX-3 Active, 15 000km. 2.0 NA. 3 year service plan. R295 000.
Normally I would say Mazda hands down but looking at the price and service plan of the Haval, I would go with that instead. Also driven the Jolion which was pleasantly good and the interior is quite neat and clean.
 
Active is entry level spec yes.

Fronx and Starlet Cross are identical, apart from some minor cosmetic changes. GLX is upper trim, GL is lower.
So... going with the entry spec is never fun.

Also, do you plan on keeping it for a long time? If so, going with a higher specced car is, again, a better choice for the long term.

My dad had a 2003 Toyota Corolla... entry level spec. We kept it for 20 years. I had multiple friends who also owned 2004/2005 Corollas... but higher specced... the higher spec always felt worth the premium in the price.

My dad then bought a 2015 Corolla, but this time, went for the Prestige spec... again, very very worth the premium. We still have that car.

My Mum bought a Starlet Cross this year and went with the entry level spec (simply because she wanted a specific colour and didn't want to wait for the top spec in that colour)... felt like it's a bit of a waste. Its a very nice car, and I enjoy it, but I think the higher spec would have been better.

So yeah, you can buy a "boring", safe, reliable Japanese car... just think twice about getting the entry level spec. :)

When I look at your list, thats what brings the Mazda down a bit for me... It's not just about "how the car drives" as others have mentioned, but will you actually enjoy being in it. Just my humble opinion.
 
They all ugly. Have you gone and see it in real life and driven with it?
I feel a bit more safe with Mahindra, they a bit longer in the country and better record than all these new Chinese vehicles. Haval also starting to build some history and track record. Chery on the other hand we know how that ended the first time.
Fun fact is that GWM is now 18 years in the country, that's probably 2 or 3 years after the Mahindra.
 
I drove the Mazda today. It's a really nice drive. Pity it's so basic. It's already an older generation design, and in wondering if its going to be quite dated 5 years from now.
 
Just going to tag on to this thread - how negotiable are WBC on their prices? Is the web price firm, or are they willing to talk?
 
Not a bad car except for the very clearly kitsch plastic all over. It's got more vooma than the 1500 naturally aspirated Suzukis in that range, but it still looks tackier somehow.
Kitsch plastic everywhere?
34435520

xuv-3xo-rear-mount.jpg

Plus for the price the OP is looking at, he'll get bang for buck.
 
The Mahindras also come with premium Harman Kardon systems on the highest spec of each model, which you don't even get as standard from the premium brands costing over R1m+.

If you're buying a car for looks then you wouldn't be considering any of these cars mentioned on this thread...
 
Kitsch plastic everywhere?
34435520

xuv-3xo-rear-mount.jpg

Plus for the price the OP is looking at, he'll get bang for buck.
One thing I have never understood about Indian made cars is that "driven onto from behind" look, the earlier Tatas had that, and now even the Toyotas, Hondas and Suzukis that are built there have that look.

Almost like they build the car then at the last moment realised they have exceeded their length quota and have to improvise at the back.
 
OP should drive it and decide. I drove one for a week - about 500-1000km.
I did find it annoying that despite having a cable to connect my phone, I had to go through a bluetooth connection effort every time I got in the car to use the phone - and it was just phone mirroring, no native "os" / Apple car mode on the touch screen. Turn the phone and you get a narrow image on the screen. Not sure if that's still the same.

I'm not a fan of glossy finishes.

View attachment 1872307
Not on the AX5 and up, if needed could even extend it over to my dash display.
 
The Mahindras also come with premium Harman Kardon systems on the highest spec of each model, which you don't even get as standard from the premium brands costing over R1m+.

If you're buying a car for looks then you wouldn't be considering any of these cars mentioned on this thread...
Yeah the AX5 sound system isn't bad but it's not as good as the AX7
 
One thing I have never understood about Indian made cars is that "driven onto from behind" look, the earlier Tatas had that, and now even the Toyotas, Hondas and Suzukis that are built there have that look.

Almost like they build the car then at the last moment realised they have exceeded their length quota and have to improvise at the back.
That seems to be 90% of modern cars
 
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