Yet another which car to buy thread

Archer

Archer

Honorary Master
Joined
Jan 7, 2010
Messages
22,470
Reaction score
1,379
Location
Netherlands
Help MyBB! The wife needs a new car, current one (2003 Jetta) is getting a bit old for my liking

The basics:
R150k absolute max
Up to 5 years old, preferably less
Mileage I'm happy with will depend on the vehicle
No BMW, Ford, Toyota (wife has axed these from the list, might be more that I'm forgetting about)
Hatch is preferable
Comfortable ride
Leather seats is preferable, cloth is proving a pain in the backside to clean (the dog gets ever so slightly dirty on the farm, which he goes to almost every day).
Space for a family with possibly 2 young ones (and a dog) to go away for a weekend (so space for luggage, child seats, etc)

On my short list:
Honda Civic hatch/sedan - used to have the hatch, wife complained the ride was too hard. Sedan is supposedly too big, but will test one regardless
Hyundai i30 - seem scarce second hand (at least compared to other Hyundais), any particular reason?
Kia Cerato hatch/sedan - seem just a tad overpriced, but maybe thats my bias since I value the brand less than the so called big players. Seen a few complaints of the engines being thirsty too?

Anything else I should add?
 
Last edited:
A hatch isn't gonna work with 2 kids and a dog. I would say Cerato sedan for that price range
 
get a 2nd hand i20 1.6 , very nice car.

also look at golf 6 1.6/tsi might be out of your budget.
 
Had a look at the i20 (grandparents have one) and I think it's an amazing run around car, but I have my reservations about fitting everything in for a long trip. Note I dont have a car, this one needs to be the family car. Even half entertaining the notion of a SUV of sorts.

As for the TSi, there are loads of Jettas and a few Golfs, but the wife is adamant she does not want another tank :p Maybe I must force her to test drive one, think the added power will make a huge difference. If I can get that right then a whole host of other sedans become viable
 
yeah I think the Cerato will be a good buy.

I doubt you will pick up a new one at that price (they are very nice but overpriced now IMO) so you will need to look at the older (2009 - 2013) model. I got mine in 2010 so is approaching four years old and it has been an absolute pleasure. It still looks and drives like a brand new car. My fuel consumption is about 7l/100KM (mixed) which is pretty normal for a normally aspirated petrol engine of its capacity.

Regarding your fears take a look into the companies history over the last 10 years. Its pretty impressive. Designed by ex Audi chief designer, part share with Hyundai (Hyundai/Kia motor group - 4th largest now in the world) When I bought they were still a bit unknown and my decision seems to have paid off well. A similar specced competitor would have cost at least R50k more (this is probably no longer true as the prices have shot up but if you are buying 2nd hand still applies).

With all that said, go test drive a few and go with which one you prefer the most. In your price range there are lots of good options.
 
Last edited:
Have to agree with JackWhite. You can grab a fully spec'd Cerato sedan for that price which will tick all the right boxes for you.
 
I can can identify with this conundrum. haven't found a solution yet.
 
Brawler said:
yeah I think the Cerato will be a good buy.

I doubt you will pick up a new one at that price (they are very nice but overpriced now IMO) so you will need to look at the older (2009 - 2013) model. I got mine in 2010 so is approaching four years old and it has been an absolute pleasure. It still looks and drives like a brand new car. My fuel consumption is about 7l/100KM (mixed) which is pretty normal for a normally aspirated petrol engine of its capacity.
Click to expand...

Is that fuel economy on the 1.6 or the 2.0?
 
I.am.Sam said:
why not a jetta 5 ?

some good ones can be bought for around 120k

and its a rise up from im guessing the current jetta 4
Click to expand...

I'm sure it is a nice step up from the Jetta 4, but try convincing my wife of that! :p "Dont want a tank" beats any sensible things I have to say. But a test drive will ensue, if its still too big or heavy after that I'll concede
 
Archer said:
I'm sure it is a nice step up from the Jetta 4, but try convincing my wife of that! :p "Dont want a tank" beats any sensible things I have to say. But a test drive will ensue, if its still too big or heavy after that I'll concede
Click to expand...

your kids are getting bigger ...you want a family car

dont go for hatch

the boot in the jetta is huuuuge as well ...perfect for holidays
 
Cerato boot is massive.

I'm possibly going to go for the sedan but the hatch is also awesome, boot is very big for a hatch.
 
Yes, apparently the Jetta drives like a tank :p It is quite heavy, and I'm sure its lost a bit of power of the years (think it only had 74kw to start with) so I can understand the sentiment. But most of the sedans I'm looking at have upwards of 25% more power, so I'm hoping that solves the "tank" problem
 
Another 2010 Cerato 1.6 owner here, still loving the car and the easy 7km/L consumption. The built quality is perhaps a step below Honda, IMO, but comes with an good list of extras for the price.

It's a real pity that the prices jumped by 25% since I bought, but that's economics for you. :)
 
Heard on radio Hyundai is doing a demo clearance sale until Sunday. Might be worth a look...
 
Have you considered the opel monza (coty)? Apparently it never need to be serviced and runs off the tears of squirrels.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X