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| The Etios is now the budget buy in South Africa. |
What can you buy if you have R3 000 a month to spend on a car to
lug the children to school and get to work in? Budgeting for a tank of fuel a
month at about R500 and assuming a good deal on combined household and car
insurance, you will still have less than R2 300 to play with. For this money,
ALWYN VILJOEN recommends this short list of budget buys.
Cars under R120 000:
Etios 1,5 XS Price R118 800
(66 kW at 5 600 rpm, 132 Nm from 3 000 rpm)
FOR
our money, this is the budget buy in SA at the moment for three reasons: 251
litres of boot space, most Newtons at the lowest revs, and more than 120 dealers
across SA. The price includes a 30 000 km service plan and Toyota’s
comprehensive three-year/100 000 km warranty as standard. What makes the Etios
so driveable is that its 1,5 engine delivers 132 Newton metres of torque from
3 000 revs. Even with the boot loaded and bums on all four seats, this means you
still get up to speed on KZN’s steep hills, especially over rural tracks, thanks
to a ride height of 11,5 cm. On hot days, the made-for-India air conditioning
and refrigerated glove box count for cherries on top. One aspect where the Etios
does not score is its 10 000 km service intervals, but these shorter distances
between services were designed to keep everything going right.
Tata Indica B-Line LE
Price: R96 995 (55 kW at 6 000 rpm, 110 Nm from 3 000 rpm)
BUILT
in India like the Etios, the Tata has now proven itself in India and South
Africa. Tata has only 47 dealers across southern Africa, but five of them are in
KZN, most of which will make a sweeter deal on what is already the lowest price.
The tough little Tata rides 16,6 cm high and its boot can swallow a respectable
232 litres. What puts the Tata in second place, despite offering the best price,
is the weaker engine and the fact that a lot of this car is assembled by hand,
which can either lead to hand-built excellence, or a Friday afternoon dud.
Geely MK 1,5 sedan Price:
R99 990 (69 kW @ 6 000 rpm, 132 Nm at 3 400 rpm)
THANKS to an end-of-the-line special,
only the Tata is cheaper than the Geely MK 1,5. As it runs out the current
sedan, Geely is offering fantastic value at the price, with ABS, EBD, two air
bags, air conditioner, power windows, CD-radio, rear-park assist and alloy rims.
Those rims also ride on tyre-side walls that are 185 mm high, which is 10 mm
higher than most. The little bit extra does help to absorb the bumps a bit
better. The engine also offers the cynical driver a bit more than expected. The
warrantee is on par with the better ones, at 36 months or 100 000 km, while
service plans are optional. What counts against the MK 1 is that there are just
41 Geely dealers in SA, but the head office in China did not buy out Volvo with
bad management, and signs are that things can only grow in SA.
NISSAN MICRA 1,2 VISIA+
PRICE: R112 900 (56 KW @ 6 000 KW, 104 NM @ 4 400 RPM)
LIKE
the Fiat 500, the Micra inspires women to go “aaah, it is so cute” when they see
it in the metal. What helped the Micra pip the Alto to fourth spot was the 2012
Kinsey Report, which showed that the little Nissan’s parts cost less than its
competitors in relation to the purchase price. The space inside Nissan’s
little-people’s mini is also impressive. Like the Alto, the Micra gets it power
from a three-cylinder engine with a big heart and a small thirst. Included in
the price are ABS with EBD and brake assist, as well as air conditioning, remote
central locking, front electric windows and side air bags. The same extras add
about R16 000 to the base price of the Suzuki Alto.
Suzuki Alto Price Price
R101 900 (50 kW @ 6 000 rpm, 87 Nm @ 4 500 rpm)
THE Alto is
India’s bestselling small car. It is extremely durable and virtually bomb proof,
but only because there is so little in it to break. Still, the price includes
air conditioning, power steering and two air bags, which are the things most
buyers consider a luxury at this price. Like all three-cylinder mills, the
996 cm 12-valve engine has a happy little growl when driven hard and no matter
what speed you (eventually achieve), this little car will always have
consumption figures to rival a scooter.
