The SUV market has been biggest in the automotive world since 2015. In South Africa in 2018 there were a staggering 88 different models on the local market classified by NAAMSA as SUVs.
Words by Jeff Osborne from Gumtree Automotive
The appeal of SUVs for South Africans is clear. They offer a perception of safety, can handle our poorer road surfaces and deliver the prospect of some wilderness exploration (even if many of them will only be Sandton Tractors for the school run and shopping).
One downside of SUVs is heavy fuel consumption but that has got better with new models. The other is price. They can be costly but entry-level SUVs are all the rage and through smart pre-owned buying it’s possible to get a good SUV for well under R330,000.
In this category, the 2016 Mazda CX5 2.0 Active (A) was the winner of the 2018 Gumtree Pre-Owned Auto Awards. The judges believed it held its resale value best, had low running costs and offered excellent performance. Currently, you can find three 2016 Mazda CX5s on Gumtree with mileage below 87k for R259,000 or less. Provided they stand up to inspection, that’s incredibly good value.
The runner-up in the awards in this category was the 2016 Toyota RAV4 2.0 GX, with the Kia Sportage 2.0 Ignite, the Hyundai Tucson 2.0 Premium & the Nissan X-Trail 1.6dCi XE (T32) also listed as finalists. All of those vehicles, in good condition with low mileage, offer a great buy.
With smart searching and due diligence, it’s very possible to get your family into an SUV and off road at a reasonable price
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