Answer
Feb 18, 2022 - 04:31 AM
Hi there!
Speaking as a multiple former owner of a CitiGolf in some form or age (I'm currently on number 8), I can only praise it for how cheap it is to run, how easy it is to fix, how light on fuel it could be, and how much fun it is to drive. But here's the thing: Times have moved on, and a Citi is slowly turning into a specialist car.
Even when it was discontinued back in 2009 (that's more than 12 years ago!), it was very outdated and behind the market. Great cars also have to go out of production, and it was time for the immortal Mark 1 to go. In the modern context, the CitiGolf offers an old-school driving experience, but with old-school downsides as well. Safety credentials are pretty woeful (believe me, I've crashed a few), and it certainly cannot match the most basic modern city car on refinement, comfort or features, either.
Now... if you "get it", you "get it"... and nothing but a Citi will do. I get it. In this case, you should look for one of the last-series Citis, say from 2001- on. Make sure it's absolutely standard, because if it isn't, the chances are that it's probably experienced some hard driving in its life. These cars are capable of absorbing a lot of abuse, but sustained hard driving will quickly wear out the oily bits, brakes and suspension. Older, cheaper and moderately broken ones are very cheap too, but they will need an owner with some mechanical aptitude to keep them going. Ask me how I know...
In short, for the price of a decent, late-model and low-mileage (less than 100 000 km) Citi 1.4i (about R 80 000), you could get a newer Toyota Yaris or a Ford Figo with similar mileage. Between these cars, it's almost a certainty that the newer cars will be safer and more comfortable, so if you're just looking for a car, either of them will serve you better. So would an even-newer Hyundai i10 1.2, for that matter. Transport is transport.
But if you find that Citi magic irresistible (if you know, you know), you can definitely buy one of those later-edition Citis. They're still new enough to only need minor maintenance (provided they were well-cared-for), and will be as reliable as a rock - testimony to a sound original design and decades of quality improvements). Older examples are already picking up in value, so it's only a matter of time before your Citi (if you look after it) will do the same.
Hope this helps!
Martin
The Ask AutoTrader Team
Add New Comment