Best cars with super low running costs

By Martin Pretorius

Times are tough and money is tight, so you want to be sure that you'll be able to afford keeping your car on the road. And while a low purchase price has an undeniable appeal, long-term affordability is also determined by its running costs. Putting it simply, the cheaper it is to run, the less it will cost you in the long term.

What determines a car's running costs?

Most buyers only look at a car's fuel consumption as an indication of running costs, but that's only part of the equation. Other important factors include insurance, maintenance- and spares pricing, and depreciation. When all these costs are brought into consideration, some apparently affordable cars suddenly look a lot less enticing.

What you really want is a car with frugal fuel-drinking habits, along with a solid reputation for durability, affordable servicing, and strong value retention – along with low desirability among thieves. Let's look at 5 of South Africa's most popular new cars and see how they stack up.

Volkswagen Polo and Polo Vivo

Right off the bat, the Polo (and its Vivo sister) score highly on value for money, as well as  value retention. They're quite well-equipped and pretty economical too, and the Polo has a service plan as standard (optional on the Vivo). Servicing is quite affordable too, as spare parts are widely available, and just about anyone can work on them (once the warranty has expired and you don't need to service or repair them at the dealers anymore).

Value retention is another strong point, as high demand in the second-hand market ensures that Polos don't lose too much of their value. The downside comes in insurance: because these cars are just as popular among thieves as they are among buyers, the chances are that insurance costs will be disproportionately high relative to their market value – unless it lives in a locked-up garage behind two security gates, and are driven by middle-aged ladies with pristine no-claim records. That said, the combination of frugal drinking habits, strong value retention and affordable servicing should be enough to offset their higher insurance costs.

Datsun GO

The GO's savings begin with the purchase price: sure, it will be worth next to nothing in 5 years' time (losing half its trade value within the first 3 years), but it's also cheap as chips to start off with. Furthermore, it's really, really cheap to maintain. According to the Kinsey report, the GO is the cheapest of all budget cars as far as servicing, repairs and crash replacement parts go.

It's also pretty frugal, and because they rank very low on criminals' desirability scale, they're really cheap to insure as well. If ultimate low running costs are foremost in your mind, you could do much worse than a GO. Just try not to run into anything more solid than a sheet of styrofoam...

Suzuki Swift (1.2 and 1.4), Celerio, and Ignis

We're lumping four Suzukis under one heading here, because they share similar attributes. In fact, we could add the Ciaz as well, seeing as it shares much with the Swift and Ignis. While their purchase prices are affordable enough in their own rights, they really make their case with superbly efficient engines. It's unlikely that any of these small Suzukis will ever drink more than 6.0 ℓ/100 km, no matter how aggressively you drive – a commendable figure by any measure, and most likely among the best you'll encounter anywhere.

Servicing costs are quite reasonable as well, thanks to fairly affordable parts prices, while repair bills will be very low, due to their sturdy construction and bulletproof mechanical bits. And, because they're not considered high-risk vehicles, insurance costs are laughably low as well.

In fact, if long-term running costs feature highly on your list of requirements, you'll struggle to find better all-rounders. You also won't struggle to sell it on later, as resale values have proven to be remarkably consistent for such budget-conscious offerings.

Toyota Etios

Sure, they were apparently styled by a sight-impaired person with a blunt machete, and they're quite pricey in relation to what you get, but the Etios has one major trick up its sleeve: it's pretty much unbreakable. The mechanical elements are as rugged as the front fenders are flimsy, and it's a given that they will rack up intergalactic mileages without requiring serious attention, making the Etios a great choice for people who need to cover long distances without hassles.

Service parts are affordable as well, and they're really simple to maintain – there's very little to go wrong, so very little ever does. Insurance is quite reasonable too, although the Etios has started to become more popular among the long-fingered in recent years, so that might change soon.

And, while an Etios isn't the most frugal car out there, it's still capable of returning real-world consumption in the low-6 ℓ/100 km bracket when driven with some care. The best bit comes when it's time to sell it on: pre-owned Etoises have actually increased in value over the past 3 years, making them as good an investment as any budget car could ever be.

Renault Sandero

Cheap to buy, affordable to maintain, with cheap insurance and reasonable fuel consumption: the Sandero has a lot counting in its favour. While the Kwid could probably also meet these requirements, its larger brother makes a far more compelling argument for itself, with a more secure driving experience and a whole load more cabin space. The Sandero also performed well in the Kinsey report, so service and repairs will be a strong suit.

The only downsides come in the resale- and consumption criteria, where the Sandero suffers from poor value retention and less-than-stellar real-world fuel consumption from its 0.9-litre turbo engine. The upside is that you'll be able to pick up a pre-owned one at a bargain price, insure it cheaply, and enjoy a surprisingly mature-feeling budget car.