With the current warranty and servicing paradigm that exists in the motor industry, many vehicles that are expensive to run are under the radar in terms of running costs and servicing is concerned until they have been on the market for three to five years.
Related: Best used hatchbacks for R100 000 or less
This is because service plans, and especially maintenance plans, take care of normal replacement items that can prove expensive but are not registered as extra costs during the maintenance plan’s contract period. So before you sell your car quickly and easily on AutoTrader and search for new or used SUVs on AutoTrader here, lets see which industry experts recommend from a maintenance point of view.
The chickens come a-roosting when they are out of warranty
The chickens come home to roost, in many cases, when these vehicles are out of warranty. It is at this point that many drivers of vehicles older than three to five years turn to privately-run non-franchised servicing outlets. These smaller operations obviously vary in terms of their servicing standards. But the general benefits here are that these establishments can use generic parts rather than “genuine manufacturer’s parts.”
Generic parts can be just good
In many cases these generic parts are every bit as good and long-lasting as the standard manufacturer-approved part, so maintenance costs can be significantly reduced when owners turned to privatised workshops. In preparing this article on the cheapest SUVs to run and maintain we turned to Adam Ford, who runs a workshop in Wynberg, Johannesburg, called A&K Motors. Adam Ford has a national reputation, thanks to advice appearances on Ignition TV and radio slots on various programmes over the years. A man with an engaging wit and screen presence, Adam is conversely very serious about the service he gives to customers and his advice is unbiased as he is not aligned with any particular manufacturer.
It pays to buy a popular vehicle
“In many respects, it pays to buy a car, or in this case an SUV, which is very popular. This is not just because a popular car is easy to sell, but because popular cars attract the attention of the aftermarket spares supply industry, which in turn imports cheaper spares for these cars.
In some cases, I find that I am forced to use the original manufacturer’s replacement parts on items that fail. If generic (aftermarket) parts aren’t available, the costs escalate hugely. As an example, I replaced a starter motor on a customer’s Renault Sandero recently, and there was no generic replacement part available. The cost was R6 500 and it could have been way cheaper if a generic replacement item was available.
This might change, though, because Renaults have recently become much more popular, and that includes the Sandero."
Long-lasting standard parts
“Another factor is that some vehicle parts may be quite expensive. But when the design of a vehicle is good, and here I am referring to the design of the mechanical components, then what I find is that I replace, say, brake pads and discs once, and then I don’t see that same vehicle again for many years. That’s because the design of the components, and the quality of the part, s is good. It’s no good parts being cheap if you have to replace them every six months or so!”
In terms of choosing a list of the cheapest SUVs to service and maintain, we again consulted Adam, as he sees such a wide range of vehicles. His list was as follows:
Top 3 SUVs to service and maintain
Honda CR-V
“This vehicle is right at the top of my list in terms of reliability and cheap running costs. Nothing major ever goes wrong and the replacement parts you can source for them are of excellent quality. They are just so well designed from a mechanical point of view.”
Mazda CX-3
“I’ve been servicing Mazda CX-3s for some years now and I am always impressed at how well their engines, drivetrains, braking systems, you name it, stand up to our demanding driving conditions. And this also extends to the minor items such as trim and electrical components.”
Hyundai iX35 (and Tucson).
“ I am a strong believer in Japanese vehicles as far as reliability goes, and also of Korean vehicles like the Hyundai and Kia brands. The iX35 was hugely popular here around the time of the World Cup, and its Tucson successor is also very popular. Again, these vehicles are designed to do high mileage with a minimum of trouble. It is very impressive, what the Koreans have achieved in the last two decades. Of course what I have said here about the Hyundai applies equally to the Kia Sportage, which is mechanically pretty much identical.”
If you're keen on an Ix35, here are some extras you should retrofit.
