It's hard to believe that it's that time of the year again where we give you the opportunity to win a car of your choice with AutoTrader's #WinAnyCar competition. It feels like it was just yesterday that we were handing over the keys to the lucky winner of last year's competition, Unathi Mamane, who walked away with a Hyundai ix35 just for posting to social media.
Related: #StartWithAutoTrader and #WinAnyCar - again!
Entering the competition is simple; all you have to do is post a 'carfie' (a selfie with a car in it - it doesn't have to be your own!) and a screenshot off of AutoTrader of the car that you would choose if you were to win, along with the hashtags #WinAnyCar and #StartWithAutoTrader. Don't forget to tag @autotradersa in the post and you could be our next winner! You can post it to Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram or even all three!
Sadly, we're not allowed to enter this competition, but that's good news for you, it means your chances are that little bit better! We still want to get in on the fun though, so we've scoured through AutoTrader to see what car we would choose if we were able to win. Here's what the team chose.
Ané Albertse
2021 Suzuki Baleno 1.4 GL
Trust Ané to make all of us look silly with our extravagant choices; we pick cars with our hearts and she picks with her head. As such, it's a sensible, nearly brand-new Suzuki Baleno. Ané knows how to play the game as her choice will see her with a warranty and service plan to boot!
It may not be the sexiest hatchback on the block, but I chose this Suzuki Baleno 1.4 GL (R199 900) because it’s nearly new, practical, reliable, safe, spacious, and impressively fuel-efficient, and also fun to drive. Whether it’s used as your weekly commute or whether you take it to your favourite holiday destination, in the end, it’s money that talks. While it may be tempting to choose an older, larger SUV, I still prefer worry-free motoring over everything else, and this specific Baleno, with only 98 km on the clock, (a 2021 model!) is not going to cause me sleepless nights. While I really would prefer the GLX model with its touchscreen and smartphone mirroring, this Baleno GL is just too good a deal to ignore. I also prefer the 5-speed manual gearbox over the automatic in this instance.
The Baleno is powered by a 1.4-litre, naturally aspirated engine (68kW and 130Nm) that will give you miles of smiles, thanks to the Baleno’s light bodyweight. A winner in the book of every practical, sensible parent! Too boring? Then the trendy Suzuki Ignis would be my second choice.
Lawrence Minnie
2004 Mitsubishi Pajero
Lawrence has gone with this 2004 model Mitsubishi Pajero LWB. Known to be reliable and dependable, the evergreen Pajero is the perfect go-anywhere, do-anything 4x4 that's perfect for the family.
The Pajero has a special place in my dream garage. These vehicles are virtually indestructible and, not only have I won an off-roading competition in one, but it is also a Dakar winner.
Martin Pretorius
2014 Peugeot RCZ 1.6T
Martin get a little adventurous and selects a sexy Frenchie with the Peugeot RCZ. Its futuristic styling is rather unique and the car exudes a lot of character and charisma. It may not be the most practical but if you could choose any car, you may as well go for broke!
Seeing as I don’t have kids to cart around, practical considerations won’t really feature in my choice of car. Instead, something that’s reasonably light on fuel, fun to drive, nice to look at, and a bit unusual would tick my boxes - and my first choice would be this late-model Peugeot RCZ 1.6T manual.
I adored it when I had it to review back in the day, and it still makes my heart beat faster when I see one. It won’t even feel outdated at 6 years of age, because it was quite well-equipped and advanced in its day. Of course, it may turn into a money pit in the long run (PSA cars of this era weren’t notable for their longevity), but at least it will look gorgeous in my garage while it awaits its next round of repairs and/or preventative maintenance…
Sean Nurse
2013 Abarth 500 1.4T
There's a lot to love in the Fiat 500, and even more so in the Abarth version of the same. This little firecracker suits Sean's driving style perfectly!
My selection for the #WinAnyCar challenge is the Fiat 500 Abarth. This pocket rocket is light on fuel, fast and is easy to park, which fits in with my predominantly urban-based driving cycle.
Ryno Fourie
2008 BMW Z4 3.0si Coupe
There's not much for me to say here, Ryno knows what he wants!
The first BMW Z4 was launched in 2002 and replaced the Z3 model which even featured in a Bond film. Originally the Z4 was only offered in a roadster configuration with the model designation being the E85, however, during the mid-life facelift, the German automaker introduced a second variant, the E86 or Z4 Coupé. While the roadster does have its appeal, I would choose the Coupé every day of the week, not only because it provides better comfort levels on the interior and stability in the corners but mostly just because of how it looks.
Under bonnet features the N52, 3.0-litre, straight-six petrol motor coupled to either a 6-speed manual or automatic transmission. While the performance figures, 195 kW and 315 Nm, are nothing spectacular by today's standards, it is plenty for a light, two-seater, sports car.
Chad Lückhoff
2003 Mercedes-Benz CLK55 AMG Coupe
I did things a little different. While many of my colleagues went onto the site, set the price cap at R200 000 and picked through what was listed, I sorted the offerings by engine size - that's right, 5.1-litres and above! If someone is giving me a free car, it had better have a whopping big V8 in it! This search turned up a good number of Jeeps and the odd SN95 Mustang and even a few 4th gen Chev Camaros. While the appeal of the LS-powered Luminas and Camaros are appealing, I'm inclined to break from these and go German with a 2003 Mercedes-Benz CLK55 AMG Coupe. What's not to like about a 5.4-litre 270 kW and 510 Nm screaming V8!?
