Best car deals for R12 000 per month – SUVs

By Chad Lückhoff

Using our finance calculator, we found that you can shop for a R590 000 SUV if you have R12 000 per month to spend. Here's our list that includes the Ford Everest, Mazda CX-5, Kia Sportage, VW Tiguan and Mitsubishi Pajero Sport.

You've got R12 000 each month to spend on a car, but you have a family as well, so what can you get? We've compiled a list of the five best SUV choices so that you can narrow down your car search.

We used a formula to calculate how much you can finance a vehicle for using a simple formula that best represents a typical finance deal. Your figures will differ a little and to work out the formula specific to your situation, head on over to our finance calculator  to enter in your variables.

We used R12 000pm as a repayment amount and took the deal over 60 months, the longest that an individual may finance a vehicle for. We also factored in a deposit of R59 000 which happens to be 10% of the purchase price of the vehicle. With a 12% interest rate and no balloon or residual factored in (we don't believe in them) we came to a purchase price of R590 000.

Your interest rate will most likely differ and that will affect your monthly instalment figure. We also haven't considered insurance, so you may need to factor that in with your calculation.

Based on our calculations, the instalment amount is approximately R11 810 per month. Opting not to put down the 10% deposit will push your instalments to R13 125/month, so be cautious.

Purchasing a car that extends your budget to the very limit isn't a great idea, but if you were to do that, you could put yourself behind the wheel of a new Toyota Fortuner 2.8GD-6 Auto. This won't leave any room for optional extras that you may want to add to the vehicle, so we're going to give you the next best five, and leave some wiggle room in for options and accessories.

Top selections:

Kia Sportage 2.0CRDi SX AWD

List Price: R585 495

The Sportage is a spacious and well-appointed offering from the Korean manufacturer, Kia. The build quality and trim level have improved drastically over the last few years and the new Kia Sportage drives as good as it looks.

Ford Everest 3.2 XLT

R 584 400

With seating for 7, the Everest is a great option for the larger family or those that need to load stuff for holidays and getaways. The torquey 3.2-litre engine pulls like a steam train and the Everest is a great option for towing.

Volkswagen Tiguan 2.0TDI 4Motion Highline

R 578 900

The more city-friendly option in our selection, the Volkswagen Tiguan 2.0TDI 4Motion combines a reputable turbodiesel engine with all-wheel drive capabilities. The new Tiguan is a striking vehicle and in Highline specification, there won't be too much that you'll need to add.

Mazda CX-5 2.2DE AWD Akera

R 571 300

Our personal favourite of the selection is the Mazda CX-5 2.2DE AWD Akera. With a very high standard spec level, the CX-5 Akera is the perfect candidate for someone looking for a vehicle that had it all – style, class, reliability and a host of features.

Mitsubishi Pajero Sport 2.4 D4

R 569 995

The surprise of the selection is the new Mitsubishi Pajero Sport 2.4 D4 – that's right, you can get a Pajero Sport for this money. A great standard spec level will see you smiling all the way out of the showroom with change to spare. The new Pajero Sport also has a gearbox and drivetrain to die for!