Honda has entered the compact crossover fray with its Elevate. Still, with rivals such as the Toyota Urban Cruiser and the Kia Sonet to consider, the newcomer has its work cutout! All three products mentioned feature 1.5-litre petrol engines and manual gearboxes. The question today is, which has the lowest running costs?
Related: Honda Elevate vs Toyota Urban Cruiser vs Kia Sonet: Here's our winner
The figures
Honda Elevate 1.5 Comfort | Toyota Urban Cruiser 1.5 XR manual | Kia Sonet 1.5 LX | |
Engine size | 4-cyl, 1.5-litre petrol | 4-cyl, 1.5-litre petrol | 4-cyl, 1.5-litre petrol |
Power/Torque | 89 kW/145Nm | 77 kW/138 Nm | 85 kW/144 Nm |
Gearbox | 6-speed manual | 5-speed manual | 6-speed manual |
Seats | 5 | 5 | 5 |
Airbags | 2 | 6 | 2 |
Kerb weight | 1 216kg | 1 165kg | 1 145kg |
Boot capacity | 458-litres | 353-litres | 392-litres |
Fuel capacity | 40-litres | 45-litres | 45-litres |
Claimed consumption* | 6.7 L/100 km | 6.1 L/100 km | 7.0 L/100 km |
Service plan | 4-yr/60 000km | 4-service /60 000km | 4-yr/60 000km |
Price | R369 900 | R359 700 | R360 995 |
*Claimed fuel consumption
Comparing the trio
Purchase price
The models we have chosen for this comparison are competitors from a pricing and body-style perspective, with petrol engines and manual gearboxes. Monthly instalments are calculated throughout 72 months with a 10% deposit and no balloon or residual. The interest rate is set at 12%.
Honda Elevate 1.5 Comfort
The Elevate will work out at R6 508 monthly with the instalment parameters over 72 months.
Toyota Urban Cruiser 1.5 XR manual
With the instalment parameters, the Urban Cruiser will work out at R6 329 monthly over 72 months.
Kia Sonet 1.5 LX
The Sonet will work out at R6 352 monthly with the instalment parameters over 72 months.
Fuel consumption
Our contenders all feature 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engines and manual gearboxes, and in real-world driving, the trio will be similar from a fuel consumption perspective despite the Toyota being the lowest in terms of claimed fuel consumption.
Service plans
Our trio have similar service plans, with the Honda and Kia coming with 4-year/60 000km plans, while the Toyota gets a 4-service/60 000km plan, which is, in essence, the same.
Verdict
Looking at the data, we would be confident that all three of these models will cost a similar amount to run over the course of five years. Still, only one can win, and in this case, it's the Toyota Urban Cruiser, which, from our experience, has the lowest real-world fuel consumption.
