Most reliable used cars to suit your budget

By Martin Pretorius

 

Times are tough, and we all need to live with one eye constantly on the budget. This applies just as much to our cars as anywhere else: The last thing anyone needs is a car that demands constant attention just to keep running, because that costs money and causes inconvenience. So which cars have the greatest probability of providing trouble-free motoring?

We compiled a list of cars which should be the most reliable, ranked in 5 categories according to their price tags. Starting with a budget cap of R 100 000, and then moving up in R100 000 increments, we scoured the listings here on AutoTrader, to find the best candidates. This research included bakkies and SUVs as well, so be prepared to find some old favourites in here...

 

What helps to make a car reliable?

Before we begin, let’s first take a good look at the qualities which should make for a reliable car. There are three main pillars in this equation: quality of engineering, quality of assembly, and ease of maintenance. That last point is actually much more important than you’d think, because only well-maintained cars have any chance of being reliable in the long run. 

The two quality aspects are pretty self-explanatory. If a car is well-engineered and fully developed before production, it’s off to a flying start in the reliability stakes, while the quality of assembly could either elevate or destroy a car’s longevity right from the outset.

 

The role of technology

While most of us enjoy a car with as many creature comforts and high-tech features as possible, the sad reality is that those high-tech systems may sometime cause a car to become more failure-prone than something that's more basic. Turbochargers, direct injection systems, dual-clutch gearboxes, and adaptive suspension all help a car perform better and with less driver effort, but they also introduce new failure points which will likely cause expensive repairs down the line. The golden rule? Keep it simple!

 

1. Used cars between R50 000 and R100 000

You may not believe it, but there are some really appealing offerings in this bargain-basement price bracket. There are also some cars you should avoid like the plague, and most of them carry premium badges. This is where old prestige cars go for their last stop before the scrap yard, where they get bought for bargain prices, only for crippling maintenance costs and constant repairs to drown their owners in a money pit.

Don’t get too excited about the low-priced premium-brand cars at this price: they may look great in theory, but at their usual ages, those nice gadgets and features are capable of leaving you stranded when (not if) they go wrong. Unless you’re proficient with a spanner set and have access to specialised diagnostic equipment, you’d be best advised to rather stick to the simpler alternatives. Also avoid cars with automatic gearboxes in this price range, and be wary of diesels and high-output turbopetrols as well, as aged, high-mileage examples of these cars usually demand expensive maintenance – hence their bargain prices. 

Fortunately, there are some really good cars available at this price point as well, although most of them are smaller hatchbacks and city cars. You can find early Honda Jazzes, late-model Renault Sanderos, and up-specced Kia Picantos in this bracket, so your choices aren’t limited as badly as you’d think. However, given their reputation for reliability and durability, it will be difficult to beat a first-generation Toyota Yaris or an early Toyota Etios. They might not be terribly exciting to drive, but they’re really good at hassle-free motoring.

 

2. Used cars between R 100 000 and R200 000

Things get a lot more enticing as the budget grows, because the cars become newer and fancier. Just remember that you don’t want anything too extravagant, so it’s probably still better to avoid the premium-brand offerings altogether. Doing so won’t harm your variety of possibilities, however, as late-model Volkswagen Up!s and Polos/Vivos are becoming prevalent in this budget group, and they’re all good, reliable buys. This is also where you can find the Uber driver’s best friend, the Corolla Quest, and nearly-new Yarises.

We would however go slightly off-script here, and suggest that you’d look at a Kia Sportage instead: There are plenty of third-generation examples on site, and most of them are at a reasonable mileage. They still look fairly fresh and offer most modern comfort- and convenience features, but their basic engineering is simple enough to ensure long-term reliability.

 

3. Used cars between R 200 000 and R 300 000

We’re moving into the territory of brand-new, modern compact cars now, so this budget cap means that our used-car selection has to compete against new offerings. Aspirational cars are starting to dominate the listings at this price point, with middling-mileage Golf GTIs and nearly-new Audi A3s being widely available. 

But remember the earlier warning about prestige brands and complex cars? These low-priced premium products could cost a bomb to maintain, so while they may be reliable, it will be expensive to keep them that way (especially when their maintenance plans have run out). Fortunately, this is also the price bracket where larger alternatives start showing up, with the strongest value proposition probably being a low-mileage, late-model Renault Duster. 

AutoTrader SA has many Dusters listed around the R 250 000 mark. They are about as complex as bricks, and yet managed to earn a surprising amount of street cred through the years. Being fairly well-made, with simple engineering and easy (and inexpensive) maintenance, a newish first-generation Duster should prove to be a trouble-free used car buy.

 

4. Used cars between R 300 000 and R400 000

This kind of outlay can get you an almost-new, latest-generation Toyota RAV4 or even a current-generation Mercedes-Benz C-Class with some of its maintenance plan left over, so if that’s what you’re looking for, congratulations! Just remember to extend their maintenance plans before signing on the dotted line, because things can get really expensive really quickly, should it go wrong. 

However, you should also consider a Toyota Fortuner or Hilux within this budget cap. Very late-model (current-generation) Fortuners with low mileage can be found in this price range, and with their well-deserved reputation for reliability, there’s almost no way in which such a purchase could be a bad idea.

 

5. Used cars between R 400 000 and R 500 000

This is quite an exciting budget range for used-car shopping. Scanning through our listings, there are quite a few Porsches in this price class, as well as a plethora of late-model compact premium- or sporty cars such as Audi A4s, BMW 3- and 4 Series, Mercedes C-Classes, and even examples of the Focus RS and an Audi RS5 Cabriolet.

These cars all disobey the golden rule about keeping it simple, though, because they're mostly high-tech, high performance cars. While reliable, provided their maintenance schedules are adhered to, they can also quickly turn into money munchers. So unless you get your prestige car with a decent chunk of maintenance plan included in the bargain, it’s better to rather walk on by.

Instead, we’d suggest you consider a product from Toyota’s sibling company. Lexus enjoys the same reputation for reliability as Toyota (or even better), but with added equipment and a shot of distinctive styling. You can get a low-mileage Lexus IS for comfortably less than half-a-million, or a nearly-new Lexus ES for roughly the same money. The first one will give you a sporty driving experience, while the other is an opulent sensory deprivation tank. But there’s one thing they’ll both give you, and that’s reliability.