Top 3 cars with super low running costs
Top 3 cars with super low running costs
By Lawrence Minnie
With the ever-rising costs of motoring in South Africa squeezing motorists hard, many buyers are looking for cars that are easiest on their budgets. We take a look and compare the three most cost-effective motors in South Africa today.
Budget Car vs Budget Conscious
Many South Africans make the common mistake of budgeting for their car by simply seeing what their monthly car repayment is, and buying accordingly. This could have disastrous effects down the line, when unexpected maintenance costs rear their heads.
When purchasing your car, you should always factor in running costs, and the eventual maintenance costs that you will incur.
We did some market research, and have put together a list of the top 3 cars with the lowest running costs.
Refer to our handy table below for actual figures.
The Renault Kwid comes out tops in the cost-effectiveness stakes. It has the cheapest purchase price, cheapest replacement tyres, and you get 6 months of free insurance as well. It has the lowest service cost of these three, but has the highest parts replacement cost as per the Kinsey Report.
The Suzuki Celerio may have the highest service cost, but with a very reasonable purchase price, reasonably priced consumable parts such as tyres, and a low insurance cost make this our pick of this bunch. It is very frugal on fuel, and if you should be in a mild fender bender, replacement parts are readily available and very reasonably priced.
The Picanto may carry the highest purchase price of our top 3, but is only just pipped to the post by the Celerio due to a slightly higher insurance payment, and fractionally higher claimed fuel consumption. On paper and by numbers, the Renault Kwid is the one to have, but in fact, all three of these vehicles balance out nicely in the cost stakes, and all three should be considered when buying with an eye on your budget.
| Model and Price | Tyre size and replacement cost | Fuel Cons. Combined cycle | Average Insurance Cost | Kinsey Report Parts Basket | ||||||||
| Renault Kwid 1.0 Dynamique | Std Service | R2 904 | ||||||||||
| R 141 900 | 155/80/13 | R 685 each | 4.7l/100km | 6 Months free | Major Service | R14 840 | ||||||
| Crash | R63 080 | |||||||||||
| Suzuki Celerio 1.0 GL | Std Service | R4 277 | ||||||||||
| R 156 900 | 165/70/14 | R 649 each | 4.7l/100km | R850 p/m | Major Service | R12 980 | ||||||
| Crash | R58 080 | |||||||||||
| Kia Picanto 1.0 Street | Std Service | R3 631 | ||||||||||
| R 155 495 | 175/65/14 | R 649 each | 5.0l/100km | R925 p/m | Major Service | R12 435 | ||||||
| Crash | R61 443 | |||||||||||
* Insurance costs are calculated at age 25, low driver risk profile and secure vehicle location. Actual quotes may vary by individual*