Top 3 city cars for comfort lovers

By Ané Theron

Ané Theron picks her three favourite city-friendly cars.

What makes a car ideal for the city? Is it maneuverability, raised ride height, a generously-sized boot for your weekly shop, safety for those of us who do plenty of highway driving, good fuel consumption, an automatic gearbox, or all of the above? While it's extremely hard to pick just three cars, that's what I've had to do. So, here are my three (recently-driven) personal favourites that truly impressed in Cape Town's peak hour congestion, and allow for maximum concentration on the road.

1. Volvo XC40 D4 AWD Momentum (from R600 392)

When a car wins the title of European Car of the Year, you know that this manufacturer is on to something. After a week in the new XC40, I was quite sure I had also driven my favourite car of 2018. If truth be told, I was quite smitten after spending just 15 minutes inside it. Being an absolute stickler for elegant, minimalistic Swedish design, the classy XC40 resonated with me on every level. There are hardly any buttons on the front fascia, and the SENSUS connect infotainment system is intuitive and super smart. Then there's Volvo's fantastic semi-autonomous driving skills, an optional feature, but well worth it if you spend a lot of time in traffic. With Volvo's Pilot Assist, lane keep assist and adaptive cruise control activated, the XC40 is capable of pretty much driving itself; steering around gentle bends or corners, and braking and/or stopping when the car in front of you stops or brakes. This technology is available in the upper-tier Opel Astra Hatchbacks as well, so if you can't afford a Volvo, BMW or Mercedes-Benz, it doesn't mean these features are completely unavailable to you. Yet, if you're shopping in the premium price range, the Volvo XC40 remains my no.1 choice.

*Also consider: Mercedes-Benz GLA, Audi Q2, Jaguar E-Pace

2. Toyota C-HR 1.2T Luxury (R422 100)

The new flagship C-HR has answered the prayers of the Toyota-loving public, bringing with it a whole list of new features that make this aggressively styled SUV even more attractive to creature comfort lovers. Apart from its ability to morph from dynamic city mover into comforting cruiser, depending on which driving mode is selected, the Luxury model gets divine heated seats, self-parking abilities and cameras that guide you out of tricky driveways or crowded parking lots. Toyota's turbocharged 1.2-litre mill is peppy and refined, and its CVT gearbox is one of the best in the business. Just like the abovementioned Volvo, the C-HR's interior is clean and serene, and the infotainment system is one of the user-friendliest I've come across. The ultra-smooth C-HR was a SA COTY finalist previously, without all of this added new spec, so you can imagine how perfect it feels to drive now...

*Also consider: Nissan Qashqai, Nissan X-Trail, Hyundai Creta, Peugeot 3008, Renault Kadjar, Mazda CX-5, Opel Grandland X.

3. Renault Duster 1.5 dCi Prestige EDC 4x2 (R334 900)

You know you're in the right car when the fuel gauge refuses to budge. After driving the brand new Duster for approximately 200 km, I still had 980 km of range left! Our most recent consumption figure, in town, was measured at only 4.8 litres per 100 km (in Eco mode). But if you're a 9-5 inner-city employee, one of the nicest new additions to the Prestige-derivative is surely its surround view cameras. Gone are the days of hoping and praying that you won't scratch the stylish diamond-cut alloy wheels as you parallel park. Now you just press a button which allows you to see exactly where 'eyes' are needed, so you can maneuver the car accordingly. And apart from this nifty new feature, you also get superb pavement climbing abilities. Whether you're the outdoorsy or "indoorsy" type, the new Duster delivers.

*Also consider: Mazda CX-3, Opel Mokka X, Opel Crossland X, Nissan Qashqai, Ford Kuga, Ford EcoSport.

Cash-strapped? Here are a few more affordable (new) alternatives that are perfectly city-fit, be they sedans, crossovers or hatchbacks, in both manual and automatic transmissions.

Under R200 000

Suzuki Celerio, Hyundai Grand i10, Suzuki Swift, Suzuki Dzire, Honda Amaze Sedan, Toyota Etios, Ford Figo, Toyota Aygo, Volkswagen Take Up!, Volkswagen Polo Vivo, Nissan Micra Active 1.2 Visia, Renault Sandero, Peugeot 208.

Under R250 000

Renault Duster 1.6 Expression, Smart forfour, VW Polo Hatch, VW Polo Sedan, Suzuki Ignis, Suzuki Baleno, Fiat 500, Suzuki Ciaz, Suzuki Ertiga, Renault Sandero Stepway, Honda Jazz, Honda Ballade, Honda BR-V, Opel Adam, Opel Corsa, Kia Rio Hatch, Kia Rio Sedan, Honda Ballade, Toyota Yaris, Hyundai i20, Nissan Micra 66kW Turbo Visia, Renault Captur, Honda BR-V, Fiat Panda, Renault Duster 1.6 Expression, VW Polo Vivo Maxx, Mazda2, Fiat Tipo sedan.

Under R300 000

Renault Duster 1.5 dCi Dynamique, Audi A1, Opel Corsa, Opel Crossland X, Opel Astra, Ford Fiesta, Ford EcoSport, Ford Focus, Suzuki Jimny, Suzuki Vitara, Toyota Yaris, Peugeot 2008, Mazda CX-3, Mazda 3, Renault Clio, Renault Mégane hatch, Toyota Corolla, Toyota Auris, Fiat 500X, Fiat Tipo Hatch, Hyundai Accent Sedan, VW Jetta.