South African motorists are feeling the pinch more than ever, with both petrol and diesel expected to increase by more than 30 cents per litre in the first week of October.
Added pressure from the fuel price hike has many consumers seeking to reduce their monthly installment and maintenance costs, which means that value for money has never been a more imperative factor in the car purchase process.
In a timely announcement, Gumtree South Africa this week released the finalists for the Gumtree Pre-Owned Car Awards, a definitive list of the best second hand buys on the local market determined in partnership with TransUnion.
The shortlist is a testament to the variety of affordable, quality cars in the pre-owned category says Jeff Osborne, Head of Automotive at Gumtree.
“With so many great models at affordable price points it’s no surprise that most consumers are opting for pre-owned over new. We launched the Gumtree Pre-Owned Car Awards specifically to celebrate the cars that truly deliver value, so that South African motorists can make smart buying decisions in a tough economic climate.”
Toyota, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen have come out tops in the shortlist. Toyota and Mercedes-Benz each boast seven nominations across several categories, with Volkswagen close behind with six.
The shortlist will be judged by a panel of leading motoring experts based on criteria that’s most relevant to the pre-owned category such as value retention and maintenance costs. Winners will be announced in early November.
The Gumtree Pre-Owned Car Awards Shortlist:
Budget Car under R110 000
- 2015 Datsun Go 1.2 Lux
- 2015 Honda Brio 1.2 Trend
- 2015 Kia Picanto 1.0LS
- 2015 Renault Sandero 1.4 Ambience
- 2015 Suzuki Celerio 1.0GA
Light Hatchback under R140 000
- 2015 Toyota Aygo 1.0 X-Play
- 2015 Toyota Etios 1.5XS Sprint (5dr)
- 2015 Ford Figo 1.5 Ambiente
- 2014 Hyundai Grand I10 1.25 Motion
- 2015 VW Polo Vivo GP 1.4 Conceptline
Medium Hatchback under R260 000
- 2015 Toyota Auris 1.6XR
- 2015 Hyundai Accent Fluid 1.6
- 2015 Mazda 3 1.6 Dynamic
- 2015 VW Golf 7 1.4TSI Trendline
- 2015 VW Polo 1.2 TSI Highline
Performance Hatchbacks
- Mercedes-Benz A250 Sport
- Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG 4-Matic
- VW Golf 7 2.0TSI R DSG
- VW Polo GTI 1.8TSI DSG
- Audi S3 S-Tronic
Cross-over between R200 000 and R300 000
- 2015 Mazda CX3 2.0 Individual
- 2015 Ford Ecosport 1.5 TDCI Titanium
- 2015 Honda HR-V 1.5 Comfort
- 2015 Opel Mokka 1.4T Cosmo
- 2015 Nissan Juke 1.5 DCi Acenta+
Luxury Sedan under R475 000
- 2015 Audi A5 Sportback 2.0TFSI
- 2015 BMW 320D F30
- 2015 BMW 330D F30
- 2015 Mercedes-Benz C200
- 2015 Mercedes-Benz C220 Bluetec
Premium Performance Sports Cars
- Porsche Boxster PDK
- Porsche Cayman S PDK
- Mercedes-Benz AMG C63 S
- Jaguar F-Type S 3.0 V6
- BMW M4 M-DCT
SUV under R325 000
- 2015 Mazda CX-5 2.0 Active
- 2015 Nissan Qashqai 1.2T Visia
- 2015 Toyota Fortuner 2.5D-4D
- 2015 Toyota RAV-4 2.0 GX
- 2015 Honda CRV 2.0 Comfort
Luxury SUV under R700 000
- 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLC 250D
- 2015 Audi Q7 3.0TDI V6 Quattro
- 2015 Toyota Land Cruiser Prado VX 3.0TDI
- 2015 Mercedes-Benz ML250 Bluetec
- 2015 Volvo XC90 D4 Momentum
Double Cab Bakkies 4×2
- 2015 VW Amarok 2.0 BiTDI Highline 132kW D/C P/U 4×2
- 2014 Toyota Hilux 3.0 D-4D Raider R/B P/U D/C
- 2015 Isuzu KB300 D-TEQ LX P/U D/C 4×2
- 2014 Nissan Navara 2.5dCi LE P/U D/C
- 2015 Ford Ranger 3.2 TDCI XLT P/U D/C 4×2
To find out more about the Gumtree Pre-Owned Car Awards, visit gumtree.co.za/awards.