Monday Column - Buying a new car (continued)


Garwin Beukes - Last week to tapped into the “must know's” of buying an entry level car; this week we take it a step further and look at some prime examples.

In no specific order, here are a few cars to look at (with some honest truth about looks and complaints):

Volkswagen Polo Vivo 1.4 (base model)

Volkswagen has always been a trusted brand and is the most beautiful of the lot. The Polo is good (good is an understatement) on fuel consumption, comes with decent acceleration and top speed, has reliable boot space and still drives very comfortable. The Vivo has however had complaints about the inside of the doors cards coming loose after some time and is very low specked for the amount you pay.


The Ford Figo 1.4 Ambiente

Another very reliable brand, the Ford is slightly more expensive, has a slower 0-100km/h and top speed than the Volkswagen but truly is a much more finished off ride. One can see that ford took it’s time when designing the Figo. On the outside it is not as pretty as desired but its interior definitely takes the crown. The panels are firmly built complimenting the stylish clocks on the dash and the car just offers you a smooth ride.


Toyota Etios 1.5 XS

The Toyota definitely isn’t the softest ride or the most beautiful (inside or out) but for the most part is incredible for what you get. The XS model is the more expensive model and is still in the price range of the top mentioned two. With this model you get a Bluetooth stereo, fog lights, electric windows/mirrors. Basically a lot more extras the others will not give you for that price. It is the fastest on a short stretch as well; the Etios gives you an awesome 11.3s (compared to Volkswagens 12.9s and ford’s 13.1s) 0-100km/h but dies at a lower speed than the two.


Honda Brio hatch 1.2 Comfort

This right here Is quite an excellent little car. Although the Comfort model is a bit more pricey, it definitely is worth the cash. Its interior is outstanding with the cream coloured bucket like seats and simplistic dash. The car is built to be extremely good on fuel consumption and goes surprisingly fast from 0-100km/h with its four cylinder V-tec powered engine. The Honda isn’t really that pretty but is an excellent drive.

Hyundai i10 1.1 Motion

The little i10 is a bit cheaper compared to its bigger brothers. It isn’t as pretty as the rest but doesn’t look to bad on the inside. This car however is fairly slow, very little power and limited boot space.

Next week we'll tackle comparison's with a few other brand names including Tata's flashy Bolt.