If you’re in the market for a new vehicle these days, you’re facing a brutal double-whammy: the price of new vehicles and the price of fuel are both through the roof, and seemingly only increasing.
And that means the market for pre-owned is growing.
Requirement: You’re still young and looking for something that mixes sportiness with a dash of practicality, which makes a coupe an interesting option. With R150 000 to spare, this is what you can get on the second-hand market:
2005 Audi TT 3,2 V6 quattro DSG
This is Audi’s first attempt at making a definitive sports coupe. Granted, it’s not the most practical on this list, but with rear seats and somewhat of a boot, the TT merges itself very well into the compact sportscar segment. With its naturally aspirated 3,2-litre V6 engine linked to all four wheels through a DSG transmission, you can be sure that this will also provide performance whenever you need it.
2012 Renault Megane 1,6 Dynamique Coupe
Spacious, stylish, generously specced and efficient are a few of the many words that can be used to describe this car. It has all of the benefits one would find in a standard Megane, but with the added stylish lines thanks to the removal of the rear doors. The naturally aspirated 83 kW 1,6-litre engine doesn’t provide the most interactive experience, but you can be sure that it will be kind on the wallet for everyday use.
2011 Citroen C4 1,6 VTi Seduction Coupe
It may have even less power than the Megane, but the C4 Coupe has a few rally titles to its name thanks to ace driver Sebastien Loeb, so you can trust that a sporty element is present. The Citroen has a funky design with a long-lasting appeal, along with the benefits of generous boot space and rear seats.
Considered to be the pioneer of Korean sportscars, the Tiburon took a very bold design strategy and applied it to some modest engineering. The Tiburon maintains a good balance between work and play thanks to the naturally aspirated 2,0-litre four-cylinder engine, which sends 102 kW to the front wheels. If power is what you’re looking for, however it shouldn’t be hard to get your hands on an older and more affordable V6 variant.
The Cerato Koup plays it safe when it comes to being a coupe, but it does so in an impressive way. It combines a stylish interior and exterior design, a capable naturally aspirated 2,0-litre engine delivering 115 kW, and enough standard kit to keep you occupied on your daily commute.