Buying Used Cars

It’s essential to know the pros and cons of buying a used car, specifically which year and model of a vehicle will deliver the best long-term ownership experience. We discuss, in detail, when a particular model range was launched, updated and discontinued. We also delve into which engines provide the best performance and fuel consumption, as well as insights to the suspension, brakes, wheels and build quality.

Buying Used: Volkswagen Passat (2001 to 2005)

Looking at buying a used Volkswagen Passat? This German sedan boasts D-segment comfort and refinement at bargain prices...THE D-segment is a slow-selling sector of our market and has been largely usurped by soft-roader SUVs in terms of popularity. Conversely, this results in relative bargains for those ...

Buying Used: Jeep Patriot (2006 to 2014)

SOME people need a full-on 4x4 with low range, but the majority of SUV owners merely desire a vehicle that will cope with poor/wet/muddy/sandy road conditions. And so, over the last decade, soft-roaders have taken the market by storm.One of our picks when it was new was the Jeep Patriot. It has rugged ...

Buying Used: Honda Jazz (2008 to 2013)

With the first-generation model already proving a firm favourite in the local market, the second-generation version of the Honda Jazz added a new 1,3-litre engine to supplement the 1,5-litre. Although the styling did change subtly, the original design concept was thankfully retained (with the fuel tank ...

Buying Used: Mercedes-Benz S-Class (1999 to 2005)

Similar to Mercedes-Benz S-Class models that went before and after, the W220 was another showcase of the latest automotive designs and patents in electronics and electro-mechanical devices. Like the new W222 generation, this range was the benchmark for large luxury sedans and the facelifted version that ...

Buying Used: Daihatsu Terios (2005 to current)

WHILE the first-generation Terios was really small (consider the contemporary Zotye Nomad for a new take on Daihatsu’s original design) and had somewhat limited appeal, its successor grew in dimensions and found appeal with family-minded buyers.Powered by a 77 kW 1,5-litre engine, the Terios is not ...

Buying Used: Hyundai Atos (2005 to 2012)

NOT that those buyers weren’t initially left slightly confused by the odd name… Hyundai decided to change the name of its already tricky-to-pronounce-correctly runabout, the Atoz (for “A to Z”), to Atos. This coincided with the new model, introduced in our April 2005 issue, and the one featured ...

Buying Used: Audi A3 Sportback (2005 to 2012)

It was a clever tactical move by Audi to add two more doors to its sporty three-door compact hatchback and lengthen the body by 80 mm. This not only widened the A3’s target market and boosted sales, but started a trend to match sportiness with a compact station-wagon shape.WHICH MODEL?The Quattro models ...

Buying Used: Hyundai Tiburon (2003 to 2010)

THE first Tiburon (the word means shark in Spanish) tested by CAR in April 1997 had odd, bulbous styling. The second generation, launched in 2003, had everyone agreeing that this superb looker was worthy of greater sales success than its predecessor. It was offered with a 2,0-litre petrol engine and ...

Buying used: Renault Laguna (2001 – 2008)

LAUNCHED locally in November 2001, the second-generation Laguna that was offered in our market had style and comfort for those who wanted a break from the usual German offerings. Renault made great strides in interior quality with this model, while good interior space plus the versatility of a hatchback ...

Buying used: Mazda MX-5 (1990 – 2011)

DESIGNED in California, the MX-5 was just what Americans wanted. And, as it turned out, the rest of the world was quite happy to join in on the fun. Also known as the Miata, this name was dropped with the introduction of the third generation but many owners still use the quaint title.The soft top has ...