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: 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 ...

Buying used: Toyota Condor (2000-2005)

THE origins of the Toyota Condor can be traced to the Asia Pacific region in the mid-Seventies, which partly explains its robust body-on-ladder construction, but that doesn’t detract from the fact that it was a massively popular vehicle in its day. It replaced the Venture, a local development of the ...

Buying used: Kia Rio (2005-2011)

THE second-generation Rio was launched in South Africa in October 2005 with a complete moderni sation of styling and 1,4- and 1,6-litre engines replacing the outgoing 1,3- and 1,5-litre units.The 1,4 produces 70 kW and 127 N.m and the 1,6, which was introduced in 2008, delivers 82 kW and 146 N.m of torque. ...

Buying used: Nissan Micra (2004 - 2011)

HAVING missed out on the first two generations of Micra, South Africa received the third iteration in 2004, two years after its international launch. The styling was very different to the small-car norm and admired/loathed in equal measure for its quirkiness. Unusual for a light car, it featured a sliding ...

Buying used: Hyundai Sonata (2006 – 2010)

THE design team at Hyundai certainly started from scratch when it penned the fifth-generation (NF) Sonata: it’s the most elegant and understated of the first five generations, which ensures that it has long-term appeal. Because Hyundai got the design just right, it remained relatively unchanged in ...