With fuel going up by so much, it’s only natural for all of us to look very closely at how much fuel each of us is using. Look through this list of questions and get answers to your most pressing concerns regarding low-maintenance and low-consumption vehicles in SA.
The most reliable car in terms of reliability is still the Toyota Corolla. These cars are dependable, affordable to maintain, and relatively low in fuel consumption. They also require comparably less maintenance than other brands and boast long lifespans. Toyota Corollas also make for good second-hand vehicle purchases because of all these reasons.
The car that will save you the most on petrol is a plug-in hybrid EV (like those offered by Lexus and other brands), because they don’t use traditional ways of being powered. But when it comes to regular petrol cars, the Suzuki Celero 1.0 is the most fuel-efficient car available in SA today.
Automatic cars used to use more fuel than manual ones, but this is no longer the case. Today automatic and manual cars use very much the same amount of fuel (depending on the brand you opt for). Some of the top fuel-efficient cars in SA are automatic, like the Suzuki S-Presso 1.0.
Unfortunately there isn’t a car that offers zero maintenance, but there are some brands that have proved over time that they require LESS maintenance than most other brands. These include Toyota (especially the Corolla models), Suzuki, and the Honda Civic.
Cars that are the best for long-distance driving are hybrids, because they offer low fuel consumption as well as driving comfort. The Toyota Prius is a good option, although these are hard to find in SA right now unless you’re willing to buy a second-hand one. Other options include the Mazda CX-5 and the Honda CR-V.
The best age at which to buy a second-hand car is around 3 years, because by that time the value of the car has gone down significantly, but it’ll probably still be in good condition. This age can go as high as 5 years, but mileage, accident history, and maintenance also influence the value-to-cost ratio.
Because driver behaviour has such an impact on how much fuel you use, Catrack can help you monitor your drivers through our Driver Coaching application. Cartrack also monitors fuel through IoT (Internet of Things) devices on behalf of fleets trying to curb fuel waste. Finally, Cartrack offers AI-powered route optimisation to ensure the quickest route from A to B.
One of the cheapest cars to maintain is the Toyota Corolla. Not only are the parts easy to source, but they cost significantly less than other car brands. Other contenders for low maintenance costs are Suzuki, Honda, and Mazda (due to their popularity).
It’s a good idea to start thinking about buying an electric vehicle if you want to save on fuel costs long term. However, if your petrol car is still new, you might want to get some mileage out of it first before selling it. That’s because the value has already dropped significantly now that it’s been purchased, so using it for a few years might prove more valuable to you compared to the money you’ll receive for it.
The safest small car in South Africa is the Mahindra XUV300, but this is often considered subjective among car enthusiasts. Other strong contenders are the Suzuki Dzire, the Toyota Vitz (which is also very low in fuel consumption), and the Volkswagen Polo Vivo, all of which have significant safety features and sturdy builds.
You can achieve fuel efficiency in an automatic car by optimising routes and always using the quickest way to get from point A to point B. Cartrack’s route planning also helps you to avoid road blocks, damaged roads, and traffic congestion. This amounts to using less fuel, which—over time—will save you hundreds or even thousands on your fuel bill.
