Sukasha Singh and Ray Leathern choose their top 10 cars of 2009 from cheap and cheerful to ultra flashy
Renault Sandero Renault Sandero 1,4-litre Authentique, R99 800
Although the Sandero made this list because of its price, it is by no means the first vehicle you would choose. The Sandero is a Dacia, from Romania, or a Logan without a boot. But unlike the Logan — which is brought in all the way from India — the Sandero is locally made. As a result it fits the model for a cheap, utilitarian car that Renault set up when it bought out Dacia. Renault has been able to keep the price, even since the launch, to below R100 000. The Sandero’s 1,4-litre engine from a very old Megane may make only 55kW, but it’s still better than walking. — Ray Leathern
Suzuki Alto Suzuki Alto GLS, R119 900
This is one of those rare cars that hooks you from the word go. It has everything going for it from its decently designed exterior to its comfortable interior and has a surprisingly composed ride quality.
The Alto is a small, entry-level city runaround and is spatially restricted, but its 1,0-litre petrol engine (50kW and 87Nm) does not stop trying to please. Four adults can squash, though the rear passengers might get a bit antsy on a long- distance trip, especially if the front passengers are taller than 165cm.
The GLS model would be my choice because it comes standard with two air bags, ABS with EBD and brake assist, central locking, air con and more. It’s claimed to average 5,7 litres per 100km. — Sukasha Singh
Hyundai i20 Hyundai i20 1,4-litre, R149 900
As many lardy American models disappear from existence in a kind of Darwinian realigning of the car industry, the inherent value of a car like the Hyundai i20 becomes apparent. Small, economical, practical and well equipped, it’s the type of car you’ll buy just to tide yourself over and you might end up not selling it. The 74kW from its 1.4-litre engine means it’s peppy, but it’s not quite as pretty as a Fiesta. With a trip computer, height- and reach-adjustable steering wheel, auto headlights and MP3 stereo, Hyundai has maximised the bang for the buck. The interior is a little too Korean and the entry-level doesn’t have alloy wheels, but just throw on a set of TSWs from your old Citi Golf and the i20 is a winner. — Ray Leathern
Alfa Mito Alfa MiTo, R241 000
The fact that the MiTo is an Alfa works as much for it as against it because Alfas don’t have the reliability we’d like them to have, but they certainly do have passion by the truckload.
The MiTo is thrilling. It’s a two-door hatch that oozes the macho bravado of a sports car and its handling matches its pocket-rocket looks. It’s powered by a 1,4-litre petrol engine, which somehow manages to push out 114kW of power and 230Nm of torque while managing a combined fuel consumption of 6,5 litres per 100km. The MiTo is a feisty little competitor for the Mini Cooper and it comes with an impressive list of standard features, which include seven air bags, a USB port and Bluetooth compatibility. — Sukasha Singh
Mazda3 Mazda3 Sport 2,5-litre Individual, R272 440
Rarely does a car come along that, without warning, takes your humble expectations and crushes them. The new Mazda3 hatchback was that car this year. You may be scratching your head right now, thinking, ‘what’s this guy on about?” and I hope you are, because something wouldn’t be ‘a little gem” if everyone knew about it.
You may also be thinking the entry-level Mazda3 is about R80 000 cheaper and the hot MPS only R50 000 more, so why go for this one? That’s because the 2,5-litre Sport has Goldilocks’s sensibilities: this one feels just right. The 122kW and 227Nm means it’s pretty darn quick and it feels light and nimble where the MPS feels bullish and wayward. It also has the same brilliant Bose sound system and interior as the MPS, minus the price tag. — Ray Leathern
VW Scirocco VW Scirocco, R336 500
It’s a real pity the Scirocco has the old GTi engine (147kW and 280Nm) doing all the work because just about everything else about this car is as close to perfect as you’re going to get at this price.
Everything from its evocatively styled exterior to its almost old- fashioned yet moderately swish interior all combine to give the Scirocco the sort of instant street cred that other cars in this price range could never achieve.
It’s not a pocket rocket, but it’s spirited enough to have you looking forward to the driving experience just about every time you start it up.
It’s not exceedingly spacious either, but it’s comfortable enough for a two-door coupé; it has an unexpectedly decently sized boot and it averages 8,4 litres per 100km. The Scirocco is a swift, beautiful and practical sports car, though it could have done with a little more vooma under the hood. —Sukasha Singh
Toyota Prius Toyota Prius Exclusive, R370 700
Of course, I wish the Prius had a better gearbox, was a little more agile and a little more engaging to drive, but it’s still early days for hybrids and we shouldn’t forget that what the Prius has achieved is nothing short of astonishing.
But it’s the smaller innovations of the third-generation Prius that puts it confidently on our top-10 list. These include the Toyota-developed Eco-Plastic — a material derived from plant matter that can be used as foam and in certain moulded parts, such as seat cushions, and which has a longer life cycle than conventional plastic.
There is the obvious stuff too like the fact that the new Prius is 22% more powerful yet 10% more economical while emitting 14% less CO2.
Essentially, the latest Prius is much more than the conscientious decision; it’s the clever one. — Sukasha Singh
BMW Z4 BMW Z4 sDrive35i, R682 500
Where do I start with Beemer’s magnificent roadster? With the roof up or down it’s absolutely gorgeous, thanks to Julia Blasi’s unique exterior design. That fact that it was designed by a woman is the essence of what makes the new Z4 so desirable. It’s subtle, striking, curvaceous, petite, innocent and a femme fatale all at the same time.
It’s metro, sure, but it’s not overtly girly either and when you step down into the cabin and take her for a shakedown, you soon realise why. There is serious fire-power under the bonnet — 220kW and 400Nm. BMW’s award-winning 3,0-litre twin turbo straight six engine howls and hisses its way to 100kph in 5,2 seconds and the long-bonnet/short-tailed chassis with rear-wheel drive means perfect dynamics and handling. If you could just stop yourself thrashing it up mountain passes, you could go posing on the high street. — Ray Leathern
Nissan GTR Nissan GT-R, R1 175 000
As an example of how much M&G Motoring has tried to stick to affordable cars, last year’s car of the year, the Aston Martin DBS, cost R3 600 000 whereas this year my choice is about a third of that price. It comes in the form of the breathtaking and belligerent technological tour de force everyone calls a Datsun.
This type of talk frustrates me because, sure, it’s a million-rand Nissan, but unlike an Aston or a Ferrari that always has a replacement model in the pipeline, the GT-R has been like a Frankenstein project for Nissan in the past decade. It’s a stand-alone icon and it’s the best car I’ve driven so far and will probably drive for a long time to come. The prowess of this Japanese powerhouse has been well documented, but to experience its raw, undiluted and singular endeavour for absolute speed, absolute cornering and absolute braking anywhere and everywhere is just magnificent. My runaway car of the year. — Ray Leathern
Audi R8 Audi R8 V10 manual, R1 950 000
The effect this car will have on you is unpredictable. You’ll start the day the way you normally do, going through the motions, but when you sit in the R8 and turn the key, your heart will do virtual cartwheels when the R8 lets rip with its malevolent morning growl.
Even your stocky boerboel will move out of the way quickly as you inch your way out of your garage. Everything after that is a bit of blur.
The R8 (336kW and 530Nm) will permeate your senses, kidnap your soul and make you a slave to its rhythm to the point where you think it’s completely reasonable to drive 50km to buy two litres of milk despite the fact that there’s a Woolies 1km from your house. I was lucky enough to drive the 5,2-litre R8 V10 around the Kyalami racetrack and can say this is a super-car of note. You’ve never experienced handling or acceleration as phenomenal as this. People who say the R8 isn’t a super-car obviously haven’t driven it because, if you have been lucky enough to drive this car, you won’t feel the need to be a verbose chauvinist any more.– Sukasha Singh