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#Trending car experts Melinda Ferguson and Justus Visagie give us the best and worst rides they tested this year.
MELINDA'S TOP PICKS
VW Polo GTI
From R375 900
The new Polo GTI is a winner. VW did something almost unheard of in motoring by announcing a price drop of about R12 000, helped by the fact that the new Polo is now locally produced. The GTI’s got an insanely good 2-litre, four-cylinder, TSI turbocharged petrol engine, producing 147kW of thrilling power and class-topping torque of 320Nms. This puts this affordable hot hatch right up there with its much-revered older sibling, the Golf 7.5 GTI. Revving from 0 to 100kph in just 6.6 seconds, the Polo’s just two tenths of a second slower than the Golf’s 6.4 seconds.
BMW X5
From R1 184 296
Sexy, amazingly capable, with class-leading tech, the fourth generation X5 – launched locally last month – is not only beautiful, but truly sublime both on road and off. This SAV is packed with innovation, such as two-axle air suspension, Integral Active Steering and the highly impressive off-road package, which I recently tested on a slippery, rain-soaked Outeniqua Pass. Locally, there are two diesel derivatives – the X5 M50d, brandishing 294kW of power and a massive 760Nm of torque; and the “cheaper”, but impressive X5 xDrive30d, which delivers 195kW and peaks at 620Nm.
Suzuki Jimny
From R264 900
If you've got off road blood in your veins, the new Jimny will truly delight. With its funky retro styling in awesome new colours like acid yellow, it can stand proud alongside the best in the off road biz, but you'll pay about a quarter of the price for this 4th generation off-roader. I recently got to put the Jim to the test in the Sappy Forests in Mpumalanga where this diminutive demon made mince of steep mountains, rocks, river and sand. I love its unpretentious, no frills to distract interior, but it's also got enough tech, on road power and safety to keep you comfy. At the end of the muddy day I got so excited by my capabilities off road, all I could say was "I want one".
MELINDA'S WORST CAR
Renault Kwid AMT
From R146 900
Although I have loved most of Renault’s products this year, the automatic derivative of the Kwid failed to impress. Criticised widely for its dubious safety – there’s only one driver’s air bag and no ABS – the AMT scored just one star in Global NCAP’s crash tests. While the manual Kwid, launched in 2016, was easier to drive, the auto was cumbersome and needed a few seconds to get with the programme.
JUSTUS' TOP PICKS
Honda Civic Type R
From R648 300
If the Type R had to be a film character, it would be warrior Okoye from Black Panther. She rocks her smooth scalp with an attitude that purrs: “Lions don’t care for the opinion of sheep.” The Honda is as ferocious as its looks, but behind its intimidating appearance lies engineering genius. It achieves the amazing feat of being a practical, spacious and comfortable saloon, yet a thrilling drive is just a press on the accelerator away.
Suzuki Jimny 1.5 GLX AllGrip manual
From R264 900
The unassuming Jimny was the surprise hit of the year, with new fans calling it a baby Mercedes-Benz G-Class. Or is the G-Class a giant Jimny? The first Jimny appeared in 1970 and the G-Class was born almost a decade later, in 1979.
The little Suzuki is endowed with talents. The most relevant to South Africa, where owners expect galactic mileage from their whips, is its durability. This is evident in its indestructible engine and off-road-ready design. Many new Jimny owners won’t go in search of near-impossible 4x4 mountain trails, but with potholes so commonplace, there’s a lot to be said for driving a car with high, robust suspension.
Mercedes-Benz X350d double cab
From: R904 000
Someone once said ‘the first motorcycle race happened when there were two motorcycles’. That couldn’t have happened with bakkies, could it? It probably did. Visit YouTube or certain dry pans in the Northern Cape and you can observe young male egos in bakkie drags. (That’s drag racing, not women’s clothing.) The X350d, if you wanted to know, will sprint from 0-100 km/h in a mere 7.9 seconds. So, having a more powerful bakkie than your mates can be a status simple. But there are other more grown-up reasons to choose the X350d, with its powerful V6 diesel engine. The all-wheel-drive system of the V6 increases grip and therefore safety on wet tar and gravel roads, and all that power makes overtaking quicker and safer. Speaking of safety, you can tick the option box for Active Brake Assist, that will brake the X if the driver fails to do so. It’s a pity this isn’t included in the price.
JUSTUS' WORST CAR
Honda Amaze 1.2 Comfort
From R193 900
These days truly poor cars are hard to find, but this one was most underwhelming. It does offer low fuel consumption, reliability and a relatively spacious interior, but the pleather seat upholstery can get a bit sticky in summer. The Amaze’s steering is a bit too light when travelling at highway speed and the car is susceptible to strong crosswinds.
