Quality used cars for under R30k

With the recession under way and everyone feeling the economic strain, the popularity of used cars has increased greatly as most people can no longer afford to buy a new car. Consequently there is also a big demand for cars under the R30k price bracket and even at such a low price, quality vehicles can still be found.

The obvious factors to note when looking for a used car are: mileage, condition and year. These factors are somewhat more important though when looking for a car this cheap as you want to avoid being sold a dud.

Cars.co.za lists a number of cars in this bracket and they can be searched for by entering the maximum amount as R30k and pressing “Go” or clicking here to see cheap vehicles under R30k. There are many vehicles listed, but I have pointed out a few that come across as good deals.

Volkswagen Citi Chico 1.3



Mileage: 118 985km

Age: 1998

Cost: R26 000

The ever popular small VW car has been a hit in South Africa for the last 30 years at least. So many people start off with one of these as their first car, and they never seem to go out of fashion. They also don’t seem to lose much resale value at all, people tend to buy one second hand, drive it for a few years and then sell it again for much the same that they paid for it. This Chico has a rather small number of Kilometers on the clock considering its age and price which definitely bodes well for it. There doesn’t seem to be a used car that is more of a staple than the Volkswagen range of small cars.

Ford Lazer Tracer 1.3



Mileage: 192 000km

Age: 1998

Cost: R23 995

While not as popular as the Volkswagen range of small used cars, the ford Lazers and Mazda 323’s are still always seen on used car sales everywhere. While the Ford does have an extra 80 000km on the clock compared to the Chico it is slightly cheaper. I have first hand experience driving a Lazer 1.3 with this many kilometers on the clock and it seems as reliable as ever. It still feels quick enough and has never broken down, attesting to Ford’s long standing reliability.

BMW 3 Series 316i



Mileage: 177 562km

Age: 1996

Cost: R25 000

Unlike the previous two entries, it is rare to find a BMW in the less than R30k bracket. The BMW offers a lot more style and looks than any other car you are likely to find in such a cheap bracket. It is also obviously a lot bigger and will have more utility, however its probably not as well suited as the other two smaller cars as a first car. It won’t be as forgiving, and could be more expensive to run. That said though it is not a common occurrence to find a car like this for so cheap and would be hard to pass up.