If you’re looking to buy a car with sporty looks, enough space for the family, comfortable seating and the ability to navigate poorly maintained city roads and manage a bit of off-road terrain, the compact SUV segment is your solution. New or second-hand, Crossovers (as they are otherwise known) combine the best of large SUVs and hatchbacks in one power-packed package that’s light on fuel and easy on the wallet – a silver bullet for Mzansi residents.
Let’s explore 5 reasons locals are choosing compact SUVs when making the decision to buy a car:
#1 They’re so versatile
Sedans have lost a lot of their popularity in recent years due to their lack of adaptability when it comes to meeting the functional demands of everyday life.
With little capability for towing the trailer or caravan, sedans are a lot less practical than many compact SUVs. Mounting the bike rack on the boot is a real challenge (or fitting the bike into the car’s interior is almost impossible). Their low clearance level makes them unsuitable for a weekend getaway that involves traversing a few gravel roads and though they have lots of cabin room and are ideal for heading to and from the airport, their usefulness often ends there.
This is where the ever-impressive compact SUV steps up to the occasion. Affordable pre-owned vehicles like the VW T-Cross, Mazda CX-3, or Ford Ecosport are packed with loads of versatility. Their higher clearance level makes them more practical for manoeuvring through pothole-strewn roads and hard-to-see speed bumps, and their nippy size makes them efficient at navigating tight parkings, fitting into almost any garage or zooting through traffic jams.
From a single person looking to pack in loads of sporting gear, to a family of four doing endless school runs, the compact SUV is a versatile all-rounder.
When compared with their expensive and elaborate large SUV counterparts, crossovers are more fuel efficient and affordable.
#2 They’re really safe
When families want to buy a car, they are often in search of vehicles that are affordable, practical and SAFE.
Here’s how compact SUVs meet the high-stakes family vehicle safety checklist:
- Most come standard with 4 or more airbags
- Many have parking sensors, brake assist, rearview cameras and monitoring systems to make drivers aware of hazards in the area nearby
- Higher clearance and an elevated seating position give drivers greater visibility on the road.
#3 They’re super-efficient for city slickers and weekend getaways
Since we live in tough economic times with limited budgets, when we decide to buy a car, we need a vehicle that ticks a number of boxes. Most South Africans cannot afford to invest in one vehicle for the city and another for navigating off-road terrain during the holiday season. We need one all-encompassing car that can do both tasks with competence – in walks the capable crossover.
The higher clearance level and added weight of a compact SUV make navigating pothole-strewn city streets, gravel farm roads and poorly-maintained rural provincial avenues easier than its hatchback and sedan counterparts.
We’re not claiming that these compact SUVs are capable of tackling the toughest 4×4 tracks (you will need a large SUV for that), but dabbling in a bit of off-road from time to time should not be a hassle.
Weekend camping trip for a family of 4 ✔️
Visiting Gogo Agnes in Mpumalanga ✔️
Navigating some well-maintained dirt roads at the Kruger National Park ✔️
Conquering a 16-hour trek from Joburg to Cape Town ✔️
#4 They’re extra roomy
There’s nothing more uncomfortable than a 10-hour trip with a screaming infant, an excitable miniature pinscher and a grumpy teenager all packed into one Kia Picanto with no room for the driver to look out the back window.
While you may save a bit on fuel, fitting the camp cot, pram, 4 outfit changes a day for your teen and dog bed into a tight hatchback can quickly become a nightmare.
This is where the decision to buy a crossover becomes a no-brainer.
With plenty of interior space to stretch your legs on a long road trip, and a generous amount of boot space (between 330 and 450 litres, depending on the model), you can make any trip that much more bearable.
And if you and your partner are taking a weekend break from the kids, you can fold down the back seats and fit in the entire kitchen sink.
#5 They’re flying off showroom floors
You may not like to be a sheep who simply follows the herd, but sometimes the popular choice is the wise one.
If you buy a car that’s won all the prizes for popularity, it may not stand out in the mall parking lot, but a whole lot of other things become so much easier:
- The resale price is improved since these cars hold their value
- Availability of spare parts
- Sourcing a mechanic or panel beater who can easily repair the car.
Plus, thousands of other buyers can’t be wrong when a vehicle has a solid track record of excellent year-on-year sales.
The best way to buy a compact SUV
Money is tight. Everyone is trying to find savvy ways to get the best bang for their buck. This is where quality low-kilometre used vehicles enter the game.
Be sure to find yourself a value-for-money second-hand crossover from a showroom that ticks the following boxes:
- Affordable financing options
- Wholesale prices to the public
- Over 500 vehicles to choose from
- Auction options available
- Trade-ins and options for selling your second-hand smaller car.
Conquer the school runs and tackle a bit of off-road terrain during a weekend getaway by purchasing one of the impressive vehicles in the crossover range.
