All hail the Almera

Cole Catlett, senior sales executive at Nissan Pietermaritzburg says while there are many automatic sedans for people who need a car for ride hailing, she recommends the Nissan Almera.

KZN 18 Cole Catlett

"And I'm not just saying so because I work at a Nissan dealership," says the all stars CMH sales executive.

"There are basically three sedans that have proven themselves for ride-hailing in terms of price and running costs -- the Nissan Almera, the Toyota Quest and the Honda Amaze.

“Their owners will tell you these are three very durable sedans, but among them the Almera has the biggest boot, the most leg-room and the longest service plan and warranty, which is why I recommend it for ride hailing."

She said the Almera's 90,000 km service plan and six-year warranty are especially popular with professional drivers, as it allows them to trade in the car while there are still a few months or kilometres left.

Catlett adds she also sells a fair number of pre-owned automatic Almeras to pensioners, despite most buyers these days looking for sport utility vehicles rather than a sedan.

"The Qashqai is very popular, but my pensioner buyers often compare the costs of a vehicle down to the last cent and the Almera's value offering is unbeatable. They also like that it is not the newest sedan, but proven technology with a very affordable parts basket and service costs, as stated in the 2019 Kinsey report of the cheapest cars to service and repair.

If you add an extended warranty to a pre-owned Almera, it will give you many kilometres of low cost motoring," says Catlett.

She shared her “cheat sheet” of how the three cars compare with Dealer Floor below.


Honda Amaze 1,2 Comfort auto

Price: R230 500

Drivetrain: 4-cylinder 1,2-litre petrol with CVT

Power 66 kW /110 Nm at 4 800 rpm

Kerb weight: 949 kg

Consumption: 5,7/100km

Boot size: 420 litres

Ride height: 170 mm

Wheels: 175/65 R15

Warranty: 5 years of 200 000 km.

Service plan: 2 years or 30 000 km

Nissan Almera 1,5 Acenta auto

Price: R262 700

Drivetrain: 4-cylinder 1,5-litre petrol with 4-speed auto

Power 73 kW / 134 Nm at 4 000 rpm

Kerb weight: 1 042 kg

Consumption: 7,2/100km

Boot size: 490 litres

Ride height: 160 mm

Wheels: 185/65 R15

Warranty: 6 years of 150 000 km.

Service plan: 3 years or 90 000 km


Toyota Corolla Quest 1,8 CVT

Price: R278 600

Drivetrain: 4-cylinder 1,8-litre petrol with CVT

Power 103 kW / 173 Nm at 4 000 rpm

Kerb weight: 1 305 kg

Consumption: 6,3/100km

Boot size: 452 litres

Ride height: 125 mm

Wheels: 195/65 R15

Warranty: 3 years of 100 000 km.

Service plan: 1 year or 45 000 km

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