
Asian brands, EVs dominate 2025 Best Buy Awards
The 2025 Best By Awards, announced by Kelley Blue Book, reflect the rapidly shifting landscape of the automotive market not only in the USA, but also elsewhere.
- Industry News
- 17 April 2025
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.
"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
In the face of a shifting premium automotive market, Audi South Africa is also currently re-aligning its retail operations according to the new reality where the premium vehicle sector has contracted to nearly a third of its size compared to a decade ago, with 2024 marking the lowest level yet.
The Halfway Group has opened the doors to a brand-new Lexus dealership, located in Lynnwood, Pretoria, with Chris Jones as the Dealer Principal.
Stellantis has announced the expansion of its multi-franchise dealer network with the addition of the Fiat and Jeep brands to the existing CMH East Rand dealership in Boksburg, Gauteng.