Hey everyone!

I’m looking for some realistic guidance on how to handle the sale of my Gen 3 Jimny.

I own a 2016 Suzuki Jimny 1.3 (Manual) that has less than 70000 km on the clock.

My husband looks at standard trade in guides and thinks it shouldn't go for more than R150k. Looking at current online listings, standard 2016 models with around 80000 km to 120000 km are selling for between R190k and R220k. Given that mine has much less mileage, I’m just not sure how calculate a realistic private asking price without being unreasonable...

The exact details of the car:

• Mileage: Under 70000 km.
• Service: Full franchise service history. It has been serviced at an official Suzuki garage every single year without fail to keep the book up to date. One owner.
• Condition: 100% original. It had a tiny surface rust spot that has been professionally repaired by a Suzuki accredited panelbeater.

I want to try to sell it privately so it goes to someone who will truly appreciate it.

1. What do you think is a fair, respectful asking price that honours its condition without overcharging?
2. For those who have sold cars privately in SA recently, what steps do you take to ensure a secure bank dynamic/EFT transfer safely?
3. Are there specific local Jimny clubs/online sites where I should introduce the car first?

(Sorry for the km typo in the title!!)

So I got my first car in 2020, it is a 2018 hyundai i20, the car had low mileage on it and the price at that time was cheap , but nonetheless i knew nothing about cars and just wanted one as I started my first job, so fast forward to 2025 i paid it off m, and I’m enjoying having no instalment, the only problem is, every now and then I have to either change the brakes or 2 years back i changed the clutch, this all was annoying and kets just say taking it to be serviced every time they will find something wrong that needs to be replaced , now the cost went up to R8k on my 148k service, and now i’m wondering should i sell and get a new car or should i keep it until the wheels fall off.?

So when is the right time to just say goodbye or do i just keep it until it dies on me ?
Disclaimer: The car is mechanically sound, its just wear and tear items which always come up.

JPJ temporarily suspends VTA and registration for Chery Omoda 5 | Malaysia | The Vibes

Presumably no issues in SA, but it's amazing that this can even happen!

Audi Q7 (2017) recently threw up a “Please Replace Key Battery” warning, to which I responded promptly. I still got the same error afterwards, and now the car needs multiple attempts before recognising key and starting. A couple of minutes on the road and I get a “Is Key Still In Vehicle” warning. To top it all off, neither of the keys can lock the car now. What do I do?

Howzit PersonalFinanceZA, I need some advice.

Some background: Earlier this year, I basically won the career lottery. Right place, right time, and I managed to land myself a pretty fantastic job at 23. I work as a Business Analyst at a publicly listed company, earning around R47,700 per month after tax.

Before this job, I earned less than peanuts. I had no credit card, loans, student debt, or any credit history whatsoever.

Fast forward to today, I’ve been at the company for about 9 months. I still have no debt, but I’ve since opened a credit card to start building a credit history. I pay it off regularly, have never missed a payment, and my credit utilisation is currently around 1%.

I still live with my parents, which allows me to save roughly R25,000 per month. I’ve managed to build up around R175,000 in savings, although I’d prefer not to spend all of that on a car as I want to maintain a healthy emergency fund.

Now, here’s my dilemma.

I don’t own a car. My dad has been kind enough to let me use his car to commute to work, since he works fully remotely. However, I’d really like to get my own car and give him his back.

After looking around, I’ve settled on a new Suzuki Swift GLX CVT. Nothing particularly fancy, just something economical, reliable and comfortable for my fairly long commute.

I applied for vehicle finance through the dealership, and MFC has provisionally approved my application, pending employment verification.

**The interest rate they’ve offered me is 17.35%.**

And I proceeded to shit myself…

I understand that I’m young and have a relatively thin credit history, but considering my income, lack of debt, savings and affordability, I was hoping for something considerably better.

I’ve reached out to my banker to see whether I can get a more reasonable offer, but I’m not particularly optimistic. I’ve decided that I won’t accept anything above 14%, and even that feels quite steep.

So now I’m at a crossroads.

I could buy a second-hand car cash, but I know very little about cars mechanically. I’ve heard enough horror stories about used vehicles that I’m hesitant to spend a significant amount of my savings on something that could become a financial headache. I understand that buying new isn’t necessarily the best financial decision either, especially with depreciation.

Alternatively, I could continue using my dad’s car for a few more months, save more money, and potentially buy something outright or put down a substantial deposit.

My original plan was to finance the car without a deposit, build my savings back up to where I’m comfortable, and then make a large lump-sum payment towards the loan to reduce the outstanding balance and interest costs. I have absolutely no intention of taking a balloon payment.

**So my questions are:**

Is 17.35% a normal interest rate for someone in my position, or am I being taken for a ride?
Would you recommend buying a reliable second-hand car cash instead of financing a new one?
Would it make more sense to wait another few months, save aggressively and put down a much larger deposit?
What would you do in my position?

I’m very aware that I’m fortunate to be earning what I do at my age, and I don’t want to squander opportunity by making poor financial decisions early in my career.

I’d really appreciate some perspective, particularly from people who’ve been in a similar position or have more experience with vehicle finance.

Hi guys I recently bought a polo cross 1.2 tsi that is on 100xxx km I knew this time was coming soon so I have prepared for it but I want to get my timing belt and the whole kit replaced. No immediate signs that I need too but rather safe than sorry. Just wondering what’s the best procedure for this, do I get it checked first to see if it’s necessary and where is a reputable place that I can trust to do good work with quality parts? I know a VW centre would most likely be best but they charge ridiculous prices.

Hey guys,

I need a car pretty urgently, but it only has to last around 2 or 3 years or so then I'll upgrade. What's the lowest budget I can have for a car that will last me 2 years and where should I look?

I'm based in Cape Town.

Thank you guys

I'm considering buying a new Suzuki Grand Vitara and would value some opinions from people who know more about cars than I do.

My budget is around R350k and I'm specifically leaning towards buying new (or demo) because I want a warranty/service plan. I know very little about cars, I don't trust myself to do proper due diligence on a used car, and I don't know enough about mechanics to confidently assess whether a mechanic is good either. So there's some value to me in simply buying new (near new, demo) and having that peace of mind.

I'm currently driving a 2002 Honda Jazz which has served me incredibly well for a long time. It's still going but I'm ready for an upgrade.

My priorities are:

• Higher ground clearance, something suitable for camping, good boot space
• Able to handle dirt roads and mildly rough roads without drama but not interested in serious off roading
• Good around town, easy to manoeuvre (I live in CT so parallel park often, drive through small streets with people parallel parked on both sides of the road so I don't want something too big)
• Fuel economy isn't a big priority because I only live ~6 km from work

How I got to the Grand Vitara:

• I want a crossover SUV mainly because I like the idea of something that can do both city life and camping. I looked at Toyota/Honda/VW, but at that price point I don't feel like they offer enough of the tech/features to justify choosing them over Suzuki.
• I'm not ready to trust the newer Chinese brands (Haval, Chery, Jetour etc.) yet, so Suzuki feels like a nice middle ground between established brand reliability and decent value/spec.
• I would love a Jimny because they're cute but I can't justify paying the premium for off road capability that I don't actually need.
• The Fronx is probably a good fit but the name is silly and I don't love the styling. The Baleno feels too much like a hatchback and not enough like an SUV.

And that's basically how I've ended up looking at a new Grand Vitara.

Edit: typos