These are the 10 most road trip-friendly MPVs under R200,000
The end of the year is fast approaching and many South Africans are again gearing up to enjoy local getaways rather than trekking to far-flung corners of the globe. Of course, to make the most of a so-called Sho’t Left this festive season, you’ll need a suitably spacious vehicle.
One such option is the humble multipurpose vehicle (MPV), an often underappreciated body style that generally delivers oodles of space for both passengers and their luggage. The new-vehicle market may have shifted sharply towards crossovers, but used MPVs still have plenty to offer savvy buyers.
So, we’ve decided to take a look at the most searched for MPV variants on the used market, concentrating on the sub-R200,000 bracket, since this is where the most searches for such a vehicle are performed. We’ll use AutoTrader data covering the first nine months of 2021 for this exercise.
“There are loads of practical options for those shopping in this segment, which is a particularly pertinent one with the holiday season just around the corner,” says AutoTrader CEO George Mienie.
Though it’s no longer available on the new market (having been recently replaced by the new Suzuki-based Rumion), the Toyota Avanza 1.5 SX tops the list of most searched for MPVs priced below R200,000. The Mazda5 2.0 Individual is next, presenting a similar average mileage to the more utilitarian Avanza but an older average registration year of 2011.
The diesel-powered Nissan NV200 1.5dCi Visia Combi is a particularly fuel-efficient alternative, while the Nissan Livina 1.6 Acenta+ X-Gear (complete with black plastic cladding on its lower extremities) bears the lowest average list price here at R113,556.
Interestingly, the two largest variants on the list – the Volkswagen Caravelle 2.5TDI 4Motion AT and Hyundai H-1 2.5CRDi Bus GLS – also feature the highest average mileage here, with both figures above 200,000km. The Toyota Corolla Verso 160 SX and Kia Sedona 3.8 EX also make the cut, with the latter’s average mileage of 127,455km especially low considering its average registration year of 2008.
The Ford Tourneo Connect Trend 1.0T is one of the fresher choices on the most searched for list, with an average registration year of 2016 and average mileage of about 110,000km. Still, there’s one nearly new option in the form of the seven-seater Renault Triber 1.0 Prestige, which yields the highest average list price (R190,595) and lowest average mileage (10,134km).
“For those planning a local getaway to close out the year, it’s worth keeping in mind there’s plenty of potential value and practicality on offer in the used MPV market,” concludes Mienie.