10 new SUVs you can buy for the price of a used Toyota Corolla Cross

South Africa’s car market is overflowing with new crossovers and SUVs that can be bought for a similar price to a used Toyota Corolla Cross.

The Cross is one of the country’s most popular cars, selling over 1,000 units every month.

However, it is also fairly expensive, with prices ranging from R414,800 to R569,700 for a new one, following its latest update.

Naturally, this has led many to search for pre-owned examples in the hopes of finding a good deal, but this comes with a few trade-offs.

According to the latest industry data from AutoTrader, the average second-hand Corolla Cross sells for around R384,163.

These units tend to be roughly three years old, and have 29,463km on the odometer.

This is notable as all of Toyota’s cars come with a three-year warranty in South Africa, meaning it will likely be expired by the time a new owner purchases a used one.

That being said, the Corolla Cross has a 6-service/90,000km service plan, so its possible you may still get the remainder of this coverage if you buy one.

While this is a perfectly valid decision, it’s worth looking at the market to see what else is available for a similar price.

The sub-R400,000 crossover and SUV market is one of the most densely populated vehicle segments in South Africa, with dozens of models competing for people’s attention.

Buying a new car means you get the full benefit of the warranty and service plan with no mileage.

This is particularly relevant considering that many of the cars in this segment are sold by Chinese brands, which offer considerably longer after-market support than their legacy rivals.

In one extreme case, GAC offers a lifetime engine warranty for first owners, meaning it is not transferable to anyone buying second-hand,

Similarly, brands like Omoda and Jaecoo provide a 10-year/1-million km warranty with new purchases.

New for the price of used

Below is a list of new cars that have a similar price to the average cost of a second-hand Toyota Corolla Cross in South Africa.

Click on the underlined prices for more information.

Tata Curvv 1.2T Pure+

• Starting price – R349,900
• Power – 88kW/170Nm
• Fuel consumption – 5.7l/100km
• Warranty – 5-year/125,000km
• Service plan – 3-year/45,000km

GAC GS3 Emzoom 1.5T Nova

• Starting price – R359,900
• Power – 130kW/270Nm
• Fuel consumption – 6.2l/100km
• Warranty – 5-year/150,000km + lifetime engine
• Service plan – 2-year/30,000km

Honda Elevate 1.5 Comfort

• Starting price – R371,000
• Power – 89kW/145Nm
• Fuel consumption – 6.7l/100km
• Warranty – 5-year/200,000km
• Service plan – 4-year/60,000km

Omoda C5 1.5T 230T Style X

• Starting price – R374,900
• Power – 115kW/230Nm
• Fuel consumption – 6.9l/100km
• Warranty – 5-year/150,000km + 10-year/1-million km engine
• Service plan – 2-year/25,000km

Jaecoo J5 1.5T Vortex

• Starting price – R379,900
• Power – 115kW/230Nm
• Fuel consumption – 7.5l/100km
• Warranty – 5-year/150,000km + 10-year/1-million km engine
• Service plan – 2-year/25,000km

Citroen Aircross 1.2T Max 7-seater

• Starting price – R388,900
• Power – 81kW/205Nm
• Fuel consumption – 6.3l/100km
• Warranty – 5-year/100,000km
• Service plan – 4-year/60,000km

Kia Seltos 1.5 LS

• Starting price – R379,995
• Power – 84kW/144Nm
• Fuel consumption – 6.7l/100km
• Warranty – 5-year/unlimited km
• Service plan – 4-year/60,000km

Suzuki Grand Vitara 1.5 GL Auto

• Starting price – R381,900
• Power – 77kW/138Nm
• Fuel consumption – 6.0l/100km
• Warranty – 5-year/200,000km
• Service plan – 4-year/60,000km

Haval Jolion Pro 1.5T Premium

• Starting price – R392,150
• Power – 105kW/210Nm
• Fuel consumption – 8.1l/100km
• Warranty – 7-year/200,000km
• Service plan – 7-year/75,000km

VW T-Cross 1.0TSI

• Starting price – R399,900
• Power – 70kW/175Nm
• Fuel consumption – 5.9l/100km
• Warranty – 3-year/120,000km
• Service plan – 3-year/45,000km