Cool wheels for under R50k

Following on our recent story about how searches for pre-owned vehicles under R50 000 have increased by almost 300% versus normal pre-lockdown levels as told by George Mienie, CEO of AutoTrader, we have decided to go have a look at what it is you can get for this money.

Unfortunately, there are those that believe you can only get cheap, economical and very boring cars for R50 000 and less. But I wanted to see if maybe there were some cool cars to be had at this price.

Here then is my top 10 list of fun and different cars you can buy today. But you need to note, that none of these choices are probably sensible, cost-effective or even good advice.

Mitsubishi Lancer 2.0 GLS – 2008 – 195 000 km – Manual – R50 000

This Lancer was dressed up back in the day to mimic the fearsome Evo X, but in GLS form, it made do with a 114 kW naturally aspirated 2.0-litre engine that was said to get to 100 km/h in 10.3 sec and hit 200 km/h at top, while having a claimed average fuel consumption of 8.5-litre per 100km.

Citroën C2 1.4 VTR – 2006 – 159 000 km – Manual – R 49 990

Citroën cars have sadly been let down by terrible resale values and a well-earned reputation for being problematic and expensive to maintain. Yet ironically, they are great cars to drive and come loaded with luxury and safety.

This sporty looking C2 VTR runs a 1.4-litre 55 kW mill that gets the Frenchie to 100 km/h in 12.2 sec and a top speed of 169 km/h.

Opel Astra Turbo – 2004 – 175 000 km – Manual – R49 000

This was one of the cars that Opel brought into South Africa to try and kick-start their climb back into the performance segment after their dismal run with weak naturally aspirated Astras going up against the start of the turbocharged era from Volkswagen.

This coupe featured a strong 147kW/250Nm 2.0-litre turbocharged powerplant that was good for a 7.6 sec 0 to 100 km/h dash and a top speed of over 230 km/h.

Volvo S40 T5 – 2005 – 239 000 km – Manual – R48 000

The Volvo S40 T5 was a massively underestimated car. It featured that renowned and class-leading Volvo safety spec and smooth Nordic ride quality, coupled to the sweet sounding and potent 2.5-litre, five-cylinder turbocharged engine that did duty in Ford’s Focus ST hot hatch.

This full house, luxury family car was good for 162 kW of power and an acceleration to 100 km/h in eight seconds and a top speed of 242 km/h.

Opel Astra 2.2 GSI – 2004 – 241 000 km – Manual – R47 000

Like I have just said, Opel were bringing under-powered cars to market, but they did bring one special car: the 2.2-litre 16v Astra GSI. This car was kitted out with an aftermarket Irmscher body and given the Irmscher interior treatment too.

This Ecotec engine produced 108 kW of power at 5 800 rpm and 203 Nm of torque at 4 000 rpm and this allowed for a 0 to 100 km/h time of 9.5 sec and a top speed of 214 km/h.

Volkswagen Beetle 1.8T – 2004 – 192 000 km – Manual – R47 000

Volkswagen’s Beetle was the ill-fated attempt to replicate the success that Mini was having as their retro comeback car. As much as it was not a commercial success, it was a very well put together and funky, women-orientated car.

It ran the same 110 kW, 1.8-litre turbocharged Golf GTI engine and ran a sporty 8.7 sec 0 to 100 km/h sprint time and 203 km/h top speed, while having that quirky flower stuck in the middle of the dash.

Volkswagen Golf IV GTI – 2003 – 260 000 km – Manual – R45 000

One can never go wrong with a Golf GTI and the one here is the first of the turbocharged GTIs, the Mk 4 or Mk IV as it is known by the purists.

Running the same 1.8-litre turbocharged engine as the Beetle above, but tuned to 132kW/235Nm it could hit 100 km/h in 7.9 sec and get to a 222 km/h top speed back in that day, and destroy the then Opel Astra offering comfortably.

Seat Ibiza Sport – 2007 – 249 000 km – Manual – R44 000

Seat was the cool alternative to Volkswagen. Based on the same platform as its more established siblings, but with enough fun Spanish DNA to make it the more fun car to drive.

Sadly, the brand was doomed to failure in South Africa when Wolfsburg’s execs decided to price it above comparative Volkswagen models, when everybody knew it was the cheaper option overseas.

There is an urban myth that after the brand was withdrawn from South Africa, VWSA would buy up any Seat car that came onto the used car market to wipe out the brand form memory. But here you can still get a 74 kW 1.6-litre Sport Ibiza (based on the Polo) for a bargain price.

Fiat Stilo 2.4 Abarth – 2004 – 163 000 km – Manual – R35 000

The Stilo was one of the first modern Abarth cars to be offered by Fiat on local shores. It was a refreshing change from the traditional hot hatches of the day. But it was let down as brand by poor build quality and reliability issues.

It offered decent performance from its 2.4-litre naturally aspirated 125 kW engine and where it really shone was in terms of dynamics. And there was even one running in the back in the day, ultra-competitive Stannic Group N racing series.

Opel Tigra 1.4 Enjoy – 2006 – 110 000 km – Manual – R28 000

Opel’s cute little Tigra might have only had a 66 kW 1.4-litre engine that allowed for a somewhat pedestrian 0 to 100 km/h time of 12.4 sec and a top speed of 180 km/h. This said, I clearly remember the local launch of this car in the country.

Our destination was Pilgrims Rest and part of journey was over the 20.6 km and very twisty Robbers Pass. Being the people we are, myself and a few of my colleagues, took this to mean that we had to tackle this section of the trip like a rally stage.

We came tearing down the pass into the hotel where the Opel execs were waiting to receive us. Needless to say, there were a few confused looks and raised eyebrows, when they noticed the smoking and almost on fire brakes on their cool and casual drop-top.

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