The Value of a Small Car on Today’s Roads

Anyone that commutes from Pretoria to Johannesburg or from the northern suburbs of Johannesburg to town or from the northern suburbs of Cape Town to the city bowl will tell you, it is sheer hell travelling by car in the morning as indeed it is in the reverse direction at night. Travelling in a small car under these circumstances is, admittedly, no safer or less frustrating than travelling in a large car, but at least it saves on fuel usage and contributes to savings on harmful gas expulsion.

The case for large comfortable cars as pertained a decade or two ago, no longer exists. The small car, today, is as comfortable in town and as a commuter vehicle as any. They may well lack some of the luxuries that their large brothers have, but who can enjoy luxuries while having to be so vigilant on the over populated commuter roads anyhow? Also the large cars are gas guzzlers and spew out masses of carbon dioxide. The maintenance costs of these luxury sedans cost a fortune, as do tyres and other consumables for these gas guzzlers. As for the argument of comfort and luxury over weekends and holidays offered by large cars, I say nonsense. If you need to do an hour or two on the weekend do you really need to do so in an over abundance of luxury? Many small cars have air conditioning, fancy entertainment systems and those small motors these days produce amazing performance. So, is there really any compelling argument for larger vehicles? No, the main argument for large cars, these days, is about prestige and showing off. It is a well known fact that South African motorists love buying these large and expensive vehicles notwithstanding that we as a nation spend some 75% of our monthly earnings repaying debt, compared to the Europeans at 8%. So financially and economically there is also a case to be made out for smaller cars rather than large cars, leaving behind our South African snobbery and unnecessary competition with the Jones’.

One of the major issues on road use we as families need to consider, is whether it is worth risking our lives to load our large car and head off for the coast or wherever, on our annual leave. A popular argument for the justification of large cars is the fact that we need them to travel to our holiday destinations. The mortality statistics over holiday periods on account of road accidents, however, are not only shocking, but they are gruesome. These terrible accidents don’t take into account the size of the car or its luxury features nor its cost. It is all the same to all vehicles. So, I say keep off the main routes over holiday periods and even over weekends (if it is avoidable) and fly the family to the holiday destination and rent a small car for local commuting. This way at least you are far less likely to become a holiday death statistic.

A small car will save you a fortune in maintenance and running costs, they are fun to drive and many of them come with such luxuries that would enable you to travel in comfort. Use these cars in the city and as weekend runabouts and use air transport over holiday periods. Try and stay off the main roads at holiday periods and trade in the large car on two pretty little things.

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