Oddly, the first challenge in checking if your car was more expensive 10-years ago in South Africa is finding comparable models. The rapid rise in compact crossovers caught everyone by storm, and dozens of once-popular cars a decade ago are no longer with us. And, to truly compare if new-car prices were more expensive 10-years ago, we need model continuity.
Thankfully, there are at least a couple of nameplates that have survived the rise of the compact crossover. So, we can accurately compare if your current car was in fact more expensive 10-years ago with inflation-adjusted pricing. Or, sadly, if your current set of wheels is wildly overpriced. Here we go …
WAS YOUR CAR MORE EXPENSIVE 10-YEARS AGO?
Let’s start the ball rolling with ‘peoples’ cars‘ shall we. The Volkswagen Polo is a South African favourite, being the perennial top-seller in Mzansi for the last decade. In 2014, a 1.2 TSI (81 kW) Highline auto retailed for R251 900. Today, in 2024, the equivalent new Polo is the 1.0 TSI (85 kW) R-Line is R468 800. The R216 900 (46%) price increase over 10 years may seem excessive, but what about when we adjust it for inflation?
Well, the scary truth is, R291 500, adjusted for inflation over a decade, equates to R472 923. Which actually means the 2024 Polo is cheaper than its 2014 forbear was back then. Economists like to say inflation only knows one way … And what goes up must continue to go up, and up, and up again. As a result, R1 in 2014 is R1.62 in 2024. So, what we want to see is how far apart the 2024 price is from the 2014 +inflation figure. That gives us our % difference in the final column (below).
INFLATION IS A PAIN
So, we’ve tabulated ten popular cars to see if your car was indeed more expensive 10-years ago in South Africa. We’ll only compare like-for-like models (full detail in the footnotes below) to keep comparisons accurate. Of course, manufacturers will argue their 2024 offerings have all-new technology and higher safety specification. Meanwhile, some marques are under completely new ownership structures versus one-decade ago. However, our goal is to see which manufacturers are doing all they can to beat price inflation. And as you’ll see, some sectors like performance cars and bakkies are actually faring particularly well …
| VEHICLE | 2014 price | 2024 price | 2014 +inflation | Difference |
| Ford Ranger | R509 900 | R732 600 | R827 250 | -11% |
| Audi RS4 Avant | R1 021 500 | R1 547 100 | R1 657 258 | -6.6% |
| VW Polo | R251 900 | R468 800 | R472 923 | -0.8% |
| Suzuki Jimny | R234 900 | R449 900 | R381 096 | +18% |
| BMW X5 | R877 309 | R1 708 673 | R1 423 326 | +20% |
| Corolla Quest | R197 900 | R414 800 | R320 906 | +29.2% |
| Renault Duster | R238 900 | R465 999 | R387 586 | +20% |
| Nissan X-Trail | R364 200 | R810 900 | R590 869 | +37.1% |
| Opel Corsa | R201 300 | R454 900 | R326 584 | +39.2% |
| Merc C-Class | R477 000 | R1 109 944 | R775 334 | +43% |
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE CURRENT NEW-CAR PRICES?
Let us know by clicking on the comment tab below or by emailing info@thesouthafrican.com. Or WhatsApp your thoughts on this article to 060 011 0211. Don’t forget to follow The South African for the latest FREE-to-read content.
