I don't know what is the fuss about. The dream car will win the car of the year. The Audi A4 multitronic will win hands down. |
SX4 all the way.
Value for money not often seen in South Africa.
Suzuki or Honda deserve a pat on the back this year. |
Suzuki takes my vote- SX4 must be best value for money around- and the smaller one drives like a dream, it won j-WRC a few times too. |
I think that most opinions rased here are based on the opinions of the motoring journalists, as it is based on reviews that people have read. The true test is to just go and test drive the cars for yourself and see what they are all about. What seems like a brilliant car on paper might actually be totally flawed and crap to live with!! I would like to see how many people who have commented about the car that they think is going to win have actually seen it in real life and have taken it for a drive. |
The brand new Funky Ford Fiesta has my vote. Go Ford!! |
@anon: 8:57: Just because COTY doesn't often correlate with popular sales does not make it meaningless. Sales are about lowest-common-denominator opinion. Most people know next to nothing about cars, and will choose a car based on what they think other people know. Reality is most of those other people are doing exactly the same thing and as such the vast majority actually know very little. COTY cuts through and sees beyond the fickle popularity contest and identifies which cars deserve to be top sellers, even if the general buying is too stupid to know this. For the smart buyer looking to make an informed choice, competitions like COTY - when combined with other available information - are very meaningful and very relevant. |
Honda Accrod all the way! Pound for pound the best car there!! Even the Mazda6, which is it direct rival, is nowhere close.
Only comeptition there really is the Audi (in all it's overpriced glory) and the Jag. The Jazz is also a strong contender. |
A week ago I would have voted for the Swift, but after driving one I hate it. The build quality is absolutely crap!! I was very surprised to see the one of the cars on the showroom had a scratched steering wheel and other than that the central locking and electric window mechanisms sound like they are going to break anytime. It is a pitty as this car is definitely a looker...... |
That little Honda has 'all the Jazz' to win and more! |
@Anon 8:57 - If COTY should be decided by best sellers then the Citi golf should be car of the century. The only thing that sales figures measure - is stupidity and lack of knowledge. Just look at all the BMW 3's selling! |
No doubts guys, this competition is for the Honda Accord this time around. Take it Honda, take it! |
COTY really doesn't mean anything, sales figures and who wins COTY are never even close to each other. For example, the Opel Corsa sells like hot cakes and never even made it as a finalist 2008 or this year. Same with that stupid Yaris thing.And winners hardly ever reach the top.Mazda2 never made it higher than 8th on the monthly sales list. |
Go Toyota, I hope the Land Cruiser 70 with the OLD diesel engine wins the 1998 car of the year. OOOPS 2008 car of the year. |
The Honda Jazz is the beat car that I have ever had the plleasure of owning - this in 55 years of motoring - says something, !!! |
LOL Petrolhead!!!! I can answer that pretty quickly!
Anyway, I think it's gotta B the Accord! |
Audi all the way man! More proof of their domination over BMW and Merc...yes, life is good :) |
Gotta be the Jazz |
@ Insider,
The best american is still way below the best German and Japanese.
American cars are rubbish, so the CTS is actually just better than rubbish, does not make it good. |
Go Toyota, hope the Hilux wins!!! |
Why is Chana not here???? |
Honda Jazz. Great not so little car. |
Just a bit silly that you can not buy a Tiguan now, no matter how good it is, there's a 3mnth waiting list??!! |
Suzuki Swift and Suzuki SX4; both phenominal cars. Well done SUZUKI. Well deserved |
Jack Jack, I agree with you! Anonymous has NO idea what his talking about. He's probably driving a VW Chico, and can't afford a Merc, hense his comment about the Benz!!!! |
I WOULD GO WITH THE HONDA ACCORD 2.4 EXECUTIVE FANTASTIC CAR |
As always - kudos to all the finalists. Just getting cars into the finals is an achievement, so to Honda (for the second time) and Suzuki, who both have 2 finalists - big congratulations. What I find quite interesting this year is that there are direct competitors - eg Swift vs Jazz vs Fiesta and Accord vs Mazda6. A word to the wise: COTY tries to evaluate cars against others in its class. In any class where there are multiple entries, it means that none of them shines next to their competition. In other words, weak competition in a segment will make a car stand out more. Also, I don't believe that COTY follows JD Power at all. How can it, when most of these cars will not have been on the road long enough for JD Power to evaluate them? What this means for Honda is that they cannot use their JD Power results to their advantage. Personally I would love to see a Honda winning, but I think this could be anyone's race... |
The Ford Fiesta will win hands down. Stunning car. |
The Audi will only win this in their dreams ...The C-Class is not a bad car but certainly not better than a 3 series and yes anon thats basically the only reason why it outsells the 3 but we will have to see when it reaches it midlife cycle.. |
COTY is a complete waste of time. The only good thing I notice this year is that the dirty diesels are conspicuous by their absence. Maybe finally the diesel scam has been revealed and motorists and jounalists have come to the realisation that they are being hoodwinked into buying noisy, smelly, eco-unfriendly, expensive to buy and maintain and thoroughly uncool motor cars. |
Derek & Anonymous 1:42 . The reason why the C-Class is not here is because it was launched in 2007 not 2008. Only a car launched in the that year (Normally october to october) can qualify for COTY. Anonymous you are an ill informmed idiot The C 220 CDI was a finalist last year. If the build quality of the c-class was so terrible, why would so many people and Rental companies buy them? Here is a Article about the latest JD Power Survey :
The J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Initial Quality Study (IQS) has named Mercedes-Benz as highest in initial quality among passenger vehicle offerings in South Africa.
Mercedes-Benz finished highest with 164 PP100, one problem less than Honda, with 165 PP100 – followed by Audi (175 PP100), BMW (193 PP100) and Kia (194 PP100). Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Honda all finished in the top five in last year’s IQS, but Audi and Kia replaced the positions previously held by Subaru and Volvo, who finished in third and fifth respectively. |
Got to give it to the Jazz. Ford is nice but is not a very good overall package. But then there is the Accord as well.. Best Euro N Cap rating in D Segment. I rest my case! |
Must be the Fiesta, anything else would be a travesty of logic.
Well done to Suzuki also for getting two finalists....
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@ Anonymous @ 12:43. Was Julius Malema your maths teacher. 2 cars out of 4 = 50%. Where do you get 25%????? |
i'm rooting for the fiesta...i have the ugly duckling ikon but hey it's reliable...havin said that i ain't about to give up my beemer...no matter what cheap journalists and y'all say... |
Regarding the comment on C-Class sales. It has no validity. Rental, govt and OEM sales are, and always have been, excluded from sales figures. |
I think one of the Hondas will take it.... |
Good to see no rubbish common BMW's in the line up. Go Audi A4 1.8T Multi !!!! Woooooo! |
So, CTS gets Car of the Year in the USA. CAR magazine (RSA) says its the best US sedan they HAVE EVER TESTED and yet its not even a finalist? somethings wrong guys |
You go VW Tiguan what a stunning car |
I have a feeling of a tie between the Fiesta and the Jazz. I really do like the safety aspect of the Jazz but the Fiesta does have style. Pity Peugeot doesn't feature...give them 5 to 6 yrs. |
Ford First,Suzuki and Honda close second and third.Pity no Lexus Hybrid in the running |
Definately the jazz no question about that |
Swift or Jazz, both great little cars. |
Audi A4 will be the 1st |
renault -> crap, bmw -> crap, merc -> crap. glad there are good cars this year, go ford and SX4! |
Derek.. the ONLY and I mean ONLY reason the C Class outsells the 3 Series and A4 is because Avis and Imperial have 15year contracts with Merc for there fleets. That is the ONLY reason the C Class sells more units. And South Africa is the the only country in the world where the C CLass outsells the 3 series becuase of these contracts. Everywhere else the 3 Series really really trumps the C Class good and solid. Merc shoddy build quality and reliabilty is fully exposed in C Class guise and it will NEVER be in a COTY competition. |
Nice to see there are no french or american cars. All their cars are crap. |
Jag - IT'S SEXY. |
Fiesta by a landslide. Swift willl follow 2nd, the Ausi last. |
Fiesta hands down! |
they go acording the JD power's results, Honda to go all the way |
Ford Fiesta has this sealed, signed and delivered. Never will a car domiante the SACOTY like this MKVII Fiesta is going to. Never will the SACOTY be such a one car race. |
Why no Mercedes C Class? Looking at monthly sales figures should the new C Class not be amongst this list? |
Pity the new Ford Mondeo isn't coming to these shores, otherwise it would probably win this. |
one of the Honda's is going to take it, there is no two ways about it, Jazz is the safest small car on the road for 4 years in a row, try to beat that |
Very good selection indeed. Not sure how the judges are going to get this one right.
Personally, I'd guess the VW Tiguan or the Suzuki SX4 would win - for all round functionality.
PS
Suzuki has 50% in the finals. |
Toss-up between the Jazz and the Swift... |
Ford Fiesta all the way. |
Com'on guys, where's the Cadillac CTS. Personally, I think it's a great car. |
If I am not mistaken Suzuki has 4 models available here (Swift, SX4, Jimny & Grand Vitara). Can't be 50% of their models in the finals. If my maths are right 25%! |
Ford gets my vote for COTY |
were is the Renault logan??????????? |
I reckon the Fiesta will emulate it's Mazda2 sister and scoop both the SA COTY and the World Car Of The Year... |
THERE CAN BE NO DOUBT!!! SUZUKI SWIFT ALL THE WAY! FANTASTIC LITTLE CAR! |
50 bucks says the jazz is gonna take it |
So that means Suzuki have 50% of their models in the Finals. Nobody else can say that. Well Done Suzuki |
- Ford Fiesta 1.6 Trend 5-dr
- Suzuki Swift 1.5 GLS
- Mazda6 2.5 Individual
- Jaguar XF 3.0 V6 Premium Luxury A/T
- VW Tiguan 1.4TSi Trend&Fun 4Motion
- Audi A4 1.8T Ambition Multitronic
- Honda Accord 2.4i Executive
- Honda Jazz 1.5 EX
- Suzuki SX4 2.0 |
so like...where is the rest? I phoned the cell number next to the ford demanding the other finalists names but just got abuse. |