From the editor

The motoring industry is a fascinating place, don’t you agree? (It’s a confusing one, too, at times.) As evidence, take CAR’S Top 12 Best Buys awards starting on page 44. This 21-year-old competition to nd South Africa’s best vehicles originally celebrated chie y sedans and hatchbacks (and MPVS, back when the French monospace was the family car to have). This year’s competition heavily favours SUVS and crossovers. Because so many categories have been changed to re

ect contemporary tastes, the only vehicle range that won an award both in 2000 and in 2020 is (spoiler alert!) the Mercedes-benz S-class… Which vehicle type will dominate the awards in 2040? Flying saucers?

Page through our Test section and you’ll spot a change in our scoring system. Much like Top 12, this formula has evolved over the years and we’ve come full circle by returning to a ve-star rating method. Why, you ask? Well, our previous technique could lead to confusion. What exactly should you think of a 78/100 grade? Is it a comparatively poor score, a respectable rating, or an excellent one? Five stars (and their halves) are far easier to understand.

Simultaneously, we’ve reassessed the CAR team’s scoring process. We’ve expanded our voting sheets to include new technologies and have diversi ed the scoring system to re ect more varied vehicle categories. Simply, what that means is, for example, ride and handling now carry far more weight when analysing a performance car than a budget vehicle; practicality and comfort are more important in a large SUV than a bakkie; and so on.

Lastly, but rather sadly, you won’t nd Casebook in this issue, or the next. Garageman called to say he was taking a sabbatical and, rascal that he is, refused to con rm whether he’ll return to the small-town garage that’s been the scene of so many legendary (often downright hilarious) tales of mechanical woe. If enough of you write in to protest Garageman’s decision, perhaps we can all convince him to tinker once more…