PEACHES & LEMONS
From the sweet to the sour our motoring man Thomas Falkiner chooses his picks of 2015
PORSCHE CAYMAN GT4 From R1 136 000 (Note: limited availability) Although I love the 911 the Cayman is the best handling sports car Porsche makes at the moment. A GTS is good enough but if you really want to experience the ultimate evolution of the mid-engined species, then the GT4 is well worth tracking down. Extra power. Suspension components borrowed from the 991 GT3. No option of a PDK gearbox. There is no sharper driving tool on the planet at the moment. Go and bribe Porsche to order one in for you. You will not regret it.
ALFA ROMEO 4C From R1 070 000 (Note: limited availability) Questionably built, laughably expensive and haunted by the reek of resin epoxy, the Alfa 4C is the most disappointing car I’ve driven all year. One of the reasons being that Alfa blew all its money on the fancy carbon-fibre tub and then had to skimp on everything else. Seriously, even a Renault Sandero is screwed together better. Nice around a racetrack, perhaps, but bloody awful everywhere else. Harsh, cramped, noisy and outgunned by a pack of better-priced and betterrounded German rivals.
OPEL ADAM From R181 900 Love it or hate it, the Adam proves that Opel is still capable of making a product not totally void of spunk or youthful aspiration. It’s nice to look at, fun to drive thanks to its perky 1.0-litre threecylinder turbocharged engine (the best of its ilk), infinitely customisable and more than capable of holding its own among more established trendsters like the Fiat 500, Mini Cooper and Audi A1. The surprise package of 2015.
NISSAN JUKE From R266 400 The Juke and I have never seen eye to eye. Now more than ever, after Nissan earlier this year fitted it with their 1.2 turbo engine. It works out on the open road but around town, with a huge torque dead spot below 2 000rpm, it transforms the Juke into one of the most exasperating cars I have driven in ages. In stop-start driving conditions you’re either bogging down, stalling or slipping the clutch. I was driving it the day we lost the cricket to New Zealand and it nearly tipped me over the lunatic edge. Avoid.
BMW i8 From R1 817 000 Every now and then a car comes out that totally captures your imagination, a machine that rekindles your excitement and enthusiasm for the automobile. A few years ago it was the Audi R8. Now it’s the BMW i8: a Tronesque sports car with a hybrid powertrain as radical as its looks. Scissor doors. Gaping rear air scoops. A body that looks like it was delivered from the future. By aliens. There may be quicker cars in its class but none can match the i8’s pantomime or feel-good factor. Fun and smiles and whimsical escape from reality — isn’t this what the best supercars are about, anyway?
LEXUS NX From R683 700 With its edgy exterior and wellappointed interior the Lexus NX seemed set for SUV greatness: a left-field alternative for people shopping in a segment dominated by the likes of Land Rover, Audi and BMW. Unfortunately this promise was let down by a lacklustre turbo engine, stodgy dynamics and — in F-Sport guise — a ride that was neither sporty nor comfortable. So, a disappointment then? Yes. Especially when you consider than a Discovery Sport, Evoque or BMW X1 can be had for similar money.
VOLKSWAGEN UP From R140 000 The Up, like a Barcelona chair or Wagenfeld lamp, is a graduate of that school where less equates to more. It wears no unnecessary clutter, nothing to distract or steal your attention from the function it’s been built to serve. The interior embraces a similar credo — an example of cost-cutting done right. Out on the road it feels remarkably grown-up, with a level of comfort and refinement that wouldn’t be out of place inside a bigger, more expensive vehicle. Topped off with nimble handling and a frugal engine, it’s the current king of the budget car crop.
FORD B-MAX From R221 900 Is the B-Max a bad car? No. Is it a pointless car? Yes. Look beyond the faddish appeal of those sliding rear doors and you will discover that it is no more spacious than a regular Fiesta. Ford will bang on about there being 10cm more headroom and 10cm more boot space, but in reality there is nothing much between these two machines. Well, except price that is. An entry-level Fiesta undercuts an entry-level B-Max by around R23k (novelty tax?). Do you really need sliding doors? No, you don’t.
MAZDA MX-5 From R389 800 The world’s favourite affordable sports car returned to the limelight this year with the release of the highly anticipated fourth-generation model. Going on the success of previous MX-5 models this newcomer had a lot to live up to. And thankfully it doesn’t disappoint. A playful and balanced chassis delivers a smileto-mile ratio that many dearer sportsters would do well to replicate. The punchy 2.0-litre engine provides strong yet usable performance. The interior is snug and simple but also built to a standard that shames its nearest rival, the Toyota 86. If you’re seeking affordable driving thrills but can only afford one car, then the new Mazda MX-5 deserves a look.
CITROËN C4 CACTUS From R237 900 When searching for an example of beauty being skin-deep, the Cactus sends a resounding blip flashing across my cardar screen. From the outside, with its whacky air-bumpers and deconstructed headlights, it looks like nothing else. Then you climb inside and discover that you’re actually dealing with a cost-cutting crossover cleverly disguised with lots of funkily textured plastics and fabrics. Not to mention that fiddly digital interface system that aggravates more than it assists. Or the overly simplistic LCD instrument cluster that does without a rev-counter. Or the rear windows that hinge open instead of rolling down. Or the terrible seating position. Yes, the engine is strong and the price reasonable but, honestly, your money is better spent elsewhere. LS