Lesedi Macebele

The Tiggo 4 Cross gets a lot right — price, specification, presence. But the honest question isn't whether the bank will approve you. It's whether the car still fits your life after every rand of ownership cost. Lesedi's full, honest breakdown.

Electric cars have entered mainstream price brackets in South Africa — new EVs now start below R340 000. Here's what you can get at every budget, from the Geely E2, BYD Dolphin Surf, Dongfeng Box and Chery Q to premium models above R1.5 million.

The new Chery Q starts at R349 900 in Comfort, with the Elite at R389 900. Here's an honest breakdown of what each trim gives you, what the R40 000 gap actually buys, and which one is right for your budget.

Electric cars are finally within reach in South Africa — but the smartest buy isn't always a full EV. Here's what an EV really costs, and when a plug-in hybrid is the better call.

That little 'S' button changes more than you think — throttle response, gear shifts, steering and sometimes even the suspension. Here's what Sport mode does, when to use it, and what it costs you at the pumps.

Here's the honest maths: keep the instalment under about 20–25% of your gross salary, then add insurance, fuel and maintenance. A worked example at R30 000 and R50 000 a month.

After years of handing keys to first-time buyers, these are the five things I say to every one of them — before the paperwork, before the deposit, and definitely before the heart takes over.