Edwin says: Cars that tick the right boxes

DEAR Edwin, I am a first-time buyer and want an automatic car

I have a deposit of R80000 and am looking to pay R4000, including insurance. What is your advice? - Thembi Dhladhla

Dear Thembi

It depends on what you fancy. With a good deposit, the choices are plenty.

If you purchase a car worth about R250000, less the deposit, your financed amount would be R180000, on which the repayments, depending on the rate of interest, would work out to about R4000.

Cars in this bracket are diverse: the vivacious VW Golf 7, the cute but cramped Audi A1, the feisty Ford Ecosport, which is a nifty city 4x4.

The Ecosport starts at R200000, with the top of the range going for about R250000.

I would seriously consider either of the fuel-efficient movers, the Golf 7 or the Ford Ecosport. They tick all the right boxes, with the German beauty shading it on comfort and quality.

 But here is what will swing it in favour of the Ford: the automatic model is R244000 and will come in under R4000.

• Send your motoring questions to Ask Edwin at Edwin.Naidu@live.co.za or @Naidu1 on Twitter. Listen to Edwin on CapricornFM on Fridays at 7.20am.