Of all the things to factor in when deciding on what car to buy next, keeping the cost of services and replacement parts in mind is crucial. After all, if you're planning on keeping the car for several years, you're going to have to spend money to maintain it and also prepare for the possibility that something may break and need to be replaced. To help guide you towards making a more informed decision, we're comparing the average car service and repair costs of three popular brands: KIA, Renault and Nissan.

A very useful reference source if you're ever curious about your own car's service and parts costs, or if you're busy shopping for a potential model and want to know what you should be preparing yourself for if you buy it, is the Kinsey Report. Kinsey has been compiling research-based reports on cars in South Africa for decades, and carefully details the most popular vehicles in each class every year, listing the costs of each part and the collective parts basket if you had to replace all parts of your vehicle.

KIA Results For The Past Three Years

While KIA is a very popular brand in South Africa, reports from 2017 to 2019 show that it is on the upper end of the cost scale when it comes to servicing and parts. As an example, the KIA Rio has ranged around R127,000 in 2017 to R164,000 in 2019, with parts averaging about 51 - 55% of the total value of the car, if you bought it brand new.

Renault Results For The Past Three Years

Renault has done remarkably well in the reports during the last few years, with total parts baskets averaging around 50% of the car's market value. The Renault Sportage, Sandero and Clio models consistently ranked as not only the most affordable models for parts but also came in second or third in terms of lowest costing in a class category.

Nissan Results For The Past Three Years

Another strong performer on the report is Nissan, who features in the report several times over the past years for quite a few of their models. Most remarkably, the Nissan X-Trail has a parts basket that only totals 24% of the full market value, and averages at around R127,000 to replace all parts on the vehicle. Another noteworthy model is the Navara, coming in at 25% of the total market value.

Between these three brands, you're certain to have excellent quality, but if you're looking for a final winner in terms of parts costs, Nissan closely beats Renault, while KIA is unfortunately not the most affordable option in terms of parts replacement. We hope these guides help you to decide and plan for your future car service and repair costs. Safe driving!