As we count down to the WesBank SAGMJ Car of the Year announcement on March 18, jury member Jason Woosey reflects on the intensive test days and weighs up the options.
Unlike many international Car of the Year competitions, South Africa's contest is not simply done by e-mail.
To find a winner, a jury of experienced motoring journalists come together for two long evaluation days to put each finalist through its paces before casting votes for the winner.
Day one was a feast of presentations, thorough tyre-kicking that's otherwise known as ‘static evaluation’, and short test drives in the vicinity of the overnight venue in Muldersdrift. All of which was really just a warm up for the intensive driving evaluations that day two brought, taking us to the Gerotek testing facility where each car would be put to the test on a dynamic handling track, skidpan, high-speed oval and even a cobblestone road designed to test ride quality and expose shoddy dental work.
Yet the hardest task was still ahead: ranking and scoring each car by splitting 50 points between at least seven finalists, while awarding no more than 10 points to any one vehicle.
BUT WHAT MAKES A COTY WINNER?
There's a big misconception out there that the competition directly compares incomparable cars; in reality we're actually looking for a car that raises the excellence bar in its own class and context. When putting the Corolla through its paces at Gerotek, we're not comparing its abilities to those of the BMW M4, but rather to the Toyota's own key rivals that we would have been exposed to previously.
Sure, there will always be arguments about the finalists, as voted for by full members of the SA Guild of Motoring Journalists and validated by a special committee, and the eventual winner, as voted for the jury. But in the end it's a democratic and transparent process and each jury member's votes and 100-word motivation will be made public after the announcement.
Below you'll see the notes that I jotted down on each car, and I've ordered them from favourite to least preferred. Sure, it's not necessarily an indication of what's going to win as there are 27 other jurors casting their votes. But for what it's worth…
MY NOTES, AND RANKING
Mercedes-Benz C200 AT
The new Mercedes C-Class is a stylish and innovative contender that ticks most of the desirability boxes.
Inside, this Merc impresses with its elegant and upscale look and feel, and unlike its predecessors it's reasonably spacious and comes with innovative gadgets as standard, such as the Touchpad control system, auto-braking and Attention Assist.
The standard Agility Control suspension delivers a comfortable ride and the turbopetrol four provides very decent performance. The 7G Tronic gearbox goes about the job smoothly, although its response is not quite instantaneous, if I have to nitpick.
Yet all considered, this car has a really special and hedonistic feel to it and to top it off, it's also rather comfortable to sit in and great to drive. It's my winner.
Audi A3 Sedan 1.4T SE S Tronic
This emerged as the dark horse of the year. When put through its paces on the various test circuits, this car's case just came together very convincingly. Its road manners are simply butter-smooth, all the way from its quietness of operation to its composed ride, intuitive steering and agile road holding.
The 1.4 TFSI engine and seven-speed S Tronic gearbox are equally smooth operators. Yet although this 92kW turbopetrol capably punches above its perceived weight, it falls just short of offering the kind of performance I'd expect at R386 500. Same goes for standard features. That is quite a premium over similarly-sized sedans, even if the interior is uber classy and its exterior a masterstroke of neat geometrical lines.
Porsche Macan S Diesel
Porsche's Macan is a highly talented player in the compact SUV field, with sporty road-holding that practically defies its SUV stature and beefy steering of the kind you'd expect in a Porsche sports car.
The three-litre turbodiesel and PDK gearbox are very responsive and there's a sensible balance between performance and economy here, although performance falls just short of exciting. It'll even excel off the beaten track if that muddy mood ever strikes.
The Macan is stylish inside and out and although it's “practical for a Porsche”, rear legroom is on the tight side. The Macan is also priced at quite a premium over its rivals. Yes, it's a Porsche, and a highly accomplished one at that, but this is CotY and all must be considered.
BMW M4 Coupe AT
The M4 is really licensed to thrill. Acceleration is absolutely mind-blowing, the (albeit artificially amplified) six-cylinder soundtrack is spine-tingling, and the steering and chassis are perfectly honed for endless track-day entertainment.
It's also remarkably simple to adapt it to your driving conditions and preferences, with easy-to-reach controls for configuring your suspension, steering and throttle on the sport-comfort scale. It can be quite easy to live with everyday and more practical than you'd expect.
The M4 is an absolutely brutal beast and it's also lighter and more efficient than it's predecessor, but I miss the more elegant detailing of its previous M3; it is perhaps a bit extreme and expensive to take overall honours.
Subaru WRX Premium
The Subaru WRX is an incredibly involving machine that really tugged at my heartstrings. I loved the burbly Boxer turbopetrol engine, unflappable handling and meaty, involving steering system. At R473 700, it provides a huge helping of driver enjoyment for the buck.
Unlike most of its predecessors, it's also nice to look at, rather well finished inside and easy enough to live with on a daily basis, but I'm speaking in relative terms here as it still feels a bit rough around the edges for a half-a-million car. The clutch is a tad too heavy, the gear-stick feels a little notchy and the cabin could do with more pizzazz, to give a few examples. It's still a highly likeable package though.
Toyota Corolla 1.4 D-4D Prestige
If we're looking for South Africa's Sensible Shoes Car of the Year then this is it. The Toyota Corolla D-4D is comfortable, spacious and well appointed but best of all it is astoundingly economical.
At R266 400, it's also well priced for a diesel sedan of this size, especially given the long standard features list, which includes leather seats and a touch-screen infotainment system, among other goodies.
This Corolla is a very rational package all round, and more aspirational than its predecessors, but it is let down by relatively sluggish performance and lack of emotive appeal in its design.
Nissan Qashqai 1.6 dCi Acenta CVT
There's a lot to like about the latest Nissan Qashqai. It's neat yet sporty on the outside, smartly finished as well as practical inside, and on the open road it corners capably and dishes up a comfortable ride. While not necessarily the most spacious compact crossover, it is suitably practical and family-sized.
Yet the 1.6-litre turbodiesel CVT model, which was selected as the representative finalist, simply doesn't deliver the goods in my opinion. It could use more power and, even if it does prove sufficient for the average user, the unnerving lag on pull-off at altitude is a problem, one that really puts me off this particular version.
Lexus ES 250 EX
For those seeking a sedan that is large, luxurious and elegant above all else, the Lexus ES 250 does make a rather good case for itself with its classy, commodious and feature-packed cabin. Despite its 'entry level' status, it feels every bit a Lexus inside.
Yet the reason it's cheaper than the similarly-sized GS is the simpler front-wheel drive architecture and four-cylinder engine, resulting in so-so dynamics and performance. Like the Honda Accord it has a place in the conservative person's garage, but it's just not appealing enough as an all-rounder.
Honda Accord 3.5 V6 Exclusive
Honda's latest four-door flagship is spacious, well-appointed and refined, while the range-topping 3.5-litre V6 engine delivers decent performance smoothly although, as is to be expected, it’s not all that economical. Yet two areas where it really falls apart for me are in emotional engagement and value for money.
The Accord's design, inside and out, is innocuous at best, and bland at worst. While it's comfortable enough on the open road, it never feels engaging to drive and the steering feels too light and disconnected. On the pricing front, it just doesn't seem worth R576 300 to me.
Citroen C4 Picasso e-HDi 115 Intensive
It didn't take long for this quirky looking French contender to be christened “the lounge” by jury members. The interior is beautifully crafted, with massaging seats in contrasting leather and a 'space age' dashboard equipped to the hilt with gadgets and clad in textures that you'd only expect to find in high-end German sedans. It also boasts lounge-like leg and head room, and an auto tailgate.
But all those nice gadgets brought the price-as-tested up to a really hefty R437 500, a point at which I wouldn't happily accept the rather sluggish performance from its 1.6-litre diesel engine.
Renault Duster 1.5 dCi Dynamique 4WD
The Duster really does exactly what it says on the box. It's a simple, no-nonsense SUV that offers decent off-road capability and a practical, well-equipped cabin at a rather compact price of R267 900. Its economical diesel engine is another strong point.
You have to respect it for what it is, but when all is weighed up, the Duster is just too rough around the edges to take the CotY win, in my opinion. On the road it's not as poised, quiet or refined as modern SUVs and the cabin comes across as very dated from a stylistic and ergonomic point of view.