2016 Honda HR-V

Honda HR-V

Honda’s HR-V has always been a bit of an oddball in the local line-up—too stocky for the B-segment, not quite hefty enough to threaten a full-on C-segment rival. Still, there’s a sweet spot here that appeals to folks fed up with the vanilla styling and trim plastics you’ll find in something like a Suzuki Vitara, or the bulk (and fuel bills) of a Sportage. Every HR-V you’ll find in SA packs either the 1.5-litre or old-school 1.8-litre petrol engine, both tied to a CVT or semi-auto box—no manual, which will annoy some, but it keeps things simple for city schlepping. Only 12 used examples are up for grabs, prices scattered from R175,500 to R509,900 (median R349,900), and that range only makes sense once you clock the wild leap in year and spec. On paper at least, the 1.5 Comfort CVT and 1.5 Elegance CVT split the market evenly, both with four listings, but the leap from R349,900 to R509,900 for the Elegance is less about fancy kit and more about fresher metal. If you pack smart, the three older Comfort CVTs that sit between R175,500 and R365,900 are where the real bargains lurk—especially with average mileage sitting at a not-too-shabby 47,314 km. There’s a single first-gen 1.8 Elegance at R209,950, for anyone who loves the OG shape. But the real reason South Africans keep coming back to the HR-V? That Magic Seat system in the back. Flip up those rear seat bases and you get vertical cargo space nobody else in the segment even tries to offer, and that’s the point.