2018 Nissan Almera

Nissan Almera

Nissan’s Almera has always felt like a straight shooter—no frills, no flash, just a sedan that gets you and your family from Tembisa to Sandton without fuss. For South Africans chasing value, it’s what the Almera should have been from the start: practical, wallet-friendly, and easy to live with. You get four real doors and a boot you can load up for a weekend out in the Free State, but you won’t find any hybrid trickery or turbocharged flair here. Every single Almera on the market runs a petrol 1.5-litre engine, with manual, automatic, or semi-automatic gearboxes. There’s no new stock left, so you’re shopping used—and with prices from R64,500 to R219,950 (median at R164,990), it’s a compelling step up from the usual tired hatchbacks flooding the classifieds. Most buyers will find themselves in a 1.5 Acenta, with manuals generally trading from R109,500 upwards and automatics demanding a noticeable premium, topping out at R219,950. If you spot a 1.6 Luxury for R64,500, expect high mileage and plenty of years on the clock—current listings date as far back as 2003, after all. Average mileage is 109,094 km, so a thorough inspection is non-negotiable. On paper at least, the Almera’s trump card over the Suzuki Ciaz is sheer familiarity: Nissan’s service footprint is vast, parts are easy to come by, and the cabin keeps things refreshingly simple with physical controls and honest materials. It’s not going to turn heads, but that’s the point—sometimes, you just want a car that works.