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City Cars: Gold Star Value Awards 2015

Low-dollar runabouts weighed up

City Cars: Gold Star Value Awards 2015
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Low-dollar runabouts weighed up.

Holden Barina Spark CD

Holden -Barina -Spark -CDTHE Holden Barina Spark has no excuses for not winning outright – it’s the second-cheapest car of the 2000-odd we put through the wringer, and uses just 5.2 litres of 91-octane petrol per 100km. But, while its resale is not bad at 65 percent, it’s bettered by our top three light-class contenders. It seems that, while sub-light cars appeal as cheap new cars, they’re not quite so hot second-hand. Well, not as good as a light car, or a used small car, which is what we’d buy for 13 grand. But then you wouldn’t get that new-car smell, or a three-year warranty, which is where the little Lion comes firmly back to the fore.

Suzuki Celerio

Suzuki -CelerioSUZUKI’S sub-light hatch costs just 100 bucks more than the Barina Spark, sheds a similar amount over the first three years (about $4600) and is even thriftier at 4.7L/100km.

Nissan Micra ST

Nissan -Micra -STTHE Micra straddles the sub-light and light classes on price – and personality – yet it puts up a fight against cheaper rivals here thanks to a stout 67 percent resale figure.

City Cars Holden Barina Spark CD hatch man Suzuki Celerio man Nissan Micra ST man
Purchase Price $12,890 $12,990 $13,490
Combined cycle fuel (L/100km) 5.2 4.7 5.9
Fuel RON (min. rec.) 91 91 91
Three-year fuel cost $2968 $2683 $3368
Redbook resale (%) 64.7 64.3 67.0
Three-year depreciation $4550 $4637 $4452
AAMI insurance premium $627 $627 $642
Service interval (months) 9 6 6
Warranty (years) 3 3 3
James Whitbourn

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