How the vehicle comparison tool works
Last updated 10 November 2026
Choosing between vehicles means comparing many numbers at once. This tool keeps the details you enter in a single table and adds the one number that is hard to work out yourself: what each vehicle costs to own.
How it works
- Specifications are shown as you type them. They are not checked.
- Cost uses the shared assumptions at the bottom: distance, years, fuel and electricity prices, deposit, rate, term and loss in value.
- The cheapest to own is the lowest true cost a month.
Worked example
With the starting figures:
- The lowest true cost a month in the starting example is R 10 638.
- Costs a month: Vehicle A R 10 638, Vehicle B R 11 561, Vehicle C R 13 536.
How to read your result
The table puts every vehicle in a column, with your specifications at the top and the cost figures below them. The cost rows are the only part the tool works out. Everything above them is shown exactly as you typed it.
The cheapest to own is the vehicle with the lowest true cost a month. That figure includes loss in value, interest on the loan and running costs, spread over the months you plan to own the vehicle.
What you type in and what the tool works out
The tool does not supply vehicle specifications. You type in the details, using the manufacturer’s or dealer’s figures for the South African model. Leave a box at zero or blank if you do not know it.
- Specifications such as engine, power, torque, boot space, range and warranty are for your own comparison and do not change the cost.
- Cost inputs are the purchase price, fuel use, insurance and services. These feed the true cost.
- Shared assumptions such as distance, years, fuel and electricity prices, deposit, interest rate and loan term apply to every vehicle, so the comparison is on equal terms.
Comparing petrol, diesel and electric
Fuel use is entered per hundred kilometres. For fuel vehicles that is litres, and for electric vehicles it is kilowatt-hours. The tool applies the right price to each, and adds charging losses and the home and public charging mix for electric vehicles.
Insurance and services are entered for each vehicle, because they can differ a lot between models. Use real quotes where you can. The figures in the starting example are placeholders.
What a single number leaves out
A lower cost a month does not make a vehicle the right one. Safety features, space, comfort, towing, how it feels to drive and how well the dealer network serves your area are not in the sum.
Resale value is an assumption in the cost, and real prices depend on the market when you sell. Check the exact South African derivative and the current prices before you rely on a result.
Things to watch
- Different trims and markets have different specifications. Check the exact South African derivative.
- Insurance and servicing quotes differ by person and dealer.
- A lower cost does not make a vehicle the right one. Safety, space and comfort matter too.
More: petrol vs diesel vs hybrid vs EV. Read the full disclaimer.