Although Black Friday sales allowed consumers to get a jump on Christmas shopping, they were a little early for one of the greatest festive gifts each year; the Christmas bonus. With many special deals being offered during the festive season, why not take advantage of your bonus and use it for a new car?

Holidays are just around the corner and a new car opens up a world of opportunities for new holiday destinations and great road trips. Since there are a multitude of makes and models to choose from when considering the purchase of a new car, Lightstone has compiled several lists to help make the decision a little bit easier.

South Africa’s top 20 best-selling cars in 2016 (in alphabetical order)

Three manufacturers feature prominently in the top 20; Toyota, Ford and Volkswagen. The majority of body types are five-door hatches, which are perceived as modern and affordable by people entering the car market.

The popularity of Toyota Corolla sedans could possibly be attributed to the rise of UberX in the country. It has also been the most popular selling sedan in the South African market for the last 25 years.

There are only three SUV models that made the top 20 list, the Toyota RAV4, Fortuner and the Ford EcoSport. The Fortuner has been a firm favourite in the SUV market for several years now, and the addition of a new model earlier this year seems to have kept the car in demand. Hatches are far more affordable than SUVs, especially as there are a variety of entry level models available.

While the cars on the list above are worthy of your purchase, if your Christmas bonus was on the upper end of the scale, you have the choice of a completely different breed of car. 

A list of the top 20 most expensive cars in South Africa has been compiled to help with some extra recommendations should the bonus be generous indeed. Below you can see the model of each car listed against its recommended retail price from highest to lowest.

The top 20 most expensive cars in South Africa during 2016

Ferrari and Bentley have the greatest variation of models on the list and comprise half of the top 20 most expensive cars. Ferrari takes the top spot with its F12 Berlinetta coming in at just under R10-million. The variations of the Bentley Continental form the bulk of the middle of the list with five different models to choose from, ranging from a much more modest R3.5 million to R4-million.

Based on the top 20 best-selling cars, should you wish to buy a car that offers great road-trip potential for the holidays, it seems luxury, comfort and practicality are the common factors to consider. A top five list was put together from the best-selling cars of 2016, listed below in alphabetical order:

- BMW 3-series
- Ford EcoSport
- Mercedes-Benz C-class
- Toyota RAV4
- Toyota Fortuner

Not surprisingly, there are three SUV models, offering off road capability, space, some luxury (in the case of the Fortuner) and above all else, practicality in terms of fit for purpose and budget. The other two German cars offer a more luxurious trip to your ideal holiday destination, provided you don’t have to venture off the beaten track.

- Lighthouse Automotive