There’s a time and place for you to think about whether your car is reliable, safe, and secure. But when you or your driver are stranded on the side of the road because of a vehicle breakdown, that is definitely not the right time.
So, let’s do this. What makes a car reliable? Our answer is simple: safety and security.
Get insights on the most reliable car brands here, but more than that - get the information you need on how to improve your vehicle’s safety and security with the best Cartrack features.
According to a recent article in Business Tech, Asian car brands are regarded as the most reliable car brands. This list of the most reliable car brands is based on a Consumer Report (CR) based on the experience of over 330,000 vehicle owners with vehicles as old as 23 years. Asian car brands are followed by vehicles from European automakers, and American vehicle brands are on the list of most reliable brands.
It’s not surprising that car brands like Toyota, Honda, Mazda, BMW, Kia, Hyundai, Nissan, Audi and more would pop up on the Business Tech list of most reliable car brands in South Africa. These are also some of the most popular car brands around the country, but with new car ranges available, the demand for entry-level and budget-friendly cars, and innovations regarding built-in security features for vehicle and driver safety, reliability is about more than popularity.
So, what made these cars score high in the car reliability index? Here are a few contributing factors:
Whether a car is reliable depends on how it fits the vehicle owner's needs for personal or business use. Plenty of car reliability surveys are available online. If you are looking for a new car or adding vehicles to your fleet for business purposes, then ease of maintenance, fuel consumption and efficiency, and vehicle security are important aspects of car reliability for you.
In our view, car reliability really comes down to vehicle maintenance and fuel consumption. These two things can determine how long you enjoy your car or how much return there is on your investment.
Regular servicing and maintenance make a car more reliable. Your vehicle (s) should easily be maintained and serviced without breaking the bank or experiencing vehicle downtime. This helps you reduce the likelihood of your loved ones or drivers being stranded on the side of the road or unnecessary vehicle downtime due to a breakdown.
Through regular maintenance, businesses and individuals can:
Avoid major vehicle repairs: Routine maintenance helps you quickly identify and address minor issues, such as worn brake pads, before they quickly turn into major issues, like complete brake failure, which puts your drivers and other people on the road at risk. Brake failure is also a more expensive problem than simply replacing your brake pads.
Extend your vehicle lifespan: Well-maintained vehicles simply last long and often perform at their optimal performance, as if they were purchased just yesterday. By sticking to your vehicle’s service plan, you can help your fleet vehicle's engine, transmission, and other systems wear out much more slowly and prolong your vehicle’s lifespan so your drivers enjoy a smooth driving experience.
Improve your vehicle safety: keeping up with your maintenance ensures critical safety systems in your fleet vehicles, like brakes, tyres, and lights, are all in working order for your drivers. This helps reduce the risk of breakdowns and accidents.
The words reliable vehicle and fuel-efficient go hand-in-hand. Although fuel consumption doesn’t directly impact your vehicle’s reliability, if your vehicle guzzles petrol, it increases the likelihood of you or your drivers being stranded because of fuel issues or having to refuel frequently.
Whether you are planning to buy a new car or add vehicles to your fleet, focusing on fuel efficiency can also mean better vehicle reliability.
Lowering fuel costs: Choose more fuel-efficient vehicles to improve your fleet's fuel economy. This will increase your vehicle's reliability because you can go further with less petrol. You can also reduce your business's fuel expenditures.
Enhancing productivity: Fuel-efficient vehicles can travel further on a single tank, but you can also improve your fleet’s fuel efficiency through route optimisation. Route optimisation helps you ensure your drivers carry out deliveries or tasks in the most efficient way possible.
Fuel directly impacts your company’s expenses and can also significantly affect the reliability of your vehicle.
Vehicle reliability also involves security. For example, some car brands have made the list of the most reliable car brands and the list of the most stolen vehicles in South Africa. So, how reliable is your car if it is also targeted by car thieves?
Knowing your vehicle is reliable is one thing, but knowing your vehicle is secure is another.
With the rise in vehicle thefts in South Africa and the significant increase in vehicle costs, it’s become very important for everyone to protect their vehicles.
We’ve designed hundreds of products and features over the years to help you and your loved ones and your business protect your vehicles.
Different car brands have attractive and reliable in-built security and safety features, such as car alarm systems, safety hazard lights, seatbelts, and open-door warnings. Reliability goes hand in hand with security, but sometimes, you need to add additional vehicle security products to ensure your car is returned to you if it is stolen or your family or drivers are safe and assisted in an emergency.
Here are a few of our products for your safety and security:
Are you more interested in the Cartrack security features that are available to businesses? Have a look at this case study from one of our satisfied customers.
Leading logistics companies like Diraro Group must pay attention to their fleet's vehicle reliability to better deliver the quality and service they promise businesses and other customers. Diraro Group transports bulk supplies and commodities across South Africa and beyond its borders with a fleet of over 120 high-load capacity vehicles.
Their biggest challenge when approaching Cartrack was the lack of visibility over all their fleet vehicles. They needed a telematics system that would help them monitor, manage, and control their fleet more accurately. Their fleet transports valuable commodities, so they also wanted to see exactly how drivers used their vehicles and get live footage to help reduce incident rates and give their drivers more security.
Cartrack assisted Diraro Group with driver monitoring solutions that provide them with insights on the frequency of driver speeding, harsh braking, abnormal periods of idling, fuel consumption, kilometres travelled, and details on their fleet vehicle’s exact location.
Diraro Group also used our advanced AI-powered and live-streaming camera solutions to boost their fleet’s security. This camera provides live streaming so fleet managers can monitor their drivers’ trips live with visuals, audio, and access to remote footage retrieval for fleet managers after events. The AI cameras use facial recognition to monitor drivers in-cabin and give an audible alert to drivers when they detect dangerous driving, such as fatigue, distraction, or drowsy driving.
The camera system makes it possible for Diraro to take the guesswork out of their fleet management and any driver incidents. They can take every trip with their drivers and use driver footage for driver training and coaching or in the event of an accident liability dispute.
The Group HSE Manager, Loue Reikert, said this about Cartrack:
“ When you have actual live footage, it takes the guesswork out of an incident. Our incident rate has decreased with the awareness that we have access to footage”.
Security is crucial for fleet-based companies, and there are plenty of ways for businesses to improve not only their fleet vehicles’ security but also their reliability. Here are a few helpful examples:
By implementing some of these strategies, logistics companies can enhance their fleet vehicle reliability by reducing the number of vehicle breakdowns and improving their overall fleet operations and performance.
Cars can be geared up with even more security features that help you ensure your family or business vehicles are protected.
For more information on the Cartrack products and features, contact us here.
Which car has the highest security?
It comes as no surprise that larger bakkies and off-road vehicles are regarded as the most secure vehicles in Kenya.
Which car brand is best for safety?
Some car brands just step safety and security up a notch by offering more than the standard security features like alarms and central locking systems.
What vehicle brand has the highest safety rating?
The #SaferCarsforAfrica crash test results for 2024 revealed that this car is the safest. Although we wish we could name-drop here, here is a hint instead: it rhymes with “zahindra XUV300”.
What is the safest and most reliable car brand?
Here’s a clue: it’s the car brand your grandfather and father would recommend; in fact, every generation of men would recommend this brand. If that’s not a good clue, it starts with a T and ends with an A.
