The cost of car parts is an often overlooked aspect when deciding what new car to buy. The annual Kinsey Report surveys car parts pricing for new vehicles in South Africa and this year, the Kinsey Report covered a total of 64 vehicles in 8 categories. The parts pricing assessment is carried out in three parts sections for each vehicle and these include service parts, repair parts and crash parts. Together, these parts form a ‘parts basket’ which is represented as a percentage value in relation to the purchase price of the vehicle.

The eight categories in the 2012 Kinsey Report are City Cars, Entry Level, Super Mini, Family Favourites, Auto Executives, Compact Crossover, Crossover and Double Cabs. The top parts performers in each category are as follows,