Honda Civic Cost of Ownership
See the true 5-year cost of owning a Honda Civic 1.5 VTEC Turbo RS in South Africa — depreciation, fuel, insurance, maintenance, tyres and licensing — at the indicative SA new price of R715. The calculator below is pre-filled with this car's specifics — change any input to model your own deal.
5y total
R 834 828
at 20k km/yr
Per month
R 13 914
average over 5y
Per km
R 8.35/km
all-in cost
Resale at y5
R 243 100
≈ 34% retained
Indicative SA new price. Move the slider for the price you actually paid.
20,000 km is the SA average. Long-distance commuters and reps push 35,000+.
5 years is the SA mid-point — also the typical loan term.
5-year total cost · Honda Civic
R 834 828
R 13 914/month average · R 8.35/km · 100 000 km total
Depreciation
R 471 900
57% of TCO
Fuel
R 168 828
over 100 000 km
Insurance
R 150 000
R 2 500/mo midpoint
Resale
R 243 100
at end of year 5
Where the money goes
- DepreciationR 471 900
- FuelR 168 828
- InsuranceR 150 000
- MaintenanceR 12 500
- TyresR 28 000
- LicensingR 3 600
Annual cost over 5 years
Year 1 is heaviest because depreciation is steepest in the first 12 months. Years 4–5 rise again as service-plan cover ends.
Per-year breakdown
| Year | Depreciation | Fuel | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | R 214 500 | R 33 766 | R 287 086 |
| Year 2 | R 85 800 | R 33 766 | R 158 386 |
| Year 3 | R 71 500 | R 33 766 | R 144 086 |
| Year 4 | R 57 200 | R 33 766 | R 129 786 |
| Year 5 | R 42 900 | R 33 766 | R 115 486 |
| Total | R 471 900 | R 168 828 | R 834 828 |
Insurance is a midpoint estimate for a 35-year-old suburban Joburg driver, comprehensive cover, 5% excess. Real spread is ±35% off this number. Maintenance assumes a typical SA service plan (3 years for mass-market, 5 years for premium / EV) before stepping up to post-plan costs. Tyres are annualised over the set's useful life. Licensing uses the Gauteng tariff — Western Cape, KZN and Eastern Cape are within ±15%.
About this car's running cost profile
Honda Civic 1.5 VTEC Turbo RS sits in the luxury sedan bracket on this calculator. That category drives the insurance midpoint (R2 500/month), tyre cost (R5 600/year average) and the depreciation curve. WLTP combined cycle.
At a steady 20,000 km/year, your fuel bill works out to about R 33 766/year (R 168 828 over 5 years) at current SA prices. Push that to 30,000 km/year and the energy cost rises 50%, but cost-per-km falls because depreciation, insurance and licensing get spread over more kilometres.
The single biggest cost is depreciation — R 471 900over 5 years on the calculator's category curve, or roughly 57% of total ownership cost. The car is worth approximately R 243 100 ( 34% retained) at the end of year 5.
Honda Civic ownership cost — frequently asked questions
What is the 5-year cost of owning a Honda Civic in South Africa?
At an indicative SA new price of R715 and 20,000 km/year of typical mixed driving, the all-in 5-year cost works out to roughly R 834 828 — R 13 914 per month on average, or R 8.35/km. That includes depreciation (the biggest single cost at R 471 900 or 57% of the total), fuel (R 168 828), insurance (R 150 000), maintenance, tyres and licensing. Use the calculator above to model your own price, mileage, and finance terms.
How much does the Honda Civic depreciate over 5 years?
On the calculator's category-specific curve, the Honda Civic retains roughly 34% of its original value at the end of year 5 — that's a residual of about R 243 100 on an indicative R715 new price. Premium German cars depreciate harder than mass-market SA cars — the new-car premium evaporates and the used-buyer pool is smaller.
Is the Honda Civic cheap to insure in South Africa?
For a luxury sedan priced around R715, expect comprehensive insurance midpoint of about R2 500/month for a 35-year-old suburban driver. Real quotes vary ±35% off this depending on age (younger = higher), postcode (high-theft areas = higher), claim history, tracker installation, and chosen excess. Get an actual quote from Naked, Discovery Insure or your broker before relying on the calculator's number.
What about maintenance after the service plan ends?
The Honda Civic's service plan typically runs 5 years from new — services, oil and filters covered. After that you pay out of pocket. The calculator estimates post-plan annual maintenance at around R2 500 for the Honda Civic's category, including major-service intervals plus normal wear (battery, shocks, fluids). Independent SA workshops can knock 20–35% off franchised dealer prices on out-of-plan servicing.
Should I finance the Honda Civic or pay cash?
From a pure cost-minimising perspective, paying cash beats financing — you avoid R115 830+ of interest on a typical 60-month loan at 12.25%. From a cash-flow perspective, financing keeps the upfront cost manageable (10% deposit instead of 100%) and lets your cash earn interest elsewhere. The TCO model lets you toggle finance on or off so you can see the true rand difference. If your alternative use of the cash is a money-market account at 8% per year, financing usually loses; if you'd be sinking the cash into a long-term investment expected to earn 12%+, financing can break even or win.
Sources: Fuel consumption (6.6 L/100km) is the manufacturer-published WLTP combined-cycle figure from Honda SA. Indicative new price (R715) sourced from cars.co.za, autotrader.co.za and the manufacturer's SA price list, May 2026 — your dealer quote will vary ±5–8%. Depreciation curves modelled from TransUnion SA Auto Pricing Index residual patterns. Insurance midpoints from indicative quotes (35yo suburban driver, comprehensive, 5% excess). Maintenance from AA SA service cost guidance and RMI post-plan benchmarks. Tyre prices from SA fitment-centre listings May 2026. Licensing from RTMC Gauteng schedule. Calculator is a planning estimator with target accuracy ±10–15%. Not financial advice.