ROAD TEST - GWM H5 2.4 PETROL 4X2:
I must admit that I've been called a cheapskate before. More times than I care to remember if I have to go into gory detail here.
Fact is, when I first started working, friends who earned a lot more than me would find themselves drowning in debt and just not making ends meet. Not me. Somehow I always managed to get by and still have enough left to have some fun. As far as I can help it, I just don't spend money on crap I don't need.
Scanning for cheapest option was once a part of that game plan, but needless to say that learning the meaning of the proverb “buy cheap, buy twice” was something that happened the hard way. Nowadays, it's about finding the best quality for the price - short of paying for the prestige of a label.
Which is why I still view the too-good-to-be-true price tags of Chinese cars with some trepidation.
Take the GWM H5. In 2.4 petrol 4x2 form (as tested here) it costs just R219 990. For a large SUV. It's no softroader either - this ladder-frame behemoth belonging to the same genre as the Toyota Fortuner but for more than R100 000 less. You can even have a 4x4 version for just R15 000 more - worth the outlay if you want a decent off-roader.
This GWM even looks the part. A little generic perhaps, but it's elegant by SUV standards and it's not an obvious copy of anything else on the road.
Then there's the GWM factor - they're widely regarded as the best among the Chinese and I remember being pleasantly surprised by the build quality of the Steed bakkies I've driven in recent years.
The H5 didn't alter this opinion in any way - besides a slightly unaligned panel on the dashboard's instrument binnacle, I got the feeling this H5 was slapped together rather decently.
All good then? Not quite. We're not talking cut-price bakkies here and if I was after a family-sized vehicle in this price bracket, I'd expect a certain measure of refinement and ease-of-use. This, unfortunately, is where the H5 starts to show some cracks.
It's fairly noisy for starters and while the ride quality is acceptable, there's lots of body roll and the over-assisted steering feels so numb you might as well be driving it with a joystick. Talking sticks, even the gearshift is a bit notchy.
There's acres of cabin and luggage space for all occupants and a few kitchen sinks but those in the back have to sit with their knees in the air because those rear seats are positioned so low.
Then again, I'd think twice before taking too many passengers along as the 2.4-litre petrol engine barely has enough power to haul the vehicle itself, let alone a family holiday contingent.
Its Mitsubishi-sourced 2.4-litre petrol engine is tasked with pulling 1.72-tonnes of SUV with just 100kW and 200Nm - and that's before we factor in altitude losses for those of us on the Reef.
It's really slow, to put it mildly. You'll even find yourself having to work it hard in town and as for the open road - that can best be described as a test of patience.
Luckily you can get the H5 with a 110kW/310Nm turbodiesel motor and that would definitely be worth the extra R30 000 it commands.
Personally, I'd even give up a few items on that long list of standard features to have more power - and it is a long list. Leather seats (with electric adjustment for the driver), climate control, reverse camera with parking sensors, automatic headlights and wipers, trip computer - it's all included in the price.
It is lacking a little in the safety department though, its only key features being dual front airbags and ABS - no traction control or curtain 'bags here. On the upside, its structure did earn it a four-star Australian NCAP safety rating.
So is the H5 the SUV bargain you've been looking for? If you're after a spacious family-sized vehicle with rugged suspension for that punishing road to your farm, then it does start to make sense. Provided you're happy with a vehicle that drives like most bakkies did ten years ago - a fair compromise considering the amount of money you're saving.
But trust me, unless you've only ever driven a tractor, the turbodiesel is the one you want.