With Tito Mboweni putting the brakes on interest-rate cuts and gravity-defying fuel and vehicle prices it sometimes seems the universe is hell-bent on parting you from your hard-earned money.
Those needing to schlep junior soccer teams might particularly be feeling the pinch so it's encouraging that South Africa is being inundated by family buses that cost just an arm and not a leg as well.
On a pure room-for-rand basis, Opel's Vivaro jumps out, its R325 900 price and enormous nine-seater cabin making the most affordable bus in its class bar one - that's Hyundai's petrol 2.4 H1 Wagon at R295 900.
The 1.9-litre diesel-powered Opel bus is based on the Vivaro panel van. It has three rows of seats and a host of comforts that make it into a roomy, family-friendly conveyance.
To see just how family-friendly, we used one to haul six people and their luggage on a weekend getaway to the Drakensberg and, yes, this box-shaped Opel is indeed a load-hauler of note.
There's lots of room and, though interior ambience is not as plush as some of its rivals, the Vivaro doesn't feel like a delivery van either thanks to confortable cloth-covered seats and a stylish fascia.
The lack of carpets betrays its van origins but the rubber floor looks like it will stand up to a lot of punishment and has a not-unpleasant cushioned feel. Its equipment levels are sufficient to make long trips enjoyable, including aircon with front and rear vents.
The driver gets power-assisted and height-adjustable steering and the front windows and exterior mirrors have power adjustment.
Safety levels are acceptable: two front crash bags and anti-lock brakes with electronic fluid-pressure distribution.
A tow hitch is standard and the Vivaro's rated to tow a 750kg unbraked or 2000kg braked load trailer so caravans and boat trailers are OK.
The front row comfortably seats two adults, with occasional seating for a third made possible by the gearshift being plugged into the dashboard.
Unlike the driver's seat, which can be adjusted for legroom and backrest angle, the front passenger bench is fixed and may become a problem on long trips - although my passenger didn't complain during the 300km drive from Jozi to the Berg.
Rear passengers had plenty of room but moaned about the lack of cupholders and places to store clutter; not even seat pockets. It's a silly oversight that such a huge cabin has so little oddments space.
Front passengers have plenty of storage nooks but a box between the front seats would have been even better. No criticisms about the size of the boot, however, which easily took six people's weekend luggage. The rear seats can be whipped out if you want to turn the Vivaro into a squash court but that requires spannering.
GROOVING SMOOTHLY ALONG
Easy access to the rear seats is provided through two large sliding doors, handy in tight parking. For similar space-saving reasons the boot is reached through two side-opening doors rather than the traditional barn door of a tail door.
The full-sized spare wheel lives under of the chassis.
Power comes from a 1.9-litre, common-rail turbodiesel engine driving the front wheels through a six-speed transmission. Not what you'd call blow-your-hair-back performance but it grooves along smoothly and with a good turn of cruising pace.
Long, open roads are its forte and it's easy to creep inadvertantly above the 120km/h speed limit so cruise control would have been a welcome feature.
Top speed's a claimed 155 and we saw an indicated 160 on the speedo. While the 74kW output makes such a large vehicle seem neutered, there's a lot of midrange torque to make the Vivaro get along respectably.
UNTHIRSTY NATURE
And this isn't affected by load - it pulled competently even with a cabin full of people and luggage. Some steep mountain passes required downshifting a cog or three but this was no chore thanks to a fairly slick and positive gearshift.
Some turbo lag raises its head in urban driving but it soon becomes second nature to rev the engine a little higher before dropping the clutch. Pitstops are few and far between thanks to the diesel Vivaro's 90-litre fuel tank and unthirsty nature.
The fuel gauge doesn't even move for the first 150km and you could probably do a Johannesburg-Pietermaritzburg return trip without refuelling.
The Vivaro's easier to drive than its imposing size suggests, thanks to the power steering's light and fairly direct action that makes easy work of corners; the turning circle ain't too bad either. Roadholding is clean and predictable with all the body roll you expect of such a tall van but without feeling like it'll topple over any second.
Opel's bus has the high-driving position that SUV-driving South Africans like so much, allowing you to see over most other cars. Visibility is great looking forward but the split rear door hampers rearward vision, so the standard parking sensors come in very handy.
VERDICT
I couldn't help liking Opel's boxy people-hauler. It's a credible alternative to the faithful VW Kombi at quite a significant price saving. Cavernously roomy yet economical and easy to drive, it also seems solidly built and doesn't cut any quality corners.
OPEL VIVARO 1.9 CDTI ENJOY BUS SPECIFICATIONS
ENGINE
Cylinders:
Four.
Capacity:
1870cc.
Fuel system:
Turbodiesel.
Max power/torque:
74kW at 3500rpm/240Nm at 2000rpm.
TRANSMISSION
Type:
Six-speed manual gearbox; front-wheel drive.
SUSPENSION
Front/rear:
Macpherson strut with anti-roll bar / compound link axle with spring struts and anti-roll bar.
STEERING
Type:
Power-assisted rack-and-pinion.
Steering-column adjustment:
Reach.
BRAKES
Front/rear:
Discs with anti-lock, electronic brake-pressure distribution and emergency brake assist.
WHEELS/TYRES
Rims:
16" spoked alloy.
Tyres:
205/65 radials.
DIMENSIONS/WEIGHT
Length:
4782mm.
Width:
1904mm.
Height:
1965mm.
Mass:
1925kg.
FUEL TANK/CONSUMPTION
90 litres/6.8 litres/100km (claimed).
155km/h (Gauteng altitude).
ACCELERATION
0-100km/h:
16.5sec (Gauteng altitude).
STANDARD EQUIPMENT
Front and rear aircon, removable second and third-row benches, power windows and mirrors, multifunction steering wheel, radio/CD front loader with MP3 player, front cup holders, remote central locking, rear parking sensors, alarm and imobiliser, tow hitch.
SAFETY EQUIPMENT
Two crash bags.
MANUFACTURER SUPPORT
Three-year or 100 000km warranty, five-year or 90 000km service plan.
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