Best-selling used cars in South Africa right now – With pricing

South Africa’s used car industry continued its positive momentum, recording month-on-month (MoM) and year-on-year (YoY) growth in May 2026.

This is according to new data from AutoTrader, revealing that 32,224 pre-owned models were sold on the platform last month, a 1.1% increase from the 31,867 units sold in May 2025.

It also marks a 4% increase from the 30,971 units sold in April 2026.

The Ford Ranger proved to be the top choice for motorists on a budget, selling 1,800 used examples.

Its rival, the Toyota Hilux, wasn’t far behind with 1,433 units.

This was followed by the duo of the VW Polo and VW Polo Vivo, which were near-identical with 1,216 and 1,213 units, respectively.

The Suzuki Swift came fifth with 830 sales, while the Toyota Fortuner came sixth with 830, once again staking its claim as the nation’s favourite second-hand SUV.

After this came the Toyota Corolla Cross with 589 sales, and the Hyundai Grand i10 with 569.

The last two models to make it into the top 10 were the Toyota Starlet and Isuzu D-Max, which moved 563 and 551 units.

“While the top four models remain familiar favourites, the real movement is taking place further down the table,” said George Mienie, CEO of AutoTrader.

“South Africans are clearly weighing up running costs more carefully, and that is reflected in the growing demand for compact, affordable and fuel-efficient vehicles.”

“The strong performances from models such as the Hyundai Grand i10 and Suzuki Swift show that value remains a major driver in the used car market.”

The Grand i10 saw a massive 71.4% YoY increase in sales, while the Swift experienced a 44.3% jump in popularity over the same period.

As far as brands are concerned, Toyota is still the top dog with 5,275 units to its name, though this does represent a 5% YoY drop.

Similarly, VW was second overall with 4,247 sales, but it saw a 6% YoY decline, and Ford came third with 3,178 sales (a 7% YoY drop).

In May 2026, the average price of a used car sold on AutoTrader was R415,652, down from R428,627 in May 2025.

Despite the lower price, the average mileage also declined from 73,969km to 70,538km.

Most popular used cars in South Africa

Below is a list of the 10 best-selling pre-owned cars in South Africa in May 2026, as listed by AutoTrader.

1. Ford Ranger – 1,800 units

• Average price – R518,406
• Average mileage – 77,895km
• Average age – 4 years

2. Toyota Hilux – 1,433 units

• Average price – R485,424
• Average mileage – 105,544km
• Average age – 5 years

3. VW Polo – 1,216 units

• Average price – R268,016
• Average mileage – 73,860km
• Average age – 5 years

4. VW Polo Vivo – 1,213 units

• Average price – R211,554
• Average mileage – 54,808km
• Average age – 4 years

5. Suzuki Swift – 830 units

• Average price – R211,350
• Average mileage – 36,787km
• Average age – 3 years

6. Toyota Fortuner – 598 units

• Average price – R523,869
• Average mileage – 101,843km
• Average age – 6 years

7. Toyota Corolla Cross – 589 units

• Average price – R390,376
• Average mileage – 32,437km
• Average age – 2 years

8. Hyundai Grand i10 – 569 units

• Average price – R196,034
• Average mileage – 42,844km
• Average age – 4 years

9. Toyota Starlet – 563 units

• Average price – R237,791
• Average mileage – 36,988km
• Average age – 2 years

10. Isuzu D-Max – 551 units

• Average price – R434,908
• Average mileage – 73,122km
• Average age – 4 years