What South Africa’s most popular bakkies are selling for on the pre-owned market

The three most popular bakkies in the country are the Ford Ranger, Toyota Hilux, and Isuzu D-Max, but these cars can be expensive for those looking to enter the new market, especially for anyone looking to purchase a double cab.

We delved into the pre-owned segment to see how well South Africa’s favourite bakkies hold their values, and whether any bargains could be found.

As a general rule when searching for a used car, it is recommended to look for cars with a reasonable mileage of between 15,000-20,000km per year or less.

Using these parameters, we filtered out all the bakkies that were older than five years and had mileage exceeding 100,000km.

Toyota Hilux

The cheapest double cab listing was for a 2018 Toyota Hilux 2.4GD-6 SRX with a mileage of 97,000km, which had a price of R344,900.

When it was new, the manual spec SRX cost R432,000, meaning the bakkie is still selling for just over 80% of its original value.

The 2018 SRX model’s powertrain consists of a 2.4-litre turbo-diesel engine generating 110kW and 400Nm, which manages a 7.3l/100km combined fuel consumption.

It also comes with 17-inch alloy wheels, a multifunction steering wheel, manual air conditioning, hill assist, traction control, Eco/Sport driving modes, a reverse camera, and a four-speaker infotainment system

Adjusting for cars made within the last year, double-cabs started to appear once we went above R450,000, with the 2021 Hilux 2.7 S making multiple appearances for R459,900, with mileages starting at 17,000km.

A new Toyota Hilux 2.7 double cab S has a starting price of R479,200, meaning that prospective buyers can save just under R20,000 – or roughly 4% – if they decide to go the pre-owned route, while also getting a variety of additional comforts and more power than what the newest entry-level specification has to offer.

The most commonly cited issues with the Hilux are turbo maintenance, faulty engine starts as a result of problems with the fuel injection or spark plugs, oil leakages, and issuing entering fifth gear on the manual spec.

Ford Ranger

The first double cab Rangers made their appearance for R230,000, with a 2017 unit being listed for 90,000km, and more started to be listed as we moved past R240,000, including one with 48,000km on the clock.

The most common Ranger to be featured was a 2.2TDCi Double Cab Hi-Rider XL, which cost R384,000 or more when it was new for the automatic spec.

This means the Ford is still selling for two-thirds or more of its original value after four to five years.

This older Ranger runs on a 2.2-litre turbo-diesel engine outputting 118kW and 385Nm and is capable of averaging 6.9l/100km on a combined consumption, while equipment offerings comprise a four-speaker Bluetooth sound system, air conditioning, hill assist, and traction control.

Looking for newer models, the cheapest double cab we could find was a 2021 2.2TDCi Double Cab Hi-Rider selling for R369,950 with 64,000km to its name – quite high for a relatively new car.

Sightings became more common closer to the R400,000 mark, and the best mileage we saw was for a 2021 Hi-Rider that had done 15,314km.

A new double cab Hi-Rider sells for R417,900, which translates to about a 4% reduction in the Ranger’s price tag.

This most recent Ranger is driven by a 2.2 turbo-diesel with 88kW and 285Nm under the hood, which does 6.5l/100km. However, offerings on this entry-level bakkie from Ford are slim, as even air conditioning is an optional extra.

Commonly reported owner troubles with the Ford Ranger include transmission issues, engine misfires, and engine stalls, particularly when it’s cold.

Isuzu D-Max

The most affordable double cab listed on Autotrader we could find was a 2019 D-Max 250 4×2 Hi-Ride going for R294,999 with a mileage of 57,000km

This is in comparison to when the bakkie was new, when it sold for R387,800, which means the pre-owned car is selling for 76% of the original sticker price.

The older D-Max is powered by a 2.5-litre turbo-diesel engine giving the off-roader a consumption figure of 7.7l/100km and an output of 100kW and 320Nm.

It also offers a Bluetooth sound system, air conditioning, a multifunction steering wheel, and a cloth and leather upholstery as standard.

Searching for more recent entries, there was one 2021 D-Max Hi-Rider selling for R315,000, having traveled 52,00km.

Much more common were listings for X-Riders with an asking price of R385,000 or higher, with mileages averaging between 20,000-30,000km.

It should be noted that Isuzu is still producing selected models of the sixth-generation D-Max even as it launched the seventh generation earlier this year.

Looking exclusively for the new model revealed a post for a 2022 Isuzu D-Max 1.9TD Double Cab L on offer for R467,475 – R31,425 less than its retail price of R498,900.

Standard features on the new D-Max include a Bluetooth sound system, air conditioning, and a multifunction steering wheel.

Drivers have reported the rear differentials and turbo as the most common components to fail on their Isuzu bakkies.