Most popular used cars in South Africa – With pricing

The Ford Ranger is the vehicle of choice for South Africans shopping on the pre-owned market, as a grand total of 1,612 units were sold in May 2024.

The Blue Oval’s bakkie managed to improve on the figures it achieved in April by 101 units, helping it to secure first place, according to AutoTrader’s latest sales report.

In contrast, the Toyota Hilux saw a noticeable dip of 220 units, leaving it with 1,271 sales by the end of the month and widening the gap between it and its rival.

Third and fourth place were reliably held by the duo of the VW Polo and Polo Vivo which saw 1,203 and 915 new owners, respectively.

The Toyota Fortuner is still sitting comfortably in fifth as the favourite SUV in the used car space, though it also saw a small drop compared to the month prior, ending with 684 purchases.

Outside of the top five, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class is the top pick for individuals shopping for a premium badge on a budget, as it sold 560 units in May.

The BMW 3 Series, meanwhile, fell down the rankings from sixth to eighth place with 479 units, letting the Suzuki Swift move up a rank with its 485 units.

The final entries in the top 10 include the Nissan NP200, which is no doubt selling well due to the compact pickup segment being functionally empty; as well as the Isuzu D-Max, which is at risk of falling out of the list with much lower sales compared to its two rivals.

Overall, the used-car market moved 27,729 units in May to the value of R11,276,303.

This marks a 10.5% year-on-year decline compared to the same month in 2023, which is partially attributed to it being an election month where consumer spending was lower across the board.

Hunting for options

These were the 10 most popular pre-owned cars in South Africa in May 2024, as provided by AutoTrader.

1. Ford Ranger – 1,612 units

• Average price – R461,005
• Average mileage – 81,589km
• Average age – 5 years old

2. Toyota Hilux – 1,271 units

• Average price – R446,751
• Average mileage – 106,774km
• Average age – 6 years old

3. VW Polo – 1,203 units

• Average price – R265,942
• Average mileage – 70,129km
• Average age – 5 years old

4. VW Polo Vivo – 915 units

• Average price – R195,025
• Average mileage – 56,707km
• Average age – 4 years old

5. Toyota Fortuner – 684 units

• Average price – R486,925
• Average mileage – 86,761km
• Average age – 6 years old

6. Mercedes-Benz C-Class – 560 units

• Average price – R399,570
• Average mileage – 101,704km
• Average age – 8 years old

7. Suzuki Swift – 485 units

• Average price – R189,595
• Average mileage – 37,476
• Average age – 3 years old

8. BMW 3 Series – 479 units

• Average price – R380,968
• Average mileage – 103,815km
• Average age – 8 years old

9. Nissan NP200 – 433 units

• Average price – R177,333
• Average mileage – 78,996km
• Average age – 5 years old

10. Isuzu D-Max – 389 units

• Average price – R435,032
• Average mileage – 58,914km
• Average age – 3 years old