Used-car sales saw a decline in September 2024, dropping 9.6% compared to the same month last year, according to the latest sales data from AutoTrader.
The pre-owned industry sold a total of 28,609 units last month, resulting in a collective revenue stream of R11.6 billion.
Toyota, VW, and Ford naturally kept their spots as the three favourite brands in South Africa, reaching 4,964, 4,135, and 2,962 sales, respectively.
In terms of model-specific performance, the Ford Ranger is still top dog in the used-car scene gathering 1,600 customers in September, closely followed by the Toyota Hilux with 1,445 sales.
Next up is the VW Polo, claiming the title of the country’s most popular passenger car with 1,330 units. Of course, the more affordable Polo Vivo wasn’t far behind, as 1,027 examples found new homes last month.
The Toyota Fortuner closed out the top five with 707 units, making it the most sought-after used SUV in South Africa.
The one big change to the top 10 in September was the Suzuki Swift, which dropped from sixth to eighth place with 481 units moved.
Considering that the next-gen Swift is set to make its debut in November, it’s possible that second-hand shoppers are waiting for the current models’ value to drop once the new Swift goes on sale.
In its place, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class got bumped up to sixth with 534 sales to its name, and the Nissan NP200 is clearly still in high demand with 528 units sold.
In fact, the NP200 has seen an enormous 43.9% year-on-year uptick in pre-owned sales, which goes to show how popular it was prior to its discontinuation.
After the Swift came the BMW 3 Series with 442 purchases, followed by the Toyota Starlet closing out the top 10.
Interestingly, the average age for the Starlet jumped from three years to just one, indicating that people are trying to grab an almost-new version for a significant discount.
AutoTrader also noted that the BMW and Mercedes saw the largest year-on-year decline of the top 10, which is a sign that even used buyers are moving away from luxury German brands towards more affordable options.
Most popular used cars in South Africa
These were the 10 best-selling pre-owned cars in South Africa in September 2024, according to AutoTrader.
1. Ford Ranger – 1,600 units
- Average price – R452,044
- Average mileage – 82,598km
- Average age – 4 years
2. Toyota Hilux – 1,445 units
- Average price – R447,576
- Average mileage – 105,771km
- Average age – 5 years
3. VW Polo – 1,330 units
- Average price – R264,709
- Average mileage – 70,964km
- Average age – 4 years
4. VW Polo Vivo – 1,027 units
- Average price – R194,276
- Average mileage – 60,793km
- Average age – 3 years
5. Toyota Fortuner – 707 units
- Average price – R458,224
- Average mileage – 106,132km
- Average age – 5 years
6. Mercedes-Benz C-Class – 534 units
- Average price – R447,968
- Average mileage – 91,725km
- Average age – 7 years
7. Nissan NP200 – 528 units
- Average price – R178,606
- Average mileage – 72,824km
- Average age – 3 years
8. Suzuki Swift – 481 units
- Average price – R192,145
- Average mileage – 38,636km
- Average age – 2 years
9. BMW 3 Series – 442 units
- Average price – R392,146
- Average mileage – 107,272km
- Average age – 7 years
10. Toyota Starlet – 412 units
- Average price – R232,836
- Average mileage – 34,730km
- Average age – 1 year
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