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

The used-car market is still going strong in South Africa, as evidenced by AutoTrader’s new sales data for February 2025.

The Ford Ranger was the top pick for customers last month with an impressive 1,725 purchases, though admittedly this is less than the 1,946 units sold the month prior.

This means that the Toyota Hilux was able to close the gap to its rival, selling a total of 1,501 units.

Third place, meanwhile, went to the ever-popular VW Polo, which is officially the top-selling used passenger car with 1,178 purchases.

That being said, the more affordable Polo Vivo is not far behind its sibling, as it moved 1,131 units in February.

The last model to make it into the top five was the Toyota Fortuner, the only SUV on the list, with 646 sales.

Next up was the Suzuki Swift, which is holding onto its position in sixth with 526 examples finding new homes.

The rest of the top 10 were all very close to one another with between 400 and 500 registrations each, though this didn’t stop a few badges from changing positions.

Notably, the Nissan NP200 jumped from 10th to seventh place with 468 buyers, likely as a consequence of there being no alternatives for compact bakkies on the new-vehicle market.

Right behind it is the Isuzu D-Max with 464 sales, followed by the Toyota Starlet in ninth with 461 units.

Finally, there’s the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, which dropped from eighth place clinging onto the last slot in the top 10 with 435 sales.

Overall, the pre-owned market experienced a small year-on-year improvement of 0.8%, however, its monthly figure is 6.7% less than the admittedly strong numbers seen in January.

“The used-car market continues to show its strength, with February’s results reinforcing steady demand despite it being a shorter month,” said George Mienie, CEO of AutoTrader.

“Year-on-year growth in sales points to sustained consumer confidence, while shifts in model rankings highlight evolving buyer preferences, with an increasing number looking at affordable, fuel-efficient hatchbacks.”

A total of 28,885 vehicles were sold last month, representing a combined R12.02 billion in revenue for the industry.

Toyota, VW, and Ford are still the most sought-after brands on the platform, while Kia saw a noticeable drop in interest of 16% from the same month last year.

Interestingly, Hyundai experienced a 10% uptick over the same period, but Suzuki was the best performer overall with a 20% improvement in sales.

Most popular used cars in South Africa

These were the 10 best-selling pre-owned cars in South Africa in February 2025, as listed by AutoTrader.

1. Ford Ranger – 1,725 units

• Average price – R513,197
• Average mileage – 75,321km
• Average age – 4 years

2. Toyota Hilux – 1,510 units

• Average price – R455,883
• Average mileage – 106,110km
• Average age – 6 years

3. VW Polo – 1,178 units

• Average price – R273,562
• Average mileage – 69,592km
• Average age – 5 years

4. VW Polo Vivo – 1,131 units

• Average price – R203,716
• Average mileage – 54,671km
• Average age – 4 years

5. Toyota Fortuner – 646 units

• Average price – R471,721
• Average mileage – 109,338km
• Average age – 7 years

6. Suzuki Swift – 526 units

• Average price – R196,721
• Average mileage – 38,263km
• Average age – 3 years

7. Nissan NP200 – 468 units

• Average price – R182,365
• Average mileage – 81,005km
• Average age – 5 years

8. Isuzu D-Max – 464 units

• Average price – R421,545
• Average mileage – 70,301km
• Average age – 4 years

9. Toyota Starlet – 461 units

• Average price – R240,792
• Average mileage – 30,703km
• Average age – 2 years

10. Mercedes-Benz C-Class – 435 units

• Average price – R404,361
• Average mileage – 99,430km
• Average age – 9 years