Many South African motorists cannot afford to buy brand new cars, and therefore turn to the pre-owned market to meet their needs, which is where they then discover a goldmine of offerings.
Since the new car market recorded a strong performance last year, the used market saw a number of vehicles added to its pool, offering buyers an ever-expanding selection at lower prices.
Lebogang Gaoaketse, Head of Marketing and Communications at WesBank, explained that the pre-owned market does not operate in isolation from new vehicle sales.
“When new car sales grow, as they did dramatically in 2025, reaching 596,818 units, the highest since 2015, it creates a ripple effect that can positively affect the used vehicle market,” he said.
New vehicle purchases translate into increased trade-ins, which increases the amount of used vehicles on showroom floors at lower prices.
This is expecially true of the most popular feature on South Africa’s roads, SUVs and crossovers. These vehicles now make up over half of passenger vehicle market.
Gaoaketse explained that three-year-old compact SUVs are often more desirable than similarly aged sedans, selling for higher figures, even for models of comparable condition and mileage.
He noted that motorists are holding onto their vehicles for longer, between six and eight years on average, which does limit the availability of well-maintained, low-mileage options in popular segments.
However, the three-to-five-year-old segment remains a goldmine for pre-owned vehicle value.
This is the point where most vehicles have seen their value depreciate the most, while still offering modern features, remain under warranty, and have manageable mileage.
AutoTrader’s data corroborate WesBank’s findings, with the best-selling used vehicles fall mostly within this bracket, with an average mileage of 72,433km, at a cost of R419,537.
Gaoaketse noted that this age band commanded 44.25% of the used market in 2024, and that over half of used purchases are now being financed.
A variety of options
The most-popular used vehicles sold in South Africa in December were four-year-old Ford Ranger bakkies that sold for an average price of R497,960 after completing 83,958km.
In second place was the Ranger’s arch-rival, the Toyota Hilux, of which five-year-old models with 110,049km on them sold for an average price of R476,873.
Three-and-five-year-old VW Polo Vivo and Polo hatchbacks were the most popular used passenger vehicles sold last month with an average mileage of 50,168km and 66,742km respectively.
These models sold for between R212,272 and R273,289 on average.
The first SUV on the list can be found in fifth place, where the Toyota Fortuner placed. Its models sold mostly as six-year-old versions with 104,173km on the clock, and selling for R491,842 on average.
Looking at AutoTrader’s platform right now, there are hundreds of vehicles that can be found in WesBank’s used vehicle “sweet spot”.
Nearly 60% of these are SUVs and crossovers, with mileage ranging from demo models up to the 80,000km threshold.
Double-cab bakkies and hatchbacks make up the bulk of the rest of the vehicles in this band, while sedans, single-cabs, and MPVs also have several models on offer.
Most of the models that fall within these parameters still have several years left on their warranties, full service records, low mileage and offer savings of hundreds of thousands of rands compared to their brand-new counterparts.
Amongst the standouts is a 2023 Hyundai Tucson in the Executive trimline with only 2,500km on its odometer and nearly all of its warranty remaining selling for R439,900.
Compared to a brand new Tucson in this trim, which sells for R709,900, this model represents a steal.
Another is a three-year-old 2.0-litre turbo petrol Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max with a majority of its warranty remaining, merely 35,000km on the clock and a pricetag of R449,995, a saving of R159,905 for a new version.
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