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

March 2026 proved to be a solid month for South Africa’s used car industry.

While month-on-month sales dropped by an almost imperceptible 0.4% to 33,164 units, year-on-year (YoY) sales grew by a substantial 10.9%, according to AutoTrader.

Furthermore, Q1 2026 saw a total of 100,909 pre-owned cars making their way into new homes, an increase of 12.4% from the 89,741 achieved last year.

The top-seller last month was, unsurprisingly, the Ford Ranger, which moved 2,054 units to retain its crown as the nation’s favourite used vehicle.

In fact, none of the top 10 models from February changed positions in March, making for an easier comparison.

Second place went to the Toyota Hilux with 1,480 sales, after which came the VW duo of the Polo Vivo and Polo with 1,230 and 1,137 units, respectively.

Fifth place was taken by the Suzuki Swift with 882 units, and the Toyota Fortuner came sixth with 696 sales, making it the most popular second-hand SUV in the country.

Not far behind is another Toyota – the Corolla Cross – which sold 647 units.

Slotting into eighth place is the Isuzu D-Max with 565 buyers, followed by the Hyundai Grand i10 in ninth with 522 units.

Last but not least is the Toyota Starlet, which closed the top 10 with 444 sales.

The average price of a used car sold on AutoTrader last month was R431,879, a slight YoY increase from the R417,688 recorded in March 2025.

Additionally, the average mileage also increased from 69,654km to 71,669km.

WesBank noted that the average value of used cars it financed increased by 13.7% YoY from R363.567 to R413,527.

“While month-on-month movement in the used car market reflects typical seasonal and pricing sensitivities, the sustained year-on-year growth points to a structurally resilient segment, increasingly driven by value-conscious buyers,” said George Mienie, CEO of AutoTrader.

“At the same time, the strength in new vehicle sales suggests improving affordability dynamics and growing confidence, which could begin to rebalance demand between new and used vehicles as the year progresses.”

Most popular used cars in South Africa

These were the 10 best-selling pre-owned cars in South Africa in March 2026, as listed by AutoTrader.

1. Ford Ranger – 2,054 units

• Average price – R512,207
• Average mileage – 79,661km
• Average age – 5 years

2. Toyota Hilux – 1,480 units

• Average price – R476,833
• Average mileage – 107,413km
• Average age – 6 years

3. VW Polo Vivo – 1,230 units

• Average price – R275,675
• Average mileage – 72,413km
• Average age – 5 years

4. VW Polo – 1,137 units

• Average price – R210,312
• Average mileage – 54,892km
• Average age – 4 years

5. Suzuki Swift – 882 units

• Average price – R214,133
• Average mileage – 37,081km
• Average age – 3 years

6. Toyota Fortuner – 696 units

• Average price – R501,028
• Average mileage – 105,065km
• Average age – 7 years

7. Toyota Corolla Cross – 647 units

• Average price – R385,405
• Average mileage – 25,694km
• Average age – 2 years

8. Isuzu D-Max – 565 units

• Average price – R427,370
• Average mileage – 69,578km
• Average age – 4 years

9. Hyundai Grand i10 – 522 units

• Average price – R194,722
• Average mileage – 50,931km
• Average age – 4 years

10. Toyota Starlet – 444 units

• Average price – R240,826
• Average mileage – 33,495km
• Average age – 3 years