Most searched-for used cars in South Africa

Volkswagen was the most searched-for used car brand in South Africa in 2022.

According to data provided by AutoTrader, more than 85 million searches were made for the German automaker’s vehicles on its platform over the course of the last year, with the most sought-after models being the Golf, the Polo, and the Polo Vivo.

Another top entry was Toyota, which saw nearly 74 million searches between January and December, and whose Fortuner and Hilux models proved to be the most desirable among consumers.

The other brands to enter the top five consisted of BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi, suggesting that many South Africans are eager to obtain a high-end car brand at a more affordable price.

The preferred models from each of these brands unsurprisingly included the 3 Series, C-Class, and A4, going against the recent trend of SUVs outperforming their sedan counterparts.

What South Africans are look for

AutoTrader reported that more than 653 million searches were made on its site between January and December 2022, translating to 121 million unique browser visits, 319 million advert views, and 892 million pages being opened.

It also revealed that the average car listed on the second-hand market has a mileage of 75,939km, a price of around R432,407, and is roughly five to six years old.

For hatchbacks, the three most commonly looked-for units included the BMW 1 Series, VW Golf, and VW Polo, while SUV favourites included the BMW X5, Range Rover Sport, and Toyota Fortuner.

Searches for single-cab bakkies revealed that the Chevrolet Utility, Nissan NP200, and Toyota Hilux are in high demand, while double-cab searches saw greater interest in the Ford Ranger and VW Amarok.

AutoTrader’s biggest search results from 2022

Below you can find a breakdown of the most searched-for used cars on AutoTrader’s website from January to December 2022.

Top 10 most-searched-for car brands

Top 10 most-searched-for models

Top 10 most-searched-for variants