The Toyota Hilux is the most popular second-hand car in South Africa, according to AutoTrader’s annual industry report.
It’s a fact that likely comes as no surprise to the average motorist, given that the bakkie was also the country’s best-selling new car in 2022 with more than 30,000 units purchased.
However, while Toyota may have the number one spot, it’s not the most-searched-for brand overall.
That title goes to Volkswagen, as all three of its Polo badged iterations made it into the top 10, with the standard Polo taking second place while the Golf and Vivo landed in sixth and seventh place respectively.
It’s a similar trend across the board, as the top 10 most-enquired vehicles in South Africa all came from five companies – Toyota, VW, Ford, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz.
The Ford Ranger was naturally the most sought-after model from the blue oval, with many consumers likely trying to secure an older version of the bakkie at a better price now that the next-generation has launched.
Perhaps the most surprising entry, though, is the Ford Fiesta, which is the only vehicle on the list to have been discontinued by its manufacturer – illustrating what a hit the hatchback really was for people to still be looking for one almost a year later.
In comparison, the other Toyota to make it into the top 10 was the Fortuner SUV, which is still going strong after years on the market thanks to numerous updates.
BMW and Mercedes-Benz are another pair of unsurprising entries, with the former seeing particular interest in its 3 Series sedan and 1 Series hatchback, while the latter has been getting a lot of searches for its well-regarded C-Class.
South Africa’s favourite models
These were AutoTrader’s top 10 most-enquired cars in 2022.
1. Toyota Hilux
- Average price – R465,178
- Average year – 2018
- Average mileage – 96,943km
2. VW Polo
- Average price – R284,179km
- Average year – 2019
- Average mileage – 54,502km
3. Ford Ranger
- Average price – R422,302
- Average year – 2018
- Average mileage – 96,806km
4. BMW 3 Series
- Average price – R375,374
- Average year – 2015
- Average mileage – 99,909km
5. Mercedes-Benz C-Class
- Average price – R475,010
- Average year – 2016
- Average mileage – 88,791km
6. VW Golf
- Average price – R389,468
- Average year – 2016
- Average mileage – 95,646km
7. VW Polo Vivo
- Average price – R194,994
- Average year – 2019
- Average mileage – 62,058km
8. Toyota Fortuner
- Average price – R478,553
- Average year – 2017
- Average mileage – 110,217km
9. BMW 1 Series
- Average price – R353,205
- Average year – 2018
- Average mileage – 92,494km
10. Ford Fiesta
- Average price – R189,383
- Average year – 2016
- Average mileage – 85,593km
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