AutoTrader’s new Price Ratings tool has revealed that the SUV has the highest proportion of “great prices” of any car body style on the pre-owned market in South Africa.
The Price Ratings tool scans data from all the listings on AutoTrader for a particular vehicle, or a subset of vehicles, and determines whether a specific model is priced low, fair, great, or high relative to other, similar advertisements.
“Great means the car is priced below the market average – so there is potential that it’s a really good deal,” said George Mienie, AutoTrader CEO.
Fair means it is in line with the rest of the market, low means it is unusually cheap, and high means it is much pricier than its peers.
“When one examines data pertaining to all cars listed for sale in the first quarter of 2023, it becomes apparent that SUVs are the body shape for which to shop,” said Mienie.
“Consumers who only want to consider cars with a ‘great’ price rating should start by shopping for an SUV, they can find anything listed from R66,900 to R1,429,990, giving consumers a wide range in which to shop.”
What is a great price for a Ford EcoSport?
Data shows that the Ford EcoSport was the most listed SUV on AutoTrader in Q1 2023.
Buyers shopping for the best deals among EcoSport models have two trims in particular to look for, the diesel-powered (TDCi) Titanium and Trend.
The former is listed for an average price of R186,681 and with an average mileage of 102,054km, while the latter comes in at an average of R175,744 and mileage of 104,375km. Both have an average year of registration of 2016.
“These hold appeal for shoppers looking for ‘great’ priced cars; both in terms of their purchase price and their fuel economy,” said Mienie.
Of all the EcoSports for sale on AutoTrader, this is what you can expect to pay for listings with “great” ratings:
| Variant | Ave. selling price | Ave. mileage | Ave. year |
|---|---|---|---|
| EcoSport 1.0T Active | R364,020 | 6,873km | 2023 |
| EcoSport 1.0T Titanium | R258,729 | 58,192km | 2019 |
| EcoSport 1.0T Titanium Auto | R336,325 | 22,741km | 2021 |
| EcoSport 1.0T Trend | R263,569 | 47,593km | 2020 |
| EcoSport 1.0T Trend Auto | R299,393 | 28,085km | 2021 |
| EcoSport 1.5 Ambiente | R232,529 | 50,117km | 2020 |
| EcoSport 1.5 Ambiente Auto | R296,805 | 15,945km | 2022 |
| EcoSport 1.5 Ambiente Black | R299,925 | 10,814km | 2022 |
| EcoSport 1.5 Titanium Auto | R198,548 | 87,486km | 2016 |
| EcoSport 1.5TDCi Ambiente | R241,081 | 61,827km | 2019 |
| EcoSport 1.5TDCi Titanium | R186,681 | 102,054km | 2016 |
| EcoSport 1.5TDCi Trend | R175,744 | 104,375km | 2016 |
Other value-for-money buys
AutoTrader noted that for consumers who are not in the market for a high-riding SUV, there are still several other body types with a respectable proportion of “great” priced cars.
These include:
- Coupes
- Double cabs
- Sedans
“These body types are listed with more than 30% of the cars have a “great” price tag,” said Mienie.
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