AutoTrader data shows SA consumers are looking for practical, affordable used vehicles

Budget hatchbacks and bakkies ruled November’s used car market, with the Ford Ranger topping sales and the Polo Vivo 1.4 proving its unbeatable appeal.

November 2024 continued to show resilience in the used car market, with the latest AutoTrader used car sales data highlighting a strong performance despite a slight dip in sales. Last month, 32,158 used cars were sold, marking an -8% month-on-month (MoM) decline and a modest -0.4% year-on-year (YoY) decrease.

The top ten best-selling used vehicles remained largely unchanged from October, with the BMW 3 Series exiting the list to make way for the Isuzu D-Max bakkie. Volkswagen continued its dominance, with the Polo and Polo Vivo securing the top spots as the most popular passenger vehicles. The combined value of used cars sold in November amounted to R13.04 billion, reflecting a -7.43% drop from October’s total of R14.09 billion. The average price of used vehicles sold in November 2024 was R405,713.

It is no surprise that Toyota, Ford, and Volkswagen occupy the top three spots in terms of brand ranking. The Japanese automaker remains in first place, selling 5,401 units. Ford and Volkswagen follow at 4,649 and 3,628 vehicles, respectively. While all three marques experienced MoM declines, Ford had the most significant YoY sales increase at +5%, compared to Toyota and Volkswagen, whose sales increased only by +1% compared to last year.

“While the Volkswagen Polo and Polo Vivo continue to dominate as South Africa’s top-selling used passenger cars, there are some notable shifts in the market,” says George Mienie, CEO of AutoTrader. “The Suzuki Swift, for instance, has shown impressive year-on-year growth of +25.7%, now ranking as the sixth best-selling used car. Similarly, the Toyota Starlet’s strong YoY sales growth of +61.2% highlights the demand for practical, affordable vehicles. Interestingly, only one premium passenger car remains in the top 10 list: the Mercedes-Benz C-Class.”

Toyota may lead the used car market on a brand level, but the Ford Ranger was the most popular used vehicle in November. With 2,090 examples sold, it outperformed its closest rival, the Toyota Hilux, by 563 units. The Volkswagen Polo secured third place with 1,431 units sold. The Ranger and Hilux enjoyed YoY sales growth of +12.5% and +2.2%, respectively, but the Polo saw a -2% decline in sales.

There’s a clear trend towards more practical and affordable vehicles, with bakkies and budget hatchbacks dominating the list. As mentioned, the C-Class is the only premium passenger car on the list, but its YoY sales have declined by -0.9%. The Fortuner, Toyota’s upmarket lifestyle SUV, may have been the fifth best-selling used car in November, but sales have dropped by -7.6% compared to last year. 

Regarding the most successful variants on the used car market, the Polo Vivo 1.4 remains South Africa’s favourite used variant, with 1,014 units sold last month. That’s remarkable, considering the Fortuner, the fifth best-selling used vehicle, only managed 739 units for November 2024. The Polo Vivo 1.4 accounts for 3.15% of all used cars sold last month. The Polo 1.0 TSI occupies second position, with 964 units, while the Ranger XL sits in third place, with 706 examples. 

Top 10 sold used models in November 2024

Source: AutoTrader Used Car Sales Data: 1 – 30 November 2024