These were South Africa's most popular used cars in November

In November 2024, the used car market demonstrated resilience despite a slight drop in sales, according to the latest AutoTrader data.

A total of 32,158 used cars were sold during the month, reflecting an 8% decline from October and a modest 0.4% decrease compared to the same period last year.

The top 10 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 AutoTrader CEO George Mienie.

“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.

Practical and affordable vehicles continue to lead the market, with bakkies and budget hatchbacks dominating sales. The C-Class remains the only premium passenger car on the list, though its year-on-year sales dipped by 0.9%. Similarly, Toyota’s Fortuner, an upmarket lifestyle SUV, ranked as the fifth best-selling used car in November but saw a 7.6% decline in sales compared to the previous year.