JOHANNESBURG - In which price brackets are South Africans searching for used cars? According to AutoTrader’s data covering the first half of 2021, the most activity occurs in the sub-R200 000 sector, though the R200 001- R400 000 category is fast catching up. In fact, more than one third of total searches in the first six months of 2021 were performed between the latter two figures, with activity here growing a significant 42 percent year-on-year.
To find out what sort of options shoppers are considering in this increasingly lively sector of the used market, we combed through the numbers to reveal the 10 most searched for models priced at R300 000 or below in each of the SUV, single-cab bakkie and double-cab bakkie segments.
Most wanted SUVs in SA
Taking into account its popularity in the new vehicle market, it’s unsurprising that the Toyota Fortuner tops the SUV list, though it’s worth noting its average mileage is the highest of the lot at nearly 200 000km. In contrast, the second-placed (far smaller) Ford EcoSport has the lowest average mileage and most recent average registration year. The Jeep Wrangler, interestingly, features both the highest average price and the oldest average model year (2010).
Most wanted single cab bakkies in SA
What about single-cab bakkies? Well, the venerable Toyota Hilux – the nameplate that the 2021 AutoTrader Mid-Year Industry Report lists as the most searched for model overall – dominates and is one of only two vehicles in its category with an average price in excess of R200 000 (the other being the third-placed Ford Ranger). Since it’s the only surviving half-tonne bakkie on the new market, the Nissan NP200 is predictably in second spot, though since-departed rivals such as the Chevrolet Utility and Ford’s Bantam also feature further down the table.
While the double-cab version of the Hilux has typically outsold its Ranger counterpart on the new market for the past couple of years, the Blue Oval brand’s bakkie attracts a little more interest in the sub-R300 000 used sphere. The Japanese contender, however, appears to hold its value a touch better, as illustrated by the fact its average price isn’t far behind that of the Ranger despite a far higher average mileage (and older average registration year). Considering Volkswagen’s Amarok drives relatively low volumes on the new market, it’s fascinatingly the third most searched for double-cab.
AutoTrader’s CEO George Mienie points out that increased search activity in the used market supports the notion that more and more consumers are considering used cars over new ones as a result of sustained economic pressure: “There is currently strong interest in used cars priced below the R400 000 mark, with around 75 percent of total searches being made in this category. A marked increase in activity in the R200 001 to R400 000 bracket is helping to drive this trend as under-pressure buyers increasingly turn to the used market.”