These are SA's most popular used cars in the under-R300,000 price range

The sub-R300,000 price range is the third most searched for by South African consumers – with more than 12 million searches in this price category in the past year, according to the 2020 AutoTrader Car Industry Report.

It’s also the most shopped in price point; according to the same report, over the 12 months ending June 2020, the average selling price of a car was R289,312. But exactly what vehicles are available in the R200,000 to R300,000 price range? How old are they? And what do they cost?

These, and other pertinent questions have been answered after an interrogation of AutoTrader’s data. The data – which includes the average year, mileage and price – is based on the most listed cars on AutoTrader in the month of October 2020.

Furthermore, the data provides a breakdown as per the six most popular body types, namely hatchbacks, sedans, sport utility vehicles (SUVs), single cabs, double cabs and coupés. AutoTrader is the largest digital automotive marketplace in SA. As such, it provides unparalleled insight into car-buying patterns in the country.

According to George Mienie, AutoTrader CEO, buyers in this price bracket can opt for a very low-mileage hatch, to a double cab such as the Ford Ranger, which happens to be South Africa’s most sold used car. According to the 2020 AutoTrader Car Industry Report, which covers the period July 2019 to June 2020, the number one selling used car was the Ford Ranger, contributing 4.7% of all cars sold.

“Significantly, lots of nearly new (2019 registration year) used cars are available. This is in keeping with a general industry trend: used car inventories – especially when it comes to nearly new cars – increased by 32% in July 2020 compared to the previous month, placing buyers firmly in the pound seats,” Mienie points out.