The cars you search for vs the cars you buy — are they the same?

South Africans are known for being car fanatics. Right now, we’re a bunch of petrolheads (though that’s set to change with the onset of electric vehicles).

Some vehicles have a loyal following and they’re always going to be top of the pops, but other cars, while popular, don’t end up getting purchased quite as often. These findings are revealed when one analyses the statistics in the 2022 AutoTrader mid-year car industry report. 

The report reveals that the iconic Toyota Hilux enjoys a commanding position: while it’s the most searched for model, with 4.3% of the total search share (12.6-million searches), it’s also the most inquired about model, generating 5.6% of all inquiries.

The Mercedes-Benz C-Class — which generated 3.4% of the total search share (9.9-million searches) and is in third place in the search rankings — follows a similar trend. It’s the fifth most inquired about car and holds the number five spot in vehicle purchases.

Why the anomaly between what motorists search for and what they buy?

AutoTrader CEO George Mienie says that this can happen for any number of reasons.

“They may find that the vehicle they’re searching for is unaffordable or not quite what they expected to find. Their motoring needs may change or they could simply change their minds.

“But what’s particularly interesting is that most of the vehicles appear on both lists. This data leads us to conclude that, generally, South Africans are well informed and know which vehicles they want to buy before the searching phase of their buying journey.”

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