The 10 most sold used cars in the R300,000 bracket

A true indication of supply, and demand, can be gauged by comparing the cars listed for sale against those sold. There’s little difference between the top 10 most listed used cars for sale in South Africa and the top 10 most sold used cars in the R300k bracket, according to AutoTrader’s half-year data. 

“In August, used car sales experienced a notable 10.5% year-on-year increase, rising from R12.6bn in August 2022 to R14bn in 2023. The supply of used cars is currently meeting the market demand — in turn, this results in the growth we are seeing,” says George Mienie, AutoTrader CEO.

Why the R300k price bracket?

“Price point is important when making that final purchasing decision,” says Mienie, revealing that the R300,000 mark is one of the most used price brackets.

So which cars listed for sale are meeting the market demand?

Volkswagen hatchbacks, the VW Polo Vivo and VW Polo, Ford’s Ranger bakkie and it’s compact SUV the EcoSport together with Nissan’s NP200 bakkie command the top five positions in both lists of most listed and most sold, with the Nissan NP200 the cheapest of these, selling on average for R168,427. The Ford Ranger is the most expensive of the five with a R238,015 average selling price for eight-year-old models with 156,378km average mileage.

The Toyota Hilux, which places sixth in the sold list, secures a higher R241,095 average price, the highest among the top 10 sellers. That’s despite being a nine-year-old model with a more elevated average mileage of 170,564km. No disputing the confidence buyers have in South Africa’s two robust, locally-built bakkies, irrespective of their age or mileage.

A bevy of hatchbacks — Kia Picanto, Ford Fiesta, Suzuki Swift, and Toyota Starlet — make up the balance of the top 10 sold list, with seven-year-old Ford Fiesta models being the most affordable in the field of 10, selling on average for R166,076, a smidgen cheaper than a more youthful four-year-old Picanto.

Uber favourite, the Toyota Corolla Quest, was the only top 10 listing that failed to feature among the top 10 sellers. The reverse is true for the Toyota Starlet. Though not in the top 10 listings, the nearly-new hatch bagged 10th spot in the sold rankings. 

The negligible differences between the most listed cars and the hot sellers in the R300,000 bracket demonstrates that the right supply draws a healthy demand from car buyers.