While bakkies still lead the pre-owned sales charts the data reveals a growing demand for practical, cost-effective vehicles like the Toyota Starlet and Volkswagen Polo Vivo.

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Pre-owned vehicles remain an attractive choice for many South Africans looking for a good, reliable vehicle at a more affordable price point, but what are South Africa’s current favourites?

The latest pre-owned vehicle sales data reveals that the top 10 most popular used cars contain a mix of body shapes, including everything from bakkies to affordable hatchbacks and sedans.

It is also clear to see that buyers shopping in the pre-owned market prefer models from established brands, with only Ford, Toyota, Volkswagen, Suzuki, Mercedes-Benz and Isuzu enjoying representation amongst the top ten pre-owned vehicles sold during April this year, ranked by sales numbers.

Buyers clearly value the reputation that these brands offer when it comes to reliability and dependability throughout their lifespan. Well established dealer networks and parts availability, both at OEM and aftermarket level also make these models easier and more cost effective to maintain.

While bakkies still lead the pre-owned sales charts the data reveals a growing demand for practical, cost-effective vehicles like the Toyota Starlet and Volkswagen Polo Vivo.

The most popular brand is without a doubt Toyota, who dominates the top ten with four models including the Hilux, Fortuner, Starlet and Corolla Cross.

Bakkies lead the charge

It is South Africa’s two favourite bakkies that lead the charge with the Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux in first and second position on the latest pre-owned sales charts.

In third and fourth place are two more South African favourites, the Volkswagen Polo and Polo Vivo.

The Mercedes-Benz C-Class is the only premium sedan in the top ten, currently occupying 8^th place. Interestingly, the average age of a pre-owned C-Class is 9-years, showcasing that buyers still see value in this model well into its lifespan.

Why are these rankings important?

Used car popularity affects resale value as more popular cars will be more in demand, so consumers will be willing to pay a little bit more to secure one of the available units, which drives up the price. This makes pre-owned sales data valuable to sellers and dealers who are responsible for pricing pre-owned vehicles.

Less popular cars will have less motorists queuing up to buy them, which gives buyers who are keen on those models the opportunity to negotiate and get a better deal.

The top ten used cars in April 2025 ranked by sales numbers

Ford Ranger
Toyota Hilux
Volkswagen Polo Vivo
Volkswagen Polo
Toyota Fortuner
Toyota Starlet
Suzuki Swift
Mercedes-Benz C-Class
Toyota Corolla Cross
Isuzu D-Max

Shop for your next pre-owned cars at Motus Select today

https://www.motusselect.co.za/buy-cars/used