Johannesburg – Following a strong start to 2025, sales of used South African cars look positive, according to the latest data from AutoTrader.
In February 2025, we had better sales compared to the previous year, with a slight drop in monthly sales despite fewer business days.
January usually holds a good show in February 2025, with various incentives and discounts offered by dealers, with 2,885 used cars being sold, representing a year-over-year increase of +0.8% and monthly (mother) decline.
The perennial Ford Ranger remains undefeated and remains at its highest position in the second-hand car market.
The top six bestselling cars have held the rankings since last month, with some shifts occurring between the seventh and tenth spots.
Compared to January 2025, the Nissan NP200 moved from two locations to seventh place, while the Toyota Starlet currently sits in ninth place, first place since last month.
The Mercedes-Benz C-Class remains in the top 10, but more affordable vehicles are pushing out German sedans.
He finished in 10th place in February 2025. On the 8th of last month, he finished a year ago from 6th place.
The Isuzu D-Max also shifted slightly, dropping from 7th to 8th.
Starlet's powerful performance is particularly noteworthy. Just a year ago it ranked 17th among South Africa's bestselling used cars.
The total value of used cars sold in February 2025 reflects sales growth, with an increase in the previous years and a decline in the number of underage mothers.
The cumulative value reached R120.2 billion. +3.7% (R1.16 billion) from February 2024, -4.46% lower than January 2025 (R125.9 billion).
Interestingly, the average price for a used car in February 2025 was high at R416 483, representing an increase in R9 790 mamas and a noticeable increase in R11 578 Yoy.
“We're committed to providing a range of services to our customers,” said George Mienie, CEO of AutoTrader.
“While sales growth in the same period last year shows sustained consumer trust, changes in model rankings highlight evolving buyers' preferences, increasing numbers of people looking at affordable, fuel-efficient hatchbacks.
“As we move into 2025, it will be interesting to see how these trends will form.”
Toyota is the most popular brand in the second-hand car market, followed by Volkswagen and Ford in second and third place respectively.
The five 099 used cars sold in February 2025 saw a 6% increase in annual and a -4% decrease in monthly prices for Japanese brands.
Volkswagen saw a used vehicle sales, which saw a mild year-over-year growth of +1%, but mothers saw a -9% decline.
Ford recorded 3 076, using sales last month, with the largest monthly decline of -12%.
All brands in the top 10 experienced monthly declines as February is a short month, but it is worth noting that KIA dropped significantly at -16%.
Over the course of a year, the Korean automaker skated -17% compared to February 2024.
In comparison, Suzuki (6th) and Hyundai (4th) showed year-over-year growth of +20% and +10%, respectively.
Regarding certain models, Rangers retain their enviable positions, with 1 725 examples on sale in February 2025.
Hilux continues with 1 501 sales, while Polo has sold 178 units, making it third place.
All three models increased year-on-year, but Ranger's growth was +10.3%, with Hilux and Polo expanding their pegs at +1.8% and +1% respectively.
Furthermore, under the table, Starlet posted sales of 67.6% (YOY) from the previous year.
Polo vivo (+19.6%) and Isuzu D-Max (+27.5%) also show strong growth.
The only luxury branded vehicle on the list, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, fell by -19.6% year-on-year in February 2025 compared to the same month in 2024.
This diagram excludes the sale of high-performance Mercedes-AMG C-Class models.
In particular, another top-ranked premium model, Toyota Fortuner, also fell year-on-year, with sales down -5.6%.
As for the most popular used variants, the Polo Vivo 1.4 remains the king, with 883 examples on sale in February 2025.
Its gorgeous, adult sibling, Polo 1.0 TSI is second, with 719 units available for sale, with the Hilux 2.8 GD-6 (651), Ranger XL (537) and the Hilux 2.4 GD-6 (512) rounding the list.
