Despite a slight drop in sales, December saw impressive year-on-year growth in South Africa’s used car market, with the Toyota Corolla Cross making a significant move.

December 2024 continued to show strong performance in the used car market, with the latest AutoTrader data showcasing steady performance despite this period typically being the poorest-performing month of the year for used car sales. In the last month of 2024, 26,424 used vehicles were sold, representing a fairly expected -17.8% month-on-month (MoM) decrease and a modest -1.6% year-on-year decline. 

The Ford Ranger remains South Africa's most popular used vehicle, maintaining its leading position in the market. However, there have been some changes compared to November 2024. The Volkswagen Polo and Toyota Hilux have swapped places, with the latter in second place and the former in third. The Toyota Corolla Cross occupies seventh place, moving up five spots from November and a notable 16 positions compared to the same period the previous year. Following its exit from the top 10 list in November, the BMW 3 Series has returned to tenth place. 

The combined value of used cars sold in December 2024 amounted to R10.79 billion, a -17.26% decline from November’s total of R13.04 billion. The average price of used vehicles sold in December 2024 was R408,516, higher than November 2024 (R405,713) and December 2023 (R406,715).

Toyota, Volkswagen, and Ford remain the top three best-selling brands in the used car space. Toyota leads the way with 4,534 used vehicles sold in December 2024, followed by Volkswagen with 3,993 and Ford at 2,839. All three brands experienced notable month-on-month declines, with Ford seeing the sharpest drop at -22%. However, year-on-year figures tell a different story, as all three recorded increases, including an +8% gain for Toyota compared to December 2023.

"December 2024 continued to demonstrate resilience in the used car market, with solid sales despite the typical seasonal slowdown,” commented George Mienie, CEO of AutoTrader. “While the month saw a dip compared to November, the year-on-year performance remains strong, showcasing the enduring demand for used cars.”

“Noteworthy shifts in the rankings highlight changing consumer preferences, with the Toyota Corolla Cross making significant strides. The Ford Ranger continues to dominate as South Africa's most popular used vehicle, underscoring the consistent appeal of versatile models in the market,” he added. 

While Toyota is the best-selling brand, the Ford Ranger is the most popular used vehicle among South African buyers, with 1,641 units sold in December 2024. It’s followed by the Volkswagen Polo (1,243) and the Toyota Hilux (1,220). Notably, the Ranger posted impressive year-on-year growth of +12.1%, outpacing the Polo (1.2%) and Hilux (7.5%) by a significant margin.

In terms of sales increases, the Corolla Cross takes the lead with 442 units sold in December 2024; a remarkable +99.1% year-on-year growth. The more affordable Starlet also saw a solid year-on-year rise of +65.4%. In contrast, the Toyota Fortuner (-7.8%), Mercedes-Benz C-Class (-0.8%), and BMW 3 Series (-29.3%) were the only vehicles to experience declines compared to December 2023. This trend suggests that consumers are opting for more affordable vehicles from mainstream brands, moving away from premium sedans and lifestyle SUVs.

The Volkswagen Polo Vivo 1.4 was the best-selling used variant in December 2024, with 827 units sold last month. This is particularly impressive, as the Vivo 1.4 outsold both the Toyota Starlet and BMW 3 Series combined. It’s followed by the Polo 1.0 TSI (780 units sold) and the Hilux 2.8 GD-6 (525 units sold).

Top 10 sold used models in December 2024

Source: AutoTrader Used Car Sales Data: 1 - 31 December 2024