What’s hot, what’s not: Used car market trends in the Western Cape

The Western Cape is one of the biggest markets for used car sales, ranking behind only Gauteng, with a total of 67,801 used vehicles sold, representing a not-inconsequential 19% market share, according to the 2024 AutoTrader Annual Car Industry Report.

Making up a fifth of the country’s used car buying, the Western Cape has the potential to shape trends throughout the country. 

The province’s used car scene has seen interesting shifts over the past three years, with changing preferences and a few long-standing favourites holding strong.

Here’s a look at what buyers have been opting for in 2024 compared to 2021. 

While the Ford Ranger is the most popular used vehicle overall, and remains so in six of the nine provinces, it has been relegated to second place in the Western Cape, with the venerable Volkswagen Polo occupying the top spot for 2024. A total of 3,674 examples were sold in the province, with the Ranger following closely at 3,525.

“The Western Cape’s used car market is a fascinating case study in how buyer priorities are evolving,” said AutoTrader CEO George Mienie.

“While long-standing favourites such as the Volkswagen Polo continue to lead, we’re also seeing the rapid rise of newer contenders such as the Toyota Corolla Cross, which has established itself as a top choice despite entering the local market in 2021.”

This reflects a shift towards vehicles that offer a balance of practicality, modern features and reliability, suggesting consumers are making more deliberate decisions,” said Mienie.

“The patterns not only highlight changing tastes but also reveal the increasing importance of long-term value in the buying process.”

The top four best-selling vehicles, including the aforementioned models and the Polo Vivo and Toyota Hilux, remain unchanged from 2021. However, there has been a slight change, with the Polo Vivo and Hilux swapping places. Though trends show consumers are more interested in affordable and fuel-efficient vehicles, the Polo Vivo has fallen to fourth place, with the Hilux moving up to third. 

In fifth position is the Toyota Fortuner, one of three vehicles on the list that can be considered a premium purchase. While Mercedes-Benz C-Class and BMW 3 Series sales have declined since 2024, the Fortuner has seen strengthened sales in the Western Cape, with 2,118 used examples sold last year, or 729 units more than 2021. Over the past two decades, SUVs such as the Fortuner have become increasingly popular with consumers, surpassing traditional body styles such as sedans. 

SUVs were the most popular body style on the used car market, with AutoTrader data showing 126,320 units were sold across the country in 2024, with an average price of R497,964. That’s slightly higher than the Fortuner’s average price of R463,350 in the Western Cape.

There are several new entrants to the top 10 list, with the most notable addition being the Toyota Corolla Cross. Not featuring in 2021 (the locally built crossover was only introduced that year), it has reached sixth place in a short period, with 1,032 used examples sold in the Western Cape in 2024. This reflects its attractive package, with consumers drawn by the reasonable pricing, available hybrid drivetrains, practicality and appeal of the Toyota badge. 

Another similarly sized crossover, the Volkswagen T-Cross, has also appeared on the list, in ninth position with 997 units sold. It has effectively replaced the Golf on the list, which has fallen out of favour with used car buyers in the Western Cape. The Golf, like the Ford Figo and EcoSport that were on the top 10 list in 2021, has since been discontinued (apart from GTI and R models),though the German brand has reintroduced regular models to the local line-up.

As in Gauteng, the Nissan NP200, despite its discontinuation, has emerged as a popular choice on the used car market, reflecting a strong appetite for affordable, compact workhorses in a segment with fewer new options.