Top Picks
Every year South African car buyers decide which motor vehicles make the cut of the 10 best used cars by voting with their money. The buying habits of these consumers are collated into a list of the cars most often bought and sold during the calendar year. These top ten lists are then published in the AutoTrader industry report.
Related: 2021 AutoTrader Mid-Year Car Industry Report
Below we take a look at the top 10 most searched for used cars in South Africa. Is the model you are after on the list?
10. Audi A3
The A3 sedan is said to offer all the strengths of the A3 range, including lightweight design and powerful highly-efficient engines, then adding the appealing sedan silhouette and esteem to its talents.
9. BMW X5
Taking the basic X5’s strengths, and then bolstering them with judicious add-ons transforms it from being “good but not really exceptional or unique” into a stunning example of “it probably doesn’t get better than this”.
8. Toyota Fortuner
The Fortuner is getting considerably more sophisticated with each refresh, and if you have that kind of money to drop on a brand new seven-seater SUV, you’ll get all the luxury that goes along with it.
7. BMW 1 Series
When BMW pulled the wraps off of the new 1 Series, the internet exploded with purists the world over, running around with their hair on fire, waving their handbags in the air. It was just too far off from what they were accustomed to. The design, the drive, and the whole appeal they argued was lost.
6. Volkswagen Polo
The new VW Polo is a great car, don't get me wrong. It makes advances in the segment that is currently unrivaled. It's even better then that it's manufactured here on our very shores, but it doesn't stop it from being un-Polo-like.
5. Ford Ranger
The Wildtrak sits in something of a grey area, styling-wise. It has forgone the American barn door styling and workhorse aesthetic of other bakkies and delivers an SUV likes appearance when viewed head-on
4. BMW 3 Series
The BMW 3 Series is now in its seventh adaptation, having started as far back as 1975. The latest version, the G20, is marketed as the most technologically advanced car that BMW has made to date. We feel that while it's crammed to the brim with tech, it echoes the driver-orientated approach of the years gone by, something that many felt was lacking from the last few versions of the company's best-selling sedan
3. Mercedes-Benz C-Class
The Mercedes-Benz C-Class is the sweet spot of the attainable Mercedes range. It strikes a near-perfect balance between a performance saloon and a premium cross-country cruiser. It's compact enough for daily use in traffic and town yet still has the legs to make the open road entertaining.
2. Volkswagen Golf
The biggest problem that the MK8 GTI faces is its predecessor, which was such a complete product in terms of its design, engineering, performance, and packaging that in an era where Volkswagen has had to cut costs while trying to innovate, has resulted in a new GTI that isn’t immune to its own shortcomings.
1. Toyota Hilux
The updated Hilux with its semi-autonomous technology, a more potent powerplant, and luxurious interior is worthy of wearing SA's best-selling bakkie crown
