Top Used Toyota models ranked by reliability

By Lawrence Minnie 

Toyota has a very long history in South Africa with a great number of models still plying the roads. We take a look at the 10 most reliable models from recent times.

A mark of quality keeps Toyota ahead of the game

The title of #1 in vehicle sales month on month, hasn’t come easy, but Toyota SA makes it look that way. There are literally hundreds of thousands of Toyotas on South African roads, reinforcing the fact that they have a quality product and excellent after-sales service.

Compiling this list was no easy task, as Toyota’s model lineup presents excellent value for money, quality and reliability. Using data collated from a host of consumer-driven sources such as JD Power, Kinsey and IPSOS, we have managed to rank 10 of Toyota’s models by how reliable they are.

The results were admittedly difficult to collate due to the fact that Toyotas are so reliable overall. We had to rely on sales figures, popularity, and overall customer experience surveys to collate our list. We have also left off the sports cars and hybrid models as the low sales volumes of these models don’t change the overall outcome.

1.Auris

The Auris is the hatchback version of the Corolla and should be more popular than it is. It is overshadowed somewhat by the Yaris and Corolla but is still a firm favourite amongst fleet operators.

2. Rav4

Strangely enough, the Rav4 is the best-selling, mid-size SUV in South Africa. This is in most part due to fleet operators but also because the Rav4 is a very capable adventure vehicle.

3. Yaris

The Yaris has consistently appeared, month on month, in the top five B-segment vehicles sold in South Africa. Scoring highly with consumer satisfaction and performance surveys, the Yaris remains a firm favourite in this segment.

4. Prado

The Prado sits on the high end of the large SUV segment for Toyota. They were never cheap to run and do cost quite a lot initially. The Prado is one of those cars that a family buys and hands down through the generations because it lasts that long.

 5.Corolla

Putting the airport shuttle taxi and Uber driver disagreement aside, the Toyota Corolla is the vehicle of choice for these operators. Their popularity is undeniable and the fleets of them waiting for pick-ups in shaded areas all over the country, is proof of that.

Our top 5 Toyotas

The top five on our list are very popular choices, consistently featuring in the top spot of national vehicle sales in their respective categories.

1. Avanza

The Avanza has been the MPV of choice for enterprising folks who didn’t quite want a full commuter taxi, but needed room for a large family or small tour group. It's the ideal 'Mom's taxi' / car-pool club car.

2. Quantum

The Quantum is a South African icon now. Before it was the “Zola Bud” Hi-Ace taxi, now it’s the Quantum. There are thousands of these vehicles on our roads and whether you love them or loathe them, they are a necessary part of our infrastructure. Although the condition of many these vehicles is questionable, the fact they are still going and that many of them have  close to a million kilometers on the odo, is a testament to their hardiness.

3. Etios

One would not think that the Etios would be this high on the list but all our data points show that that this B segment run-around has proven to be very popular with the market. Rated highly by consumers in parts and reliability surveys and generally being as hard as nails in our testing environment, the Etios takes a well-deserved third spot on the podium.

4. Fortuner

Although nearly as popular as the Hilux in brand awareness, the Fortuner falls short in the sales figure department. The Fortuner has become the aspirational vehicle of a generation. It's capable on- and off-road, at home in the city and the veld, and looks stylish wherever it goes. The Fortuner still changes hands for good money, maintaining its value no matter how many kilometres are on the odometer – and that’s a sure-fire way to tell that a vehicle is very reliable.

5. Hilux

The undeniable king of bakkies. The Hilux has come a long way with South Africans, with well over 50 years in our market. They have garnered a reputation amongst the general populace as the most reliable vehicle you can buy. There are stories of models being handed down from father to son and from son to grandson. In the reliability stakes, that is a sure-fire winner in our books.