October brought stronger sales across the used car market, with Toyota extending its lead and several popular models posting double-digit growth.

At a Glance – October Car Sales

Used Cars

• Sales: 36,046 (+6.6% MoM, +8.2% YoY)
• Average price:  R404,898 (-6.5% MoM, -2.7% YoY)
• Top seller (overall): Ford Ranger (1,920 units)
• Top seller (passenger car): Volkswagen Polo Vivo (1,404 units)
• Trend: October used-car sales climbed sharply month-on-month, while the gap between the Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux narrowed further.

South Africa’s used car market recorded a strong October, with sales increasing both month-on-month and year-on-year. Toyota extended its lead as the country’s top-selling used car brand, while the Toyota Hilux closed the gap to the Ford Ranger considerably, according to the latest AutoTrader used sales data. 

A total of 36,046 used vehicles were sold in October, up +6.6% from the 33,824 units recorded in September. Sales were also +8.2% higher than the 33,307 vehicles sold in October 2025. 

Toyota retained first place among used car brands with 6,871 sales, an increase of +12% month-on-month (MoM) and +10% year-on-year (YoY). Volkswagen followed with 4,869 units, up +10% MoM, although sales remained -7% lower than a year earlier. Ford held onto third place with 3,382 sales, increasing +2% from September but declining -7% YoY. 

Suzuki remained fourth with 2,687 sales, up +6% MoM and +15% YoY. Together with Toyota, it was the only manufacturer among the top 10 to record annual sales growth. Hyundai completed the top five with 2,166 sales, down -1% from September and -10% compared with October 2025. BMW followed with 1,941 units, recovering +7% MoM but remaining -7% lower YoY.

Mercedes-Benz retained seventh place with 1,305 sales. This represented a +9% increase from September, although volumes were -15% lower than a year earlier. Nissan moved from ninth to eighth with 1,175 sales, increasing +4% MoM but declining -16% YoY. Kia slipped to ninth with 1,135 units, down -1% from September and -7% annually, while Renault rounded out the top 10 with 1,123 sales, up +9% MoM but down -10% YoY.

“October was a strong month for the used car market, with sales increasing both month-on-month and year-on-year,” commented George Mienie, CEO of AutoTrader. “Toyota and Suzuki continued to perform well at a brand level, while several models recorded substantial growth. The Hilux also narrowed the gap to the Ranger considerably, making the battle at the top increasingly close.”

At a model level, the Ford Ranger remained South Africa’s best-selling used vehicle with 1,920 sales. Volumes were virtually unchanged from September, declining -0.1% while sales were -5.7% lower than in October 2025.

The Hilux followed with 1,803 sales, increasing +11% MoM and +6.8% YoY. Its stronger monthly performance reduced the gap to the Ranger from 296 units in September to just 117 in October. The Volkswagen Polo Vivo retained third place with 1,404 units sold, followed by the Polo with 1,325 units. Both recorded double-digit monthly increases, with sales growing +13% and +12%, respectively. However, both remained down year-on-year, with the Polo Vivo declining -8.4% and the Polo -12%.

Toyota’s popular Corolla Cross climbed the ranks to sixth place after recording 866 sales, up +39% MoM. Its notable +42.9% annual increase was the largest among the top 10 models. The average selling price stood at R377,588, down from R383,456 in October 2025.

Now in seventh place, the Toyota Fortuner managed 806 sales, declining -1% from September and -5.7% YoY. It’s worth noting that the popular SUV has dropped two positions in the past year, with the more affordable Swift and Corolla Cross pushing it further down the chart. 

With 696 sales last month, the Toyota Starlet retained eighth position. Volumes increased +17% MoM and +33.6% YoY, making it another of the month’s strong performers. The Isuzu D-Max followed with 660 sales, up +17% from September and +14.6% annually, while the Hyundai Grand i10 completed the top 10 with 569 units, an increase of +6% MoM and +15.9% YoY. 

Among individual variants, the Polo Vivo 1.4 remains the most popular used car in SA, with 1,085 sales. The Polo 1.0 TSI followed with 865 units, ahead of the Toyota Hilux 2.8 GD-6 (824), Hilux 2.4 GD-6 (629), and the Starlet 1.5 (619). The Ford Ranger XL did not make the top five in October.

While sales volumes increased in October, the average selling price fell to R404,898 from R432,938 in September, a 6.5% drop. Compared with the R416,302 average recorded in October 2025, prices were -2.7% lower. 

Vehicles sold during October had an average mileage of 69,938 km, largely unchanged from the 69,991 recorded in September and down from 73,447 km a year earlier. The average year model remained 2021, compared with 2020 in October 2025.

Top 10 Sold Used Models in October 2026

Source: AutoTrader Used Car Sales Data: 1 - 31 October 2026