Weelee shoppers continue to choose reputable brands

The latest sales data from Weelee shows that South African used car shoppers continue to prefer reputable brands when shopping for a pre-owned car.

The South African new car market has been flooded with new car brands in recent years, many of these from Chinese origin. These brands offer new car shoppers a vehicle that is modern and fitted with all the latest tech, bells, and whistles, very often at a more affordable price point than similar vehicles from established manufacturers. These factors have helped these new brands to quickly gain traction in the local market that has traditionally been very brand loyal. 

The popularity of these new brands has also been supported by younger buyers who are less brand loyal. This generation prioritises technology, design, and a low purchase price over factors such as an established nameplate.

However, the pre-owned vehicle market paints a completely different picture. Weelee’s sales data from the last year (Nov 24 – Nov 25) reveals that consumers continue to seek out well established nameplates from reputable manufacturers when shopping for a pre-owned vehicle. The Volkswagen Polo Vivo, Ford Ranger and Toyota Fortuner were the top sellers in the last year.

“Our actual sales data shows that consumers are much more confident buying a pre-owned car from a reputable manufacturer than one of the new entrants to the market,” says Errol Levin, Chief Executive Officer at Weelee.

Factors that continue to make these brands the preferred choice by pre-owned shoppers include proven reputations for dependability and reliability. 

“Consumers know that they can buy a pre-owned Volkswagen, Ford or Toyota and still get many more years and miles of reliable use out of these vehicles,” says Levin.

These well-established brands also all come with extensive aftersales and parts support both through the respective OEM dealers as well as through a wide variety of aftermarket suppliers and workshops who specialise in these popular marques.

“The data shows that pre-owned shoppers look for cars that they know will easily and cost effectively be able to maintain, whether that is through DIY, aftermarket services or the extensive dealer networks that these OEMs have around the country,” explains Levin.

While South African new car buyers are crazy for SUVs it is interesting to note that hatch backs are still the most popular body shape sold by Weelee, with six hatchbacks amongst the top ten sellers. This is driven by the popularity of models such as the Volkswagen Polo, Hyundai i10, Kia Picanto and Toyota Starlet which represent excellent value in the used-car market and are a popular choice for a wide variety of consumers, from new drivers to small families.

The top ten only contained one SUV, the evergreen Toyota Fortuner, with not a single compact SUV cracking the list.

The bakkie segment is represented by Ford’s Ranger as well as the Nissan NP200.

“We have seen a surge in demand for the Nissan NP200 half tonner since Nissan stopped selling it. There is no other small bakkie available on the market today and this demand is driving popularity in the pre-owned market amongst small business owners and fleet operators,” says Levin.

In the pre-owned market, popularity drives price and that means that these popular models also enjoy a favourable depreciation percentage right throughout their lifespan. 

“Practically this means that motorists can buy a three- or four-year-old example of one of these popular models and drive it for a year or two without it losing much value, given that it is well looked after and maintained. This factor contributes significantly to a low total cost of ownership over the lifespan of the vehicle,” says Levin.

Pre-owned shoppers look at more than just the purchase price, they look for vehicles that have a reputation for being trustworthy, vehicles that are affordable to run and maintain and which boast excellent resale values. All these factors are critical to the total cost of ownership and are also most easily found amongst South Africa’s most recognised vehicle brands.

“Naturally pre-owned shoppers are looking for the most car for their money, but in the pre-owned space there are many more factors contributing to value for money than standard specification and features. For example, exotic brands might seem affordable in terms of purchase price in the pre-owned market, but they come with unknowns in terms of their actual usable lifespan and the ability to effectively maintain these vehicles during that time,” concludes Levin. 

Weelee's top ten sellers in the last year (Nov 24 – Nov 25) include;

Volkswagen Polo Vivo

Ford Ranger

Toyota Fortuner

Hyundai i10

BMW 3-Series

Suzuki Swift 

Kia Picanto

Nissan NP200 

Mercedes-Benz C-Class

Toyota Starlet

Top ten selling brands (Nov 24 – Nov 25);

Volkswagen

Ford

Toyota

Hyundai

BMW 

Suzuki

Kia

Nissan

Mercedes

Isuzu

Top selling body types (Nov 24 – Nov 25);

Hatch Back

SUV

Sedan

Double Cab

Single Cab

Shop for your next car today

Motorists looking for their next set of wheels can browse thousands of quality pre-owned cars at www.weelee.co.za or visit the Weelee Centurion Megastore today.