AA Autobay’s [www.aaautobay.co.za] used car market research findings, based on Internet usage, yield significant information on trends in the car market in South Africa. During the period from October 2007 to March 2008 there was an overall decline in Internet searches for cars in general – that is both new and used cars. The drop, 34% based on search engine impressions, can be attributed to a number of economic factors, including the rate of inflation, the continued interest rate hikes, and the soaring petrol price.
“This trend can also be seen in the new car market where there has been a significant drop in sales this year compared to the same period last year,” says Ed Gassner, CEO, AA Autobay.
“A result of these economic forces is an upsurge in the used car market. Consumers are on the lookout for affordable cars that will bring them the most value.”
In October 2007 the most popular car brand searched for on the Internet was Honda, followed by Hyundai, Toyota, Volkswagen and BMW. The searches for Honda constituted 20% of the total searches with second place Hyundai only accounting for 11% of the total searches.
Six months later, in March 2008, Honda was still the most searched for car online, but only accounted for 16% of the total searches. Toyota moved into second place, followed by Volkswagen, BMW and Opel.
Car Brands______Estimated Internet Search Share (SA Only)
________________Oct-07*____Ranking____Mar-08______Ranking
Honda_______________20%_______1_________16%________1
Toyota______________10%_______3_________13%________2
Volkswagen________9.80%_______4_________13%________3
BMW______________7.40%_______5__________9%________4
Opel_______________4.00%_______9________5.25%_______5
Ford_______________4.70%_______7________4.86%_______6
Nissan_____________4.70%_______8________4.05%_______7
Hyundai___________11.00%_______2________3.49%_______8
Mercedes Benz____3.20%______10________3.36%_______9
Mazda____________2.90%______11________3.18%_______10
Audi______________2.90%______12________3.12%_______11
Renault___________2.90%____Below 12____2.36%_______12
* Percentage of total online searches
“While this doesn’t really show us much distinction between smaller, more cost-effective cars, and the larger, luxury cars, it does indicate the decrease in searching behaviour,” says Gassner.
The research findings from the AA Autobay portal, based on March 2008 figures, indicate that Volkswagen was the most popular used car brand, followed by Toyota, BMW, Audi and Mercedes Benz.
The most searched for models within the Volkswagen brand were the Polo Playa and Golf 4 and 5, with the Conquest/Tazz and RunX being the most popular within the Toyota searches.
Used Car Brands___Searches on AA Autobay Site
__________________Mar-08*_________Ranking
Volkswagen_________20%______________1
Toyota_____________15%______________2
BMW_______________11%______________3
Audi_____________6.78%______________4
Mercedes Benz____6.73%______________5
Opel______________5.97%______________6
Ford______________4.80%______________7
Renault___________3.79%______________8
Nissan____________3.51%______________9
Honda____________2.62%_____________10
Mazda____________2.43%_____________11
Hyundai__________2.26%_____________12
* Percentage of total searches
Gassner states that this clearly signifies a move by consumers towards used cars, in both small, cost-effective models, as well as larger, high end vehicles.
“Used cars are increasingly popular because they offer the consumer so much more value. While consumers are looking for the small, cheaper to run cars like the Polos and Conquests, they are also looking to AA Autobay for the more expensive, luxury cars from the likes of BMW, Mercedes Benz and Audi.”
AA Autobay has 13 branches nationwide. Visit www.aaautobay.co.za or contact the sales centre on 086 1 22 22 29 to find out more.
Contact Information:
AA Autobay
Tania Steenkamp
Tel: +27 11 277 0000
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
