Top makes
- BMWn=119 · Established signal26.4%
- Toyotan=63 · Developing signal14.0%
- Fordn=52 · Developing signal11.5%
- Mercedes Benzn=48 · Developing signal10.6%
- Hyundain=28 · Early signal6.2%
Share of make-specific searches.
SearchMyRide Automotive Intelligence
Methodology & definitions →South African Car Buyer Index — Live 6-Month Report
Live rolling six-month SearchMyRide buyer-intent research for South Africa, covering specific makes, models, affordability, preferences, unmet demand and live vehicle supply with exact sample sizes and machine-readable data.
663 buyer searches analysed217 unique buyer journeysPast 6 monthsUpdated 22 Sep 2026
Buyer Index at a glance
What SearchMyRide car shoppers are telling us now
Five quick findings from the live six-month evidence window. Every card shows the evidence base behind it.
Most considered makeBMWn=119 · 26.4% of make-specific searchesMost searched specific carFord Rangern=27 · 10.8% of make+model searchesTypical stated vehicle budgetR300,000Median of n=49 explicit buyer budgetsMost requested body typeSUVn=61 · 41.2% of body-type-specific searchesQualified unmet-demand rate10.5%n=2 validated zero-result attempts
What buyers want
Cars and preferences shoppers are asking for
The strongest observed makes, models and vehicle preferences in plain language.
Top specific cars
- Ford Rangern=27 · Early signal10.8%
- Toyota Hiluxn=16 · Early signal6.4%
- BMW X3n=13 · Early signal5.2%
- Mercedes-Benz C-Classn=11 · Early signal4.4%
- BMW X5n=10 · Early signal4.0%
Share of make+model-specific searches.
Body typeSUV41.2% · n=61FuelDiesel94.1% · n=32TransmissionAutomatic100.0% · n=60
What buyers can afford
Stated budgets compared with available cars
Why this matters: Stated buyer budgets describe what shoppers say they can spend; live asking prices describe current SearchMyRide supply. They are shown separately and are not lending or affordability approvals.
What’s changing
Recent movement worth watching
Latest 30 days versus the previous 30 days. Headline cards avoid presenting tiny one-observation changes as major trends.
BMW X3n=13 · Early signal
↑ 6.2 pp6.2% of recent specified searches
Toyota Hilux 2.8 GD-6 Raider 4X4 A/T P/U D/Cn=9 · Very early signal
↑ 4.3 pp4.3% of recent specified searches
BMW 3 Seriesn=8 · Very early signal
↑ 3.8 pp3.8% of recent specified searches
Toyota Hilux 2.5 Double Cab 4X4n=8 · Very early signal
↑ 3.8 pp3.8% of recent specified searches
Buyer mix in charts
How current SearchMyRide demand is distributed
Each pie uses a single, explicit denominator and groups the long tail into “Other” where needed so the whole circle remains statistically honest.
Buyer purpose mix
663qualifying searches
- General51.0% (n=338)
- Specific Vehicle34.8% (n=231)
- Affordability5.0% (n=33)
- Rent To Own3.2% (n=21)
- Other6.0% (n=40)
Primary intent across qualifying SearchMyRide searches. Base n=663.
Body-style demand
148body-type searches
- SUV41.2% (n=61)
- Hatchback25.0% (n=37)
- Doublecab14.2% (n=21)
- Sedan12.8% (n=19)
- Other6.8% (n=10)
Only searches that explicitly specified a body type are included. Base n=148.
Decision intelligence
What happens after SearchMyRide makes a recommendation
This connects recommendation exposure, engagement, enquiry and downstream outcome evidence without exposing individual buyers. It measures SearchMyRide product behaviour, not national vehicle sales.
Recommendation outcome mix
26,568ranked exposures
- Engaged without enquiry0.0% (n=12)
- No recorded downstream action100.0% (n=26,556)
Each exposure is assigned to one strongest recorded downstream state, so the slices are mutually exclusive. Base n=26,568.
Buyer journey stage mix
45,522active journeys
- Discover99.2% (n=45,144)
- Explore0.7% (n=338)
- Enquiry Sent0.0% (n=18)
- Decide0.0% (n=13)
- Other0.0% (n=9)
Latest recorded stage among journeys active inside the rolling reporting window. Base n=45,522.
Shown → engagement → enquiry → dealer response → outcome
Rates use canonical ranked vehicle exposures as the common denominator. A single exposure can appear in multiple progression stages, so these bars are intentionally not a pie chart.
Base n=26,568 canonical ranked vehicle exposures in the rolling window. Recorded purchase/lost states depend on downstream outcome capture and may lag the original recommendation.
10.5% of quality-evaluated searches showed actionable unmet demand
2 quality-validated zero-result search attempts were observed across 2 unique buyer journey/day demand signals.
0 specific make/model combinations affected19 searches evaluated by the hardened classifier
Likely input mistakes, parsing uncertainty, system failures and over-constrained combinations are excluded from qualified unmet demand. Raw exact-zero telemetry: 10.5% (2 of 19 searches). Exact sourcing gaps remain available in subscriber Dealer Intelligence.
View detailed evidence & research tablesDenominators, trends, inventory distributions, methodology context and downloadable evidence.
About this live report
Past 6 months of SearchMyRide buyer activity
The report updates continuously as new qualifying buyer searches arrive. Small samples stay visible, but every figure keeps its exact n so readers can judge how mature the evidence is.
663 buyer searches analysed217 unique buyer journeysPast 6 months rolling 183-day window22 Sep 2026 data through
View data coverage
This shows how often shoppers explicitly supplied each field. A field can be absent from a valid search.
| Specified field | Observations | Share of searches | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Make specified | 451 | 68.0% | Established signal |
| Make + model specified | 249 | 37.6% | Established signal |
| Province specified | 222 | 33.5% | Established signal |
| City specified | 6 | 0.9% | Very early signal |
| Body type specified | 148 | 22.3% | Established signal |
| Transmission specified | 60 | 9.0% | Developing signal |
| Fuel type specified | 34 | 5.1% | Developing signal |
| Condition specified | 28 | 4.2% | Early signal |
| Mileage ceiling specified | 7 | 1.1% | Very early signal |
| Explicit vehicle budget | 49 | 7.4% | Developing signal |
| Explicit monthly payment | 18 | 2.7% | Early signal |
| Rent-to-own intent | 21 | 3.2% | Early signal |
| E-hailing intent | 20 | 3.0% | Early signal |
| AI / natural-language / voice | 211 | 31.8% | Established signal |
| Zero-result search | 85 | 12.8% | Developing signal |
Where the evidence came from
touch 57.6% · n=382voice 22.8% · n=151text 19.5% · n=129background 0.2% · n=1
Shows how qualifying SearchMyRide Buyer Index evidence entered the dataset. Traffic acquisition and product-surface mix can influence observed demand and should be considered when interpreting the sample.
View live-stock price distribution
Most current live prices fall between R189,500 and R425,000. 1,120 live indexed vehicles are included in this supply reference.
10th percentile R129,99525th percentile R189,500Median R275,00075th percentile R425,00090th percentile R649,955
Buyer searches collected across the six-month window
A simple monthly view of how much evidence contributes to the live report.
View detailed monthly evidence
| Month | Searches | Journeys | Make | Make + model | Budget n | Payment n | Zero-result rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 2026 | 257 | 91 | 167 | 100 | 33 | 6 | — |
| Sep 2026 | 406 | 127 | 284 | 149 | 16 | 12 | 10.5% |
Permanent daily snapshots remain the audit source for custom historical reporting.
Specific models moving now
Last 30 days compared with the previous 30 days. Read movement together with the latest sample size.
BMW X3n=13 · Early signal
↑ 6.2 pp6.2% now · 0.0% before
Mercedes-Benz C200n=0 · No observations yet
↓ 5.3 pp0.0% now · 5.3% before
Hyundai I10n=0 · No observations yet
↓ 5.3 pp0.0% now · 5.3% before
Mercedes-Benz GLCn=0 · No observations yet
↓ 5.3 pp0.0% now · 5.3% before
Volkswagen GTIn=0 · No observations yet
↓ 5.3 pp0.0% now · 5.3% before
Volkswagen Tiguann=2 · Very early signal
↓ 4.4 pp0.9% now · 5.3% before
Toyota Corollan=2 · Very early signal
↓ 4.4 pp0.9% now · 5.3% before
Toyota Hilux 2.8 GD-6 Raider 4X4 A/T P/U D/Cn=9 · Very early signal
↑ 4.3 pp4.3% now · 0.0% before
BMW 3 Seriesn=8 · Very early signal
↑ 3.8 pp3.8% now · 0.0% before
Toyota Hilux 2.5 Double Cab 4X4n=8 · Very early signal
↑ 3.8 pp3.8% now · 0.0% before
View detailed trend table
| Segment | Latest n | Latest share | Previous share | Change | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BMW X3 | 13 | 6.2% | 0.0% | +6.2 pp | Early signal |
| Mercedes-Benz C200 | 0 | 0.0% | 5.3% | -5.3 pp | No observations yet |
| Hyundai I10 | 0 | 0.0% | 5.3% | -5.3 pp | No observations yet |
| Mercedes-Benz GLC | 0 | 0.0% | 5.3% | -5.3 pp | No observations yet |
| Volkswagen GTI | 0 | 0.0% | 5.3% | -5.3 pp | No observations yet |
| Volkswagen Tiguan | 2 | 0.9% | 5.3% | -4.4 pp | Very early signal |
| Toyota Corolla | 2 | 0.9% | 5.3% | -4.4 pp | Very early signal |
| Toyota Hilux 2.8 GD-6 Raider 4X4 A/T P/U D/C | 9 | 4.3% | 0.0% | +4.3 pp | Very early signal |
| BMW 3 Series | 8 | 3.8% | 0.0% | +3.8 pp | Very early signal |
| Toyota Hilux 2.5 Double Cab 4X4 | 8 | 3.8% | 0.0% | +3.8 pp | Very early signal |
Quote-ready findings
Key findings
Each statement below is generated from deterministic metrics and is scoped explicitly to SearchMyRide data.
For media & research
Cite this report
Use the SearchMyRide scope, reporting window and sample size when quoting a finding.
SearchMyRide, South African Car Buyer Index — Live rolling six-month report. https://searchmyride.co.za/car-buyer-index/ Sample scope and methodology published with the dataset.
Download report data (CSV) · Machine-readable claims · Methodology
Buyer searches over time
View chart data
| Date | Qualifying searches |
|---|---|
| 2026-08-16 | 2 |
| 2026-08-17 | 30 |
| 2026-08-18 | 30 |
| 2026-08-19 | 17 |
| 2026-08-20 | 3 |
| 2026-08-21 | 5 |
| 2026-08-22 | 45 |
| 2026-08-23 | 24 |
| 2026-08-24 | 1 |
| 2026-08-25 | 20 |
| 2026-08-26 | 41 |
| 2026-08-27 | 16 |
| 2026-08-28 | 10 |
| 2026-08-29 | 11 |
| 2026-08-30 | 1 |
| 2026-08-31 | 1 |
| 2026-09-01 | 11 |
| 2026-09-02 | 20 |
| 2026-09-03 | 22 |
| 2026-09-04 | 14 |
| 2026-09-05 | 17 |
| 2026-09-06 | 11 |
| 2026-09-07 | 4 |
| 2026-09-09 | 2 |
| 2026-09-10 | 60 |
| 2026-09-11 | 22 |
| 2026-09-12 | 79 |
| 2026-09-13 | 5 |
| 2026-09-14 | 55 |
| 2026-09-15 | 8 |
| 2026-09-16 | 32 |
| 2026-09-17 | 27 |
| 2026-09-18 | 5 |
| 2026-09-19 | 5 |
| 2026-09-20 | 1 |
| 2026-09-21 | 4 |
| 2026-09-22 | 2 |
Explicit vehicle budgets
49observations
- Up to R100k4.1%
- R100k–R150k12.2%
- R150k–R200k6.1%
- R200k–R300k44.9%
- Above R300k32.7%
Only explicitly stated maximum vehicle prices are included.
Specific cars buyers searched for
249make+model searches
- Ford Ranger10.8%
- Toyota Hilux6.4%
- BMW X35.2%
- Mercedes-Benz C-Class4.4%
- Other73.1%
Share of qualifying searches that explicitly specified both make and model. Base n=249.
Which specific cars are over- or under-supplied?
Ford Ranger+10.8 pp demand-supply gap
Search share 10.8%
Live-stock share 0.0%
Toyota Hilux+6.4 pp demand-supply gap
Search share 6.4%
Live-stock share 0.0%
BMW X3+4.5 pp demand-supply gap
Search share 5.2%
Live-stock share 0.7%
Mercedes-Benz C-Class+4.4 pp demand-supply gap
Search share 4.4%
Live-stock share 0.0%
BMW X5+3.1 pp demand-supply gap
Search share 4.0%
Live-stock share 0.9%
Toyota Hilux 2.8 GD-6 Raider 4X4 A/T P/U D/C+3.5 pp demand-supply gap
Search share 3.6%
Live-stock share 0.1%
Search share uses qualifying searches that explicitly named both make and model. Live-stock share uses all current indexed SearchMyRide vehicles. The percentage-point gap is directional marketplace context, not national market share.
Specific car demand & live supply
| Vehicle | Search share | Live-stock share | Share gap | Searches | Live stock | Searches/listing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ford Ranger | 10.8% | 0.0% | +10.8 pp | 27 | — | — |
| Toyota Hilux | 6.4% | 0.0% | +6.4 pp | 16 | — | — |
| BMW X3 | 5.2% | 0.7% | +4.5 pp | 13 | 8 | 1.63 |
| Mercedes-Benz C-Class | 4.4% | 0.0% | +4.4 pp | 11 | — | — |
| BMW X5 | 4.0% | 0.9% | +3.1 pp | 10 | 10 | 1.00 |
| Toyota Hilux 2.8 GD-6 Raider 4X4 A/T P/U D/C | 3.6% | 0.1% | +3.5 pp | 9 | 1 | 9.00 |
| Toyota Hilux 2.5 Double Cab 4X4 | 3.2% | 0.1% | +3.1 pp | 8 | 1 | 8.00 |
| BMW 3 Series | 3.2% | 0.0% | +3.2 pp | 8 | — | — |
Ford Ranger leads Toyota Hilux by 4.4 percentage points of make+model-specific search share. Exact make/model buyer-budget gaps are reserved for active dealership subscribers in Dealer Intelligence.
What happened after SearchMyRide enquiries
A separate 183-day lead-attribution cohort connects enquiry outcomes with buyer, dealer and inventory evidence. It does not change or inflate Buyer Index search-demand counts.
1Verified / confirmed
16Likely / possible
1No conversion
76Still active
Evidence rule: Only dealer/buyer confirmations or confidence-threshold evidence are labelled as sales. Inventory withdrawal alone is never reported as a verified transaction. When one vehicle has several recent leads, the stock event remains vehicle-level and unresolved until the correct enquiry is identified.
What buyers are asking for
Intent categories generated by SearchMyRide search classification. Base n=663.
Searches per live listing
| Vehicle | Qualifying searches | Live stock | Searches / listing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toyota Hilux 2.8 GD-6 Raider 4X4 A/T P/U D/C | 9 | 1 | 9.00 |
| Toyota Hilux 2.5 Double Cab 4X4 | 8 | 1 | 8.00 |
| Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross | 5 | 2 | 2.50 |
| BMW 5 Series | 6 | 3 | 2.00 |
| BMW 320D | 2 | 1 | 2.00 |
| Audi A5 | 2 | 1 | 2.00 |
| Mercedes-Benz Vito | 2 | 1 | 2.00 |
| Land Rover Range Rover | 2 | 1 | 2.00 |
Directional SearchMyRide marketplace ratio. It does not measure national registrations or total market demand.
Brand consideration movement
Latest 30 days compared with the preceding 30 days inside the rolling six-month evidence window. Every observed make may appear; n and signal strength show how mature each movement is.
| Make | Previous 30d | Latest 30d | Change | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BMW | 10.1% (n=8) | 29.8% (n=111) | +19.7 pp | Established signal |
| Kia | 10.1% (n=8) | 0.0% (n=0) | -10.1 pp | No observations yet |
| Hyundai | 12.7% (n=10) | 4.8% (n=18) | -7.9 pp | Early signal |
| Mercedes Benz | 15.2% (n=12) | 9.7% (n=36) | -5.5 pp | Developing signal |
| Volkswagen | 8.9% (n=7) | 3.8% (n=14) | -5.1 pp | Early signal |
| Mazda | 3.8% (n=3) | 0.5% (n=2) | -3.3 pp | Very early signal |
| Land Rover | 0.0% (n=0) | 3.2% (n=12) | +3.2 pp | Early signal |
| Toyota | 11.4% (n=9) | 14.5% (n=54) | +3.1 pp | Developing signal |
| Mitsubishi | 1.3% (n=1) | 3.8% (n=14) | +2.5 pp | Early signal |
| Renault | 1.3% (n=1) | 3.0% (n=11) | +1.7 pp | Early signal |
| Jeep | 0.0% (n=0) | 1.6% (n=6) | +1.6 pp | Very early signal |
| Baic | 1.3% (n=1) | 0.0% (n=0) | -1.3 pp | No observations yet |
This measures SearchMyRide consideration share, not vehicle registrations or national sales. Percentage-point movement should be read together with the exact counts.
Deeper research
Buyer Index research views
Regional and conversational-intent views use the same live rolling six-month evidence base and publish exact denominators.
Publication-ready research assets
Use the underlying published data and methodology when quoting SearchMyRide. Downloads contain only aggregate-safe report data.
SMR-CBI-ROLLING-6M · Dataset v2.0 · n=663 · data through 22 Sep 2026
How to read the live six-month evidence
This report separates observed SearchMyRide buyer intent from live marketplace supply and publishes only segments that meet stated evidence thresholds.
Watch: Watch for sustained changes across multiple reporting periods rather than treating one short-term movement as a market-wide conclusion.
All numerical claims on this page come from deterministic calculations over the Buyer Index evidence table and the live inventory index.
Live stock
Live marketplace examples
Current SearchMyRide stock provides supply context; these listings are not used to manufacture buyer-demand observations.
Ford Ranger 2.0D Bi-Turbo Wildtrak 4×2 A/T – rent-to-own from MadRent
R827,000Randburg, Gauteng
View car →
Volkswagen Amarok DC Life 2.0 TDI – rent-to-own from MadRent
R769,500Randburg, Gauteng
View car →
JETOUR X70 PLUS 1.5T Deluxe – rent-to-own from MadRent
R485,000Randburg, Gauteng
View car →
Chery Cross Cross – rent-to-own from MadRent
R309,500Randburg, Gauteng
View car →
Toyota Corolla Cross 1.8 XS CVT – rent-to-own from MadRent
R445,000Randburg, Gauteng
View car →
Toyota Vitz 1.0 Petrol – rent-to-own from MadRent
R185,600Randburg, Gauteng
View car →Source: SearchMyRide South African Car Buyer Index · Live rolling 6-month window · n=663 · SMR-CBI-ROLLING-6M · Dataset v2.0 · updated 22 Sep 2026
About this data
Questions readers often ask
Does the Buyer Index represent every South African car buyer?
No. It describes qualifying SearchMyRide search activity during the stated period. SearchMyRide publishes the sample size and methodology so the scope is explicit.
Can AI change or invent a Buyer Index statistic?
No. Statistics are calculated deterministically from stored evidence. The optional AI layer is restricted to non-numeric interpretation and is rejected if it introduces numbers or currency values.
How often is the data updated?
The primary report is a live rolling 183-day analysis that refreshes as new qualifying evidence arrives. Aggregate daily snapshots are retained for historical reporting, and fixed month boundaries remain available internally for audit and archive reconstruction.