Buyer purpose mix
1,185qualifying searches
- General67.6% (n=801)
- Specific Vehicle22.7% (n=269)
- Affordability3.0% (n=36)
- Uber Bolt2.5% (n=30)
- Other4.1% (n=49)
Primary intent assigned to qualifying SearchMyRide buyer searches. Base n=1,185.
SearchMyRide Automotive Intelligence
Methodology & definitions →Car Buyer Intent & Preference Index
What SearchMyRide shoppers actually specify before buying across a live rolling six-month window: makes, models, purpose, body type, transmission, fuel, location and research priorities.
1,185 buyer searches analysed429 unique buyer journeysPast 6 monthsUpdated 8 Nov 2026
What buyers want
Preferences shoppers explicitly put into their searches
These are observed search choices—not demographic assumptions about the person searching.
Main purposeGeneral67.6% · n=801Body typeSUV42.6% · n=83FuelDiesel86.8% · n=33TransmissionAutomatic98.7% · n=78
Body-type preference
195body-type searches
- SUV42.6% (n=83)
- Hatchback26.7% (n=52)
- Doublecab11.8% (n=23)
- Sedan11.3% (n=22)
- Other7.7% (n=15)
Only searches that explicitly specified a body type are included. Base n=195.
Transmission preference
79transmission searches
- Automatic98.7% (n=78)
- Manual1.3% (n=1)
Only searches that explicitly specified a transmission are included. Base n=79.
Fuel-type preference
38fuel-type searches
- Diesel86.8% (n=33)
- Petrol13.2% (n=5)
Only searches that explicitly specified a fuel type are included. Base n=38.
Where shopper preferences are changing
Largest observed movement in each preference group, comparing the latest 30 days with the previous 30 days.
Buyer purpose: Generaln=107
↓ 3.0 pp85.6% now · 88.6% before
Body type: Sedann=3
↑ 32.7 pp42.9% now · 10.2% before
Fuel type: Petroln=1
↑ 40.0 pp50.0% now · 10.0% before
Transmission: Automaticn=6
↑ 1.8 pp100.0% now · 98.2% before
Requested province: Gautengn=50
↓ 15.3 pp61.7% now · 77.0% before
View preference trend table
| Preference | Leading mover | Latest n | Latest share | Previous share | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buyer purpose | General | 107 | 85.6% | 88.6% | -3.0 pp |
| Body type | Sedan | 3 | 42.9% | 10.2% | +32.7 pp |
| Fuel type | Petrol | 1 | 50.0% | 10.0% | +40.0 pp |
| Transmission | Automatic | 6 | 100.0% | 98.2% | +1.8 pp |
| Requested province | Gauteng | 50 | 61.7% | 77.0% | -15.3 pp |
Rent-to-own demandSee RTO-specific searches and requested vehiclesUber & Bolt demandSee e-hailing-oriented buyer searchesProvincial demandSee where buyers are searchingAI questionsSee what conversational shoppers ask about
View all preference evidencePurpose, research lens, body style, transmission, fuel, condition, geography and model detail.
Primary buyer intent
What qualifying SearchMyRide searches were mainly trying to accomplish. Base n=1,185.
Explicit research lens
Research criteria buyers explicitly used in SearchMyRide search. Base n=45.
Research priority in search
First transparent shopping priority attached to an explicit research-intent search. Base n=42.
Body-type preference
Only searches that specified a body type are included. Base n=195.
Transmission preference
Only searches that specified transmission are included. Base n=79.
Fuel-type preference
Only searches that specified a fuel type are included. Base n=38.
Vehicle-condition preference
Only searches that specified a vehicle condition are included. Base n=30.
Geographic intent
Location refers to the requested vehicle-search area, not necessarily the shopper’s residence. Base n=653.
Make + model share of specified vehicle searches
643make+model searches
- Ford Ranger7.2%
- BMW 1 Series6.4%
- BMW 3 Series5.8%
- BMW X55.1%
- Other75.6%
Specific-car comparison across searches that named both make and model. Base n=643.
Most frequent make-and-model combinations
| Vehicle | Qualifying observations | Share of make+model searches |
|---|---|---|
| Ford Ranger | 46 | 7.2% |
| BMW 1 Series | 41 | 6.4% |
| BMW 3 Series | 37 | 5.8% |
| BMW X5 | 33 | 5.1% |
| Toyota Hilux | 29 | 4.5% |
| BMW X3 | 25 | 3.9% |
| Audi A3 | 13 | 2.0% |
| BMW X6 | 13 | 2.0% |
| Mercedes-Benz C-Class | 12 | 1.9% |
| Hyundai Grand I10 | 12 | 1.9% |
| Toyota Toyota | 11 | 1.7% |
| Toyota Fortuner | 10 | 1.6% |
Percentages use the relevant qualifying searches that explicitly specified both make and model as the denominator.
Within-brand model consideration
Which models are driving each leading make?
These comparisons show how make-and-model-specific searches split within leading makes. Leading makes are shown as soon as model-specific searches are observed; each row carries its own n so readers can judge maturity.
BMW model search mix
193make+model searches
- BMW 1 Series21.2%
- BMW 3 Series19.2%
- BMW X517.1%
- BMW X313.0%
- Other29.5%
Share within BMW searches that explicitly specified a model. Base n=193.
Toyota model search mix
89make+model searches
- Toyota Hilux32.6%
- Toyota Toyota12.4%
- Toyota Fortuner11.2%
- Toyota Hilux 2.8 GD-6 Raider 4X4 A/T P/U D/C11.2%
- Other32.6%
Share within Toyota searches that explicitly specified a model. Base n=89.
Ford model search mix
66make+model searches
- Ford Ranger69.7%
- Ford Ecosport10.6%
- Ford Mustang7.6%
- Ford Everest4.5%
- Other7.6%
Share within Ford searches that explicitly specified a model. Base n=66.
Mercedes-Benz model search mix
42make+model searches
- Mercedes-Benz C-Class28.6%
- Mercedes-Benz A-Class19.0%
- Mercedes-Benz GLC7.1%
- Mercedes-Benz V-Class7.1%
- Other38.1%
Share within Mercedes-Benz searches that explicitly specified a model. Base n=42.
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 | 38.4% (n=208) | 21.1% (n=19) | -17.3 pp | Early signal |
| Hyundai | 3.3% (n=18) | 8.9% (n=8) | +5.6 pp | Very early signal |
| Land Rover | 0.7% (n=4) | 5.6% (n=5) | +4.9 pp | Very early signal |
| Ford | 9.2% (n=50) | 4.4% (n=4) | -4.8 pp | Very early signal |
| Volkswagen | 2.4% (n=13) | 6.7% (n=6) | +4.3 pp | Very early signal |
| Nissan | 0.0% (n=0) | 3.3% (n=3) | +3.3 pp | Very early signal |
| Audi | 4.8% (n=26) | 7.8% (n=7) | +3.0 pp | Very early signal |
| Mitsubishi | 3.0% (n=16) | 0.0% (n=0) | -3.0 pp | No observations yet |
| Renault | 2.2% (n=12) | 0.0% (n=0) | -2.2 pp | No observations yet |
| Honda | 0.2% (n=1) | 2.2% (n=2) | +2.0 pp | Very early signal |
| Isuzu | 0.4% (n=2) | 2.2% (n=2) | +1.8 pp | Very early signal |
| Mazda | 0.6% (n=3) | 2.2% (n=2) | +1.6 pp | Very early signal |
This measures SearchMyRide consideration share, not vehicle registrations or national sales. Percentage-point movement should be read together with the exact counts.
Source: SearchMyRide South African Car Buyer Index · Live rolling 6-month window · n=1,185 · SMR-CBI-ROLLING-6M · Dataset v2.0 · updated 8 Nov 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.