The Burrow
May 27, 2025
We might take it for granted these days, but cars are an awesome piece of engineering that makes travelling and personal transport fast and convenient. Automobiles can last for a long time – provided you look after them, that is.
With new cars typically costing a lot more than used ones, second-hand cars can be a more affordable option for people needing personal transport. As experts in understanding how the value of your car can impact the cost of your car insurance, we decided to compare the prices of popular models in different cities to find if some locations had better prices for used cars than others.
We looked at several different countries across the world to find some of the best major cities for cheap used car prices.
In Australia, utes and hatchbacks are highly popular so we looked at average used car prices for the Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger, Toyota Corolla, Hyundai i30 and Mazda 3, which are some of the best-selling models in Australia across the past decade. We focused on the major capital cities and a few other large population centres along Australia’s east coast.
Overall, Hobart had the cheapest prices for three of the five models we looked at, with an average price tag of AUD$44,990 for the Hilux, AUD$28,000 for the Ford Ranger, and AUD$20,445 for the i30. Brisbane had the best average price for the Corolla at AUD$23,664, while the Sunshine Coast had the cheapest average cost for a Mazda 3 at AUD$22,625.
On the flip side, Sydney had the most expensive prices for the i30 and Mazda 3 (AUD$26,832 and AUD$25,983 respectively). Darwin had the highest cost for a Hilux at AUD$61,332, while the Sunshine Coast had the most expensive price for a Ford Ranger at AUD$35,608 (just beating out the Gold Coast) and Newcastle had the highest price for a Corolla at AUD$26,988.
| Car models | Brisbane | Sydney | Melbourne | Canberra | Perth | Darwin | Hobart | Newcastle | Gold Coast | Sunshine Coast |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toyota Hilux | $52,842 | $51,114 | $51,875 | $50,561 | $49,999 | $61,332 | $44,990 | $48,376 | $48,371 | $54,500 |
| Ford Ranger | $33,840 | $32,782 | $29,609 | $32,341 | $31,312 | $29,990 | $28,000 | $31,656 | $35,152 | $35,608 |
| Toyota Corolla | $23,664 | $25,404 | $26,644 | $25,337 | $25,279 | $25,990 | $26,000 | $26,988 | $24,029 | $25,148 |
| Hyundai i30 | $25,626 | $26,832 | $24,581 | $25,677 | $22,161 | – | $20,445 | $23,364 | $24,716 | $21,637 |
| Mazda 3 | $24,675 | $25,983 | $25,400 | $25,683 | $25,367 | $24,999 | $24,990 | $23,500 | $23,859 | $22,625 |
Hopping ‘across the ditch’ from Australia to New Zealand, we compared average used car prices for several models: the Ford Ranger, Toyota Hilux, Toyota Corolla, and Mazda CX-5.
Prices were more scattered in New Zealand than in Australia, making it difficult to pick one city that was better than the others for prices. Dunedin has the cheapest average price for a Ford Ranger at NZD$28,995 and the second-cheapest price for a Corolla at NZD$20,237. Dunedin also had a price for a CX-5 that sat roughly in the middle of the cheapest and most expensive price.
Christchurch had the cheapest price for a CX-5 at NZD$26,171 and lower prices for a Hilux and Ranger, but the most expensive price for a Corolla at NZD$24,486. Wellington and Lower Hutt tied for the cheapest average for a Hilux at NZD$31,495.
While Hamilton had the cheapest average price for a Corolla at NZD$19,771 and a relatively low price for a Ranger at NZD$35,647, it also had the most expensive price for a CX-5 at NZD$31,490 and the second-most expensive price for a Hilux at NZD$40,649.
| Car models | Auckland | Wellington | Christchurch | Hamilton | Napier | Dunedin | Nelson | Lower Hutt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ford Ranger | $39,025 | $39,851 | $36,235 | $35,647 | $35,490 | $28,995 | $37,990 | $41,828 |
| Toyota Hilux | $42,619 | $31,495 | $32,432 | $40,649 | – | – | $39,493 | $31,495 |
| Toyota Corolla | $20,805 | $22,536 | $24,486 | $19,771 | $21,900 | $20,237 | $22,990 | $22,494 |
| Mazda CX-5 | $29,074 | $27,495 | $26,171 | $31,490 | $28,995 | $28,990 | – | $27,995 |
Note that due to a lack of available models within the specific parameters we set when conducting research, some cities did not have a price listed for some models. See the methodology at the end of the article to learn more about the parameters chosen for this analysis.
In the United States, we looked at average prices for the Ford F150, Chevrolet Silverado, Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V – if there’s one thing Americans love, its pickups and SUVs.
They say everything is bigger in Texas, but fortunately for residents of the Lone Star State, Houston was a clear winner for competitive used car prices. Houston had the cheapest average prices for the Silverado and RAV4 (USD$28,901 and USD$22,514), plus the second-cheapest price for a Ford F150 at USD$21,987 and the second-best price for a Honda CR-V at USD$21,338.
The cities with the cheapest average price for a Ford F150 and Honda CR-V were also in Texas. Dallas had the best price for a F150 at USD$21,724, while San Antonio had the lowest average cost for a Honda CR-V at USD$20,357.
On the flip side, it was harder to pick one particular city that was the most expensive overall. Atlanta had the highest cost for a Ford F150 at USD$32,287, while San Diego had the highest average for a Silverado at USD$32,068. New York had the most expensive cost for a RAV4 at USD$25,247, plus the third-highest price for a Chevy Silverado at USD$31,367, and middle of the road prices for a Ford F150 and Honda CR-V.
While Chicago had good prices for pickups, the SUVs were noticeably more expensive. Chicago had the most expensive average for a CR-V at USD$24,295.
| Car models | New York | Los Angeles | Chicago | Houston | Phoenix | Philadelphia | San Antonio | San Diego | Atlanta | Dallas |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ford F150 | $23,657 | $23,474 | $22,834 | $21,987 | $23,249 | $23,374 | $24,392 | $23,462 | $32,287 | $21,724 |
| Chevrolet Silverado | $31,367 | $31,095 | $29,651 | $28,901 | $31,659 | $31,113 | $30,631 | $32,068 | $30,351 | $30,542 |
| Toyota RAV4 | $25,247 | $24,782 | $24,736 | $22,514 | $23,827 | $24,165 | $24,610 | $23,153 | $23,720 | $23,835 |
| Honda CR-V | $22,418 | $22,480 | $24,295 | $21,338 | $21,596 | $21,893 | $20,357 | $22,350 | $23,659 | $21,584 |
That which was popular in America was also popular in Canada, with our analysis focusing on the Ford F150, Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, plus the Honda Civic.
There were some clear winners and losers when it comes to the cost of used cars in Canadian cities. Toronto, Quebec City and Montreal had lower average prices, while Edmonton and Winnipeg had the most expensive average costs.
Specifically, Toronto had the cheapest average price for a Ford F150 at CAD$29,462, plus the third-cheapest costs for a Toyota RAV4 and Honda Civic (CAD$29,057 and CAD$19,296 respectively). Montreal had the cheapest costs for the SUV models we analysed, with a Toyota RAV4 costing CAD$27,969 and a Honda CR-V costing CAD$19,571 on average.
Quebec City had the cheapest cost for a Honda Civic at CAD$18,445, plus the second-cheapest costs for a Ford F150 and Honda CR-V (CAD$30,460 and CAD$20,027 respectively).
On the other end of the scale, Winnipeg had the most expensive costs for a Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V (CAD$34,478 and CAD$31,491), plus the second-highest price for a Honda Civic at CAD$24,364. Edmonton had the most expensive price for a Honda Civic at CAD$25,284, plus the second-highest prices for a Ford F150 and Toyota RAV4 (CAD$35,870 and CAD$33,435), and the third-highest for a Honda CR-V at CAD$27,494.
| Car models | Toronto | Montreal | Vancouver | Calgary | Edmonton | Ottawa | Winnipeg | Quebec City | Hamilton | Kitchener |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ford F150 | $29,462 | $31,686 | $35,769 | $31,780 | $35,870 | $36,145 | $34,094 | $30,460 | $31,275 | $30,987 |
| Toyota RAV4 | $29,057 | $27,969 | $32,525 | $30,813 | $33,435 | $28,622 | $34,478 | $29,540 | $29,670 | $29,654 |
| Honda Civic | $19,296 | $20,055 | $23,466 | $21,219 | $25,284 | $19,929 | $24,364 | $18,445 | $19,294 | $19,695 |
| Honda CR-V | $22,886 | $19,571 | $27,367 | $28,396 | $27,494 | $22,041 | $31,491 | $20,027 | $22,510 | $22,270 |
In South Africa we calculated average prices for the Toyota Hilux, Volkswagen Polo Vivo, Ford Ranger and Nissan NP200.
Interestingly, the most expensive city and the cheapest city for used cars were both in the same province, Guateng – Johannesburg and Vereeniging. Johannesburg had the cheapest average prices for a Volkswagen Polo Vivo and Nissan NP200 (ZAR$132,010 and ZAR$116,249), and the second-cheapest for a Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger (ZAR$345,991 and ZAR$259,958 respectively).
Pretoria had the cheapest average price for a Toyota Hilux at ZAR$302,094 and Bloemfontein had the cheapest cost for a used Ford Ranger at ZAR$221,533.
Vereeniging had the most expensive prices for a Toyota Hilux, with the truck costing ZAR$449,995. It also had the second-most expensive price for a Volkswagen Polo Vivo and Nissan NP200, with the hatchback costing ZAR$188,183 and the Nissan NP200 costing ZAR$177,930.
| Car models | Johannesburg | Cape Town | Durban | Pretoria | Port Elizabeth | Vereeniging | Bloemfontein | Pietermaritzburg | Roodepoort |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toyota Hilux | R345,991 | R399,195 | R382,440 | R302,094 | R399,990 | R449,995 | – | R389,994 | R389,990 |
| Volkswagen Polo Vivo | R132,010 | R188,283 | R171,780 | R181,598 | R179,945 | R188,183 | R169,900 | R183,298 | R158,183 |
| Ford Ranger | R259,958 | R334,144 | R319,946 | R396,177 | R331,308 | R317,700 | R221,533 | R315,708 | R342,425 |
| Nissan NP200 | R116,249 | R177,975 | R174,962 | R151,686 | R161,772 | R177,930 | R170,900 | R169,990 | R168,198 |
Looking for a cheaper price on a used car can help save money on your purchase, but comparing car insurance can also help you save money while covering your ‘new’ ride. Executive General Manager of General Insurance, Adrian Taylor, explains.
“Comprehensive car insurance can cover both your legal liability and damage to your vehicle in a range of situations but, there will be different prices amongst insurance companies,” Mr Taylor said.
“Comparing car insurance can help you weigh up coverage and prices with ease, so you can potentially save on your policy. It’s also important to compare before the policy renews at the end of the year, to ensure you’re still looking for potential savings. It may take less time than you think and help your pocket.”
Read the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and Target Market Determination (TMD) for details on coverage, benefit limits and exclusions.
We gathered prices from used car listings in major cities across the countries we examined, to a maximum of 50 listings per vehicle to facilitate research. Specific variants were used in some circumstances, and these were kept the same for each city in each country. In other instances, multiple variants of the same model were used due to the limited number of models. All cars had to be manufactured in 2019. In some instances, no models matching the parameters were found. There were also differences where one variant wasn’t available in another country. For example, in Australia and New Zealand the Toyota Hilux SR5 was used, but in South Africa it was the Toyota Hilux 2.4 GD6.
Prices were added to a spreadsheet and averaged for each model in each city.
Prices were gathered from 11/04/25 to 28/04/25 and are subject to change. The car selling websites used are listed below: