The Land Rover Defender is the most in demand used car currently on the market according to Aston Barclay’s August desirability index.

Land Rover Defender is August’s most desirable used car reports Aston Barclay

The Defender’s 9.0 out of 10 score was the highest ever rating recorded by a used car in the index and 1.8 points behind its nearest rival the Mercedes GLC.

The number of Defenders coming to auction are limited but when they do they create a great deal of buyer attention which translates into multiple bids and very strong prices.

Meanwhile, the demand from dealers has softened for mainstream used stock during the holiday season with only the MG ZS appearing in the top 20. The remaining 19 used cars on the Aston Barclay index are all higher value premium 4x4s, saloons and sports cars.

“Dealers continue to buy higher value premium used cars to order which is why they make up the majority of August’s index. Bidding on all higher value premium used cars remains highly competitive as dealers fight to secure stock for customers,” explained Mark Hankey, Aston Barclay’s chief revenue officer.

“At the opposite end of the market, the summer break has reduced demand for mainstream used cars as many dealers and consumers have chosen to go away on holiday after the pandemic restricted foreign travel. However, we believe the used market will perk up again for this type of stock in September,” he added.

Aston Barclay’s monthly index takes into consideration three key metrics: web views prior to sale, number of physical and online sale bids, and sale price achieved as a percentage of CAP average.