Discontinued cars, known as 'zombie cars', are still popular among car buyers, according to Auto Trader.

The list of most popular zombie cars is dominated by luxury and sports cars, with the most popular being the most recent iteration of the Jaguar XJ, which went out of production last year. The big cat had 599,382 views on Auto Trader in September last year, with that number increasing to 633,807 in September this year.

Other premium vehicles that made the list include the Audi RS3, which was discontinued this year; the Maserati GranTurismo, the Mercedes-Benz SL, and the BMW i8, while more 'normal' cult classics like the Volkswagen Beetle and Suzuki Jimny also featured.

Nuova Suzuki Jimny

Table: Auto Trader data September 2020

Make and model

Dates of manufacture

Sept 2019: ad views

Sept 2020: ad views

Ad views: percentage difference (%)

Sept 2019: average price

Sept 2020: average price

Average price: percentage difference (%)

Jaguar XJ

2009-2019

599,382

633,807

5.7

£23,068

£17,579

-23.8

Audi RS3

(confirmed it has been discontinued having been replaced by the new generation A3/S3)

2015-2020

537,987

651,684

21.1

£38,338

£34,215

-10.8

Suzuki Jimny (confirmed it’s been pulled in Europe but will be introduced as a commercial vehicle)

2018-2020

181,344

210,164

15.9

£7,468

£12,287

64.5

Maserati GranTurismo (The Zeda edition went out of production in Dec 2019, so there are still 2020-registered delivery miles cars out there)

2007-2019

176,109

201,370

14.3

£42,435

£41,553

-2.1

VW Beetle (latest model)

 2011-2020

287,906

307,701

6.9

£6,354

£7,262

14.3

Mercedes-Benz SL Class

 2012-2020

447,276

542,485

21.3

£24,971

£24,917

-0.2

Land Rover Defender 110 (classic version, not the new one)

 2007-2016

385,908

674,554

74.8

£27,340

£46,045

68.4

Toyota GT86

 2012-2020

153,324

191,259

24.7

£18,403

£18,963

3.0

BMW i8

 2014-2020

201,324

235,359

16.9

£65,763

£56,451

-14.2

Mercedes-Benz X Class

2017-2020

114,520

160,898

40.5

£32,941

£30,769

-6.6

Likewise, Auto Trader also uncovered a selection of cars that were thought to be out of production, but actualy remain available from new. That list includes:

  1. Lotus Evora
  2. Mitsubishi Shogun Sport
  3. VW Sharan
  4. Nissan GT-R
  5. McLaren 570GT
2020 Lotus Evora GT410

"Drivers need to do their homework if buying an obsolete car otherwise they may find a few horrors," said Auto Trader's Editorial Director, Erin Baker. "Finding spare parts for your zombie could prove tricky or expensive, and it could be hard to tell if the car price is fair as there aren’t as many similar vehicles to compare it with. 

"However, you can still pick up a treat and find a used car that fits all your requirements if you’re able to put time in for research.

"As well as finding a discontinued car at a highly discounted price, you may also find dealerships offer financing deals at lower interest rates. Additionally, if the zombie car is super rare with a bit of a fanbase, you could even make a profit on it when you come to sell later on."