German brands dominate searches on Auto Trader, with the top four brands accounting for 34.2% on the site according to figures for August, released today.

Of these, cars made by BMW and Audi headed the list, making up one in five of all site searches.

Volkswagen and Mercedes completed the top four August sweep, with a further 15% of search volumes between them.

“We shouldn’t be surprised that German brands dominate,” said Nick King, Auto Trader market research director.

“There are good reasons why the BMW 3 Series consistently tops the chart, with VW’s Golf and Audi’s A4 not far behind.

A combination of premium positioning, quality and regular model updates help keep these models at the front of mind for those looking for a new car – and for those who simply aspire to own a premium new or used car.”

In August, seven out of ten cars in the top 10 model list were German. Of the remaining three models two are made in Germany, Ford’s Cologne plant producing right-hand drive Fiestas and the Ford Focus.

The Ellesmere Port manufactured Vauxhall Astra was in ninth place with 2.4% of all searches.