I hope you managed to contain your excitement for the announcement of the cars that are least likely to fail their first MOT test. I’m sure that you can guess what most of them are. Anyway, like that test, a freedom of information request doesn’t lie, so just which models should we be looking for – or rather, which country’s products should we be considering first?
Making this all about nationality might seem like a generalisation – until you glance at the top 10 list. Basically, if you want a worry-free motoring life, it pays to buy Japanese.
The strong Lexus showing isn’t surprising, because these are high-quality cars that are bought new only by those who can afford luxury.
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The £35,000 NX SUV comes top of the table, with fewer than 5% of them taken in for their first test failing to pass. A 2015 2.0 F-Sport with 43,000 miles and a few MOTs under its belt could be yours of £18,750. That’s at a dealer for the smaller petrol engine. Fancy a hybrid? Stick with the dealer network and a 2015 300h Premier, so that you get all the usual reversing camera, Bluetooth and leather nonsense. Most of all, though, what you get is a 4.4% first-test failure rate.
Another Lexus comes in at number five, with a 6.6% failure rate: the CT family hatchback. I was tempted by a 2011 200h SE with 200,000 miles at £3995, but it’s better to choose a dealer car. A 34,000-mile 2016 200h Sport will set you back £13,250.
The Honda Jazz is in at number two with a 5.9% failure rate, and in third is the Mazda MX-5, with a 6.5% failure rate. Perhaps that’s because both these have a mature ownership profile, who can more than afford to service and maintain them properly.
An MX-5 is much more interesting than a Jazz. I really like the folding-hard-top RF, and there are a lot of little-used examples around. I would jump at a 2017 2.0 Skyactiv-G Launch Edition with Recaro seats and just under 4000 miles for £20,500.
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I dont see the point of MOT, car Insurance, road tax anymore en cLoud cucKoo Land. Trying to foLLow the Law as un motorist is un waste of time./
Nothing new, Japanese at the top, French (and Romanian-French) at the bottom. VW low position is not surprising, though. Still, the picture is not full without Korean and Italian cars for further comparison.
Jap cars are just more reliable. Proven time after time after time...