TH E H I G H PR I E ST O F BA N G E R N O M I CS
James Ruppert
’ve been slightly
involved with a nationalnewspaper doing a
freedom of information
request when it comes to MOT test
failures. I provided some of the
comments on what the stats revealed
and it bears repetition. These are
2015 cars that had their first MOT last
y e a r a nd t he r e ne e de d t o b e at le a s t
5000 tests for that particular model.
Without printing out a boring
table, let’s dig into the results. My eye
is drawn to the models least likely
to fail and yet again it is a win for
the older buyers with their favourite
little runabout, the Honda Jazz. They
love them and look after them. The
r e a l s u r pr i s e i s t he Vau x h a l l V i v a ,
a model that is mostly invisible in
the marketplace, but again oldies
remember the name from the 1960s
and 1970s, buy ’em and then make
sure they are looked after.
The Hyundai i20 is another old
favourite, an inoffensive car that
ju s t ge t s on w it h t he job a nd h a s a
suitably reassuring warranty, so yetanother one to tempt private buyers,
especially the more mature ones.
Otherwise, it is a big win for
perceived German build quality, as
you only get what you pay for with
Audi, Volkswagen and Mercedes.
Good news, then, for Audi with the
TT, A1 and Q3 taking the fourth, fifth
and sixth spots, and the Q5 making
an entry at number nine. These
are costly cars usually bought by
companies or people who can afford
to run them, so no real surprise there.
The SUV invasion is confirmed,
because there are strong showings
f r om t he Me r c e de s GL A , Hond a CR-V
and Volkswagen Tiguan.
At the troublesome end of thetable, the first two entries from
Citroën and Ford on the list of those
mo s t l i k e l y t o f a i l a r e h a rd-w ork i n g
people-carriers, the C4 Grand
Picasso and Galaxy, which lead
tough lives, sometimes as taxis. The
Da c i a Sa nde r o, how e v e r, i s m a rk e t e d
as a bargain buy, but a low price
seems to suggest low quality and
mor e br e a k dow n s. It m ay a l s o b e
cheapskates skimping on regular
maintenance. The appearance of
t he V W Pa s s at at nu mb e r fou r i s
a surprise because they rack uphuge mileages.
T he Ja g u a r X F i s ge t t i n g olde r
and more fragile and its complicated
running gear makes it a regular MOT
failure in sixth position. Citroën’s
long-term reputation is not great
and sibling brand DS is also in the
mix, with the 3. Hard-used Vauxhall
I n si g n i a s s c r ap e i n at 10 a nd t h at a l s o
explains the Nissan Micra at nine, a
generally reliable car that is worked
hard and then neglected.
Used car owners’ surveys tell you
nothing whereas actual stats like
t he s e g i v e u s e d c a r bu y e r s s ome v e r y
useful guidance. Buy this, be careful
w it h t h at a nd k now w h at t o av oid.
Which cars are most and least likely to fail their MOT test?
MOT HEROES AND VILLAINS
DS 3 is in the bottom
10 of c a r s m ost
likely to fail an MOT
Vauxhall Viva has
a good record for
passing its MOT
`
Stats like these give
used buyers very
useful guidance
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ALFA ROMEO 146 2.0 TI
Not the prettiest thing but it’s
an Alfa with a sweet gearchange
and a raspy Twin Spark engine
capable of 0-62mph in just over
8sec. Rust? It has a galvanised
body. We’d be more concerned
about the electrics, which can
give trouble. Old 146s are getting
pricey now, with this 80,000-
mile, 1997 P-reg costing £2950.
Sti l l , i t ’s a c l a s s i c , r i g ht?
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