Rutherford's Column

By Mike Rutherford

03rd September 2010

Whenever I’m asked to nominate the best second-hand cars to buy, run and resell, my reply is simple: don’t be obsessed with fashionable badges on the grille, and go for a solid vehicle that’s likely to sail through potentially painful and expensive annual MoT tests.

Trouble is, manufacturers aren’t in the habit of naming the models which tend to pass – or fail – their MoTs. And test stations haven’t been spilling the beans, either. Until now!

The Halfords-owned Nationwide Autocentres chain is breaking with tradition, and in the interests of consumer protection, has revealed which of the best-selling new cars of the past decade have evolved into MoT successes… or disasters.
 
Let’s start on a positive note by acknowledging that for cars registered in 2006 and MoT’d for the first time in 2009, the fail rate is as low as seven per cent – at least it is for BMW 3-Series models! Next best are the VW Golf (11 per cent fail), Ford Mondeo (12), Fiesta (13), Focus (13), Renault Clio (13), Vauxhall Astra (14), Ford Ka (15), Vauxhall Corsa (20) and Renault Mégane (25). Or to put it another way, an impressive 93 per cent of just-out-of-warranty 3-Series eased through their MoTs, while a low 75 per cent of Méganes secured pass certificates.

If you want to read the rest of Mike's Column, pick up a copy of this week's mag...

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