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RegVerdict Model Intelligence

The most reliable used cars, by class.

We ranked the UK’s used cars by the one reliability signal that covers every car on the road: the first-time MOT pass rate, from 52M+ DVSA tests in 2024. To make it a fair fight we rank within each class (small cars against small cars, SUVs against SUVs) and against the age-matched average, so a car is judged against its real rivals, not the whole road.

How to read this:the points figure is how far a model’s pass rate sits above or below other cars of the same age. +5 pts = it passes five points more often than its age group. The MOT rewards careful maintenance and low mileage as much as engineering, so premiumand gently-driven cars tend to do well (we flag them). Read it as which cars stay roadworthy, and pair it with the common faults on each model’s page.
Most reliable small carsMost reliable hatchbacksMost reliable SUVsMost reliable saloons and estatesMost reliable MPVsMost reliable sports carsMost reliable vans and pickups
Most reliable small cars
  1. 1Mini ONEPremium8 to 12 years · 80% pass first time+7.2 pts
  2. 2Peugeot 1088 to 12 years · 79% pass first time+6.2 pts
  3. 3Volkswagen UP8 to 12 years · 78% pass first time+4.3 pts
  4. 4Mini Cooper SPremium4 to 7 years · 89% pass first time+4.1 pts
  5. 5Skoda Citigo8 to 12 years · 77% pass first time+4.1 pts
  6. 6Toyota Aygo8 to 12 years · 77% pass first time+3.4 pts
  7. 7Mini CooperPremium4 to 7 years · 88% pass first time+3.0 pts
  8. 8Audi A1Premium8 to 12 years · 76% pass first time+2.3 pts
Most reliable hatchbacks
  1. 1Audi A3Premium8 to 12 years · 80% pass first time+7.1 pts
  2. 2BMW 120Premium13 years and older · 67% pass first time+6.5 pts
  3. 3Seat Leon8 to 12 years · 78% pass first time+5.2 pts
  4. 4BMW 1 SeriesPremium4 to 7 years · 90% pass first time+4.5 pts
  5. 5Mercedes-Benz A-ClassPremium8 to 12 years · 77% pass first time+4.1 pts
  6. 6Mercedes-Benz APremium4 to 7 years · 89% pass first time+4.1 pts
  7. 7Skoda Octavia8 to 12 years · 77% pass first time+4.0 pts
  8. 8Toyota Auris8 to 12 years · 77% pass first time+4.0 pts
Most reliable SUVs
  1. 1Porsche CayennePremium8 to 12 years · 88% pass first time+15.2 pts
  2. 2Audi Q7Premium8 to 12 years · 85% pass first time+12.0 pts
  3. 3Land Rover Range Rover SportPremium8 to 12 years · 85% pass first time+11.9 pts
  4. 4Land Rover Range RoverPremium8 to 12 years · 85% pass first time+11.8 pts
  5. 5BMW X5Premium13 years and older · 73% pass first time+11.8 pts
  6. 6Land Rover Range Rover EvoquePremium8 to 12 years · 84% pass first time+10.4 pts
  7. 7Porsche MacanPremium4 to 7 years · 95% pass first time+9.5 pts
  8. 8Land Rover DiscoveryPremium13 years and older · 69% pass first time+8.2 pts
Most reliable saloons and estates
  1. 1Audi A6Premium8 to 12 years · 84% pass first time+10.5 pts
  2. 2BMW 520Premium8 to 12 years · 83% pass first time+9.9 pts
  3. 3BMW 3 SeriesPremium13 years and older · 70% pass first time+9.2 pts
  4. 4Audi A5Premium8 to 12 years · 80% pass first time+7.2 pts
  5. 5Mercedes-Benz EPremium8 to 12 years · 80% pass first time+6.6 pts
  6. 6Audi A4Premium13 years and older · 66% pass first time+5.6 pts
  7. 7Mercedes-Benz CPremium8 to 12 years · 79% pass first time+5.4 pts
  8. 8Jaguar XFPremium8 to 12 years · 79% pass first time+5.4 pts
Most reliable MPVs
  1. 1Ford C-MAX8 to 12 years · 73% pass first time+0.1 pts
  2. 2Volkswagen Sharan4 to 7 years · 85% pass first time+0.1 pts
  3. 3Volkswagen Touran13 years and older · 59% pass first time-2.2 pts
  4. 4Ford S-MAX13 years and older · 58% pass first time-3.0 pts
  5. 5Ford B-MAX8 to 12 years · 70% pass first time-3.0 pts
  6. 6Vauxhall Meriva13 years and older · 55% pass first time-5.8 pts
  7. 7Vauxhall Zafira8 to 12 years · 67% pass first time-6.0 pts
  8. 8Ford Galaxy13 years and older · 54% pass first time-6.6 pts
Most reliable sports cars
  1. 1Porsche 911Premium13 years and older · 87% pass first time+25.8 pts
  2. 2Porsche BoxsterPremium13 years and older · 80% pass first time+19.7 pts
  3. 3BMW Z4Premium13 years and older · 76% pass first time+14.9 pts
  4. 4Mercedes-Benz SLKPremium13 years and older · 71% pass first time+10.4 pts
  5. 5Audi TTPremium13 years and older · 70% pass first time+8.8 pts
  6. 6Mazda MX-513 years and older · 69% pass first time+7.9 pts
  7. 7Volkswagen Scirocco8 to 12 years · 76% pass first time+2.7 pts
  8. 8BMW 420Premium4 to 7 years · 88% pass first time+2.6 pts
Most reliable vans and pickups
  1. 1Fiat Ducato13 years and older · 68% pass first time+7.6 pts
  2. 2Peugeot Boxer13 years and older · 66% pass first time+5.4 pts
  3. 3Volkswagen Transporter13 years and older · 59% pass first time-1.4 pts
  4. 4Mercedes-Benz VitoPremium13 years and older · 59% pass first time-1.4 pts
  5. 5Mitsubishi L2004 to 7 years · 83% pass first time-1.7 pts
  6. 6Volkswagen Caddy8 to 12 years · 70% pass first time-3.1 pts
  7. 7Ford Ranger4 to 7 years · 81% pass first time-4.3 pts
  8. 8Ford Transit Custom4 to 7 years · 80% pass first time-5.6 pts
Most reliable car brands

Brands whose range, weighted by how many cars were tested, beats the age-matched average by the most. Premium marques feature heavily here for the same reason: their cars tend to be well looked after.

  1. 1Porsche8 models · 396k tests analysed+18.3 pts
  2. 2Lexus16 models · 234k tests analysed+9.9 pts
  3. 3Subaru5 models · 76k tests analysed+7.7 pts
  4. 4Land Rover33 models · 1777k tests analysed+7.3 pts
  5. 5BMW77 models · 3306k tests analysed+6.7 pts
  6. 6Audi36 models · 2843k tests analysed+6.7 pts
  7. 7Jaguar17 models · 657k tests analysed+6.2 pts
  8. 8Mercedes-Benz47 models · 2909k tests analysed+5.1 pts
  9. 9Mini16 models · 1312k tests analysed+3.1 pts
  10. 10Toyota40 models · 2415k tests analysed+1.8 pts
  11. 11Volvo22 models · 817k tests analysed+1.4 pts
  12. 12Smart (MCC)5 models · 109k tests analysed+1.4 pts
  13. 13Skoda16 models · 1075k tests analysed+1.3 pts
  14. 14Mazda14 models · 736k tests analysed+0.6 pts
  15. 15Jeep5 models · 83k tests analysed+0.5 pts
Lowest MOT pass rates

The popular models that fall furthest below the average for their age. Hard-worked vans and budget cars cluster here, which reflects how they are used and maintained as much as how they are built.

  1. 1Citroen Dispatch8 to 12 years · 53% pass first time-20.4 pts
  2. 2Citroen DS38 to 12 years · 54% pass first time-18.8 pts
  3. 3Citroen Berlingo8 to 12 years · 57% pass first time-16.7 pts
  4. 4Vauxhall Vivaro8 to 12 years · 57% pass first time-16.6 pts
  5. 5Peugeot Expert8 to 12 years · 60% pass first time-12.9 pts
  6. 6Dacia Sandero8 to 12 years · 60% pass first time-12.9 pts
  7. 7Peugeot Partner8 to 12 years · 60% pass first time-12.9 pts
  8. 8Renault Clio13 years and older · 48% pass first time-12.6 pts
  9. 9Citroen C48 to 12 years · 61% pass first time-11.9 pts
  10. 10Peugeot 20713 years and older · 49% pass first time-11.3 pts
How we worked it out

Every figure comes from the DVSA anonymised MOT test dataset for 2024 (52M+ class-4 tests), published under the Open Government Licence. For each model we take the first-time pass rate in its most-tested age band and compare it with the whole fleet in that same band, so newer models do not look artificially reliable and older ones are not unfairly marked down. We then group models by class so the comparison is like-for-like, and flag premium marques. Body type is our own classification (estates share a model name with their hatch and saloon siblings in the data, so they sit with those). Pass rate reflects maintenance and mileage as well as the car, so use it with the MOT history and a full history check on the specific car you are buying.

Reliable model, but is this the right car?

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