Of all the tables and charts that we've published as part of the MoT Files, this is one of the most important.

It shows how a car performs in its first MoT, the first time in its life that it comes under outside scrutiny. It's also the time when many warranties run out (there are exceptions such as Hyundai, Toyota or Kia), so it's likely that you'll be on your own when it comes to picking up the tab for repairs.

We've got two tables below. The first is for models with more than 1000 tests and the other is for all models that have 50 tests or more. The reason that we've split it in this way is that super-luxury brands dominate the top positions in the all-model lists. They perform better as they typically cover lower mileages and have owners with deep enough pockets to care for them. Plus, being specialist machines, they tend to see a dealer fairly regularly. In fact, it's more surprising that any fail at all.

As we don't want to be in the ridiculous position of suggesting that you buy a Bentley, Rolls Royce or Ferrari if you want to pass your MoT, our first table focuses on mainstream models that have more than 1000 tests per year. 

Overall, the average pass rate for cars passing their first MoT in 2008 is 80 per cent. That means a fifth (20 per cent) of all cars going through their first MoT fail.

Top of the pile is an eclectic mix of cars, largely dominated by Japanese and German brands.

And of those, it's the relative minnow Suzuki that not only comes out on top, but has three models in the top 10. Top of the table is the Suzuki Splash. We've been recommending it since it was launched in 2008, and this accolade simply strengthens the case. 

Nine out of every 10 Splashes registered in 2008 come out of the MoT with a pass. Those that are failing are doing so mainly on items that could be easily fixed by an owner. 3.9 per cent of cars tested fail on lighting and signalling (still 58 per cent better than other 2008 cars), while a further 3.6 per cent fail on 'driver's view of the road', which includes problems with windscreens and wipers.

Suzuki also builds a version of this car for Vauxhall, called the Agila. It was launched slightly later than the Splash and, as a result, isn't included in this batch of data. It will provide an interesting comparison when the figures become available, as Vauxhalls appear much lower down in the table.

Elsewhere in the chart, sports cars do very well, with the Audi TT (89 per cent pass rate) and Porsche Boxster (89 per cent pass rate) taking second and third, and the BMW M3 (88 per cent pass rate) coming in at eighth. Off-roaders come out well, too, with the Honda CR-V, Suzuki Grand Vitara, Mitsubishi Outlander, Land Rover Freelander and Toyota RAV-4 appearing in the Top 20. The CR-V and Freelander are British built, too.

In the Top 20, there are 14 manufacturers represented. Of those all are either Japanese or German, with the exception of Land Rover and Renault (although a Spanish company, SEAT is German-owned). 

There's a definite trend at the bottom of the tables, too, with former Chrysler Group models (Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge) taking bottom spots in both and occupying most of the bottom five. The Chrysler Grand Voyager - favoured by Alan Sugar in The Apprentice - is bottom of the all results table, while it's the 300C (followed by the Jeep Patriot and Dodge Nitro) when the table is filtered for models with more than 1000 tests.

There's clear distance between the pass rate of these models and those immediately above and it's some way from the average of 80 per cent, although in fairness the Grand Voyager and 300C do cover greater mileages than average, as they tend to be favoured by private hire firms.

It may simply be a coincidence, but 2008 was one of the most difficult in the American firm's history. It was plagued with financial trouble and, by the end of the year, had to be bailed out by the US Government. Dodge is no longer sold in the UK, while the Jeep Patriot and Chrysler Sebring have also been discontinued. Chrysler is now owned by Fiat so it will be interesting to see if this has a positive effect in the future.

First MoT: Mainstream models with more than 1000 tests 

First MoT: All Makes and Models