The MoT Files: Top 10 first cars for passing the MoT

We’ve crunched the MoT Files to find the best small cars for passing the first test at three years. These top 10 MoT masters are all perfect for new and young drivers, as they are small, easy to drive and affordable.

After all, the last thing you want is a car that will rack up an expensive list of jobs that need addressing come the first MoT test. If you want to avoid that, then the latest Government figures suggest that these are the very best cars to go for.

These cars were all registered in 2013, which meant they were eligible for their first test MoT in 2016.

Mazda 2 – 87.1% pass rate

By the time the 2013 Mazda 2 models went through their first MoT test in 2016, they would have felt a little dated versus their rivals – that version had been on sale since 2007. However, this seemed to have no real impact on its durability, as the '2' proved to have a decent record in the test, with 87.1 per cent passing first time.

The single biggest cause for failure is, as with many of the better performers, an easily fix problem. Of more than 9000 Mazda 2s to take their test for the first time in 2016, 5.8 per cent failed due to their tyres, and 4.4 per cent due to the condition of them – something a simple check or replacement would prevent.

Click here to see the Mazda 2's MoT Files