Best family cars for passing the MoT

Fancy a small MPV? Then the Vauxhall Meriva is definitely worth a look. The quirky rear-hinged rear doors (called Flexdoors) mean it’s really easy to access the car’s spacious interior. And while it’s not all that comfortable, it’s certainly fun to drive.

Come test time, the Meriva performs well with the main reasons for a ‘no go’ being the ever-avoidable lamps and tyres. But despite that, the Meriva outperforms many of its rivals.  

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Flying the flag for super-reliable Japanese cars is the Toyota Verso. Always a strong performing family car, we love the fact it’s got seven-seats, five of which fold completely flat in all manner of combination. Yet despite its practical nature, the interior is remarkably refined, and the car is comfortable to drive on the road.

But despite not having too many dramas at the MoT station, this car is quite likely to fail on its lights so do yourself a favour and keep an eye out for worn bulbs.

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The Ford B-MAX makes great use of its space and sliding rear doors means getting the kids in and out is a doddle, especially as there’s no central pillar. Underneath, it’s based on a Ford Fiesta so you get all the great handling benefits.

Like so many of its peers, one of the most common reasons for failure is lights. In fact, according to the data we looked at, the B-MAX is three times more likely to lose out on a clean sheet thanks to its stop light, and 63% more likely to fail due to its indicators.

• Most practical cars

Despite pretty much creating the MPV sector, the Renault Scenic hasn’t rested on its laurels. Here you’ll find clever storage solutions in a slightly flimsy-feeling package. It’s not as fun to drive as some of its rivals… but then MPVs are more about space than dynamics.

But how reliable is it at MoT time? Unlike its rivals, Scenics tend to do ok when it comes to lights and tyres, but it does have a weak spot in the form of its suspension so if you’re looking at picking up a second-hand version check the CV joint (and if you can’t, take it to a garage that can).

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There’s a lot to like about the Ford C-MAX. Based on the Focus, it retains all the excellent handling characteristics but only in a slightly bigger and more practical package. No, there isn’t a seven-seat option – but that’s probably the only thing you could hold against it.

It’s a similar story a MoT time. It’s solid and reliable, but there’s more good news. Models that have covered 60,000 to 70,000 miles in their first three years standing a 75.8% chance of passing, compared to an industry average of 62.7%.

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As cars go, this generation of the Touran is pretty long in the tooth. It’s essentially a revamped version of the 2003 model. But that’s not uncommon and in fact, a few of the cars in this list like the Toyota Verso boast a similar heritage.

But that’s not always a bad thing because it means an awful lot of research and development has been put into the model after more than a decade on sale. The result? A strong performer at MoT time… as long as you don’t put off replacing the tyres.

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Make no mistake, the Zafira name was tarnished badly after several examples caught fire and lots of recalls. But that was the previous generation – and so far Vauxhall has looked to put things right with this model. 

It’s a solid (although not exceptional) performer at MoT time. But lights are its weak spot – keep an eye out for wonky headlight aim and faulty lamps, which are the two most notable causes of failure.

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The Toyota Prius + is in a league of its own. It’s the one – and only – hybrid MPV. Why? Well, hybrid tech isn’t quite suited to lugging two adults, two kids and their luggage 250 miles up the M1 on a bank holiday. But that hasn’t stopped people trying.

Our data shows several Toyota Prius+ taking their test having covered between 90,000 and 100,000 miles in three years. And those high milers didn’t seem to feel any pain come MoT time, as 8/10 passed first time.

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The Nissan Note offers a lot of space in a small package. Despite the fact it’s not much bigger than a Ford Fiesta, there’s plenty of leg and head room, plus a decent luggage area. There’s lots of places to lose things, too – like underfloor storage.

And the Note maintained the Japanese reputation for reliability, outperforming the average when it came to its lights, tyres and brakes. A lot of them failed on windscreen wipers, so it’s definitely worth making sure they’re in good condition.

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Another practical car that’s showing its age, the van-shaped Skoda Roomster is still a practical car. There’s a huge boot, rear sliding door, loads of headroom. Sure, it’s not the last word in style and sophistication, but it’s hard to beat when it comes to getting the job done.

It’s pretty reliable, too, with decent performance at the MoT centre. The only weak spots seem to be wipers, and registration plate lights – although quite a few do seem to fail on seatbelts, which is something to check.

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