APRILIA SONIC

49cc Petrol Class 1

#4986 of 5426 overall #100 of 128 APRILIAs #312 of 455 moped bikes

65.6%

first-time pass rate

26.7%

failed outright

9,534

median miles at test

2,287

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2005–2019

The SONIC's first-time pass rate has held steady since 2005 (67.0% → 67.7%).

Pass rate by mileage

how the SONIC's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 73.4%

A low-mileage SONIC passes first time 70.0% of the time; by 20k that's 68.8%.

First-time pass rate by odometer reading at test, 10,000-mile bands for this model. Mileage is the strongest reliability signal. See the full curve.

What fails on a SONIC

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
steering and suspension	548	32.1	5.4×
lighting and signalling	533	31.2	3.4×
brakes	301	17.6	2.5×
fuel and exhaust	131	7.7	6.6×
tyres and wheels	98	5.7	2.0×
reg plates and vin	28	1.6	2.1×
body and structure	22	1.3	1.9×
lamps and reflectors	20	1.2	0.4×
structure and attachments	14	0.8	0.6×
suspension	12	0.7	0.5×

Defects recorded against failed normal tests, 2005–2025, grouped by DVSA inspection section. One test can record multiple defects. "vs all bikes" is how often this model's tests record a defect in the group, as a multiple of the all-bike rate.

How rivals compare

same type, similar capacity, high test volume

On first-time pass rate the SONIC beats 2 of its 4 closest rivals (PEUGEOT SPEEDFIGHT, PIAGGIO ZIP, PIAGGIO NRG).

PEUGEOT SPEEDFIGHT 65.2% pass · 83.7k tests PIAGGIO ZIP 71.3% pass · 79.0k tests PIAGGIO NRG 65.5% pass · 40.5k tests PEUGEOT VIVACITY 70.4% pass · 29.7k tests

Rivals share this bike's type and sit within ±30% of its engine capacity, ≥ 5,000 tests. Card colour = better/worse first-time pass rate than the SONIC.

Pass rate by registration year

how each model-year cohort fares · registration year from first use date

Best year to buy used: 2003 (79.0% pass). Weakest: 2007 (57.7%).

First-time pass rate by the year each bike was first registered (cohorts with ≥ 50 tests). Older cohorts are survivors: the worst examples have already left the road, which tends to lift the earliest years.

APRILIA SONIC FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the APRILIA SONIC reliable?

The APRILIA SONIC is less reliable than average for its class: 65.6% of its 2,287 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 73.4%. That ranks it #4986 of 5426 models.

What does a SONIC fail its MOT on most?

steering and suspension — 32% of all defects recorded against failed SONIC tests.

What is the best year of SONIC to buy used?

By first-time pass rate, 2003-registered examples do best (79.0%) and 2007 worst (57.7%). Condition and history still trump the year.

How many miles will a SONIC last?

The median SONIC shows 9,534 miles at test, and examples around 20k miles still pass 68.8% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.