New figures have revealed the high-mileage heavyweights still going the distance despite clocking up astronomical lifetimes on UK roads.

A Freedom of Information (FOI) request submitted by Select Van Leasing to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) revealed that a total of 1,611 cars and vans registered an odometer reading of 500,000 miles or more during their annual MOT tests over the past 12 months.

Topping the list of long-distance light commercial vehicles is the LDV Maxus. Despite the British manufacturer collapsing over a decade ago, 179 examples of the British-built Maxus recorded a mileage exceeding the half-million mark.

Even more striking is that the average odometer reading of these 179 vehicles came out at over 839,000 miles in the past 12 months.

Originally produced in the UK between 2004 and 2009, the Maxus intellectual property was later acquired by China’s SAIC, which relaunched the platform as the Maxus V80 in 2011.

The Mercedes Vito secured second place in the longevity stakes, with 144 vehicles passing the 500,000-mile milestone. The fleet stalwart, which first launched in the UK in 1996, saw its high-mileage examples achieve an average MOT reading of 573,778 miles in the last year.

The French-built Peugeot Expert claimed third place with 63 high-mileage examples, followed closely by the Volkswagen Transporter in fourth with 58 vehicles. The iconic Ford Transit rounded out the top five, with 34 units passing the half-million-mile mark.

Beyond the top five, the list includes the Ford Tourneo (31), Citroën Dispatch (30), Renault Trafic (26) and Citroën Berlingo (25).

Sam Bryan, LCV manager at Select Van Leasing, said the data shows that proper maintenance can keep a vehicle running beyond conventional fleet replacement cycles.

“Downtime costs money, so savvy operators understand the importance of keeping their vans on the road.

“That’s why we’re seeing vehicles rack up such extraordinary mileages – they’re working hard, day in, day out, earning their keep for businesses.

“Regular servicing and maintenance are crucial, allowing operators to identify and address small issues before they develop into bigger problems that could take a van off the road.”

He added: “It’s perhaps surprising to see an LDV at the top of the list, particularly in a market dominated by heavyweights such as the Ford Transit, Ford Transit Custom and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter.

“But the Maxus has clearly demonstrated that, when properly maintained, it can be a remarkably durable and capable workhorse.”