Auto Trader Ten Point Test rating: 83%

The Toyota iQ is one of the most interesting new cars on sale, thanks to its quirky design and engineering.

It’s the smallest four-seater on sale and is actually shorter than an original Mini, but feels like a much bigger car from the driver’s seat.

We drove an iQ for a week and put on our thinking caps to decide if it’s the best new city car in the UK.

Looks | Looks Inside | Practicality | Ride and Handling | Performance
Running Costs | Reliability | Safety | Equipment | X-Factor

1. Looks

While the Toyota iQ is certainly not pretty, it is exceptionally different, making it rather cool. If Apple were to build a car, we think it would look something like this. We found the iQ to be a real head-turner, and most comments were complimentary about its overall style. The iQ’s most striking feature is its tiny dimensions – it’s shorter than the original Mini. The iQ is the only car we’ve driven which is almost as wide as it is long.

8/10

2. Looks inside

Despite the minute dimensions of the Toyota iQ, it doesn’t have the smallest price tag in the city car class. Toyota is marketing the iQ as a premium product, and this is reflected inside the cabin. Attractive, colourful and quality materials adorn the dashboard and interior trim, setting its standard way above the interior of the Toyota Aygo.

The seating solution is unique, with the iQ being a 3+1 seat car. The driver’s seat is where you would expect, but the front passenger seat takes advantage of there being no steering wheel and sits further forwards.

This allows an adult passenger to sit behind the front passenger, while a child or luggage can sit behind the driver. The cabin is wider and taller than you might expect, so it really does feel roomy inside an iQ.

8/10

3. Practicality

Here the iQ inevitably needs to be compared with the Smart Fortwo, its biggest rival. With passengers sat in the back the 32-litres of boot space is poor compared with the Smart’s dedicated 220-litre boot. But remember the Smart only has two seats – fold the rear seats down in the iQ and its 242-litres of space is more respectable.

We found the best compromise was to think of the iQ as a three-seater, with room for luggage behind the driver’s seat. It’s remarkable considering the iQ is less than three metres long.

8/10

4. Ride and Handling

We had a blast driving the iQ right through the centre of London, and it’s ability didn’t disappear when we headed out into the countryside and even onto the motorway.

The iQ is so small you actually sit nearer the rear wheels than the front – a sensation you soon get used to. The tyres are extremely narrow, but they grip well thanks in large part to the light weight of the car. If you do break their adhesion the ESP system is quick to activate and stabilise the car, with an audible grinding sound as the brakes trigger on individual wheels.

The suspension itself is quite soft, so the car does pitch and dive more than competitors when you accelerate and brake. Body roll isn’t too bad though, and the turning circle is incredible. You can drive this car so differently to a big car, making three-point turns only moped riders and London Taxis would normally attempt.

7/10

5. Performance

At launch there is just one engine available, the 1-litre petrol familiar to drivers of the Toyota Aygo, Peugeot 107 and Citroen C1. It’s a three-cylinder engine with lots of character, thanks to the off-beat noise it makes when you put your foot down.

And pressing the accelerator hard is something you’ll do a lot with just 67bhp on tap. Acceleration from 0-62mph takes 14.7 seconds, which sounds very slow indeed on paper. Our experience of the iQ is that it actually feels quite nippy – partly because its acceleration is good at town driving speed, and partly because of its small size.

A 70mph motorway cruise is more relaxing than you might expect, but the engine noise never dies away completely.

A new 1.33-litre petrol engine fitted with stop and start fuel saving technology is due to be launched in the UK in July 2009.

7/10

6. Running Costs

After paying the relatively high purchase price, the Toyota iQ should be an extremely cheap and green car to run. The 1-litre engine is very economical; Toyota claiming it should achieve 65.7mpg on the combined cycle while emitting 99g/km, making it road tax exempt. We’d avoid the multitronic automatic gearbox because it drops fuel consumption to 60.1mpg and brings emissions up to 110g/km – a tax band higher.

10/10

7. Reliability

Toyota has made a selling point out of the excellent reliability of its cars. The iQ feels similarly well built, and should prove mechanically robust. There are few reports of problems with the mass-produced 1-litre engine.

9/10

8. Safety

Because of its tiny size, the iQ has been fitted with the world’s first rear window curtain airbag. It is also kitted out with ABS and electronic brakeforce distribution, brake assist, traction control, stability control and eight more airbags.

The iQ achieved an incredible five-star score in the latest EuroNCAP crash tests with 91 per cent adult occupant safety, a higher score than the big Toyota Avensis.

8/10

9. Equipment

The standard iQ is fitted with 15-inch alloy wheels, air conditioning, electrically adjustable and heated door mirrors, remote central locking, auto-dimming rear mirror, leather steering wheel, six-speaker CD, Radio, auxiliary input for MP3 player connection, steering wheel audio controls, electric windows and tinted glass.

The iQ2 adds a high gloss finish to the alloy wheels, climate control, folding door mirrors, smart entry and start, rain-sensing wipers, automatic headlights, Bi-halogen headlamps and chrome rear light cluster trim.

Leather seats are a £690 option and satellite navigation will set you back £930.

7/10

10. X-Factor

If you want a really small car which can cut a dash in the city, the Toyota iQ is the best car on offer. We found its style, drive and economy amazing for a car less than three metres long. Its extra seats give it a useful advantage over the Smart Fortwo, but there are slightly bigger city cars like the Ford Ka available which offer better value if you aren’t as concerned with size.

10/10

What do you think of the Toyota iQ?