Toyota Aygo car review

Model as tested: Toyota Aygo 1.0 Platinum 5 door
Price as tested: £8,245
Range price: £6,945 - £9,245
Insurance group as tested: 1E
Insurance group range: 1E
CO2 emissions as tested: 109g/km
CO2 emission range: 109g/km
Company car tax %: 10%
EuroNCAP result: ****
Date tested: February 2008
Road tester: Vijay Pattni

Auto Trader Ten Point Test rating: 78%

Roaring V8s, 200mph super-saloons and billion-horsepower Bugattis – big fun can often mean big bills.

But small is the new big – carmakers are turning to low power engines and nippy handling to get you around the planet without costing the Earth.

Vijay Pattni tested the bubbly Toyota Aygo for a week.

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

1. Looks

From its puppy-dog headlamps through to its comically-short rear doors, the Toyota Aygo oozes charm from every angle. Its wide-mouthed front bumper sits underneath the bonnet like a jowl, while the wheels are tucked away neatly into each corner leaving little overhangs – meaning the Aygo looks squat and purposeful. Add in its diminutive size – it measures just under three-and-a-half feet in length – and our test car’s 14-inch ‘Turbine’ alloy wheels, and you have a perfectly proportioned city car.

9/10

2. Looks inside

Climb inside and you’ll find acres of headroom – the Toyota Aygo stands 1,465mm tall. But sticking to its budget-car roots means the interior is a stripped-out affair. The central dash features a CD player with a handy input for your iPod – standard on all models – while heating and ventilation controls look like plastic children’s toys. But you won’t care – the seats are solid and surprisingly sporty, and the driving position is spot on, giving a commanding view of the road ahead.

7/10

3. Practicality

Don’t expect to get more than an overnight bag into the boot – the Toyota Aygo gets a 139-litre luggage space at the back, while an assortment of cubby holes adds another 25-litres. Rear legroom is tight, but for short trips and the school run, the Toyota Aygo is more than capable of transporting the kids and a spot of light shopping.

7/10

4. Ride and Handling

Here’s where the Aygo plays its trump card – it is guaranteed to leave a grin on your face. The Toyota Aygo gets on with the business of driving and injects a massive dose of fun. It’s not exceptionally grippy, and there is a touch of body-roll through the corners, but the Aygo feels energetic. Grab it by the scruff of its neck and hustle it around a corner, and the Aygo replies with understeer – when the front wheels are overwhelmed with grip and don’t turn to your chosen angle. Crucially however, you never feel out of control.

7/10

5. Performance

Quite frankly, surprising. The Toyota Aygo is powered by a fizzy 67bhp 1-litre petrol engine using just three cylinders – Toyota claims the engine is the lightest internal combustion engine on sale today, weighing in at just 67kg. Read the on-paper acceleration figures and you’ll be forgiven for overlooking the Aygo in search of something more powerful – 0-62mph takes 14.2 seconds and the top speed is 98mph. But in the real world of traffic, congestion – and more traffic – the Aygo feels quick and spirited. The bulk of city driving – 0-30mph – is dispatched with enthusiasm while motorway cruising is comfortable – if a little noisy.

7/10
 
6. Running Costs

The Aygo is designed to be as low maintenance and cheap as possible. It sits in insurance group 1E – the lowest grouping in the UK – and up to 60,000 miles Toyota reckons it needs just 4.2 hours of servicing. With a combined fuel consumption of 61.4mpg and engine components which can last for up to 100,000 miles, the Aygo promises hassle-free ownership.

9/10

7. Reliability

Most of the Aygo’s body is made from galvanised steel and Toyota is offering a 12-year anti-corrosion warranty as standard. Add this to the Japanese carmaker’s solid build quality levels – and the Toyota-managed factory where the Aygo, Citroen C1 and Peugeot 107 are manufactured – and you have a reliable city run-around.

8/10

8. Safety

The Toyota Aygo scores four stars in the EuroNCAP crash tests for adult and child occupant safety – thanks to an innovative structure which includes Toyota’s Minimal Intrusion Cabin System (MICS). In the event of an accident, the front and side impact forces are quickly dissipated through the safety structure before they hit passengers. Front airbags are standard on all Aygos, as is Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD).

8/10

9. Equipment

Bare budget motoring means drivers have a limited amount of standard kit. Our Platinum edition Aygo features £1,555 worth of additional equipment beyond the Aygo+ for just £550 extra – this includes leather trim for the steering wheel and gear knob, 14-inch Turbine alloy wheels, Alcantara and leather upholstery, remote central locking, six-speaker sound system and 50:50 split-folding rear seats. An automatic gearbox and air-conditioning sit on the options list.

7/10

10. X-Factor

You might recognise the Aygo through its Citroen C1 and Peugeot 107 siblings – we love the fun handling, fizzy engine and puppy-dog looks. Combined with Toyota’s impeccable build-quality and higher residual value over its French counterparts, the Aygo is a superb city car. Its £7,995 start price gives the Aygo a £900 premium over the Ford Ka, but if you want something different, plump for this – and get your tail in a spin.

9/10