Toyota Aygo

The Toyota is the costliest of the three cars developed with Citroen and Peugeot, but it's the best looking and Toyota dealers are highly respected

Auto Express Car Reviews

Rating:
On the road price: £6,945 - £7,695
For : Model range offers plenty of choice, respected dealer network, conventional styling
Against : Fewest franchises, most expensive of trio

Driving:
For a city car, the Aygo boasts a wide track. This helps the handling; despite skinny 14-inch tyres, grip levels are good and there's plenty of bite under braking. The suspension is a development of the set-up found in the sharp handling, first generation Yaris. As you would expect, there is some body roll, but lateral movement is far better controlled than in other budget cars. The speed-sensitive steering impresses too; it's light and easy at town speeds, yet provides just enough feel when cruising. This good body control does come at the expense of ride quality, as most rough urban road surfaces are picked up. However, the tight turning circle, snappy performance and light controls make the car a great city companion.

Marketplace:
A wheel-at-each-corner design means the Aygo appears nicely proportioned and funky in a way only a well designed budget car can be. It's intentionally a simple range of three-and five-door hatchbacks, with a 1.0-litre petrol or 1.4-litre turbodiesel engines - though Toyota does offer more choice within this. There are numerous trim levels and colour choice is expanding all the time. A five-speed gearbox is standard, but a semi-automatic MMT option is available as an option. The Aygo's obvious rivals are the Citroen C1 and Peugeot 107 - which both offer marginally lower prices - but don't ignore the Fiat Panda or Ford Ka either; both sell in large numbers. Other budget models to consider include the Suzuki Alto, Kia Picanto and Hyundai Amica.

Owning:
The Aygo has a major weak spot: boot space. To save money, the tailgate is simply a piece of glass, and this leaves you with a high load sill. Capacity is only 139 litres, though all models feature a split-folding rear seat. Rear passenger space is adequate. It's strictly a four-seater though, and the hinged rear windows do not impress. They are fiddly to use and offer little ventilation. Up front, the driving position is good, and the cabin feels bigger than you would expect. Seats are surprisingly comfortable but the really impressive part is the dashboard. With unusual heater controls, a user-friendly stereo and funky speedometer, the design is fresh and attractive. MP3 players can be plugged into the stereo and the translucent section glows orange at night. Importantly, the materials are of a far better quality than in other budget machines. As for running costs, they're ultra-low; insurance is group 1 for most models, 10,000-mile servicing is inexpensive and fuel economy is stupendous. The Aygo even boasts a decent four-star Euro-NCAP crash result, while residuals will be the highest of the Czech-built trio.