Toyota Aygo (2005 - )  

Low road tax and insurance. Averages a claimed 60mpg. Cheap to run and drives decently. 99g/km CO2 from 2012.

Doors feel flimsy. Reports of water leaks. Clutch and waterpump failures common but stronger clutch fitted from 2009.

Introduction

Latest Update Toyota Aygo: Mysterious engine fire of 2009 Aygo left standing for 30 hours previous to fire wrote the car off.

28-12-2012: 4th least likely car built 1997-2009 to suffer expensive problems according to Warranty Direct December 2012 Reliability Index, with an index of just 10.

30-11-2012: Toyota Aygo 2005-2009: Rated by Warranty Direct as the 4th Most Reliable Car of the past 15 years based on Warranty Direct claims statistics.

 

It must be a tough life being a car designer these days. There you are, refining the styling of the spoiler on your next imaginary supercar when along comes Toyota, Peugeot and Citroen with an impossible brief for a new small car.

First there are all the rules and regulations any new car sold in Europe must comply with: ABS, crumple zones, emissions; an almost endless list. Then there are the crash tests it must pass. Then there's fuel economy and insurance group. Then there's the tiny amount of money it must be built for and still make a profit. And, oh yes, it will have to look good and drive well so people will buy it.

At this point the bad designers jack it all in and slope off to become a dive master on Koh Samui. But the good ones relish the challenge. And Toyota, Peugeot and Citroen must have picked some good ones because between them they came up with the Aygo.

Of course it isn't just the Aygo. It's also the Peugeot 107 and the Citroen C1, all sharing the same basic structure, engine and running gear, and built in the same Czech Republic factory, but with different funky looks to set them apart. Under the bonnet is the lightest four-seater car petrol engine in the world, an all aluminium 998cc three-cylinder VVT-i petrol engine that weighs just 67 kilos, yet pumps out 67bhp and 93Nm torque. Average economy is 61.4mpg.

Toyota Aygo 2006 Road Test

Next: What's Good »

Last updated 11 February 2013
More at the Toyota website  

Related News & Road Tests

Also Consider

  • Citroen C1 2005
    Cheap to run. Group 1 insurance. 60mpg. handles well. Low list prices. Good Euro NCAP score. 2012 model emits just 99g/km CO2.
  • Peugeot 107 2005
    Cheap to run. Economical and perky 1.0-litre engine. Fun to drive. Decent cabin room. Ideal first car. 2012 model emits 99g/km CO2.
  • Volkswagen Lupo 1999
    Economical, easy to park, quite refined and well built.
  • Suzuki Alto 2009
    Cute little small hatch clone offering low emissions, low tax, good fuel economy and a proper 4-speed automatic option. Decent to drive. Congestion charge exempt from mid-2012.

Buying Advice

Honest John's Newsletter

Connect with Honest John

Facebook YouTube