The Toyota Aygo model has been a favorite in the city car market since its launch in 2005. With each year, the design and features seem to get a little better while still retaining the humble price tag. It’s a stylish city car, especially suitable for beginner drivers.
The Value
Toyota is a renowned brand, still retaining its spot as the world’s most valuable auto brand in 2016. Even in its cheaper models, such as the Aygo, you can feel the build quality is much better than competitors.
You can usually rely on excellent customer service due to the size of the brand. You can also find mechanics experienced in dealing with Toyota models, such as Clarke Automotive Systems. Toyota is a reliable brand to buy from, and the Aygo shows it.
The thing that stands out most about the Aygo is the price. In terms of size, you get what you pay for, but some of the features make it feel more expensive. It also has a good fuel economy.
The Exterior
The 2016 Aygo is the best looking yet. It can be purchased in many different colours, and the x-shaped grille and contrast detailing make it stand out. You can easily recognize an Aygo on the road for its stylish looks.
The Interior
The interior is also solid. Some of the plastic components look slightly cheap, but the features are of high quality. The instrument panel offers a particularly large speedometer, making it easy to keep an eye on your speed on the road. Driving controls are set out nicely without being overbearing.
A touch screen panel is also offered, so you can connect your phone or play music. It also features a rear-view camera. The inner details are as colourful as the outside, which makes it stand out from some of the dull, grey interiors of competing models.
It’s not a spacious car. Even in the 5-seater model, carrying four passengers can get severely cramped. The boot space is acceptable, but not ideal.
The Driving
The 2016 Aygo has a fuel economy of 68.9 miles per gallon and combined CO2 emissions of 95g/km. This makes it relatively cheap to run, and pretty green too. It can go from 0-60 in 14.2 seconds, so not exactly a powerhouse, but that’s to be expected.
It’s fairly easy to drive, with its small size making parking more straightforward. It doesn’t offer the smoothest ride. Acceleration can feel jerky, and the ride feels a little bumpy when driving on city streets. Feedback on the steering isn’t great either, so the driving experience leaves a lot to be desired.
The Verdict
The Aygo is a sound purchase for the price but somewhat let down by the cramped space and poor driveability. If you only want a car to get you from A to B and aren’t planning on carrying many passengers, it’s a good choice. It also helps that it’s from a reliable brand. However, if you want something for longer drives with more people, you’re better off looking at something a bit more expensive.