If you are reading this review, it is likely that you have an interest in purchasing a toyota aygo, and you're having a look to see if it's the right car for you. Well before you go any further, you must first ask yourself what the main purpose of your car will be. If you're looking for something to take you up and down the country on a regular basis, a car that will impress from it's fabulous look, or a strong vehicle built to overcome all terrain, then there are much better options out there. That's not to say this little toyota (affectionately reffered to as toy-motor!) hasn't got a lot to offer.
Personally, I love this little car, although I will admit I don't actually own one myself! I did however, spend 12 motnhs of my life learning to drive in the aygo, and had a great time doing so. Might I also mention that top gear have an interesting video that can be found on youtube regarding this car.
So we'll start with the specifications on the car, taking a look at how it should perform on paper. First off, if you're thinking of buying, there are two options: 5 door and 3 door. I have only used the 3 door model and all the figures quoted relate to the 3 door model. The official maximum speed is 97.5 mph, with a gross vehicle weight of just 1180kg. Size specifications are 341.5cm x 161.5cm x 14.65cm (length x width x height). So we can see this is a compact car, but having said that the car easily allows enough space for 5 people to sit comfortably. For those of you interested in the engine specifications (can't say the figures mean much to me!), toyota quote the following:
Bore: 71 mm
Stroke: 84 mm
Displacement: 998 cc
Max output: 50 kw
Engine speed for max output: 6000 rpm
Max torque: 93 Nm
Engine speed for max torque: 3600 rpm
Of course, the way a car looks on paper is nothing if you aren't comfortable when driving it. So here's what I actually think of the cars performance.
I found the aygo to be a very light car; allolwing for quick acceleration and hitting 70 in no time at all, but it wasn't so light that I felt like I was driving a tin can. The gear stick is well produced, not too small and you can tell the car is definitely in gear (I have seen other cars where the gear stick doesn't always click into place easily). The aygo gave a surprisingly smooth drive, felt sterdy in strong winds, and was generally a pleasure to drive. The overall look of the car wasn't too harsh on the eye. Sleek and slim, it's not a bad look for a budget! The body work isn't fantastic, although it looks ok, the materials are cheap and lightweight.
Now I'm not the greatest of toyota fans in general, having had the displeasure of driving an older yaris that felt uncomfortable and hollow, with pedals small for even my size 5 feet!! This aygo, however, goes against those views of the toyota brand, making me feel comfortable and confident. I only wish I had one of my own!!