Toyota Aygo 1.0 VVT-i 3dr Car Review - February 2012

Finding a good driving position will depend on your height and build as there’s no height adjustment on the driver’s seat and there’s only adjustment for height on the steering wheel. The cabin in general has a fresh feel to it and visibility is generally good.

The Aygo 1.0 VVT-i 3dr comes with a 67bhp 1.0-litre petrol engine and 5-speed manual gearbox fitted as standard. It will do 0-62mph in 14.2 seconds and has a top speed of 98mph. Average fuel economy is a very decent 61.4mpg and the engine is potent enough to make it nippy around town, and if you use the gears well, it will hold its own out on the open road too.

There’s also a semi-automatic gearbox option available.

The Aygo 1.0 VVT-i 3dr's handling is competent, but it isn’t as agile or light as a city car should be. Its steering has a heavy feel to it, it lacks grip when cornering, and the ride can be bumpy over some surfaces.

Around town you won’t be bothered by the thrum of the 3-cylinder 12-valve engine, but take it out on an open road and the engine noise becomes irritating. Road noise and wind noise at speed are also more than you would like.

It’s a thoroughly modern city runabout with cheerful and chic presence for the city. The interior carries on the fresh, cheery feel, but although the dash and interior are well designed, well laid out and easy to use, the plastic trim tends to look cheap rather than ‘chic’.

Equipment is far from generous on this Aygo entry-level model. It comes with power steering, VSC stability control, immobiliser, and a CD+MP3 connectivity as standard. Other trim levels give you more goodies - but at a price.

You’ll get four adults in the Aygo 1.0 VVT-i 3dr without too much discomfort; as long as they’re not overly tall. Luggage space is limited to 139-litres with the rear seats in position. Folding down the 50/50 split rear seats gives you 751-litres in case you need to carry anything bigger than your shopping.

The cabin in the Aygo feels fresh and young – obviously an attempt to appeal to young drivers. Materials used look cheap though, and don’t look durable.

Toyota’s reputation for reliability is excellent and the Aygo comes covered by their five-year-100,000 mile warranty which should give you peace of mind. Regular service intervals are every 10,000 miles. It also came first in its class in terms of customer satisfaction in the 2011 JD Power Survey.

In the EuroNCAP crash-tests the Aygo scored 4 for occupants, 4 for children and 2 for pedestrians. Safety features include front airbags, anti-lock brakes and an electronic brake-force distribution system. Stability control is also available as a cost option, and higher-spec-versions come with side airbags also.

Anti-theft measures include etched windows, marked mechanical components and an integrated stereo to help deter thieves.

The Aygo generally offers good value for money. At £8,590 it’s not much cheaper than the best city cars, but running costs are some of the lowest. CO2 emissions of 105g/km put it in VED band B for Road Tax, group 3 for insurance, and impressive fuel economy of 61.4mpg means keeping it on the road won’t strain your wallet. Servicing costs are reasonable too.

As a car for nipping around the city, the Aygo offers plenty to make it attractive; it’s cheap to buy, cheap to run and its park anywhere ability make it an attractive option for city drivers.