Used Toyota Aygo review

Toyota Aygo Mk1

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History

The Aygo arrived in July 2005 in standard, Aygo+ and Sport+ forms, with a 67bhp 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine and a choice of three or five-door hatchback bodystyles.

Within six months there was a short-lived 1.4 diesel, and along the way there have been numerous specials, such as the Fire, Ice and Platinum.

The high-spec Blue and Black appeared in January 2009 when CO2 emissions were cut to 106g/km; they dropped to 99g/km in March 2012 when the Aygo was facelifted with an improved interior and extra equipment, plus a redesigned front end. A final refresh in August 2013 brought new trims and standard ESP.

Which one should I buy?

Few Aygos include ESP and Toyota even removed it from the options list for a while. A lot of Aygos also come without air-con, but it’s worth having as the cabin gets hot in the summer.

You’ll be doing well to find an Aygo diesel, while the MMT auto is rare, too. Some owners don’t get on with this, but it works well if you persevere. The most common combination of petrol engine and manual gearbox will be best for most buyers, though.

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Entry-level Aygos are sparsely equipped, so it’s worth finding a higher-spec Aygo+, although a Black or Blue edition will also provide more in the way of creature comforts, as they feature air-con and alloys. 

Alternatives to the Toyota Aygo Mk1

The original Kia Picanto (2004-2011) was good, but the second-generation car, launched in 2011, is more impressive. It’s well equipped, has a long warranty and a big-car feel. Also worth considering is the Hyundai i10, which shares the Kia’s platform.

The original Ford Ka (1996-2008) is great fun to drive, but can rust badly and the Mk2 edition (from 2008) isn’t as much fun or as characterful. But these later cars, which share a lot of parts with the Fiat 500, are also more likely to be in good condition.

The Fiat Panda offers low running costs, surprising refinement and a brilliantly spacious interior.

What to look for

Water pumps

Water pumps can leak or fail on both the 1.0-litre petrol engine and the 1.4-litre turbodiesel; look out for signs of coolant leaks.

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Tailgate seals

Rain water can leak into the boot via the seals for the tailgate, which might be misaligned; water also gets past the rear light seals.

Exhaust

Exhaust back boxes haven’t proven to be especially durable; some have rotted out in little more than two years, so listen for blowing.

Rear brakes

The rear wheel brake cylinders can leak after just a couple of years. Keep an eye out for fluid on the brake back plate and check the system’s fluid level.

Interior

It may be minimalist, but the Aygo’s funky inside. There’s a surprising amount of passenger space for such a small car, albeit with room for only four. Yet that cabin space hits boot capacity, which stands at 139 litres – or 751 litres with the rear seats folded.

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Running costs

All Aygos need to be serviced every 12 months or 10,000 miles, with fixed-price maintenance available at any franchised dealer. There are three levels of service, which Toyota labels Minor, Full and Full+, and they’re priced at £99, £179 and £245 respectively, inclusive of parts, labour and VAT.

There’s no cambelt to replace on the petrol cars, but the brake fluid should be renewed every two years (£40), while the coolant needs to be replaced every 10 years or 100,000 miles – expect to pay £60. There’s no maintenance schedule for the air-con (where fitted), but it’s worth regassing it every two or three years, for £79. 

If your car is under 10 years old and has fewer than 100,000 miles on the clock, Toyota will give you a year’s warranty when you have the car serviced at a main dealer.

Recalls

The Aygo Mk1 has been the subject of four recalls so far, the first one being for Toyota’s infamous sticking accelerator pedal. All cars built to the end of August 2009 were affected, but no crashes were caused by the problem.

The second recall came in March 2013 – the rear axle could come adrift on some cars produced in July and August 2013. A recall issued in January 2015 involved faulty front shock absorbers, while the most recent one came in November 2018 and concerned the rear door glass. Nearly all first-generation Aygos were affected by this recall.

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Driver Power owner satisfaction

The Aygo dropped out of our Driver Power top 150 in 2014 and hasn’t been back since. Its Mk2 successor came in at 82nd in our 2016 survey though, with a 7th place for running costs particularly impressive.

Verdict

Having launched over 15 years ago, the Aygo is far from cutting-edge in terms of safety and refinement. It’s also not the most spacious city car around, but if low running costs matter more than anything else, you can’t really go wrong, thanks to the fuel-efficient engine and decent reliability record. Even better, in the unlikely event you can’t find your perfect Aygo, for slightly less money you could have a virtually identical Citroen C1 or Peugeot 107. They’re just as much fun to drive, and like the Toyota, come in three or five-door forms.