Toyota Aygo review (2014-2022)
The Toyota Aygo city car is one of the Japanese brand’s smallest models. While its funky styling is unique, it shares its mechanical bits with the Citroen C1 and Peugeot 108. Its tiny dimensions mean it’s perfect for life in the urban jungle, while its small engine is cheap to run – ideal for new drivers. Read our full Toyota Aygo review below.
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Pros
- Cheap to run
- Fuel-efficient
- Perfect for towns and cities
Cons
- Not the biggest boot
- Motorway miles can be a pain
Interior
Our rating: 6/10
Driving position
‘Funky’ is a great way to describe the Toyota Aygo’s interior - and you can see why it appeals to its target audience (young drivers) so much.
The front seats look and feel like they’ve come out of a hot hatch, and on most versions the driver’s seat adjusts for height.
That should make finding a good driving position easier as the steering wheel adjusts only for reach, not height.
This is a keenly priced city car, so you can’t expect oodles of soft-touch plastics.
Tech and features
The Toyota Aygo’s interior feels nicely put together. There’s a seven-inch touchscreen set high on the dashboard, with a digital display for the ventilation below it.
The driver gets a rather eye-catching instrument binnacle. Even the air vents look, ahem, cool and air-con is standard on most cars.
Front-seat passengers will generally be happy with the available space.
Although the rear doors make getting into the rear seats easy, knee room will be tight for taller adults – certainly tighter than in the Kia Picanto and Volkswagen Up. The rear windows only hinge open for ventilation.
Some models feature a Mirrorlink system to display your Android smartphone’s screen, while later trims get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
There’s Bluetooth connectivity across the board and the digital radio has four speakers – the JBL Edition has a much-improved system with a subwoofer instead of a spare wheel.
Performance
Our rating: 6/10
Handling and ride comfort
The Toyota Aygo’s suspension is well-judged for life in town – the ride quality isn’t too soft or too firm, and manages to deal with your average road surface.
You’re going to feel a pothole if you hit one, of course.
The body doesn’t lean too much on roundabouts.
Plus, the light steering makes life simpler when you’re trying to get into a parking space.
Engines and power
There’s just a single engine choice – a thrummy 1.0-litre petrol – and it’s perfect for its intended purpose, proving pretty nippy when you’re setting off from traffic lights.
The Aygo is capable of being used on faster roads, of course.
You’ll just need to work the engine hard to keep up with motorway traffic.
Practicality
Our rating: 6/10
The Toyota Aygo is a city car at heart.
That’s not to say it doesn’t have room for a few goodies picked up on a shopping trip.
Storage solutions
In fact, it has a surprisingly decent amount of storage room.
There are bins in all doors, cup holders, the glovebox is a good size, there are cubbies for phones, and you’ll find a USB socket in some models.
Boot space
The boot has space for a couple of holdalls with the rear seats in place – and there’s a parcel shelf to keep things hidden from prying eyes.
Most examples have rear seat backs that are split 50/50; with both folded you’ll be able to fit in a couple of suitcases.
Running costs
Our rating: 8/10
Fuel economy
There’s only a single engine fitted to the Toyota Aygo – the 1.0-litre petrol unit with an official average fuel economy figure of 57.7mpg (measured using the current, more realistic WLTP method).
In the real world, you should be able to get close to 50mpg, which is still very good.
The verdict
Interior
6/10
Performance
6/10
Practicality
6/10
Running costs
8/10
The Toyota Aygo is proof that a city car can be greater than the sum of its parts, thanks to funky styling inside and out, plus low running costs.
It should be very easy to drive, which is important when you’re a new motorist trying to build confidence behind the wheel.
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