Toyota Aygo Test Drive

Engine ********

I was dissapointed with this car. IMHO the gearing was too tall. I suspect this is what gives it 60mpg, but it gives it no acceleration. Tall gearing is nice in some ways, but I think short gearing was needed for reasonable acceleration.

I was finding that I needed to change up to third at around 25mph (2500rpm in 2nd), so 30mph in 4th would be a real no-no. However, 3rd gear at 30mph is probably very economical. 2nd gear was giving about 1mph for every 100rpm. This would mean that it would reach the redline at 65mph in 2nd, and being able to do 60mph in 2nd is probably one way of getting the 0-60mph times down.

I found it very unrewarding to use high revs (I went to 5000rpm on a couple of occasions). I didn't like the engine noise either, it felt a bit like a Diesel to me.

I went along a road that I quite often drive my 899cc Seicento along, but found that the Aygo couldn't get anywhere near the speeds my Seicento could do. I was really suprised by this, but in 2nd gear I was struggling to match the performance of 3rd gear in my Sei. I was only getting up to 30mph in 2nd, where my Sei can reach 40mph. My Sei could even go faster than 40mph if I changed gear, but there is little point changing gear because I have to slow up soon after. My mum said she felt very unsafe when I was doing 30mph lol. On a steep hill the Aygo could easily out perform my Sei though.

When I got back in my Sei it felt considerably faster :-o.

Ride *****

I didn't like the ride either. It soaked up bumps very well, but I found it too bouncy going over most of the road surfaces. Unlike the other cars I have driven, I actually liked the power steering, it was very light, but I got all the feedback that I wanted.

Cornering felt really scarey even at slow speeds. Where I would be putting my foot down in my Sei I was felling very scared in the Aygo. I think it had stability control, which may have been kicking in. The Corsa felt really stable, and really safe when cornering.

Practicality ************

Visibility is REALLY bad, which makes observation, and parking very difficult. There is actually hardly any point in checking your blind spot because you can hardly see anything at all. The exterior dimensions are reasonable, and I didn't mind them. I found it very difficult to get my trombone in the boot though. It went in, but it was literally a squeeze, and the parcel shelf would get damaged over time.

Reliability ***********

It was already broken lol. It had done 1150 miles, and the handbrake light started flickering for a while, but then stopped. Both me and my mum checked the hand brake a few times to make sure it wasn't on, and it wasn't.

You'll be glad to know I treated the car very well on my test drive. I didn't exceed 3000rpm when it was cold, and only went past 4000 rpm a couple of times IIRC. The sales guy let me take the car away on my own, so I didn't feel pressured into getting the most out of it in a short space of time.

Overall ********

I can't really see a place for it. It belongs in the city really, but the gearing is too tall, the ride is too bumpy, and parking is too difficult. For the price you can probably get a much better Corsa which is happy both in the city, and out of the city.

Conclusion *************

This test drive was the best I've had, and I now feel content with my Seicento. I don't feel that I'm missing out on something any more. I'm gonna make my Sei last as long as I can, and give up the car hunt! I'm also £7,000+ richer :-D, time to start saving for a house!