Early Impressions Of My Aygo Blue 5Dr

[Daddyslaphead]

I acquired my little 09 (face lifted) Aygo Blue 5 door on the 31st December. Bought from my local Toyota dealer who made the transaction easy and pleasant enough.

To tell the truth, I haven't done much mileage in it just yet but the early experience is pleasant and very encouraging for the most part. It's nice and nippy & smooth to drive. I've found the ride perhaps a tad hard but not unreasonably so. The clutch bite is quite high but when I checked this out I discovered that this is normal. The gear changes are quite smooth but I've found that it doesn't do to hurry the shift because then it can become a bit notchy. The steering is precise but I have to admit that there is a little less assistance at low speed (parking) than I thought there would be. The car is quiet enough at low to moderate speeds but is noisy much above 60mph. Economy seems very good indeed although it's too early for me to have worked out what it's actually doing.

The interior is quite pleasant and airy considering this is a small car. The blue highlights are nice and the central console is neat. The fan control is a bit too narrow. I think it should have been a little deeper and perhaps made from a slightly softer material. There is certainly more room inside than the exterior suggests although of course the boot is tiny. The bluetooth is a nice touch and works well but I don't anticipate using it too much. The A/C was OK but I got regassed and it's much better for it.

The car is made down to a price and it does show, especially in the cabin. The plastics don't feel or look as nice as in other small cars and the lack of a glovebox lid is petty and irritating. Likewise, the gear shift gaiter is cheap and, frankly, nasty. The 'carpet' is better described as a moulded floor covering - it's very thin & I suspect that it would wear easily. I doubt that it contributes much to sound deadening or vibration damping.

I have replaced the gaiter with a leather one, fitted a glovebox lid, replaced the rear wiper blade with a longer one and fitted mud flaps. None of those items would have had much impact on unit cost so it's a shame that Toyota skimped on this.

The external fit and finish seems fine and what you'd expect from Toyota. I love the shape and there are some subtle touches that I think really make it look a bit more classy than the 107 or C1.

Overall I like my Aygo although it is far from being perfect. It is an enjoyable drive, easy to park, nice to look at and cheap to run. OK, the car does have Blootooth, A/C, front electric windows and 4 air bags, but what it lacks could have been provided cheaply enough.

DSH

[acetip]

Thats an honest opinion.

Cant stand people who look at their Toyota through rose tinted glasses. And claim theirs is superior in all deparments to other makes.

It seems the Aygo quality in the cabin is the same let down as it is in my Auris.

[Daddyslaphead]

Thanks Acetip,

There's no point to any review if it doesn't address all aspects, good and bad.

As I said, I like my Aygo and I'm glad I bought it. I did my research before buying so I had a good idea about the issues. Putting aside the few negatives, you're left with a nice little car with a touch of character which is so often lacking in this world of digitally created designs. It's perky and willing enough and the design still looks good. It actually puts a bit of smile on my wrinkly old mug, and it's long time since a car has done that!

DSH