Aygo or Yaris with a budget of £3k - which one?

[Silver Yaris]

Hi all,

My mother's car (1997 Nissan Micra) is on it's last legs and my brother and I are going to go halves and buy our mother a replacement car (Aygo or Yaris) with a budget of £3k for her 70th birthday. My mother doesn't need anything bigger or more powerful than either of these cars so it's just a case of deciding on which one. 

Updated based upon helpful comment below from eygo: Boot space doesn't have to be massive, just enough to get some weekly shopping in to.

I currently have a Mk1 Yaris T-Sport which I have had for a number of years & it has been faultless and with our budget I know that we could pick up a low mileage 2008 / 2009 Yaris. However, I realise for the same money that we could possibly get a 2011 - 2013 Aygo but I know that the build quality probably isn't as good as the Yaris and after reading the rear window thread we definitely won't be looking at 5dr versions 

I appreciate that this is the Aygo club page but if you were in my position (bearing in mind that this is for my nearly 70 year old mother) which one would you buy and are there any issues / problems to look out for on the 2011 - 2013 Aygo's?

TIA for any responses / help / suggestions 

Cheers
Martin

[eygo]

is the boot size of any importance to your mother

you probably wont get a decent size suitcase in the boot of the aygo

as it is really small you maybe be better off having a look

and have a test drive of an aygo before making any decision 

[FROSTYBALLS]

Some Aygos did suffer from water leaks - mainly into the boot or front foot wells - so this is one thing to check when looking at cars. Most are fairly easily fixed.

One thing to bear in mind as regards a three door, whether Aygo or Yaris, is, as the doors are longer (and heavier), they can pose access issues in car parks, etc and if your mother garages the car, as in these circumstances, they won't open as wide. Could be one thing to consider as your mother is elderly.

[zuh]

Hi. Regarding the Aygo... Pros:
-nimble in town, short steering radius, easy to park anywhere
-cheap to run, insure...

Cons:
-the clutch can be a little strange to handle, with its very high biting point, this might annoy a senior driver (no offense), and this part has always been a weakness on this car, check the amount of ads with a clutch replaced very early
-a rather low sitting car, I noticed that the seat foam tends to collapse with time, I weigh 180 pounds and after a few years, I was sitting a few centimeters lower ^^
-the trunk has a high loading level forcing to lift up shopping bags, take a 5-door to load on the back seats
-everything is cheap, although it is more recent than the 97 Micra, it might seem lower in quality

I love the Aygo but I would go for a Fiat Panda or a Yaris, even a Yaris mk1 😃

[Eddie G]

Yaris with longer lasting parts and tires also more easy to get in and out with being a higher up car, Aygo also has a hard to get just right biting point easily the car i have stalled the most. 

[FROSTYBALLS]

Must confess to not having any issue with the clutch biting point - both on my own car and courtesy cars which I've had whilst the car has been in for service and one warranty repair. Although this is with the second generation which is supposed to have shorter clutch travel than the first generation.

I think the best way forward would be to test drive both the Aygo and Yaris - ideally with your mother. This way she can have an input into the purchase, and may raise valid points with either car from her perspective, which you and your brother may not be aware of.

[Catlover]

The wife has had a C1 (Aygo) and a mk2 Yaris. The C 1 was fun to drive, but the Yaris was a better class car, and that much more comfier.

The point FBalls made regarding 2 door cars the doors are wider and therefore can pose problem getting in/out is very relevant. A 3 for car has never been on my shopping list and never will be, even though vast majority of our journeys are just one at the most both of us.

[RUToyota]

Try both...my guess is the Yaris will be the choice.

My wife had to make that choice some years ago..tried both..she chose Yaris..and is now on her third consecutive Yaris.!

[zuh]

14 hours ago, FROSTYBALLS said:

Must confess to not having any issue with the clutch biting point - both on my own car and courtesy cars which I've had whilst the car has been in for service and one warranty repair. Although this is with the second generation which is supposed to have shorter clutch travel than the first generation.

This is not an issue, simply one characteristic feature to bear in mind when chosing one's car. As you say, the best thing is to test drive the car.

When I lend my Aygo, many drivers stall. While most people will certainly get used to it, a young or old driver might dislike this and end up burning the clutch rapidly.

[FROSTYBALLS]

36 minutes ago, zuh said:

This is not an issue, simply one characteristic feature

Whether it is an issue or a characteristic feature, I still haven't experienced this. Both my wife and I frequently swap between our two cars, and the clutch biting point is no better or worse than in either car.

[Eddie G]

Totally agree with you Zuh.

[REDPEPPER]

A little lady who lives nearby, and a former customer of mine is of similar age to your mum had me look for a car to replace hers recently.

Whilst ( like any car ) the Yaris and Aygo both have their merits and faults she is delighted with a Honda Jazz that I sourced for her. They seem to be favoured by folk of advancing years mainly because they are easy to get in and out of, and whilst you indicate that boot space is not paramount there is a very generous amount of space in them. This was important to my lady as she needs to carry a wheelchair, and the flat loading floor makes this easy compared with the need to clear the "lip" on both the Toyotas. There seem to be plenty available if you look around with reasonably low mileage and in good condition.

(from experience) I would avoid the Panda ( belt driven cam for a start!), and the later models with 1242cc engines need a special tool to replace them (no timing marks !) - time consuming and at best not a cheap or easy job if you're into doing - it - yourself. Their NCAP ratings also leave a bit to be desired, if I recall correctly.

I do hope you find something for Mum that suit her needs and keeps her mobile !

[Wiz201]

I've had both cars. I'd definitely go for a yaris although I've been happy with my last two aygos on finance. I drive automatics so can't comment on the clutch issues. Maybe see if you can source automatic yaris or an aygo for her? 

[Silver Yaris]

On 3/18/2019 at 10:50 AM, REDPEPPER said:

A little lady who lives nearby, and a former customer of mine is of similar age to your mum had me look for a car to replace hers recently.

Whilst ( like any car ) the Yaris and Aygo both have their merits and faults she is delighted with a Honda Jazz that I sourced for her. They seem to be favoured by folk of advancing years mainly because they are easy to get in and out of, and whilst you indicate that boot space is not paramount there is a very generous amount of space in them. This was important to my lady as she needs to carry a wheelchair, and the flat loading floor makes this easy compared with the need to clear the "lip" on both the Toyotas. There seem to be plenty available if you look around with reasonably low mileage and in good condition.

(from experience) I would avoid the Panda ( belt driven cam for a start!), and the later models with 1242cc engines need a special tool to replace them (no timing marks !) - time consuming and at best not a cheap or easy job if you're into doing - it - yourself. Their NCAP ratings also leave a bit to be desired, if I recall correctly.

I do hope you find something for Mum that suit her needs and keeps her mobile !

Interesting that you should mention a Honda Jazz as viewing one had crossed my mind. Will add this to the list along with the Aygo & Yaris.

[Wiz201]

I'd recommend a Jazz, didn't think of that one. First car I drove and only got written off in an accident but had no issues with it.

[eygo]

i bought my partner a jazz ima a few years ago and she loved the car

she prefers the Auris she now has though

 

[Micra2Aygo]

Before the Aygo I had a 2001 Micra for 8 years and before that a 1994 one for 7 years. All the same model just different face lifts.

I do remember that the Aygo's biting point was higher than the Micra's but i got used to it.  The wife at the time had a 58 plate Nissan Note and the clutch/accelerator/brake peddles felt identical to the Micra. 

Another thing i remember is that the Micra had a smaller turning circle and required less turns of the steering wheel which made parking easier, along with you being able to see the end of the bonnet, you can't see the bonnet at all on the Aygo.

The Aygo's boot opening is smaller, the parcel shelf could do with going a bit higher to allow for easer loading/unloading of shopping bags. I use of the rear foot wells more than the boot for shopping (if the kids are not in tow). A 5 door makes this easy. Thanks to the recall I wouldn't worry about windows.  Frostyballs has a point with the 3 door cars having longer doors that need more space to open fully. 

A 1st generation Nissan Note may be another option. The boot is very flexible with the sliding rear seats and the false floor.  Shopping in, false floor boards down, pram on top, perfect.  Like the Jazz its easy to get in and out of but both are a much bigger car than the Micra.

One thing though, if you include the Aygo's cousins, the Citroen C1 and Peugeot 107, you've got plenty of choice. Other Micra sized cars that may be worth looking at would be the Kia Picanto, Hyundia i10 and of course another Micra. 

Good luck with finding something that your Mum likes 

[Silver Yaris]

A quick update on this.

Firstly, thank you to all you responded & gave me lots of things to consider when it came to finding a suitable car 

My brother and I took my mother to see some Aygo's and Yaris's and TBH Mum preferred the Aygo so we set about finding her one.

We upped our budget a little and last weekend we picked up a 2014 Aygo with 40k on the clock & FTSH for £3.5k which our mother is delighted with & we thought was a good buy for the money.

Cheers

Martin

[FROSTYBALLS]

Congratulations to your mother and yourselves.

[Wiz201]

Lovely choice, a piccie would be nice 😉 

[Avensis dude]

Don't know about Kia, but never buy a second hand Hyundai. They are fine if you are surfing finance and owner / rental deals, but never second hand.

2 rules to always remember when buying a used motor. ( There are many others, but these are the top ones in my book. )

1. Only Japanese or German second hand cars workout.         

2. Never buy from 2nd hand car dealers. Find a private seller. 

[Catlover]

Oil, how come “never buy a second hand Hyundai”. Hyundai is the mother company of Kia, Hyundai give A 5 year warranty and Kia a 7 year warranty. Nothings free, so o suspect Kia charge a little more for their equivalent car to Hyundai. Be interesting to know why yo u”down” a Hyundai, a car I have a lot of respect for.

[Heidfirst]

1 hour ago, Avensis dude said:

      

2. Never buy from 2nd hand car dealers. Find a private seller. 

Hi, welcome to TOC 🙂

You have far better come back/rights in the UK for a trade sale v a private purchase. Yes, you will probably pay more (depending upon negotiating skills etc.). It's your decision which is more important to you.

& I am not sure about the buying German bit either ...

[FROSTYBALLS]

4 hours ago, Avensis dude said:

2 rules to always remember when buying a used motor. ( There are many others, but these are the top ones in my book. )

1. Only Japanese or German second hand cars workout.         

2. Never buy from 2nd hand car dealers. Find a private seller. 

1.One may be buying a Japanese or German brand, but that doesn't relate to where they have actually been built. What is the definition of a Japanese or German car?

Examples:

The last generation Nissan Micra was built in India, and the current generation is built on the Clio production line in France.

VW Polos for the UK market are built in either Spain or South Africa.

The Aygo is built in the Czech Republic, the Yaris in France, the Auris in the UK or Turkey (3 door only), and the Verso in Turkey.

The VW Up, Skoda Citigo, and Seat Mii are built in Slovakia.

VW are reportedly looking to move production of the Passat to the Czech Republic.

The VW Fox was built in Brazil. 

The VW 'New' Beetle and last generation Jetta were built in Mexico.

For the UK market, the Honda Jazz, depending on generation, has been built in Japan, UK, China and now Japan again.

For the European market, the first generation Mazda 2 (2002-2007) was built by Ford in Spain.

The US Yaris sedan is based on the Mazda 2 and built in Mexico.

And your Avensis was built in the UK.

The list goes on ......

2. Buying privately means the only buyer protection one has is the small claims court, and claims don't always result in money being refunded. Buying through a dealer gives one the protection of the Consumer Rights Act 2015.