Looking for an iQ

[Pezza4u]

My current car (Honda) which I've had for over 10 years is being scrapped in a couple of months, it has terminal rust and isn't worth repairing! It's a tourer/estate but I've not needed something this big for years. It also does 20mpg (2.4L auto) and costs over £400 in VED!

I've been looking at other cars and have decided I like the iQ. Was also considering the Suzuki Swift if anyone has had both, what did you prefer?

I'm not new to Toyota, I had a Corolla T Sport for a couple of years and also a Lexus CT200 for 3 years, so essentially a Prius.

I've done a lot of reading but have a few questions.

Gearbox. Ideally I need an auto/CVT. The Mrs will be using it once a week for work on a weekend so I can have the family car. It's only 1 mile down the road but with her sciatica can't really operate a clutch. It looks like the autos are alot more expensive than the manuals and I've also read the mpg suffers on them. I'm happy with a manual if I can't find one cheap enough but what is more reliable, manual or auto?

Engine. It seems the 1.0L is the one to go for and the 1.33 can use oil but has a little more poke. I'll be doing 2-3k miles a year, 6 miles to work mainly down country lanes/A roads. Is the 1.33 worth considering for any reason? I have an MX5 too as my fun car so not really bothered about how fast the iQ is. I just want cheap motoring compared to what I'm currently paying.

Year. Should I look for a 2010/11 model (budget won't let me go younger than that) so issues like the EGR would've been fixed? I've read about the peeling white paint, is that on all years or just the early 2009 ones? Should I even avoid white?

Model. I'm looking for the iQ2 or even a 3 model. To tell the difference is it the ones with front fog lights I'm looking for? What does the 3 have over the 2?

I'm looking at spending £3-£4k so I'll probably look to buy privately. Is there anything else I need to look out for when viewing them?

When viewing MOT history it's mainly things that should've been checked beforehand like tyres, brakes, lights, wipers etc. A couple have corrosion mentioned underneath, do these rust badly or could it just be surface rust they're referring to? I'm no stranger to rust owning an MX5 so don't really want another car that's going to rot.

Thanks all 👍

[flash22]

1.0 do get thrashed listen for chain noise if up in the miles, anything in the 60-90k miles range should have had the CVT fluid and filter changed, if not budget £100-150

white cars especially around those years suffer from paint peel

check the dash is fully working as the backlights can fail on the MID/odo

IQs especially the automatics hold their money even when up in miles, the 1.33 is not in your budget tbh unless it is up in the miles

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202404078377193

2nd link was removed as it has had major rot issues - FE59LYY

[glimp]

Hello & welcome!

I'm in Herts too. I got my iQ2 (2010) last September, so I'm not exactly an 'old hand', but I'll try to help a bit...

WHITE CARS - As any car you're looking at will be over 10 years old I imagine paint defects will either be obvious or repaired by now. I see some very shabby-looking white ones and some nice ones.

I think the difference between the 2 and the 3 is that the 3 has SatNav? Definitely go for at least the 2, if you want keyless entry/push button start.

Personally, I'd look for a one-owner car with full service history (like mine!), then you can inform yourself before buying. I looked at some iQ's that turned out to be total dogs.

RUST - The only issue I had was the base of the alloy wiper arms being corroded. That was sorted out by rubbing sown and repainting with black Hammerite (a surprisingly good match).

MOST IMPORTANT - Open the boot lid and remove the foam tool tray, to reveal the metal boot well underneath. I only discovered the pond in the boot of my car after I'd bought it! It's cured now, but it's a feature you can do without.

CLUTCH - You're going to be looking at cars that have done quite a few miles, so make sure the clutch is okay. The clutch on mine had been renewed within the past 18 months - it's an expense you don't want.

ENGINE SIZE - Mine's a 1.0L petrol manual - and it's superb as a runabout, but it can also handle an 80-mile round trip without batting an eyelid. Currently I'm returning over 60mpg, by driving like Miss Daisy. Normal driving will give you 45-50. Driving style makes a big difference in these cars.

REAR HEADRESTS - Make sure it's got them. Some get lost or sold over the years.

Finally for now - I absolutely love it. It drives like a go-kart with a lid, but it has normal saloon car creature comforts too. If I think of anything else I'll post it. Ask any questions you like. Good luck with the search.

 

[glimp]

...oh and my car is £0 VED. 😎

[flash22]

rear headrests maybe under the back seat for storage

[glimp]

...also, check that the aircon is working, by twisting the dial around to 'Lo' and feeling if the air emitted from the vents is icy cold. It should be noticeably freezing.

[Pezza4u]

Thanks all, some helpful tips there.

The fact this engine is chain driven is also what's making it appealing as in theory it doesn't need replacing.

I know I'm probably looking at a higher mileage car but have some time to look, so I'm hoping I can get one with under 60k miles. They do seem to hold their value given their age and milage, but it's not surprising with the benefits you get from such a small car.

Sounds like I may have to travel to find the right car.

Glimp, where in Herts are you (I'm SW near the M25) and did you travel far to find yours? I've seen some shabby looking cars just from looking at the photos. One even has an Aston Martin Badge on! 😆

What's the aircon like on these, do they break easily? I've had to replace the condensers and evaporators on other cars to get them working again. Is the condenser behind the front bumper or located somewhere else?

Good tip with the water in the boot, should do that with all cars really but it's easily forgotten. I'm no stranger to flooded interiors. Still battling water leaks on my MX5 so don't need another car that lets water in. I think my Corolla leaked water in the boot too, eventually traced that to a small gap where the rear glass was bonded to the lid.

[glimp]

I'm  a bit further up the A10 mate - in the direction of Hoddesdon/Ware. I looked at cars within approx a 20 mile radius. I ended up getting mine from a dodgy dealer in N London. He'd bought it at auction and pretended to have got the MOT work done (he'd even got it a dodgy MOT lol). Luckily I could tell he was bent, but I could also see it was a one-lady, full Toyota service history car, so I factored in the necessity that I'd need to get the gearbox oil seals and track rods done, even though the lying **** said they were repaired!!!

I actually managed to locate the first owner in Cambridge - lovely lady, who had owned the car from new. So I did my due diligence and haven't regretted it at all. I've actually spent a little over £1k on it - but only about half of that was necessary work. The result is I've got a cracking little car for a total of about £4.3k.

They do keep coming onto autotrader, so you shouldn't have to travel too far.

[glimp]

I made the following thread, devoted to my car. It'll give you an idea of what I'm on about. There are several others too. Find them, if you haven't already - they give an excellent insight into the car's strengths and weaknesses...

 

[Cyker]

The 1.0L is good enough TBH; Technically the 1.33 is more powerful but all the power is at the top end, so unless you drive at the redline all the time the difference is surprisingly small.

I think the paint peel issue was with the Pearlescent White paint specifically, and not the default flat white paint, but I might be wrong...

Everyone above's given excellent tips already, so the only thing I have to add is avoid the V8 version; It's a bit noisy, has dreadful fuel economy and the interior space is very compromised.   

 

 

[martoto]

I acquired an IQ very recently for my wife. I'm also in herts and have a recent thread about the car and the things I had to resolve after purchase. 

The car requirements were the smallest possible external dimensions and auto. Looked at few other options: Smart, Yaris, VW Up and their derivates. Smart was dismissed as being 2 seater and also most of available models were the mild hybrid which has less than great reliability record. They are also very tight to do any work on them, so not great for maintenance. All of mentioned also had the automated manual gearbox, which also scared me with horror stories of expensive failures and lack of expertise in garages to deal with them. Not to say they are not great for driving, but that was less consideration. IQ won with extremely compact size, reliable auto (relatively) and excellent safety rating with 9 airbags and 5 stars crash rating (in 2010). 

I also initially had up to £4k budget. That looked possible when scrolling through adverts, but quickly become apparent that would be really hard once I saw few cars for real. I ended up looking and driving few well above that 4k, but gosh were they still awful! Some were advertised as low miles, commanding good premium price (one was less than 40k) and 1 or 2 owners. I concluded miles and number of owners almost mean nothing when looking at 10+ years old cars. Ended up with significantly over the initial budget car, high miles (90k) and 5 previous owners. However, it looked quite well inside out, it has a lot of options including two tone leather seats, drove very well and everything was working. It was also the mild facelift which the heigh adjustable seat turned out significant benefit. It still had things to attend, so I have to spend even further, but now I am very pleased with it and my wife loves it. 

To my understanding there is no difference between IQ2 and IQ3 except the engine and the wheel sizes. IQ3 are always with 1.33 engine and 16 inch wheels + all the other options from IQ2. There is no IQ3 with 1.0 engine. Also from my test drives I found there is considerable difference with the performance between the two. The 1.33 would keep you easily with fast flowing traffic and would allow overtaking here and there. 1.0 can keep the speed, but acceleration is much slower. That does not matter at all in town though, which most people buying this car for. But if you plan using it for longer journey, I found 1.33 far more exiting. And surprisingly that car is actually capable for venturing on fast roads and motorways and do in relative comfort and feel for far bigger car.

I read comments about 1.33 oil consumptions, but once drove it decided to go for it. Thought I just would top it up if needed as long as there are not unhealthy symptoms which I looked for when tested the car. Turned out after 1,000 miles the oil level remained the same, so that's one less thing to worry. 

All in all, I think IQ is surprisingly cool and fun to drive car. I did not expect to personally like it that much. Also it is practical for it's size. However the auto option is commanding significant premium and I think to find a good car for up to £4k it would require luck and time, which I had not. 

[glimp]

@martoto (great post, by the way) may well be right to suggest that SatNav isn't a determining factor as to whether it's an iQ2 or an iQ3 - I think I read it somewhere in this forum, but it may not be correct. Maybe SatNav was just an option? Can anyone help me here?

Herts owners seem to like this forum, don't they? We should form a club and amuse the county's inhabitants by going on little runs lol. It would be like 'Noddy Has a Day Out".
🙂

I just found this little summary of the iQ, which is nice & readable...

https://www.motors.co.uk/toyota/iq/reviews/

[glimp]

How about this one, @Pezza4u ? It's in Kings Langley and you're in SW Herts...

https://www.motors.co.uk/car-68964742/?i=0&m=sr

On paper it seems perfect - iQ2, Auto, 32k miles, headrests(!), 2010 car. I wonder what it's like in real life.

[Pezza4u]

@glimp That's a nice looking iQ you have 👍🏼

I'm trying to avoid anything from London if l can. Seen a few around Wembley/Harrow way but I just know traders can't be trusted and they don't look great from the photos. I bought a car from Southall once and the head gasket went on it after a year or so. Looked at others around that area and they were nothing like they described.

I'm not bothered about sat nav so can leave that. I know that place in Kings Langley, I actually bought my current car down that stretch of road. That one hadn't popped up on my search as it's well over budget. Plus it's the thought of paying £6k for a 15 year old 1L car. I paid £2.5k for my Honda 10 years a go when it was 10 years old. I know the iQ holds it value but it still seems high.

The description says the MOT is due November 2023 and it's mentioned twice so can't be a typo. Seems like they've had it a while and struggling to sell it. It does seem overpriced to me.

@Cyker Love that Cygnet 😂 I think I might avoid white altogether unless I find a really nice car and it has proof a respray has been done, assuming it is only the pearlescent. I've seen some photos where massive sections have peeled off so can't be doing with that headache!

@martoto Great post thanks. I don't suppose you looked at that one in Kings Langley? It's very unlikely the car will be driven anywhere other than around town so the 1.0L should be fine. When we go away, sometimes we take 2 cars but it's always my MX5 I take. The iQ will be mainly for work and popping to the shops. It'll probably go on the M25 occasionally but only for a junction or two. It does sound like I should test drive both engines if there is that much difference.

[flash22]

the smaller Toyotas do command a premium (The IQ and Aygo have their own price bubble), COVID shot prices through the roof, it's a very different market nowadays to what it was 5 years ago, even old bangers go for a £1k - then you have the southeast tax with cars seeming to go for 10-30% more

be aware there are a few JDM IQs out there for sale these tend to have the JDM Netz badges same car but can be difficult to tax/ulez and insure

[glimp]

1 hour ago, Pezza4u said:

@glimp That's a nice looking iQ you have 👍🏼

I'm trying to avoid anything from London if l can. Seen a few around Wembley/Harrow way but I just know traders can't be trusted and they don't look great from the photos. I bought a car from Southall once and the head gasket went on it after a year or so. Looked at others around that area and they were nothing like they described.

I'm not bothered about sat nav so can leave that. I know that place in Kings Langley, I actually bought my current car down that stretch of road. That one hadn't popped up on my search as it's well over budget. Plus it's the thought of paying £6k for a 15 year old 1L car. I paid £2.5k for my Honda 10 years a go when it was 10 years old. I know the iQ holds it value but it still seems high.

The description says the MOT is due November 2023 and it's mentioned twice so can't be a typo. Seems like they've had it a while and struggling to sell it. It does seem overpriced to me.

@Cyker Love that Cygnet 😂 I think I might avoid white altogether unless I find a really nice car and it has proof a respray has been done, assuming it is only the pearlescent. I've seen some photos where massive sections have peeled off so can't be doing with that headache!

@martoto Great post thanks. I don't suppose you looked at that one in Kings Langley? It's very unlikely the car will be driven anywhere other than around town so the 1.0L should be fine. When we go away, sometimes we take 2 cars but it's always my MX5 I take. The iQ will be mainly for work and popping to the shops. It'll probably go on the M25 occasionally but only for a junction or two. It does sound like I should test drive both engines if there is that much difference.

Yes, I made a mistake when linked to that silver iQ. I mistakenly thought it was £3.5k, but that was the car in the preceding advert. £6k is too much, even though it's very low mileage.

My own dodgy dealer was in Stanmore!

[flash22]

a bit more than your budget

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202404279124757

 

[Pezza4u]

@flash22 Yes prices went crazy during covid, that's when we sold the Lexus as it wasn't getting used much. Even got a decent price from we buy any car of all places.

That reminds me, that car partly went as we had the cat convertor nicked off it! It looks like the iQ has it as part of the manifold so is safe from thieves which is good.

I think I need to up the price on my searches, that looks like a good motor. Short MOT though but I'd imagine they would do that. It's never failed one and not many advisories compared to others I've seen. As I'd be saving £700 minimum a year over the Honda it's probably worth going a little higher.

The last 3 digits of that plate are the same as the Honda too!

@glimp The trouble is are low miles always a good thing, that averages over 2k miles a year. Could end up finding issues from not doing enough miles. Thanks for link though, appreciate you looking 👍🏼

[Pezza4u]

36 minutes ago, flash22 said:

a bit more than your budget

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202404279124757

 

Actually, is this the basic model, not a 2? No front fogs, push start or folding mirrors.

[glimp]

2 hours ago, Pezza4u said:

Actually, is this the basic model, not a 2? No front fogs, push start or folding mirrors.

It is the base model. And where are the rear headrests lol!!!

Looking on the Kings Langley dealer's website, it looks like the silver one may have been sold?

[martoto]

10 hours ago, glimp said:

@martoto (great post, by the way) may well be right to suggest that SatNav isn't a determining factor as to whether it's an iQ2 or an iQ3 - I think I read it somewhere in this forum, but it may not be correct. Maybe SatNav was just an option? Can anyone help me here?

SatNav is not IQ3 standard equipment but was factory option. My car is IQ3 but doesn't have one. Also personally I would not care for 15 year old SatNav. it would be awfully out of date anyway.

4 hours ago, Pezza4u said:

@martoto Great post thanks. I don't suppose you looked at that one in Kings Langley? It's very unlikely the car will be driven anywhere other than around town so the 1.0L should be fine. When we go away, sometimes we take 2 cars but it's always my MX5 I take. The iQ will be mainly for work and popping to the shops. It'll probably go on the M25 occasionally but only for a junction or two. It does sound like I should test drive both engines if there is that much difference.

No, I did not look at that one. I am not sure if it's still available as that advert is sitting from Oct 2023! Hence the weird MOT expiry in the description. It seems like last V5 update was in Jan and the car is taxed and MOT-ed, so likely already sold. 6k for perfect, low miles IQ are not extraordinary in the current market reality I would have thought. 

For the described use I'd say 1.0 would be perfectly adequate. Moreover you have MX-5 for the fun so not that important. But everyone circumstances and taste is different 🙂

2 hours ago, flash22 said:

a bit more than your budget

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202404279124757

That one is sitting from April and constantly being discounted. It started at £5,590. And yes it's IQ1 if that's important. I called to check it, when I was searching for a car, but the guy was inconclusive when actually I can see it. It was at £5k at the time, and I did not bother chasing it as it was in London (massive waste of time in my experience) and it has a lot of dings all over (seen even in the low res pictures). Decided not worth it. 

[glimp]

This car's interesting (to me). It's a 2011, it's only done 2,450 miles and its last MOT was in 2019, for goodness sake! Bit pricey, but interesting.

 

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202407161832597?sort=distance&advertising-location=at_cars&make=Toyota&model=iQ&page=3&postcode=WD24 5FN&transmission=Automatic&fromsra

...oh and make sure any car you buy has 2 plipper keys - they cost £330 from a Toyota dealer.

[Barkley]

My iQ2 has the SatNav option and I wanted this to save the hassle of trying to find the replacement loom and fittings as I planned to swap it for a Carplay compliant alternative. As it turned out, I was blown away with the audio quality and bluetooth capability so far from swapping it out, it still has pride of place and is in daily use. Like @glimp I only purchased mine at the end of last year but it was a low mileage model with 1 owner since new.  I had been searching for almost a year and it finally turned up on AutoTrader from a dealer in Chorley.  I shot down from Scotland and was smitten - he'd sourced it from someone in the SE via Motorway, but it was just the job and it saved me lots of fruitless searching.

[Pezza4u]

On 7/16/2024 at 6:37 PM, martoto said:

SatNav is not IQ3 standard equipment but was factory option. My car is IQ3 but doesn't have one. Also personally I would not care for 15 year old SatNav. it would be awfully out of date anyway.

For the described use I'd say 1.0 would be perfectly adequate. Moreover you have MX-5 for the fun so not that important. But everyone circumstances and taste is different 🙂

That one is sitting from April and constantly being discounted. It started at £5,590. And yes it's IQ1 if that's important. I called to check it, when I was searching for a car, but the guy was inconclusive when actually I can see it. It was at £5k at the time, and I did not bother chasing it as it was in London (massive waste of time in my experience) and it has a lot of dings all over (seen even in the low res pictures). Decided not worth it. 

You want to try a 20 year old sat nav! 😂 I just use Google maps if I ever need it but I tend to be in the family car when we need sat nav so I'm not fussed about having it.

I think the 1L will be enough but will try and test drive both engines. I normally take the MX5 off the road over winter but can keep using it until I find a good iQ. Although I'm reluctant to as I don't want to accelerate the rust on it by driving on salty roads.

Thanks, I won't bother looking at that one. Plus if I did get an iQ1 it would be as cheap as possible, they don't seem to sell as well so there's not much point spending alot unless it was in mint condition. 

On 7/16/2024 at 6:57 PM, glimp said:

This car's interesting (to me). It's a 2011, it's only done 2,450 miles and its last MOT was in 2019, for goodness sake! Bit pricey, but interesting.

 

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202407161832597?sort=distance&advertising-location=at_cars&make=Toyota&model=iQ&page=3&postcode=WD24 5FN&transmission=Automatic&fromsra

...oh and make sure any car you buy has 2 plipper keys - they cost £330 from a Toyota dealer.

Wow, how much were these new? Can't find much online but seems to be £10-£12k plus. Why buy a new car and not use it!

Thanks for the tip about the keys, will look out for that.

On 7/19/2024 at 4:13 PM, Barkley said:

My iQ2 has the SatNav option and I wanted this to save the hassle of trying to find the replacement loom and fittings as I planned to swap it for a Carplay compliant alternative. As it turned out, I was blown away with the audio quality and Bluetooth capability so far from swapping it out, it still has pride of place and is in daily use. Like @glimp I only purchased mine at the end of last year but it was a low mileage model with 1 owner since new.  I had been searching for almost a year and it finally turned up on AutoTrader from a dealer in Chorley.  I shot down from Scotland and was smitten - he'd sourced it from someone in the SE via Motorway, but it was just the job and it saved me lots of fruitless searching.

Did you test drive any before buying the one you have? I've had funny experiences from some traders. Some are happy for you to take the car out, with or without them but I've had a couple where they won't let you. You need to pay a deposit or actually buy the car first. Why would I buy a car I can't test drive!! 🙄

Then you have the issue with buying privately and not being insured to test drive. I've had the owners take me out but you can't get a proper feel for the car that way.

[Pezza4u]

Any thoughts on this one? Can't find much on the trader though and the MOT is short.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202407201981298

Out of interest what are you all paying for insurance on these?

The 1L is looking to be around £275 and the 1.33L is £350. My 2.4L Accord is £200! All of those include breakdown cover too. The Accord is in a much higher group than the iQ as well.

One thing I have noticed is there are a few iQs for sale that have been written off and put back on the road. I can only assume more of them are involved in accidents so the premiums are higher. I was expecting the insurance to be cheaper than the Accord with such a small engine.