Made A Big Mistake.

[johnvx220]

I bought a six month old MMT Platiumum a few weeks ago. This ticked all the "boxes" with good Co2, good mpg, an auto which is all my wife will drive. Sounds great. Had a test drive fine so got the car. Build quality is so poor with a creaking seat, rattling from the B post area thats sending me mad and a door that squeaks. Doors that feel like a baked bean can when closing. My old Citroen AX diesel felt a better car than this.

This is not the main issue, we all been told to reduce are Co2 but at what cost.

My wifes last car at least has a passenger door internal light switch, lights that automaticly when to side lights when key removed as well as the internal light came on, window control that worked the driver and passengers windows and the list goes on. Let the buyer be aware but what realy makes me mad is my wifes last car was a SKODA auto estate which was very well built and cost us within 500 pounds of the asking price of the wife Argo. I realy dont what to save the plant if this is the standard we have to get down to. The extra tax and fuel over a year must be worth it. We are meant to have better cars but we are definatly going backwards Toyota. Finally it wouuld cost peanuts to provide a little electronics to do all what out last car had and even more.

[Demonic Angel]

Hi John, welcome to TOC

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the Aygo is marketed as a "budget car" - this is how they make it so cheap.

In fact, when Top Gear reviewed it, they noted the cost-cutting measures - lack of passenger light, glass boot lid, lack of plastic door trimmings etc and agreed that it was to ensure the car was cheaper than the Yaris - otherwise there is no point having it in the line-up.

This should have been explained to you when you bought it - it's not meant to be a "small car", it's meant to be a "budget city car", therefore it's pretty stripped out in comparison to, say the Yaris.

As for the creaks - well all cars can suffer from that I'm afraid. Not even Toyota has a perfect record and some Aygos have had reported issues with creaks and squeaks - but then I kinda look at stuff like that and say that you get what you pay for - my Aygo has had a few squeaks, but I only spent 9k, had I spent 90k I'd have more of a gripe with it.

Luckily, your car is under warranty so if you are concerned, get Toyota to take a look.

Just don't expect a small luxury car, because the Aygo is back-to-basics motoring and it has never been marketed as anything but IMO.

I'm sorry you feel like you've made a mistake, I just think you expected more from it. Perhaps a Yaris would be more to your liking?

[Guest]

John,

I agree with DA, i think you have missed the point of the Aygo. If you take it at face value its a brilliant little car and fullfills its remit perfectly as a city car. I would suggest that compared to other cars of the size and price its one of the best and in my opinion is better than the old model smart-4-2 ( i had one so i feel qualified to make the judgement).

When you factor in toyota customer service i honestly dont think you can get a better car of the size and i racked up 10k miles in 8 months in mine, and yes it did rattle a bit, it was abit tinny, but it did return an average of 55mpg, cost hardly anything to insure and was a lot of fun on back roads and perfectly acceptable on m'ways.

I have just chopped mine in for a new 1.3 Yaris SR and yes it is better in every respect, but it costs 30% more to buy and insure, "only" does 40MPG, cost more to service and tax.

If you can afford it, buy a Yaris, If not accept the foibles and hopefully you will learn to love your Aygo in time.

Good luck!

[zakelwe]

I have to agree with John to some extent, the quality control at the Aygo/C1/107 factory is poor compared to the Japanese factory that the Yaris was originally made in (not sure about the French one). There's a set of common complaints on here that should had been corrected by now (water leaks into the cabin, steering wheels not on straight, creak and squeaks) if it was purely a Toyota factory you would think.

I can live with the cost cutting side of it, though perhaps even here they have gone too far with the glovebox lid a joke, the rear parcel shelf likewise. However the windows controls should be in the middle of the car if there is only going to be 2, not one on each window, how obvious is that? Maybe someone didn't measure the rear wiper for length either

I think the Aygo is full of character, both engine and handling, so that and the economy make up for these issues, but I guess if it an A to B car then those issues would be more so.

It will be interesting to see what the cheap cars are like in 3 years time after the current recession, it may be a sign of things to come as every last $ is saved from the car you buy. Aygo might seem like a rolls royce ....

Regards

Andy

[daveyjp]

What other cars did you consider which gave you 45+mpg, £35 a year tax, group 1/2 insurance and an auto box?

[SJandMR2]

Hi

Am sorry I agree with DA and Big Boz, Aygo is simple back to basics motoring, and it does what it says on the tin, other than the glovebox lid being a bit naff I am very happy with mine. If you wanted a bit more "things" and luxury then the Yaris would have perhaps been a better choice, but you would have paid more for it. But paying more for something doesnt guarentee bits not going wrong, I have a friend with an expensive alfa and she makes me roar with larfter when she comes into work with another bit thats fell off it.

SJx

[zakelwe]

Having thought about the window buttons not being in the centre here are some more oddities on the Aygo

1) The seat recliner handles for both seats should be in the middle not the outside of the seat

2) The petrol cap should be on the drivers side

3) The bonnet release catch should also be on the drivers side.

As for the Yaris, now that they changed it from a cute looking car to something akin to this

I think the Mazda2 is probably a better bet.

I still love my Aygo though, it's great on B roads due to the lack of mass up front. The biggest mass is now sitting in the drivers seat

Regards

Andy

[Unklian]

Had a test drive fine so got the car.

The window switches have always been there.

It doesn't have a passenger door internal light switch.

If you went for a test drive and disliked it so much, why did you buy it?

Ian.

[johnvx220]

What other cars did you consider which gave you 45+mpg, £35 a year tax, group 1/2 insurance and an auto box?

I did consider the diesel colt auto which ticked a lot of the boxes, but the great reviews and size of the car swayed me to the Aygo

[Demonic Angel]

The Colt is generally classed as a "Supermini", so basically along the lines of the Yaris, Fiesta, Clio etc. It's not in the same league as the Aygo - it'd be like comparing a Ford Focus to a Renault Clio - they are in separate sectors so will ultimately be specced differently and you can't really compare them.

The Aygo is not specced as well as a car in the Supermini classification, but its not meant to be!

Obviously you have either been misled by your dealer or didn't do your research before buying - either way, that's not really your cars fault!

[zakelwe]

But on the other hand the love of the car might be blinding people to it's faults though ?

The original Yaris was the Aygo of it's day before they made it bigger and it definitely was made better. I can tell you that from doing 100 000 miles in one and 10 000 in the Aygo. They have really cut the costs with the Aygo in comparison.

Take for example the rear windows, they are a lot cheaper to make like that but then again they are !Removed! noisy in comparison to "normal" windows tbat open in the standard manner. My favourite is the single string to hold the rear parcel shelf in place rather than 2. I can just see some bean counter calculating how much they could save each year with that little trick. It doesn't work as well as 2 of course, but hey, this a citicar not a shopping car . People don't shop in cities, they shop in supermarkets !! For the 2010 model year they will make it out of thinner string presumably ....

Regards

Andy

[Blue84]

Hiya

Sorry to hear you are not completely satisfied with your Aygo.

I had a red Aygo as a courtesy car whilst the Yaris was in at Toyota and it felt too small & dare I say it cheap for my liking. But then again it wasn't a permanent buy for me and that was just my opinion.

I can see where you are coming from with the points you have raised, however the reviews out there will no doubt be a mix of good and bad as everyone varies from person to person.

If you are that unhappy with your purchase then will you change to another car? Unfortunately you may loose out on money though.

[PaulWorthing]

As has already been said, the Aygo (along with the C1 and 107) are BUDGET city cars and cannot be compared to other cars - even if that other car is a Skoda! If, as you're suggesting, you could have found something better that was the same age or younger, the same price, or less, and fulfilled all of your criteria then may I suggest that you should have brought that instead?

Had a test drive fine so got the car. Build quality is so poor with a creaking seat, rattling from the B post area thats sending me mad and a door that squeaks. Doors that feel like a baked bean can when closing. My old Citroen AX diesel felt a better car than this.

As for your road test, well that just sounds as though you did not take a long enough test drive in the car. I am sure we all know badly maintained roads where we live and I am sure that creaking seats and rattling would be self evident if you have thought about using it on all types of roads and not just on a brief run on a nice smooth road.

I am sorry to say this but, unless the salesman held a gun to your head, it was you that brought the car and if it is not what you wanted then it is your mistake.

Maybe if you thought of the Aygo as a modern day classic Mini (take off the rose tinted specs and they are pretty basic, cramped, underpowered, no luxuries, etc., etc., etc. ) rather than a scaled down super mini then maybe it would not seem so bad.

[Jan van de Wouw]

1) The seat recliner handles for both seats should be in the middle not the outside of the seat

They are. Actually the handles are on BOTH sides on BOTH seats....

Another way of cheapening things, as in the Basic (i.e. no side airbags)

the seats are interchangable left to right!

2) The petrol cap should be on the drivers side

3) The bonnet release catch should also be on the drivers side.

Both ARE, as long as the steering wheel is on the proper side...

You also forgot to mention the rear wiper being "the wrong way round" for the UK.

All three of these points are not even exclusive to the Aygo/C1/107, they're just a

consequence of the RHD-market being relatively small, so things that aren't 100%

neccesary to be mirrored to the other side are left as they are to cut cost.

The original Renault Twingo in 1993 didn't even come as RHD as cost was too high

according to Renault. They said they needed a guarantee of 25.000 units sold to

make a RHD cost effective and didn't think the UK would buy enough then...

The Aygo/C1/107 are all aimed at the European market, not Asia,

so you should be glad there even IS a RHD version...

[Wild west Drifter]

It ticks all the boxes, OK so i've made mine slightly different and spent money on extras that I could have spent buying a larger car, but hey they are not marketed as anything other than a economical basic car.

I was looking at cheap running costs, to get to work and back. It does all that. and is easy to park.

Higher spec would mean maybe a Yaris but I shall consider an IQ for the wife.

[weevicky]

Why buy a car that you don't like surely you would have read into reviews as such before making the commitment? Its a budget car! Yes it has a few niggles; add your own passenger light this and that. Or even so buy another economical friendly car there are alot more top of the range models around now.

[JustinH]

As already mentioned, surely this is the whole point of a test drive?

I'd be the first person to admit that there's a few things that irritate me about my Aygo. The main ones are that the ride can be crashy over the bumps at times, yes it can be tinny, it doesnt have some obvious very basic features like a passenger door light switch, it'd be nice to have a bit more power on the motorway sometimes (though I'd agree that this isnt was it was designed for), and I get f'ing irritated when other drivers think they can pick on me just because I'm in a small car (again, not really the Aygo's fault).

But... and it's a !Removed! bit but.... I love it! I really do. It was all I could afford at the time, does exactly what I want it to, and it's cheap to run. But best of all I love it's cheeky exhaust note, fling-it-about go kart handling, and all the niggles are worth it for the moments when I've got a fun road to myself, and can really exploit what the Aygo does best: no frill's, basic, sheer unadulterated ruddy fun driving! :D

[elisetype25]

As stated above, sorry to hear your not completely satisfied. Give it time, if bought from a dealer get them to sort the rattles and squeaks if they are that bad.

Your car is a similar spec to mine (Blue MMT 5 door), and the bottom line is that there isn't another frugal, low tax, 5 door auto on the market - either new or second hand. I do expect this to change as manufacturers realise there is a market for such cars. I personally will never buy another commuter box without auto. (I still prefer manual gearboxes for sports cars of course)

I note from your login name you are not averse to back to basics motoring. I love the Aygo, it's the basic feel, light weight, simplicity that makes it such fun to drive (performance through light weight). Yes costs have been cut to shave a few pence off the build price but do they really matter? I know of several much more expensive cars with 1 string on the parcel shelf!

My other car doesn't have electric windows at all, so what! it doesn't affect the way the car drives. The lack of passenger door operated courtesy light is mildly annoying (I would have linked the switch to the central locking mechanism and not to door switches) but I can live with that. The running costs of these cars is pennies and a significant saving over other vehicles even superminis (Group 1 insurance, 55MPG, £20-35 road tax, cheap parts and servicing), added to which the residuals remain strong (due to the small running costs).

Comparing the Aygo to a second hand VW is pointless, if you wanted comfort you can buy a 10 year old S-class Merc for similar money. At the end of the day, everything is a compromise: age, reliability, servicing, fuel, tax, insurance, comfort, depreciation and the Aygo scores top marks in all but one area.

For me the Aygo puts the fun back into motoring, and it has become the car of choice for family trips (the estate car is limited to occassional trips to the DIY store, tip etc.)

I hope you get the issues sorted, and begin to appreciate what great little cars these are. Again, this has been said above, but I do feel the Aygo is the true successor to the Mini, forget the fashion accessories and enjoy the ride.

Regards, Neil

[crisskro]

2) The petrol cap should be on the drivers side

3) The bonnet release catch should also be on the drivers side.

They are on the driver's side. Everywhere other than the UK :)

LE: Nevermind, was mentioned before :D Anyway, take it to the mountains, on a swirly road, crank the music up and give it 50 mph in the 2nd gear. Belive me, you'll forget about the passenger door light, the creaks and any complaints you may have.

[zakelwe]

Hey, if it's badged a Toyota then it is a Japanese car (I don't care where it's built ;) ) and they drive on the right and so therefore in this case the petrol cap is on the wrong side and so is the bonnet release. They are on the right side for the 107 and C1 as they are French. I didn't buy a French car though.

If you are going to put the steering wheel on the right then put the other bits on the right as well. You wouldn't expect the wheel on the right and the brake/clutch/gas pedals on the left would you ? Mind you that could be interesting ...

Good point about the seat levers though Jan, I'm either wrong or they have forgotten to put my middle ones on then !

Regards

Andy

[Parts-King]

Toyota have always had the fuel filler on the LEFT hand quarter panel, it saves making a right hand quarter panel with a hole in it As for the bonnet pull lever, it is just as easy to open, it's just in a different place. In years gone by MOST European cars had a bonnet release lever on the left hand side, again, it saves money by not having to have two specification cables to do one job. If a manufacturer can save a few pence by leaving a few screws or clips off a car they will, the Aygo is built to a budget, but you should be able to get the squeaks and rattles sorted out

Kingo

[Projectzip]

I love my Aygo rattles and all!

Everyone whos ever been in it cant get out without saying something nice about it. even though it is a stripped out back to basics motor.

I put my rattles down to the stereo I fitted shaking everything loose inside.

Ive put dynamat in the rear and I will be doing the boot floor next followed by the main cabin.

Its taken my in the few months ive had it to a lot of touring car races.

I do like to tinker so little things like fitting my own passenger side light switch right up my alley.

Originally I was going to buy a second hand van but im so happy I got my Aygo and it was all down to Richard Hammond and I told him so when I met him at Top Gear. And his reply was they really are a great little car!

So for me it ticks all these boxes

Cheap

Funky Looking

Cheap Insurance

Cheap Tax

Blinding Fuel Economy

Fun Factor

Fits 4 adults for the pub run easily

Does the Costco run

I could go on.

[Jan van de Wouw]

Another thng about the petrol cap: this would also require a different tank,

different quarter panel and even different carpets on the inside of the trunk!

And it could be even worse: take a look at the Mini Clubman: the clubman door is ALLWAYS on the

righthand side, since the petrol cap is on the left. So in the UK, your rear passengers allways have

to get out into the middle of the road and will allways bother the driver to open up his door...

And that's an ENGLISH car (or German if you go by the BMW-brand...)

[PaulT]

Not to say that anybody is right or wrong on this thread, each to their own, but I have owned an original 1-litre Yaris GS and an Aygo so I feel I can comment on suggestions that the Yaris was better :D

The Yaris was about the spec level of an Aygo+ for more money (about £7500 in 2003 money, compared to a similar amount in 2007 money). It had more interior panels, so no bare metal, but they didn't really think the 3-door version out very well as the trim started to peel off on the B-pillar with people snagging it getting in and out of the back seat. This has been hugely tidied up in the Aygo.

The engine in the Aygo is *much* better than the four-pot in the original Yaris. It is more efficient and economical, lighter and has more grunt, even though the max power and torque seem about the same. As a result it can drive a longer gearbox and the weight distribution is better.

The Aygo chassis is much better than the original Yaris, which was a bit understeery. It has better damping and handles better, even getting the back end out if you are not careful.

The Aygo also has ABS, which my Yaris did not.

So Toyota have cut costs on the interior, boot-strings etc. but spent money on the chassis and engine instead. That is why I bought it :D

Paul.

[gordonh]

I have to agree with people that compare the current Aygo with the original mini. It feels like the real replacement to the mini rather than the German thing.

All we need now is for Toyota to build a 1275 GT version.....