Toyota Aygo review

It’s often said that good things come in small packages, and while that's not always the case — think wasps and Napoleon — the current crop of city cars, which includes our featured Toyota Aygo, are generally getting better and better. 

Why do we say that? Well, there was a time when buying a city or value car meant serving upon yourself a sentence of misery in automotive purgatory: threadbare equipment levels, wheezy engines and iffy handling were just a few of the drawbacks. Things have certainly changed, and the Aygo competes for sales against the VW Up, Hyundai i10 and Kia Picanto in a far more sophisticated city car market.

Although the Aygo's dramatic styling may set it apart from its rivals, it is, in fact, closely related to the Citroën C1 and Peugeot 108 under the surface. The Aygo model range is pretty straightforward – a 71bhp 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol is the only available engine, and, unlike some rivals, there’s no three-door model, just a more practical five-door. Toyota doesn't take all your choices away, though; there are five trim levels and a wealth of colour combinations to choose from.

So, is the Aygo one of the better value cars to go for? Read on over the next few pages for our in-depth impressions on how the Aygo compares, along with our recommendations for which trim to choose. If you decide you want to buy one, make sure you check out our New Car Buying pages to see how big a discount you could get on the brochure price.