A history lesson…
Toyota was winning hearts and minds with the small but perfectly formed Yaris for years before the Aygo arrived and gave buyers yet another option in this competitive market segment.
The Aygo hit the road with a 1.0 litre petrol engine in mid-2005 and was a project that Toyota invested in along with Peugeot and Citroen, which means it isn't the only example of this particular platform that you'll find on sale.
In early 2006 a diesel engined approved used Toyota Aygo was released, although it only survived for 12 months before being retired in 2007 due to the fact that most people weren't interested in paying an extra £1000 on top of the basic price for only a small bump to fuel efficiency.
In 2009 Toyota decided to give the Aygo a little bit of a facelift, which basically came down to beefing up the bumpers and also enhancing the efficiency of the 1.0 litre engine.
The Toyota Aygo for sale and its platform-sharing competitors have been well received in the UK, particularly amongst those looking for a reliable and affordable city car that looks funky and fashionable. This is definitely a car for the younger generations.
Bang for your buck
Since the Aygo is only 3.4 metres long, it's incredibly easy to park in even the tightest of spaces. It's not quite up there with the Smart Fortwo range, but it's close.
On the outside it outdoes the Peugeot and Citroen derivatives with a slightly more appealing and cohesive design, while the interior echoes the colour of the exterior on a few choice elements, as well as boasting an attractive and functional dash.
For drivers, the used Toyota Aygo offers a surprising degree of comfort thanks to the adjustable steering column and the generous amounts of headroom you get inside.
Those who hop into the rear will have a little less room to work with horizontally, although how comfortable you are will largely depend on how far back the driver needs to rack their seat.
You get a CD player as standard, along with a 3.5mm jack that allows you to connect a portable media player to the Aygo's internal audio system. Twin airbags, ABS and EBD are also featured on all models, while if you choose higher trim levels you can get more speakers, electric windows, remote central locking and even keyless entry, if you like your cars gadget-heavy.
There's even an Aygo Sport iteration which boasts alloy wheels and the option to add air con, although top end trim levels might not be that common on the used market.
What you'll pay
Since the second hand Toyota Aygo is still a relatively new vehicle you'll spend from £2700 to £3200 for an early model 1.0 litre iteration.
Add around £400 if you want the Sport trim, while the rarer diesel iteration with a 1.4 litre engine is still around for closer to £4000.
Group 1 insurance on the 1.0 litre petrol Aygo will make running it extremely cheap, particularly when you factor in its 60+mpg efficiency.
What to check
There's very little that can go wrong with the Aygo and its track record over its relatively short time on the market so far has been pretty impeccable.
As long as you pick up a used example with a full service history, you can spend your cash without much to worry about.
Parts
The small brake pads cost £25 for a pair, while you'll pay £100 to replace the starter motor if necessary.
Toyota is competing with Citroen and Peugeot, so it tends to try and keep the price of parts as low as possible, which benefits owners.
How it drives
There's a basic five speed manual gearbox onboard most Aygos, although owners could also choose the clutchless alternative in order to make the stop-start nature of city driving more bearable.
It'll take you 14 seconds to push the Aygo to 60 if you ever head out to less congested roads and it's not too bad as a motorway cruiser, although you can't really keep people cooped up in the back for too long.
If you do get the diesel model then it's a little slower off the mark but offers much better pulling power for those larger loads.
