Daughter has a 67-plate Aygo, it's a nippy little thing with a surprising amount of go at motorway speeds. The economy is amazing, she gets a genuine 50+mpg between fill-ups.
Same here. Got it as an ex-demo for a huge discount.
She loves it but it is a little sluggish.
I can’t fit in the back (too tall)!
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Daughter has a 67-plate Aygo, it's a nippy little thing with a surprising amount of go at motorway speeds. The economy is amazing, she gets a genuine 50+mpg between fill-ups.
I don't find those figures 'amazing'. My 1996 Fiat Punto (1.2 petrol) averaged over 50mpg when I drove it in the late 90s. I would have hoped designers might have found improvements over the last 20 years ?
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My son has an old one (2010)
There’s almost a fight for the keys to it in our house when a local run is required.
I love driving it, sort of reminds me, a bit anyway, of an original Mini.
Feels a lot quicker than it actually is, ducks and dives through traffic, parks in the smallest of spaces, turns like a housefly and doesn’t seem to use much fuel.
Replacement tyres for £50 each, £20 or something like that a year in tax and cheap insurance.
If I ever get to a point where I don’t need or want a big car anymore, a new or newer one would definitely be on my shopping list.
A friend has one with a roll back fabric roof, joyous little thing on a summer’s day.
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A friend of the family retired to central France years ago and runs a C1, it must be ten years old now. She travels twice a year from her home near Limoges to southern Spain to visit her niece. I've often commented on whether a bigger car would be nicer for a long journey (she's not short of a few euros having had quite a senior job in BP and used to run a Merc) but says the C1 is great. On the motorway it purrs along very nicely and she's not in a great hurry.
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A friend of the family retired to central France years ago and runs a C1, it must be ten years old now. She travels twice a year from her home near Limoges to southern Spain to visit her niece. I've often commented on whether a bigger car would be nicer for a long journey (she's not short of a few euros having had quite a senior job in BP and used to run a Merc) but says the C1 is great. On the motorway it purrs along very nicely and she's not in a great hurry.
I remember an article by the great LJK Setright on the, then new, Fiat 126 BIS (the last the line water-cooled version) which, after Lada withdrew, became the cheapest new car you could buy in the UK.
He spoke of a chap he knew at Fiat UK who would always choose a 126 if he had to drive to Turin(!), "circumventing the impossibility of going quickly by simply never going slowly".
Of course the 126 had around 25bhp, considerably less power than a C1, I believe the top speed of the BIS version was around 70mph (on the flat).
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About two lifetimes ago, I had a Mk1 Panda, we were very keen skiers back then and that little car (900cc I think) took us to the Alps from Scotland and back in winter quite a few times. Skis on the roof and off we went, never gave it a second thought.
Happy times.
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Current small cars are hugely impressive compared to decades past.
About 30 years ago I used to commute to Paris weekly. On arrival I would hire a small car at the desk with the shortest queue - Metro, Corsa, Renault. Peugeot etc etc.
Without exception they were basic, noisy and slow compared to my normal wheels (a Rover 800 at the time). What surprised me was the differences between marques.
I've been fortunate to spend a large part of this winter in southern Spain and hired 3 base level cars - Seat Ibiza, Citroen C3 and Corsa (old model). All were capable of an easy 70mph on the motorway (inclines excepted), quiet, adequately equipped, economical.
Favourite was the C3 - easily the most comfortable. The Seat prioritised handling - stiffer suspension etc. But in none of these did I feel short changed - they could all comfortably cope with long trips across Europe, and could be specced with more power.
The only negative is rear seat space and luggage capacity - not suitable in my view for four adults other than short trips. You can't get a quart in a pint pot!!
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I agree, low powered but very small and light cars can be so much fun, my son has a pug 107, it's a absolute hoot to drive or be driven in, not sure how much power it has but it goes like stink ( needs revving mind!) and surprisingly a nice comfortable thing to sit in.
Think it's currently done 125k but you really wouldn't know it, must add he does keep it well serviced..
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My son has an old one (2010) There’s almost a fight for the keys to it in our house when a local run is required. I love driving it, sort of reminds me, a bit anyway, of an original Mini. Feels a lot quicker than it actually is, ducks and dives through traffic, parks in the smallest of spaces, turns like a housefly and doesn’t seem to use much fuel. Replacement tyres for £50 each, £20 or something like that a year in tax and cheap insurance. If I ever get to a point where I don’t need or want a big car anymore, a new or newer one would definitely be on my shopping list. A friend has one with a roll back fabric roof, joyous little thing on a summer’s day.
I have a similar one, a 2011 albeit badged as a Citroen C1 - bought to do short local runs rather than a big diesel SUV - it does feel fun to drive but suspension is very hard and the car is noisy - but for all it's faults I've no plans to get rid as they're totally outweighed by all the good points.
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Well, we bought our one for my son to learn to drive in when he was 17. That worked as a plan and it saw him through sixth form and all the way through Uni. Now, 5 years later, he still has it.
I thought he might have wanted to change it by now but he’s in no rush to do so.
Bike racks permanently on the roof of it (as with my car) to feed his mountain biking addiction!
It can look a bit top heavy and full when laden with bikes, bikers and their ancillary kit, but he’s not bothered apparently.
Edited by Alby Back on 18/03/2022 at 18:16
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Badbusdriver, I also remember LJK Setrights column in Car magazine. He was very opinionated, but always an interesting read, interested in Bristol cars, Hondas, Hawker Hunters and of course smoking. He seemed a true eccentric. Mind you, all of the”frontline” columnists of that time could write really well, sadly most of them dead now.
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Andrew-T, The Aygo is heavier (it will most likely be all the extra safety kit) & will also have more emissions kit than the 1996 Punto. If I had to have a crash in 1 I strongly suspect that I would fare better in the Aygo.
Edited by Heidfirst on 18/03/2022 at 22:13
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Andrew-T, The Aygo is heavier (it will most likely be all the extra safety kit) & will also have more emissions kit than the 1996 Punto. If I had to have a crash in 1 I strongly suspect that I would fare better in the Aygo.
That may be true but it seems a poor excuse for an ordinary mpg figure. As the Aygo aims to be a modern (very) small car I suspect it may be smaller (but perhaps heavier) than an early Punto. I am sure that a lot more effort has been made this century towards squeezing an extra metre from every last drop of fuel, running hard just to finish in the same place.
Anyway I have spent 60 years driving without ever suffering an injury because my vehicle had poor crash protection, so that is a long way down my personal priority list. It's not something I worry about, but it may help to sell cars.
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Andrew-T, The Aygo is heavier (it will most likely be all the extra safety kit) & will also have more emissions kit than the 1996 Punto. If I had to have a crash in 1 I strongly suspect that I would fare better in the Aygo.
1996 Punto 1.2 is circa 865kg. The original Aygo was under 800kg, but the last of the line before the Aygo X is around the same weight as the Punto.
As for safety, you'd probably be better in the Aygo, but I wouldn't imagine the difference to be as big as you seem to be thinking.
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As for safety, you'd probably be better in the Aygo, but I wouldn't imagine the difference to be as big as you seem to be thinking.
The Aygo is more likely to have systems to prevent you having a crash in the first place &, as evidenced by Euro NCAP, crash protection has improved over 20 years.
I know that they aren't directly comparable as the scheme has changed over the years (generally getting harder) but a 1996 Punto rated 2 for occupant protection & an Aygo 3 or 4 stars depending upon year & spec.
Of course, if either met a 40 tonne artic. going the opposite direction with say a closure speed of 100mph neither the Aygo or Punto will come off well.
Edited by Heidfirst on 19/03/2022 at 13:25
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Anyway I have spent 60 years driving without ever suffering an injury because my vehicle had poor crash protection, so that is a long way down my personal priority list. It's not something I worry about, but it may help to sell cars.
You've been very lucky that no other driver nearby has made a mistake and caused an accident involving you - long may your luck continue.
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The Aygo is more likely to have systems to prevent you having a crash in the first place &, as evidenced by Euro NCAP, crash protection has improved over 20 years.
The later ones with the X face maybe, but not the early ones. I'd expect ABS would be your lot for avoiding an accident.
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From launch in 2005 Aygos had VSC (electronic safety control) available as an option (esc later mandated by EU as standard fit to all vehicles).
By 2015 [X-face ;) ] you could have additionally have TSS (Toyota Safety System - pre-collision warning, auto-braking & lane departure warning)
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From launch in 2005 Aygos had VSC (electronic safety control) available as an option (esc later mandated by EU as standard fit to all vehicles).
Despite what the acronym VSC means, (on the Aygo) that is just a basic traction control system. You pull away on an icy road and it stops the wheels spinning.
Not going to stop you having an accident.
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Something as ridiculously compact as an Aygo is not somewhere I want to be if involved in an accident on a motorway or on the open road where speeds exceed 40mph.
My elderly sister and her two elderly companions "died instantly at the scene" when hit more or less head on by a Ford focus. They were travelling at 30 mph, the focus at 60 mph when it overtook a van. The focus driver survived with just a broken leg.
My sister was in the back seat, with her seat belt on.
IMO the Aygo is too compact a car with insufficient accident protection against any other class of car or vehicle 90% of which are much larger and heavier.
Edited by brum on 21/03/2022 at 09:44
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IMO the Aygo is too compact a car with insufficient accident protection against any other class of car or vehicle 90% of which are much larger and heavier.
Back in the mid-sixties I lived for a year in Ontario, having driven my Morris 1100 across Canada from Alberta (we took a week doing it). While there, some Canadians referred jokingly to my car as a p***-p0t because it was too small and would not withstand a collision with a Chevy or a Rambler (there were still plenty of those about). While that was no doubt true, I said that as my car had a smaller aspect ratio I was less likely to be hit.
Anyhow that car did about 40K miles over much of the western US and most of non-arctic Canada. Its Achilles heel was the electric fuel pump, underneath the tank at the rear. The contacts would soot up, so I kept a spare in the boot, which I could change on the road in 10-15 minutes.
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From launch in 2005 Aygos had VSC (electronic safety control) available as an option (esc later mandated by EU as standard fit to all vehicles).
Despite what the acronym VSC means, (on the Aygo) that is just a basic traction control system.
No, it's not. But as I said it was an option on early Aygos & not a very well taken up one (something like 0.01% in the UK iirc).
Edited by Heidfirst on 21/03/2022 at 11:03
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We had an Aygo Xcite2 to be specific. What you write is all correct much to recommend them, but I found it desperately uncomfortable. Guaranteed back ache. Replaced it with a Suzuki Ignis. More roomy a lot more comfortable, just an all round better car. Imo.
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My wife has a 58 reg Aygo and she loves it. The only thing I don't like is it's a two door. I wish we'd have bought a 4 door as I can't get out of the back. Other than that it's great.
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There will be an Aygo in my driveway on Monday!
It's 4+ years old & 30K and is being kept in my driveway for a couple of days until a granddaughter's birthday on Wednesday.
When I was 17 I got a few ££s IIRC.
I paid my own weekly driving lessons
87.5p per hour x16 =£14.00 -
XMS88 - Morris 1000 roughly a 196i/62 model
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