Looking for 1st car - Aygo?

oli356

oli356

oli356

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Good evening =)

Learning to drive at the moment, test booked for end of October.

Short story: Dad works for Audi and has a company, doesn't work out too cheap. Looking to stop using a company car, buy a car for him to drive for the next few months and I will practice in evenings/weekends. Once I've passed my test the car will become mine and he will buy something for himself.

Tonight he came home in a 2006 55 plate Polo 1.2l with 41,000 miles. Our friend said it would need about £350 spent on it for bodywork (dent and rust on side of roof etc.) Not a bad looking car, nice blue colour.

He's coming home in a Toyota Aygo 3dr special edition next week. 2009, 09 plate with 23,000 miles. Sounds better on paper than the Polo, quicker acceleration, better fuel efficiency, cheaper tax, still has warranty. Bluetooth for the phones and auxiliary input is also nice.
Don't think it looks very nice compared to the Polo but oh well! Though comes at a price of just under £4,000 (dad and our friend think it would be worth it though over the Polo)

I don't really know anything about cars so not too sure what to be looking out for! Car will be used mainly for commuting to work, only about 7 miles each way - no doubt stuck in traffic quite a bit!

Just looking for any other recommendations for a 1st car really...? Insurance is going to be a killer!

Any advise will be appreciated, thanks.
 
Polo is a much better car than an Aygo. It's a proper-sized mini rather than a tiny little thing for people that only care about OMG CHEAP TAX!
 
Working for Audi yet the company car is a worse option than buying 2 cars?!
 
Having owned both the 1.2l Polo (2010, 60PS) and the Aygo (2008, 1.0l) I would definitely recommend the Aygo over the Polo. It's more fun, more fuel efficient, cheaper insurance and has cheaper tax. It comes with gadgets and corners like its on rails. All in comparison to the Polo, anyway.
 
I would recommend the Polo over the Aygo any day. In fact I'd recommend a Tuk-Tuk over an Aygo but I'll leave my hatred out of this thread. The Polo is far, far nicer inside, smoother and quieter and will ride better. Fuel efficiency isn't an issue since they're both tiny and will both do high MPG. Handling isn't an issue either since neither of them are sports cars.

Why go with the inferior car for the sake of, what, £50 a year in VED?
 
As it's a first car buy whichever one works out cheapest to buy and insure overall. No point in worrying about mpg/ tax etc as they'll be so close it'll make sweet bugger all difference really.
 
I would go for the Aygo, it is going to be cheaper to run overall.

Also fuel economy on the small old vag petrols are woeful.
 
I think either would suit well as a new driver. Both three cylinder engines so are not going to be the first word in refinement but I doubt you'll care when the trade off is cheap insurance, good fuel economy and a distinctive bark when you give it some gas.

I would say that either represents a good choice but...

Aygo for more fun (they handle like little go karts!), cheaper running cost (all be it marginally) and ease of use as a new driver (again marginal)

Polo for a boot that you can actually fit stuff it and a more "grown up" feel as it has a more traditional interior/full instrument cluster etc.
 
Dogbreath said:
So handling is irrelevant on anything but a sports car? That is a very strange view.
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Well it was more the fact that they both drive similarly, and someone who is interested in such a car isn't going to be fussed about the nuances of differing steering feel and chassis dynamics between the two.
 
I would avoid the Aygo and the other two that are based on it purely because they are pretty big targets for drunks to pick on. Old friend of mine bought one after she passed 2 years ago and it just gets attacked about once a month because it looks a bit like a lego car that you can stick back together. That and its pig ugly...

It's all about Polo's, they might look a little bland at times but they seem to be more or less indestructible, my one lived in london for 6-7 years and well looks like its lived in london with a few dents of people walking over it and a keying. Would always pick it over the Aygo though as it is a proper car the that drives nicely and doesn't get picked on by other people.
 
My sister had a 55 plate 1.4L Polo and I've had 2 1.0L Aygo as a courtesy car.

Can't comment on how the polo drive but in terms of interior, the polo is much nicer. the Aygo is fine around down, but anything over 50mph the cabin noise gets quite high. Coming from my Yaris, which isn't amazing in automobile terms, the Aygo makes my Yaris feels like a luxury saloon.

I'd pick the Polo given the choice.
 
The aygo would be significantly cheaper to fuel, i had a 107 as a courtesy car and it didnt seem to use any fuel at all. The polo is a nice car and a lot quieter on the motorway but id go for the 1.4 engine as its a bit more reliable than the 1.2 and its a heavy car so the 1.2 struggles with the weight. The best engine to get on the polo is on of the dieslels but it probably wouldnt be a good idea with short trips.
 
If the only option is those two specific cars, then I would buy the Aygo.

If its Polos or Aygos in general, then a bigger engined polo would be preferable although they are expensive for what they are.
 
Howard said:
I would recommend the Polo over the Aygo any day. In fact I'd recommend a Tuk-Tuk over an Aygo but I'll leave my hatred out of this thread. The Polo is far, far nicer inside, smoother and quieter and will ride better. Fuel efficiency isn't an issue since they're both tiny and will both do high MPG. Handling isn't an issue either since neither of them are sports cars.

Why go with the inferior car for the sake of, what, £50 a year in VED?
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Fuel efficiency is an issue, as the OP has stated, and the Aygo is better.

There's a noteworthy difference of fuel economy between the two, don't brush that notion off because of your hatred towards the Aygo.
 
Well the Aygo was too small for me, knees were touching the wheel! Can't pump seat down, move wheel up and if I moved the seat back anymore it was uncomfortable.

Back to the drawing board :)
 
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