Yes is the simple answer, when looking at these 3 cars in particular. The reason why? They are the same car underneath, they all share the same chassis and come with a choice of a 1.0 litre or 1.2 litre engine, aside from the Toyota which has to make do with just the 1.0 litre.
The Progression of Superminis
Gone are the days that a small car means cheap and cheerless. I remember testing the Nissan Pixo when it first came out and it didn’t even have electric windows, can you imagine! Nowadays if a car doesn’t have Bluetooth for your phone, air conditioning, and connection to YouTube then it’s not worth looking at.
Toyota Aygo £8,945 – £14,970
Toyota have had a big push of the Aygo in the UK and offer great service and finance packages from what I have seen. You can own this car from around £127 per month which is remarkable value. The 1.0 litre engine has enough power but is noisy. There is also quite a bit of wind noise too. Not something you would expect.
The looks are a bit Marmite, but I like them over the other 2. With the big X on the front and the daytime running lights it’s great. If you’re feeling flush you can opt for one of the more expensive options and the levels of kit are fantastic with a reversing camera and iPad-style screen.
Citroen C1 £8,495 – £12,550
The C1 I tried had the 1.2 litre, 82 bhp engine; a whole 14 bhp more than the Toyota. I seriously struggled to shackle this beast… In all honesty, as you would expect it’s very similar to the Toyota, the extra power was welcome, and probably worth the extra.
Inside the 7 inch infotainment screen is great, they have really got this right, but that is reserved for higher models. A couple of things I’m not so sure on. The gear knob is the cheapest thing I ever felt, I think it’s made of the same plastic BIC use to make Biro’s, but that’s being unkind to the pen makers. Take a look at the Airscape version if you want something slightly different as it offers a fabric roof.
Peugeot 108 £8,495 – £13,160
For the Peugeot it was back to the 1.0 litre and everything was as with the Toyota. In the real world to give you an idea, the 1.0 litre was returning around 60 mpg and the 1.2 litre around 55 mpg.
As you would expect from a car of this size the leg room in the back is abysmal (same as the other 2) I only really noticed it in the Peugeot as I had to fold myself into the back for a short journey. The best way I can describe it is, it’s a bit like when you have to shove a sleeping bag into it’s own bag, you know it’s going to fit but it’s going to take a lot of work, all a bit of a faff.
Verdict
My advise would be steer clear from the Peugeot and choose the C1 if you want slightly better value and a bigger engine. The pick of the bunch is the Aygo however, you will be paying a bit more but in return get a more prestigious badge and good equipment levels.
There are a lot of other cars in this price bracket such as the Seat Mii plus other VW group superminis, the Fiat 500, the list goes on. But I’m going to shock you here; take a look at the Hyundai i10. You get a lot for your money, build quality is good and it has more electronics in 1 car than 50 Nissan Pixo’s. I hate the Pixo.
