A couple of weeks ago we took delivery of a new Toyota IQ as a second car. We looked round to try and find something that would be cheap to run, comfortable, stylish and above all would hold its value over time. After the pre-requisite research we decided on the IQ as it offered 62 miles to the gallon and had a very low CO2 (99gms) and therefore we don't have to pay road tax in the UK.
First impressions have been very good and it is impressive how much room there is in the car. The finish of the car is OK - it is certainly not plush in there, but it is comparable with other cars in its class. We went for the IQ2 which gives us keyless entry, climate control and a few other things. The interior plastic is a little 'harsh' and I am not sure how it will fair over time but only time will tell.
We had a few problems with the dealer not being able to deliver on time and I assumed that there would be discounts around in light of the recession. Our experience was that as demand for the car was high there was little or no discount available and delivery was what it was - take it or leave it. We ended up getting the metallic paint included in the list price so not much discount and it looks like prices are dropping as more vehicles become available and I assume demand is dropping.
Design of the vehicle itself is very good and it is one of those cars that you either love or hate. The 'packaging' though is excellent and very innovative giving the car maximum space inside. This includes turning the engine and putting the gearbox and transmission at the front. The mission for the design team was to build a 4 seat car less than 3 metres long - this meant that they had to use every inch of space. Innovations include thin seats, a new centre take off differential, a small air conditioning unit, a slim underfloor fuel tank and an asymmetric dashboard that maximises passenger room.
Yesterday was my first longish journey in the car as I had to drive to Oxford for TED Global 2009. I was pleasantly surprised with the ride and the road test reports I had read which report that it is not really suitable for motorway travel I think are wrong. OK the car is not fast and overtaking has to be planned but with the amount of traffic on UK roads I don't think this is a real problem.
In terms of economy we seem to be getting around 50 - 55 miles per gallon which is less than advertised but I guess it is down to the style of driving and the engine will loosen up over time. I read yesterday that Aston Martin are looking to re-badge the car as a low end Aston with a few body modifications and a complete 
interior refit. It will be interesting to see how it turns out and if this is a good move for Aston.
Our other car a VW Tiguan still amazes me where you can get an SUV which is returning 47 mpg - OK this is diesel and there are questions about the particulate emissions from diesel engines but in terms of economy it is excellent.
I will keep you posted on our experience
