Toyota Road Test Reports And Car Reviews

Toyota Camry 1998

I bought the Camry last year (2008) for the princely sum of £350 with 124000 on the lock. Cost £150 to get it through MOT. It’s great to drive. The auto box is smooth. The car has a luxury feel with full leather, electric every thing and it all works which must be testament to Toyota engineering. Makes a nice subdued growl when floored and it is fast. Only criticism is that it is quite boring to look at. Could do with a spoiler to jazz it up. For the money, it’s excellent value.

Toyota Yaris 1.3 Petrol 5-speed Manual 2008

I bought a 1.3 petrol Yaris about 1 year ago. 5-speed manual. We have done about 11000 miles in it so far in Christchurch, New Zealand (similar conditions to England). No problems at all with the car, except for a bit of free play on the clutch pedal (not worth fixing). The clutch doesn’t judder and no problems with the gearbox, easy to engage all gears. Toyota dealer in Christchurch has been very good, although I haven’t needed them to actually fix anything. We use the car for round-town family transport for a family of 4, although we live about 3 miles out of town so it gets driven at 65mph each time we go out. For the size of car there is a lot of space, especially in the back with the rear seats back. This is how we leave the car all the time. Boot space is very small but will fit the kids school bags or some groceries. This model is only sold with 1.3 or 1.5 petrol engine in New Zealand (with limited run of the 1.8 sports model). The 1.3 petrol is OK, with powerband between 3000 and 6,000 rpm. It’s actually OK for overtaking on open road as long as you shift down to 3rd and keep the revs up. Below 3000rpm there isn’t much torque but the engine is smooth and OK for driving quietly around town below 3000 rpm. Despite some earlier comments here, handling is relatively good compared to other small cars and ride is quite good, overall a good compromise IMO. A sports car it ain’t, but if you want a shopping trolley or economic small family car that still has some room, I’ve found it to be quite good.

Toyota Aygo Platinum 2008

Bought car May last year. I thought it was a great little car until May this year then found water sloshing around the passengers footwell. It was retuned to dealers who fitted a new door seal, do not know if it is cured as we have very little rain. I am very surprised Toyota have let this problem go on so long when it is quite a well known problem. Will not be buying another!

Toyota Aygo Sport 2005

Not doing so well, bought the car from a leasing company with 9,388 on the clock. I have had to have the light reset for the air-bag and I have just hit 10510 miles and the engine has now locked on me and am now in a battle to get the garage to pay for the repair.

Toyota Hiace petrol 2.7litre 2001

The Toyota Hiace is a great van. In 8 years of ownership no repairs other than normal maintenance have been needed. The only thing it falls down on is the front suspension ball joints which seem to wear very quickly. However, some MOT inspectors will fail on this and some will not because the weight of the van takes up the play.

Toyota Auris 1.6 MMT 2008

The Auris is a great car - no problems with my Auris.

Toyota Aygo 2008

The Toyota Aygo with Variable Selection (Auto/Manual) is a neat, nippy number which serves all of my purposes very well. It may look small, but it is surprisingly roomy in the back. I’ve had my son who is six feet plus and his partner in the back and they did not complain at the shortage of leg room. The boot can be quite spacious too, as long as no one is sitting in the back seats. By that I mean that to get any bulky item in the car, the back seats need to be put in the flat position. Then ample space is provided for. The car is a dream to drive, the only negative point I feel, is that when going up a steep hill, the car doesn’t have the power to climb easily. Other than that it is a dream drive. Very economical, about 61 mpg and that can’t be sneezed at in these economic conditions. Easy on the road tax and insurance group too. It also has a good sound system, which is important to me as I do like my music when I drive. I have have had no problems with reliability, always starts first time of asking. The security of the car can’t be faulted. To conclude, it is a neat, nippy number, economical on the pocket and easy on the ears. I’ve had the car over one year and no complaints from me.

Toyota Prius T4 2007

This is not a drivers car, but with today’s traffic that’s not important. It’s a very relaxing car to drive in the rush hour, good sound system, and quiet. Economy depends on length of journeys, the weather, whether it is very hilly, and obviously speed. On my daily commute I get 60mpg in summer, 55 in winter. I’ve never averaged below 50 on a tank, even with motorways.

Toyota Yaris 1.33 SR 2009

A classic example of cynical manipulation of the tax system. Create a car that can return less than 120g on the formal test cycle but which has virtually no usable power in normal use. So it has to be drive incredibly hard and delivers none of the advertised savings in the real world. There is simply no power at all below 3000 rpm. The 1.33 engine is fairly quiet at tickover but raucous in normal use. Also not that economical, returning about 35 mpg, and in that respect no advance over the earlier 1.3 Gearchange now much improved over earlier models and now merely poor. The crazy boot arrangement has been changed by removing the false floor so now the floor area has a large lip in it! Other Yaris traits remain, poor build quality and rattling trim, scattered unlit controls, still no heated mirrors. Spec is now even lower than before. Very easy to get 20% plus discounts and even at that price this is not a good buy.

Toyota Prius T4 2009

I rented one of these cars for a weekend. It is so different from the norm that a 30 minute test drive proves nothing. This is not a driver’s car - if you want feel and dynamic handling then look elsewhere. For fuel economy though it is pretty good. I averaged 53mpg on a mix of driving. Round town averaged about 57 (though very thirsty on a cold engine). Motorway MPG is a very disappointing 40. I think the acceleration is deceptive - because it is so smooth and there is no link between road speed and engine revs you are accelerating much quicker than you realise. I enjoyed our weekend together and the car has a lot of good points but I don’t think I will be buying one.

Toyota Aygo 2006

I bought the Aygo Sport edition March 2006 from brand new for reliability after countless problems with my Peugeot 206. Problems this car has had: - Large puddles of water in the passenger footwell when it rains -- Needed a replacement exhaust after it was hanging off (although the rude sales man laughed it off and just said I needed a silencer at first) - Countless new tyres although my mileage is not excessive - When it’s windy because it’s tall but light it gets blown from lane to lane - Latest problem is I can’t get it into gear without using all my force, really dangerous when it’s motorway driving. Like someone else has said it is easy on petrol and tax (my annual tax is £35) but when you have to pay for regular new tyres it isn’t such an economical choice.

Toyota Corolla Verso 1.8 T3 2005

Have this family car on a 4 year lease. Comes to an end later this year. Have had no problems at all - Solid, reliable car and have used the 3rd row of seats on quite a few occasions. Ideal for kids. One word of warning - the cover over the boot is a right pain to take out when you use the 3rd row. When I went to car showrooms, I did wonder why this was seldom in place. The only other bug bear is the poor turning circle - not great. One extra I would recommend is the Rear Parking Sensors - makes parking very easy. Really going to miss this car when the lease is up. Will I get another - perhaps.

Toyota Aygo Toyota Black 2006

For the amount you pay and for what you get the Toyota Aygo is value for money. Although there’s major cut backs on the inside, at least it’s an honest car, and what you see is what you get, unlike the Yaris which to mean just seems cheap and nasty for a more expensive price. I think the only downside is the engine. The Aygo is not designed for motorways or even steep hills, you’ll be forced into second just to get some power out of it, and hill starts are a nightmare. For what it’s designed for, the school run, weekend shopping, and cheap city transport it’s excellent and you really couldn’t go wrong.

Toyota Yaris 1.3TR 2008

Dreadful in almost every respect. Has a fair degree of space but can’t be regarded as a true four seater as the boot is so poor. Bodywork OK but inconsistent shut lines and paint below average. Ridiculous ride and handling compromise, it has taken real skill to build something that handles so badly and yet rides so poorly too. Extremely poor seats with little adjustment. Noisy and unrefined engine delivers very little in the way of performance and yet is thirsty. Really poor gear change and snatchy clutch. Not particularly reliable and dealers rarely deliver a first time fix or anything notable in the way of service. Would not recommend.

Toyota Aygo 2006

I bought my Aygo in March 06 since then it has caused nothing but problems! It is now in the garage for the 5th time due to a water leak in both passenger front and rear footwells and the boot. It has also been in for a new boot lock, 2 new radiators a new clutch, 2 full sets of tires and brakes!!!! This car is nothing but a nightmare and I would NEVER recommend an Aygo or Toyota ever again. It’s such an inconvenience both to me and the fact I now have a 16 week old daughter who is having to be driven around in a damp, smelly car!!! It’s rubbish.

Toyota Yaris 2008

I’ve replaced my ’54 reg. Yaris diesel manual with an ’09 reg. Yaris diesel MMT (auto with 6 gears). I’m very pleased with the vehicle and gearbox. I read the reports here and so was unsure whether the MMT was a good idea. However, it works well with the diesel engine. The gearbox can still be used as a manual and I find this necessary for overtaking. Otherwise the auto mode makes life very easy.

Toyota Yaris 1.3TR 2008

Shocking little car, a triumph of hype over ability. Badly thought out and badly designed, noisy engine needs to be thrashed to keep up with traffic and then burns enormous amounts of fuel and oil. Badly designed interior and acres of cheap plastic lead to creaks and rattles from new. Poor load space, sliding rear seat means minuscule boot and some rear leg room or no leg room and small boot! Gearbox poor, snatchy clutch now so commonplace it is regarded by Toyota dealers as a feature. And a great urban myth is that Toyota dealers care in any way for customers. They don’t - in any way whatsoever! Avoid - there are many many better small cars and almost all cost less.

Toyota Avensis Hatchback 2003

On my second Avensis now - great car, great looks, plenty of gadgets inside. Albeit road noise at certain speeds... but apart from that very comfortable, safe and a great family car... no regrets.

Toyota Yaris Yaris TR 1.3 2008

Bought car with 2800 miles and wondered why a private owner would sell so quickly. Perhaps the gearbox. This one has all the clutch / gearbox faults already mentioned PLUS it touches another gear when entering fifth gear. If rolling back on a slight incline in first the gear locks & the only way to release it is to drive forwards a little.Toyota dealer in Aberdeen has replaced clutch & gearbox parts & after contacting Toyota they have agreed there is a problem which they are working on. A good car spoiled. I hope they do something soon.

Toyota Hiace 2.4 diesel 2001

Had this van new from 2001. Very reliable van, no problems at all. Made much better than Fords,Vauxhall etc... Engine inside this van is made to last, same engine as used in the Hilux pick up truck they tried to destroy in Top Gear but couldn’t. Also this van is massive in Africa and Asia as it just keeps on going. Buy a Hiace if you want a super workhorse.

Toyota Auris 1.6 TR 2007

Full of rattles and squeaks. Needed new clutch after 15000 miles. Has had TWO replacement power steering motors. Fuel economy dropped noticeably after 1st service. Replaced gear lever gaitor (old one squeaked). Front passenger seat belt receptacle mounting squeaks - replaced once, now has to be lubricated as replacement also squeaked. I would NOT recommend this car to anyone.

Toyota Yaris 1.3TR 2008

As I said in my earlier post we would try and get another SR when the facelift model came out, however now having seen one, they don’t have the 16" wheels and don’t look as good so we went for the slightly cheaper TR model to replace our older colour collection. Jim Walton in Penrith had a ex demo that had been in his showroom since January that had very low mileage and looked like brand new. We got a very good trade in price so a deal was quickly made, a roof spoiler fitted and we now have the SR and TR in our lane. So far it seems fine, as good as the SR in every respect except for the gear change. It feels like it stirring porridge and nearly always crunches going from first to second. maybe its newness and needs time to settle in. Maybe its the way we both drive it, seems odd when the SR doesn’t do it, however another great little car and if the problem persists then I’m sure Jim Walton will soon sort it out for us. Just for the record we only lost £3000 on the older car that we part-exchanged in - in over three and a half years. They really do hold their value well.

Toyota Aygo Platinum 2008

I bought my Aygo last August and don’t have many complaints about it. No faults at least, but the cutting cost measures done by Toyota do irritate me at times. Such as only having the courtesy light from the driver’s door, not having lighting on the electric windows (have to fumble around in the dark for the buttons), the courtesy light does not illuminate when you unlock the car, getting the advertised mpg is tricky - or at least my driving style doesn’t allow me 60mpg more like 35-51mpg! It varies so much simply because if you drive under 70mph it is fine the moment you take it over that it gets very thirsty! However it is not designed for speeding; obviously. The air conditioning likes petrol too - at a level that you would expect. I bought this car mainly because I wanted something that wouldn’t cost me much to insure but also I wanted some modern touches (eg mp3 jack), leather (like) seats, would be cheap to run and look okay - albeit a little girly. I didn’t mind paying a little bit more for it in the purchase price, even though I think I got a good deal at just under £8k including all the normal dealership things: tax disc, some petrol, rubber floor mats. Now with this recession I would think it is worth about 5p though! I didn’t get the bluetooth extra as I was told it was the same as the Halfords version, only £200 more expensive and has a Toyota emblem on it! I didn’t bother to get the Halfords one because after using my satnav bluetoothed with my phone I decided it was pointless. The person you are talking with can’t hear you if you are going over 50mph! I have done about 12500 miles in it, in just under 9 months and I have never needed to take it to the garage for any problems. It had its 10000 miles service a little while ago and nothing was flagged up. I think I will have to change the front tires in about 2000 miles time though. Very narrow tires are not so good for going fast round corners even if you feather the accelerator as you still lose rubber. It will only cost around £60 for two new tires so I am not too bothered - yes continental tires, I wouldn’t buy any of the Chinese tires that are on the market - very dangerous in the wet. I like the sound of the exhaust I sometimes get surprised looks when they see it isn’t a better, faster car. You can tell as they turn enthusiastically to look at the car making the decent sounding noise but then when they see the girly car: apathetic disappointment look on their faces. After they see what it was they don’t think that your car was worthy of the look. I wouldn’t buy anything in this price bracket other than a manual gear box.

Toyota Picnic 2.0 petrol 1997

Yep, got to agree. I bought a used one, having previously owned an expensive VW Sharan (Galaxy). The Sharan was great to drive but incredibly unreliable. It cost me nearly £20,000 in servicing/repair bills during its lifetime. And the fuel consumption was dismal. I got the Picnic in the hope that it would provide similar practicality on a budget and it hasn’t disappointed. The 6 seat layout is great and unique in an MPV of its size. It is so much more convenient to let kids climb in and walk to the rear seats through the gap in the centre row, rather than having to tip the centre seats forward all the time. It has been utterly reliable and very economical. Only problem is the engine is worn out at 140,000 miles (lots of small trips). I can’t find any modern MPV to replace it. Even the Avensis Verso doesn’t live up to it. So I’ve bought a low mileage engine which I’ll install when the existing one expires.

Toyota Yaris 2008

Absolutely love the car, except for the gear box. I am having difficulty with 3rd and 4th gears. The problem is intermittent and tends to happen when the car has warmed up. Sometimes I can’t get it in 3rd gear and have to quickly put it into 2nd and 4th gear is very notchy and you think it’s in 4th but there’s one notch to go. I have only done 1000 miles so far. I thought it was my driving that was the problem until I started to research and found all the other complaints. I have taken it back to the dealers twice and each time they have said that they cannot find anything wrong. I am so disappointed and it has totally taken the enjoyment out of having a new car away. I prefer to drive my son’s X reg Clio and now wish that I’d spent £1000 on a car instead of £10,000!

Toyota Aygo Sport 2006

We bought this car as a city run around at the same time as buying a Mazda 6 estate. In terms of meeting and exceeding expectations between the two cars then the Aygo wins hands down. Not that the Mazda is a bad car, just that I expected more from it. The ride can be a bit hard, the boot button release sticks and I’m going to have to change the front brake discs and pads after just 18K miles but apart from that the Aygo is a great car to drive.

Toyota Yaris 2009

Traded down from a Corolla to the Yaris and not disappointed. I expected this to be a "tinnier" car than the Corolla but pleasantly surprised. Still a nice roomy car and adequate for the annual mileage I cover. Excellent mpg even with only 1500 miles on clock. The gears were initially awkward to engage (2nd & 3rd) but even this seems to be easing now - perhaps the warmer weather helps (I took delivery in January). A good little car.

Toyota Picnic gls 2000

I completely agree. I’ve had two, one from 1993 to 1995 (R Reg) when it got carried away in the same floods that did for Carlisle, so I got another! V reg. Its remarkably good to drive, smooth and comfortable, very reliable, and no rattles or clanks even at 90k miles, and virtually no rust at 10 years. The room in the 6 seater is ideal for transporting teenagers and twenty-somethings - no fights over seats. Dad’s taxi...

Toyota Aygo 2006

We had our Aygo for just a year, when we first got it it had 15000 miles on the clock and already it had bald tyres, which incidentally Gordon Lamb who we purchased the car from, failed to notice and sent us away with them when we bought it. Since then it has had to have the passenger side leaking door seal replaced, as it was leaking water into the car, the clutch was replaced at 19000 miles and an ’updated version ’ put in, then two weeks ago the radiator and water pump decided to pack in, leaking pink coolant all over the inside bonnet... the engine on the Aygo is good as its Toyota, the rest I’m afraid is rubbish, we went for Toyota as we had had a Carina E for thirteen years and it only ever needed routine maintenance and a radiator, in all that time. The fact that the three companies have tried to keep down costs is obvious as the car parts are substandard. It may be cheaper to run , with petrol and tax but you end up paying much much more on repairs and tyres. We now have a Mitsubishi, Toyota you just lost a customer.

Toyota Yaris .5 gas 5 door LE

OK...I don’t live in Wales but I have family there... I’m from Winnipeg Canada... it gets colder than hell here (-40c for weeks on end) and my new Yaris has been flawless. My only complaint is the tires it came with are nearly useless in the snow. It is March 29th and we had about 30 cm in the past couple of weeks so I have had to leave the Yaris in the garage. Once the snow is packed (or melted) it’s OK though. I average 38 mpg imperial (city) and 45 imperial mpg (highway). I have the automatic transmission. We use it for running to and from the cottage (250 km east) every weekend when we can get away.

Toyota iQ iQ2 2008

Positives: Excellent build quality, good safety rating, 0 tax bracket. Negatives: The mpg sucks in real driving environments; no where near manufacturers figures.

Toyota Aygo Blue 2008

I bought my car Sept 2008. I had two months before my granddaughter told me that the boot would not lock!!!! I had never checked it as I thought that it would be locked when I pressed the key. I had only checked the doors!! The garage told me that a wire had never been connected to lock!! Then a few weeks ago my passenger floor was wet after it had rained. Back to the garage in Cliftonmoor, York. 12th of March 09 I was asked "Had I been parking it with the two left side wheel on the pavement!!!!!!!!" Of course I had not, but even if I had it should not leak in. The man that fixed it for me said that it was a reported fault!!! While I was there I met a friend who told me that her same car was in as the glove box kept falling open. I wish that I had looked on the internet before I bought it!!!!!! My other car was a Yaris Verso and was OK.

Toyota Picnic glx auto 1997

I agree, I have lots of cars but this one is really good for families. Reliable, fuel consumption is OK but going to be green dreamers car. Lots of space inside, comfortable and easy to drive. OK, it is not a stylish motor but hey, its a good work-horse and will be a faithful servant. Auto box is easy to use on stick/column gear change. I have seen motors with over 200,000 miles and still going strong. I’d buy one of these again before buying another people carrier. Its a no frills reliable motor.

Toyota iQ 2008

£9500 - £11000 for an iQ - are Toyota are having a laugh? For similar money you can buy a Fiat 500 multijet which is quicker, more economical, better spec. etc... and most certainly better looking. Anyone paying those prices must have fallen out of their tree. OK, the 500 is marginally longer - so what? If you don’t want the car of the moment why not try a panda for half the money? I’ve had a 500 for a year and the build quality is bullet proof. Get real Toyota - £8000 list max??????

Toyota Yaris 1.4 SR Petrol 2008

I absolutely despair! Having had to upgrade from my awful brand new Aygo for many reasons and because I was on a finance deal, I can honestly say how completely disappointed I am with my Yaris SR. From new the gears have been difficult, 1st and reverse mainly. I get water running down the inside of the windscreen in cold weather. The engine is not that quiet and doesn’t start very well, though so far it has always started. The handling in the recent snowy weather was terrible and I found it difficult to get grip on even a slight incline. The brakes have been making a roaring noise just like normal car brakes make when rust builds up on the discs but the dealer says this is normal!!! The car was in my main dealers for a week while they tried to diagnose all the problems. They changed the clutch which is no better, the gearbox now crunches every time I go into 2nd gear in the morning despite the dealer changing the oil to a thinner special oil. They did fix the engine squeak by replacing the belts... it has only done 3500 miles! If I could sell the car or get my money back I would. I just cannot understand how Toyota has every got its reputation for good cars. I want my Renault Clio 1.6 back, at least if worked and when parts were replaced, it still worked! And it never broke down or failed to start. There are many other faults with the Yaris but there is simply not enough room here to list them. The dealer has tried hard but Toyota have failed even harder. I will never buy another Toyota and can’t believe the people who love them... doesn’t make sense. Sorry, but having had 2 Toyota’s in less than 4 months, I give up hope. If I could give it NO stars I would but this site doesn’t allow such a low rating.

Toyota Aygo Aygo Blue 2008

Guess I’m luckier than others, the Aygo has been out in the worst of weather this winter, snow, torrential rain etc. for months because garage is full - no leaks, no problems with icing. MMT gearbox is superb in auto (best if throttle slightly relaxed when change expected or not rushed anyway). If in a hurry use manual mode where it’s great fun to drive and the engine is really revvy. It doesn’t change down to 1st in auto mode until about 1mph which is perfect. Getting over 55mpg every fill up. Cheap to run, tax and insure - this is a great little car. Highly recommended.

Toyota Aygo 2008

Purchased my second Aygo in September and have had nothing but problems. Carpets have been replaced with the reassurance that the problem had been solved and guess what... It is back in the garage again tomorrow morning with water in both front wells and carpets soaking wet. I have also had problems with the inside freezing up inside. The car smells like a rotting damp sponge - would not buy or recommend Toyota - I wish I never bought one.

Toyota Prius 2007

Gets much worse fuel economy than other diesel variants available with a quarter of the power. Also, on electric its much easier to hear people yelling out "fag" as you drive through towns. All in all its not green in the least.

Toyota Hiace 102bhp D4D, Twin side loading doors 2002

Always had Mercedes, but went over to Toyota. Brilliant van, comfortable and economical (25 -29mpg fully loaded). I actually like the basic simplicity of the van, as a mobile mechanic it is very easy to keep interior clean with out the worry of damaging electrics. Also the van is robust and it’s rear wheel drive!! If you carry heavy loads, you’ve got to own a rear wheel drive van. Another little feature is the 2 position tail gate struts, allows you to raise the tailgate out of the way, which you can’t do on a Vito. Brilliant, no-nonsense van.

Toyota Hilux 2008

It’s every boys dream, whether they like to admit it or not, to drive a pick-up. Partly inspired by "living the American dream" of throwing a rucksack and a couple of fishing rods in the back of the truck and heading off into the wilderness for a weekend fishing camp; and partly by the notion of being able to chop down trees, dig holes, chuck tools in the back, and generally look like a roughty toughty tree surgeon type. If you live in the UK the chances are that your dream pick up is the doyen of it’s class, the Toyota Hilux. The Hilux has a reputation, and quite rightly so, for being the roughest, toughest, gruffest piece of metal ever formed into a utility vehicle. A few years ago Mitsubishi, realising that they could never out-do Toyota in the working pick up stakes, moved the goal posts and set a trend for a fashionable new style of pickup with the L200. With an advertising campaign aimed at prizing young professionals out of the seats of their sports cars and into something different (their TV ads featured beautiful people riding jet-skis straight onto the back of an L200) yuppies up and down the country were ditching their BMW M3’s in favour of the more rugged, go anywhere, do anything Mitsubishi L200. Whilst all of this was going on Toyota never ventured off of the path - they kept on making the same brutally rugged work truck. They stuck to what they were good at, and they kept their place at the top of the monkey tree. Then it all changed. For some reason, totally beyond my comprehension, Toyota changed tack and the Hilux metamorphosed into one of the new generations of "lifestyle" truck, just like the L200. Why? Why would they do that? It’s a little like overpainting the Mona Lisa with a ridiculous clown smile just to keep her "fresh" and "modern". The same fantastic performance levels are still there, but buried deep underneath a fashionable space age looking façade. The new Hilux doesn’t look like a work truck any more. Scratches, scrapes, and dents suited the old style Hilux, they looked like they were meant to be there - a little like an eye-patch on a pirate, or a red tie on a conservative MP. I can’t imagine being happy with even the slightest scratch on the new Hilux. At the first sign of a blemish I’d be straight down to the guys at the Plastic Surgeon for an invisible repair before I was hit with insomnia and fits of v omitting (please note the very deliberate plug for Sean Taylor and Rob Mouser of The Plastic Surgeon!). Once you’re behind the wheel of the new Hilux Invincible though, everything changes. Sat up in the cab you forget that you’re behind the wheel of one of the worlds best 4x4’s. The sumptuous leather, host of gadgets, minimal engine noise, and ample sound system all lead you to believe that you’re in a rather pleasant saloon; A BMW 3 series maybe, or the Saab 9-3. On the motorway the Invincible was, well, invincible. Acceleration was positive, and it sat quite comfortably at the maximum speed limit on Britain’s roads of 70 mph (which I obviously never exceed, even when test driving a new Porsche!) Around town the Hilux Invincible was easy to manage. Superb visibility combined with a good steering lock and more than a little luck meant that I could reverse into parking spaces without so much as a bead of sweat showing on my ever enlarging forehead. Then I got a little carried away, and in my not too wise wisdom decided to head out onto the farm to have a bash at the deeply rutted and very steep woodland rides cut into the hillside by the Dartmoor National Park Authority. My excitement was rapidly building as the Invincible made the journey through the narrow country lanes an interesting pleasure. I was almost disappointed as I pulled up at the top of the farm driveway. Heart pounding and breathing like a telephone pervert I slipped her into full four wheel drive for the next part of the journey. We crossed the flat field with ease - mind you, even the BMW X3 could have made the trip without a slip so it’s hardly worth writing home about. A little mud splattered the sides of the immaculately shiny Hilux as we (me and "her" - "her" being the car) powered through a small stream and up over the grassy bank beyond. Hmmm - I’m not so sure that even the slightest bit of mud suits this new generation of Hilux; I had to get out and wipe it clean! The M5 was a distant memory as we powered up and around the steep woodland rides which are usually the domain of quad bikes or tracked forestry vehicles. She took the tight, twisting bends in her stride, the one slight fault being user error rather than any failing on my part. Time flew by, and before I knew it, two hours had passed and I was leaning on the closed gate at the bottom of the hill sharing a flask of coffee with the farmer (who very kindly pointed out more than a few bramble scratches - Plastic Surgeon here we come!) The Toyota Hilux Invincible that I tested, along with every other Hilux in the range, is still that superbly performing 4x4 that I love; it just happens to be hidden behind a pretty mask. It’s a fantastic bit of kit, but I still wouldn’t want to use it as an every day work truck.

Toyota Yaris 1.33 TR 2009

Just bought a 2009 Yaris with the new 1.33 petrol engine and 6 speed gearbox. Incredibly quiet engine, has new ECO drive facility that allows for the engine to shut off when idling at traffic lights or in stationary traffic. Increadible that Toyota have made a car that has 100bhp engine and yet still comes in at 120 g/km CO2 so is taxed at £35. In general I am really impressed with the car. Very comfortable, I am just over 6ft and so small cars can be a bit cramped. Really good driving position and front visibility is on a par with that of my Mazda 5 (MPV). Great basic spec, including a/c and handy AUX IN for MP3 player. Steering mounted controls and also the funky heads up central digital dash display that is a feature of the Yaris (and Prius). I am very pleased with the car. The discounts available make it very competitively priced too.

Toyota Yaris 1.8 SR 2008

Good fast small car, no problems yet.

Toyota Avensis Tourer 2.0 D4D T3-S 2003

Bought second-hand about 18 months ago. I can say that the car is extremely practical, cheap to run (50 mpg) cheap to insure (group 8) and is well equipped (SatNav as standard). The bad news is that it has been more problematic than the 1997 Vauxhall Vectra Tourer that I had for the ten years previously. Despite the fact it has a full service history (for now) I have had to replace both front shock absorbers (£250), Front Wheel Bearing (£80), Headlight Assist - known design fault (£65 for non original unit, plus you have to remove the bumper and headlight to change a bulb) and it has a dead spot at between 2000 and 2600 revs when warm. I have owned two cars for almost ten years before changing them but I don’t see myself owning this one for more than three years (regardless of credit crunch). I do like the Avensis , but I must say that Toyota’s reputation for reliability has to be questioned.

Toyota Aygo 2008

Water was sloshing about in the back footwells - back to garage to have speakers resealed and a dry out. Condensation a nightmare on front windscreen and rear side windows. Ice on inside of windscreen. I bought for reliability; think it might have put me off Toyota now. Only the excellent service from the dealership would change my mind.

Toyota Aygo 2008

My Aygo leaks. The nightmare comes true. After reading so many complaints about leaks in the Aygo and three months after I bought it , there’s water inside the car. I feel so sad. And also there’s more condensation inside the car that outside. I chose Toyota but now I’m disappointed. I Thought I had a great car but I was wrong. It’s not well made. They should have made it in Japan. It’s... a nightmare. I ’d like to change it for another car but I’m still paying the car. Could I do it? I’m so disappointed...

Toyota Yaris SR 1.4D 3dr 2008

This is the second Yaris in our household, the other being a 2005 1.3 colour collection. This one has been totally fault free in the four years we have had it. The SR 1.4D had a paint defect on it when we collected it brand new in October 2008 from Jim Walton’s in Penrith that we didn’t notice until the following day but it was quickly put right by having the front wing resprayed. Not the best of starts after a twelve week wait. However, it is a brilliant little car that is a very good all-rounder, fairly nippy and very good on fuel. Don’t believe the computer but check your mileage each time you fill up, ours is doing around 68 mpg on decent A roads. Also use decent diesel, not the supermarket rubbish, its makes the engine far quieter and smoother. The only real complaint we have is the way the boot is set up, throw out the false floor and secret compartments, wrap your wheel brace in a towel and stow it with the spare wheel and you have a boot you can use. With regard to the sat nav problems others have experienced all I can say is ours has been fine, CD player, radio and mobile phone are all good. To finish, we like the car so much that we tried to exchange our older one for another but all the SR’s have now gone or so our dealer tells me. Perhaps when the facelift model comes out next month we will try again, £35 road tax £120 insurance and 68 mpg. GO AND GET ONE!!

Toyota Avensis Hatchback 2006

This is my first Toyota bought from a local Toyota dealer. The car has done 40,000 miles. It looks in excellent condition with only one previous owner. I have had it for three weeks and I took it on it’s first long run today. The road noise over 45mph is very intrusive and when wet this gets significantly gets louder! Is there any way of dampening the road noise? The car otherwise is a joy to ride, very comfortable with lots of room but I will not be looking forward to long journeys!

Toyota Yaris 1.3 SR 2007

Oh dear, what a truly awful small car. I have returned to at least three Toyota dealers over the last year and a half. The first a nationwide multi-franchise dealer who claimed they could find no fault, bizarrely they then agreed the juddering clutch was a problem and presumably fitted a new clutch which is when the nightmare began. From that moment I had difficulty engaging reverse 2nd to 3rd gear and back down was troublesome. Dealer said he felt car was driving just fine so took it to a dealer in Cheshire who tried a number of things and agreed that there is an underlying clutch and gearbox problem with the Yaris - some customers experience it some don’t but they said that as soon as Toyota come up with a modification they will contact me... WHAT? Sadly I had to award the Yaris at least one star but the truth is it does not deserve any. The Toyota Yaris is not a good car... The whisper is getting louder. Tip - if you are going to buy a Japanese car do yourself a big favour make sure it is made in Japan.

Toyota Aygo Aygo Blue 2007

Just been into the garage for the second time. Water ingress yet again first time was hinges on rear door this time leaking through sockets on back door. Ices up inside when cold - Stone Age. Continental tyres have only done 7500 miles and wearing out very little use left. To get these sorted and checked by Continental I have to pay for two replacements first. Rear back tyre unevenly worn must be a car fault that one. Would never recommend one to anyone. Toyota dealership not what I would expect with Japanese car. Very disappointed. Was thinking of changing for a Yaris but will steer clear of Toyota I think.

Toyota Aygo 2008

Ice on inside of car on front screen problem. Never had this before on any car over the last 30 years. Has anyone else got this problem on their Aygo?

Toyota Yaris 1.3 SR 2008

I am SO disappointed with my Yaris 1.3 SR that I bought brand new in 2008. I am experiencing problems that I have never experienced with any other car in 22 years. The main issue is the gearbox, it is notchy and sometimes from a standstill I just cannot get into 1st gear or reverse and this has happened when I have just driven 50 miles or from cold. I have to pull away in 2nd. Dealer said they cannot find a problem with it. The engine is noisy and sometimes rattles like a diesel, doesn’t even start very quickly and sounds harsh and rattly when it fires up. The electric door mirrors do not heat up, the windows do not even clear of damp when you wind them down! The built in Tom Tom Sat Nav sometimes crashes, the boot is difficult to close, there is a creaking from the dashboard, the clutch clicks when you push it right down and you have to push it right down to change gear! and to start the engine. The rear seat headrests keep falling down, the glove box can be difficult to close and the dashboard plastics are appalling, the handling of the car in the wet is dangerous, the steering wheel controls for the radio are awkward to use and there is no mute apart from on the radio itself, the radio is difficult to tune in and even sometimes forgets the channels programmed in to it. The economy for a 1.3 is not good at about 40mpg, the fuel tank is ridiculously small for the size of car. The heater takes ages to warm up, the steering wheel cannot be adjusted high enough, despite the fact I have the seat lowered. I wish I had never bought the car, I never had ANY of these problems with my 1999 Renault Clio 1.6 in 9 years and it NEVER broke down. All I can think is that either the supposedly good reputation of Toyota Yaris is because the majority of people that buy it don’t use it much or don’t realise how much better other cars are to drive. I wish I could get all my money back and buy another Renault, Ford, Vauxhall, VW. As soon as I can I will be selling the Yaris and never buying another Toyota. What a load of absolute rubbish!

Toyota Yaris 1.0 Manual 2007

Great car, no problems at all. Got a Corolla Verso manual as well, ditto. I’ve just read and contributed to the reviews for that and I notice the same remarks damning the MMT automatics. Looks like Toyota MMT auto gearboxes are the problem not the models themselves. Again I’d definitely get another.

Toyota Hiace 2002

Had to use one occasionally at my old place of work. Very dated looking van inside and out, but it had 180,000 miles on it and performed perfectly, it was very comfortable and had enough power in it (d-4d model), unlike many of the newer diesels it had a good amount of torque at idle like the old transits, if the newer shape/facelift model has a new interior too its well worth a look. Just read about the faults with the equivalent transit, Vivaro, Transporter etc.

Toyota Aygo 2006

I bought this car in March 2008. Loved the look of the car when I bought it.... sounded great as had just sold my 1997 Fiesta so obviously ran smoother and the cheap insurance and car tax was a complete plus. On the down side the car sounds rubbish - when driving it’s like a grunting sound. I thought it was just me and my driving but reading other reviews I can see it’s not - maybe it’s the semi-auto that seems to have more of this problem. Yesterday night I noticed that there is ice in my car and my car is really bad at de-icing as well as de-misting. Wish I had brought a different car - and now with the credit crunch how likely am I to sell this!

Toyota Yaris 2001

I love my Yaris! It has never failed me once, and although it is a 2001 model, still looks good today. What a car!

Toyota Aygo 2008

I have had the Toyota Aygo black since last September and it is the best car I have ever had. It is cheap to run, comfortable, funny to drive, it is like a sports car sometimes and I like it. However, I’m scared about this car’s future because I’ve reading lots of reviews where people complain about water leaks in the car. I haven’t got any yet but tomorrow never knows. At the moment is a great car even it is small in size. Congratulations Toyota. It is the first car I have from Toyota and it goes on this way I’ll keep being a Toyota client.

Toyota Aygo 2008

Initially bought an Aygo Sport for my wife. I loved it so much I got one for myself. I particularly liked the zippy-ness of the car not to mention the grunt the little 3 cylinder has. I got myself the Aygo platinum with leather seats and bluetooth as an option. I honestly cannot express my content with the car. The handling is amazing (but was expected from a short & wide wheel base together with low weight). The only complaints I might have on the car, The courtesy light does not light up when a door other than the driver’s is opened (as such I seem to constantly forget the light on when I turn it on when accessing the car from the passengers door to access the glove compartment) and indeed the clutch does seem a bit weak for the amazing 3 cylinder engine. Seems to me the engine was underestimated when designing the clutch. It is a shame really as other than that i think it is the best car I have ever owned!

Toyota Yaris TR 2008

An appalling gear box - a disgrace to the Toyota marque. Gears are unreasonably stiff and hard to get - especially second and third. I end up going around corners in neutral as I cannot get into second gear. (Illegal?). It is much worse when the engine is cold. The whole box is very notchy. Local garage is trying to be very helpful and have not argued - they have changed the clutch and put in thinner grade oil - if anything second gear is now even worse. The garage says Toyota KNOW they have a problem (? new cables don’t work re the latest gear box) and are "working to solve the fault" - but it could take up to a year!! My car is now tagged for recall. In two months I have now developed what looks like arthritis in my left shoulder from ramming gears in over the last two months! As a pensioner I cannot afford to throw money at this. I am hugely disappointed and Toyota MUST come up with a solution. There must be scores out there in trouble with new Yaris gear boxes. I wish I’d never bought the car. Car magazines are going to pick this up and damn the Yaris - at a time when sales are falling of all new cars. Not very clever if Toyota do not get a move on and SOLVE this gear box problem - they will lose sales nationwide as knowledge of this spreads. They cannot afford this mess up. They must solve it and RECALL all 2008 models of the Yaris.

Toyota Aygo Aygo MMT 2006

Using the automatic (disabled driver) l find the gear change from 1st to 2nd rough, unpredictable and the worst auto box I’ve ever used. Occasionally moves from 3rd to 1st at about 25mph. I returned the car to the dealer but they claim that no fault exists?

Toyota Avensis Hatchback D4D TSpirit 2004

Good but flawed. Fuel consumption around 50 mpg (ignore trip computer - it’s way out). Great load carrier - front seats fold flat to reveal huge load area - watch out in rain though - drips fall into area when raise hatch. Lot of road noise and relatively hard ride. Front tyre wear high 12k - 15k miles. Good for cruising on motorway - relaxed and comfortable. High quality cabin and lots of kit although rain sensing wipers erratic. Electric leather seats less comfortable than cloth ones... Has been less than reliable though - least reliable Toyota ever owned. Replaced both rear hatch dampers, 2 headlight units - melted (also watch out for headlight bulb replacement may need removal of front bumper!), and ECU (at a cost of £1,200!!!) Read Toyota Owners forum, lots of similar complaints over reliability. Toyota Service Manager strongly advised purchasing extended warranty - and that wasn’t a sales pitch more out of sympathy and experience.

Toyota Auris TR 2008

I have recently been diagnosed as having MS and as I am now registered disabled. I was lucky enough to have the choice to acquire a new vehicle with a choice of thousands of cars on the motorbility scheme. The Toyota Auris was recommended to me and I am very pleased with the economy, comfort and quietness of the car. My requirements for any vehicle are governed by my disability coupled with a desire to be reasonably environmentally conscious. Economy is also a major consideration. The most interesting thing from my point of view was my decision on which vehicle to choose was governed by the efficiency and help from the garage from which we got the car. We were lucky enough to meet very helpful and competent service in every garage we tried. Although Damon at Toyota was very helpful and his kindness and efficiency definitely helped me decide on an Auris. I know nothing of cars but the Auris is comfortable, warm and easy to drive with plenty of storage. Just the job. As far as economy is concerned, we only took delivery last week, so it’s rather to early to give an opinion but if you believe the cars computer all seems set fair. Do buy an Auris for comfort, quietness and safety but try and buy and buy it from Damon at Toyota, St Leonards if you are looking for truthful, painless service.

Toyota Hiace Super Custom Limited 1994

What a motor. Having always been a Volvo driver I was dubious at buying this as a campervan version. I imported it from Japan and, with 19,000 miles on the clock at 14 years old, with no rust it was a steal of a bargain. The 2.8 diesel automatic is as smooth as silk, though quite sluggish. There is a turbo model available and worth the extra expense. Fuel economy is rather poor at 22mpg overall. Then again the campervan version weighs over 2 ton so not bad I suppose. The ride comfort is superb, like riding in an armchair. The position is good, high up, though I would have lied more in front of me. The handling is smooth and positive. Parts are readily available despite it being an import and quite old. Maximum waiting time is 2 days for all major bits. This is a vehicle that you change your driving habits with. You have to notch yourself down a peg and enjoy the ride.

Toyota Yaris 1.0vvti 3dr 2007

Toyota Yaris... Well, I bought a 2007 1.0vvt to replace my Mazda Demio and what a great car this is... I’m always amazed just how large the inside of this car is, the sliding back seat is fantastic and all small cars should have this feature, it always returns 50+mpg and looks great in silver... I have now covered 20000 miles and still looks like new and drives the same... Such a good car, I will replace it next year with a new one of the same... Toyota quality shines through!

Toyota Yaris SR 2008

Another Yaris gearbox fiasco. Having purchased a new SR in June 08, it has been plagued with problems changing into 2nd and 3rd gears when cold; almost as if the synco’s don’t exist. The dealer has changed the oil to a different type - no difference, rebuilt the gearbox and tried another different oil; a little better, but in their terms still buggered! The problem is now with Toyota customer care, who seem indifferent, but have admitted there is a problem. If you’ve got a similar issue call them and log a complaint.

Toyota Yaris 2008

I love the car except for the faulty gear box. The multi-mode gear box is certainly faulty and gets stuck on the transmission. It also jots at gear changes in particular at the lower gears levels. I have reported this to the service department, and they say the jolts are not a fault however the fact that they are gears are not getting stuck, is a fault and I am due to have it checked out. This is a brand new car and I feel very cheated and unhappy that this critical issue has taken away the joy of getting a new car. I am not sure what the outcome of the repairs will be, but I will always be left with ill feelings about this.

Toyota Yaris T Spirit D4D 2007

This is as much about the garage as the car. I’ve had 4 Yaris models (2 of the old type, petrol) and more recently 2 of the new D4D diesel models; I have changed cars every 18 months or so, for tax reasons more than anything else. The Yaris is comfortable, economical and easy to get in and out of, having a high roof line. Some people have criticised the new diesel models as having a juddering clutch - and this is true at times. But hey - no car is perfect and one can forgive minor problems if there’s a good local garage (WKB Waterlooville) to sort them out. Low tax of £35 per year, combined with 65mpg make this car a winner. I love the push-button keyless start system on my current T-Spirit. In the previous T3 model you had to put a key in, and the noisiest part of driving was the key jangling! I’d have another Yaris tomorrow if I could afford to replace it right now, but - being semi-retired - I might just get the new Toyota iQ. How they manage to get 4 seats in it escapes me...

Toyota Aygo Aygo Black 2007

I purchased my brand new Toyota Aygo Black in December 2007. I needed a small, economical to run car, no frills but reliable. The Aygo fitted the description perfectly. I loved the look of the Aygo Black and the interior was far superior to the VW Fox which was my other option. However 4 weeks after purchase the problems began! The screeching noise from the brakes was deafening, the front passenger door creaked loudly and dropped slightly when opening and I was sure it was leaking in rain. On returning it to the dealership I was told that I had worn out all 4 brake pads (I had done 300 miles!) and that there was nothing wrong with the door but they had oiled it anyway. Months passed and new faults began to emerge! The glove box door falls open every time I go over a bump, both doors leak and recently when I went to a hand car wash we got so wet sat inside the car that the guy with the pressure hose give us a towel to dry off! Returning the car again to the dealer they replaced the glove box door and told me there was nothing wrong with the door seals and not to use a pressure washer on it again! The new glove box door is even worse than the old and I now have a puddle of rainwater in each foot well. The gear box is sloppy and sometimes dangerous and the mpg advertised can only be achieved if you never exceed 30mph! All in all very disappointed. Since purchase I have read many similar reviews. Shocking that Toyota aren’t doing something about this.

Toyota Land Cruiser LC3 2003

Had the car from new... nearly 5 years and I normally change my car after 3!! Build quality unrivalled, and despite its size very easy to drive round town aided by the excellent auto gearbox. Service from Toyota far better than I’ve received from other manufacturers, and only one central locking issue requiring attention since new. It may not be as refined as an X5, Disco or Lexus but for value for money, reliability and presence it cant be beaten. Well done Toyota.

Toyota Camry 3.0 v6 1996

Bought my car with 160000 miles on the clock. Drove it for 10000 miles and it never failed me once. Extremely reliable and a very hushed engine. The engine almost caught me out on a few occasions as I thought the car would be off while it was idling. Very spacious and well equipped. I plan to trade it in for a used Lexus ls400 now with similar mileage.

Toyota Prius 2005

Absolutely the worst handling car I’ve ever driven, it is ugly, the steering has no feel and the economy is no match for many other cars, it is also too big around town and uneconomical out of town. I am looking for something that I can drive around town and out into the country, also for trips around Europe, forget the Prius, the best cars seem to be The VW Polo Bluemotion or Seat equivalent, which is cheaper than the VW and both much cheaper than the Prius, or the Mini Cooper diesel, also the Citroen C3 is very nice, there are also other cars like Renault and Fiat, the only one I wont consider is the awful, expensive and not very economical Prius.

Toyota Corolla Saloon 1992

1500 cc low mileage, 40,000, tidy and service history, should be reliable and economical, but first problem was the auto that would sometimes select neutral in a corner or roundabout and leave one coasting for a bit, not only potentially dangerous but also very annoying as you never knew when it would happen, it was fixed ok by local dealer but was still inconsistent when accelerating and would kick down too late when you needed it and change down unnecessary when accelerating gently. Other problems included unreliable central locking and electric windows, The cam belt cost a small fortune to replace, also economy nowhere near my older 2 litre Montego, which I had bought at slightly higher mileage and sold still going well at 120000 miles, I now have a 318Ti BMW, and like the Montego it is comfortable and I don’t get Toyota back ache on a trip, it handles and performs well and the economy is good, so far, well over a year it has cost very little to run, and no problems at all.

Toyota Aygo plus 2006

Previously I owned a Yaris for 5 years and it was superb. Well built, totally reliable economical, nice to drive and all in all a good car to own. I decided I wanted something a bit smaller and thought the Aygo sounded good. What a mistake! It is noisy, plasticy and not well made. The claims for fuel economy can only be achieved by very careful driving (and can be matched by the Yaris in most situations anyway). My Aygo has done 14000 miles and has already had new brake discs and a new clutch both due to excessive wear. In a previous vehicle (Nissan Sunny) I did 146000 miles without either of these component being changed, so I do not consider myself to drive harshly. I think that Toyota have done their reputation no end of harm by allowing this disappointing car to bear their name badge!!

Toyota Verso 2008

I’m looking for a new car. have vw touran 1.9 tdi se at moment. excellent car. test drove verso 2.2 d-4d sr. very comfy seats, lumbar great, v. supportive. loads of room front and back, two 6 foot plus teenagers. boot a bit smaller than touran or zafira, but still good. controls simple, easy to use, no clutter. the test car had wheel align fault - pulling to left. had to keep pulling on steering wheel to keep it straight, hard work. power supposed to be good, but had to floor accelerator quite a bit to make it shift. cabin noise from engine quieter than touran. does zoom past 100 mph though. also had to floor brake peddle more than touran to make it slow down at normal road speeds. so, excellent car, but seemed hard work to drive.

Toyota Avensis Estate 2003

Had this car now for nearly 5 years. My first estate. My first Toyota but not my last. 70k+ miles and no major problems. Minor problem with lights put right by Toyota (out of warranty) at no cost or argument. Good economy, great carrier, comfortable car. No rust. A real quality machine. I know it’s got good residual value. What more could you ask for? Looking forward to new model in 2009!

Toyota Yaris SR 2008

I purchased a Yaris SR in July 2008 from the local Toyota dealership. Sadly, major gearbox problems; getting into 1st and 2nd gears. The dealer road tested and said it was a faulty gearbox, the technician stripped the gearbox down and repaired the fault. I road tested the car and the problem was still there. Toyota technician road tested the car and said they found no problem. I even got a second opinion from an independent technician and he said the gearbox was faulty - the dealership said they would change the gearbox - they also said they would swapped the gearbox from a another vehicle. I am very disappointed and wish that I had never purchased this car.

Toyota Aygo Blue Multi Mode 2008

Having had a Renault Clio 1.6 16 Valve for 9 years which I loved to bits, great economy and performance 43mpg at the worst, mostly driving with a heavy foot, I decided to buy an Aygo due to the impending tax hikes due in 2009, soaring fuel costs etc and the fact the Clio was getting old. With Toyota’s apparent good reputation, I paid extra to have the whole works apart from leather upholstery. After a few weeks, I had blue smoke coming through the air vents when the aircon was turned on. The dealer changed the compressor and belts but it still does it occasionally and they cannot find the cause, so I don’t us the air con if I can help it. The glove box kept falling open when I went over a bump, this was fixed by the dealer by fitting the metal catch and also rain water came in due to the fact they had not fitted the rubber door seals. But now they are fitted, they are starting to fall off! I got the Multi mode transmission as I am often stuck in traffic and thought it would make it easy but I hate it. Sometimes there is a bad hesitation while it decides whether it is going to go into 1st or 2nd gear which is very frightening at times. The engine sounds very thrashy when pulling away and when going up hill and heaven help you if you have any adults in the car. The body work bends and the doors feel very thin. I am averaging 52 mpg and that is driving it carefully, so even the claim of good mpg is a false one, I could get 52mpg from my 1.6 clio by driving on just the same journeys! Having been driving for 21 years, this is quite simply the worst car I have ever owned, how I miss my RELIABLE Clio! I cannot express how much I HATE THE AYGO!!!!

Toyota Hiace All models since 1996 2008

I’ve worked in the Toyota dealer network for over 10 years now, recently coming away from that to try other things, I’ve run and worked on many of these vans, some with more miles than the enterprise, more hits than the Beatles but still they keep going!! in 10 years I’ve seen one gearbox bearing fail, 2 injection pumps fail, a handful of water pumps, a few vacuum hoses, one coil spring and one exhaust silencer bracket break. most of these failed under warranty. the Hiace can sometimes be a bit sluggish when loaded up, and fuel economy isn’t great. one bad point on these vans is the top arms, the upper ball joint wears, and depending on where the MOT is done it will fail, repair bill is about £600 quid, but only usually needs done once in around 130k miles, a remarkably van, tried and tested and just as tough as a Hilux!

Toyota Aygo Blue 2006

Well the car is a very good car to drive, very cheap to run and road tax £35. What can you expect? At the end of the day it is a cheap car to run and good value to use, I am very happy with this car. OK, it’s not the cheapest car you can buy but at the end of the day, it is cheap on petrol and service and cost is low all round. It is worth buying, this is the best value car I have ever bought - get it!!

Toyota Yaris MMT 2006

We have owned this car for 23 months and bought on a PCP as a town run around for my wife. The stupid semi auto gearbox is a big let down, always in the wrong gear. When you pull away on a slighly wet surface or even dry come to that, it wheel spins, a no no for hilly areas. As you go around a roundabout it changes up so you end up in third or fourth by the time you exit, as for the roll back it’s a good job we both learnt in a manual because you have to still carry out hill starts on the slightest gradiant. When we complained about it to our local dealer he just told us that we were driving it to aggessively and to use the manual mode. I thought I was buying an auto not a manual. The brakes are also very sharp the slightest dab and you’re on the windscreen. A new front tyre had to be bought last week as it was worn out in 6500 miles. We feel lumbered with a car we both hate on Toyota PCP contract that will end up costing money to get out of, hence we still have the heap of rubbish.

Toyota MR2 tte turbo 2001

Have had the car for two years now which was the replacement for my mk 1. All I can say is that the car is fantastic , great handling , reliable , good service from the dealers and with the turbo you get that shove in the back performance. It is capable of keeping up with most performance cars on the road today.

Toyota Aygo Aygo blue special edition. 2008

Car bought for Daughter by Grandad after she had previously driven the fantastically reliable Yaris. Very disapointed , car feels like driving around in a tin can, body work feels so thin that I am suprised it hasn’t blown away in the wind . Poor quality tacky interior and doors need slamming to shut, worry is you expect the rest of the car to fall apart. Same problem with faulty glove box , several creaks and squeeks and engine sounds like the exhaust is falling off its so noisy . All in all a very poor quality car & very disappointed Toyota has its name on the badge. Same issues again with miles per gallon, nowhere near reaching Toyota’s claim. Car that bad I feel conned by Toyota having bought this vehicle . I would be very suprised if it stands the test of time. Only plus point is that the exterior shape does look well and modern.

Toyota Auris Auris VVTi MMT 2008

I purchased the Auris mainly because of the MMT gear-box, I have always preferred a manual gear-box, but my partner can only drive a automatic due to a disability, now we have a car that is the ideal compromise, apart from that the performance is excellent and the MPG is more than I expected, on the downside the services are very expensive compared to other manufactures, but with the price of fuel as it is at the moment and it will get more expensive the better MPG you get from a car the better and if that also comes with better performance well that is a bigger bonus.

Toyota Hilux Invincible 200 Limited Edition 2008

Best pick up currently available on the market. Goes like stick and is as fast as a V6 Range Rover Sport 0-62mph. Only downside is the 15" wheels fitted. Toyota need to resolve this. As for looks apart from the wheels its the biz.

Toyota Auris 1.6 t spirit 2007

I really like the smart entry and the cruise control. I don’t see the point in the automatic wipers and lights as we all know when its raining and getting dark. The Auris is very nice to drive and the 1.6 goes very well. I have had Toyota’s before including the Yaris, Corolla and now the Auris. They have all been good and reliable.

Toyota Yaris 1.3 t3 mmt 2006

We have had car 28months , and done 15,000 miles. Gearbox is only any good if you learn to use the manual mode. I have found when setting of from cold there is a tendency for a little clutch judder but disappears when warm. The smoothest way to drive car is to start off on the automatic mode and use this for the change to 2nd, then push gear lever onto manual mode for all other gears. When changing gear on manual mode always ease off on throttle as you change and changers are then very quick and smooth. In traffic up to 10 miles per hour very tricky to keep it smooth, it would be far better if change into second was at 5 to 6 miles per hour not 10 to 11. Petrol consumption is averaging 53 to gallon, but we do go 5 miles before hitting traffic into Harrogate. Engine is quite powerful, but on motorways speeds over 60 soon hit petrol consumption and this will drop down to 45. Height adjustment on the drivers seat is good but legroom is very restricted for tall drivers, therefore tall driver has to lower the height adjustment so that seat moves away from wheel, which defeats object of height adjustment for taller drivers who like an upright driving position, as even on highest setting the headroom is good. Plenty of room in car and rear seat arrangement is clever. Local Toyota dealer in Knaresborough is good, servicing reasonable particularly if you take out service plan. Extended warranty available after 3 years and this is reasonable cost and probably worth taking out as mmt is suspect. Insurance is group 4 and costs 160 pounds on full ncb with LV. All in all not a bad car, but not a patch on my Mitsubishi 1.8 Spacestar, which has a 100,000 miles on it, and still averages 49 mpg for a petrol engine. It’s just unfortunate that these have gone out of production.

Toyota Rav4 RAV4 XT-R 2.2D-4D 5Dr 2008

On a test drive I was delighted with the car - everything about it is good. I have one minus point - SatNav only on certain Rav4 - should be included when you have the facility already there. Awaiting for car now on 58 Reg.

Toyota MR2 2003

The only reason I can’t give my ’2 5/5 is that I would like the TTE turbo option! I have had my car for 2 years and bought used with 17k on the clock. There is an issue on the earlier cars with the cats in the manifold falling apart but this was solved by Toyota with the facelift (fog light) model in 2003. De-catted manifolds are cheap to buy and fit for peace of mind though. So far I have reached 35k and have had a new water pump new discs and finally replaced the original Bridgestone tyres that came with the car when I bought it. I recommend straying from the standard tyre size as it is an odd size that means you pay for the nose for tyres to match original spec. You can get a set of Toyota’s for a reasonable £250 rather than paying £180 just for the rears in Bridgestone OE format! I have fitted a luggage rack which helped when I took a large suitcase on holiday and I have removed the doors to the luggage compartment for easier access behind the seats. Removing the spare wheel gives lots of extra space but makes the front light so be careful if you decide to use this as your ’boot’ I regularly get 40mpg from my 6 speed ’2 and have never dropped below 36mpg even when I tried! I have once managed to get the 44mpg as listed in the sales brochure! Insurance is cheap and tax is relatively low compared to other sports cars due to Toyota’s ultra low emissions pledge when they revised the car in 2003. Hard tops only come with air con models so if you aren’t lucky enough to have a hard roof with yours you are looking at anything from £300-£800 for a lid on eBay and the fitting kit will set you back £150 from Toyota. Watch for cars that have been modified, thrashed and then put back to standard for sale. Also for track day damage. Servicing is every 10k and is reasonable. The standard stereo is rubbish even with the £1000 CD option - replace it as soon as you can! I researched the MX5, S2000, VX220, Z3, MGF etc before buying my MR2 and I am very happy with my choice. :)

Toyota Aygo 2008

Toyota Aygo - full marks - good value for money.

Toyota Yaris 2006

I love my little Yaris- it has been brilliant. My daughter loves it too and my mother-in-law bought one after she drove mine, but she got the automatic. A brilliant, funky little car. Silver ones are the best!!!!!

Toyota Aygo aygo black 2006

Hate it! door seals had to be fixed 3 times, abs lights on and brakes failing me! Clutch seems really weird when driving! Reverse crunch sound is hideous! So much to hate with this stupid car!

Toyota Land Cruiser Amazon 2007

I like this car, especially the new one. I used to have a Land Cruiser LC4 but sadly I sold it for £12,500. It was on a 53 plate - astral black. Oh, and it was top of the range to!

Toyota Yaris 2005

I have had endless problems with my Toyota Yaris 1.0 gearbox clutch. In and out of the dealership claiming nothing was wrong - it was me and the way I drove it!!! Field Service Engineer told me that no other Yaris was like mine and they were not prepared to do any more for me. DREADFUL - I even got a second opinion from an independent person and the inability of the car to get into first, second and reverse gear happened to him - still TOYOTA would not listen - I have now bought a Ford Fiesta - I cannot believe the difference.

Toyota Corolla Verso 2.0D T2 2005

55 PLATE. I’ve now done 106,000 miles with no problems except in the last 6 months it sticks in 1stvfirst thing in morning, then clears. Great economy, enough room for 2 x 13 year-olds and 2 older teenagers plus the wife, and me. Just don’t expect to fit luggage in as well! A little noisy on motorways, lots of mid range punch and sure footed means I’d happily get another.

Toyota Yaris 1.3 T3 MMT 2007

As a driving instructor I find the Yaris MMT a good automatic car to teach in. It’s comfortable, with plenty of space and visibility is very good. In Easy mode the car is quick through the gears and possibly ’greener’ than the manual version. It has manual mode to give control over gears on hills or poor weather and has kickdown to drop gears in easy mode. There is no creep function but that’s why there’s a gas pedal and handbrake. I like it.

Toyota Auris 1.6 TR 2007

I have had various Corolla’s since 1988 - my last one in ’05 and the Auris is the worst. Poor gear ratios, ridiculous gear shift light , knocking noise and feel through the steering wheel, and now the clutch is also making a knocking sound upon releasing the pedal. My dealer says don’t worry, you have got a 3 year warranty.. it will need it at this rate , cant wait to get rid.

Toyota Auris T Spirit 2007

Great car. Built well and priced fairly. A very comfortable drive and feels quite big inside. Mine has the multi mode transmission which I am still getting used to. However I find that having the versatility of driving it manually or auto is useful. This does not seem to compromise the speed of the vehicle for me. As I haven’t had the car long, only time will tell in terms of the overall performance and reliability but there are and have been a lot of Toyota’s in the family over the years so I expect there will be very few problems for quite some years.

Toyota Avensis Saloon 2.0. v v t i 2001

Excellent car with sat nav - had for 5 years now and no trouble whatsoever - but now the model is becoming dated.

Toyota Yaris 1.3 2005

Terrible car - bought on the recommendation of BBC’s Top Gear. Loads has gone wrong.

Toyota Rav4 4x4 1999

She’s a babe! Driven her all the way to Bulgaria! Very safe car! I love her to bits but can be a bit juicey at times, but what a kick when in O.D.

Toyota Yaris 2000

I bought a two year old Yaris from a dealer, I thought after two month I could hear a noise coming from the passenger side of the car which i thought was a wheel bearing, I went back to the garage but as usual they could hear nothing, This noise started to get worse so I got a second opinion, I was told the noise was either coming from the wheel bearing or it could be the gear box, I went back to the dealer once more, they went for a test drive on there return I was told it was possibly the gear box. Luckily enough I had the most of a year left on the warranty so i got a new gear box fitted, I was told after that this was quite common in the Yaris, lucky for me I still had that warranty.

Toyota Yaris 1.3 SR 2008

I purchased a Yaris SR in January from a local Toyota wholly-owned dealership. Sadly, I had major clutch judder problems, the dealer was basically not interested - response... "we are not aware of any clutch judder problems with the Yaris" - which of course was not quite true why else would Toyota develop a modified clutch? Whilst waiting for my vehicle to be tested I spoke to another customer who owned a Yaris and who insisted not to be fobbed off, he had an older Yaris and also had major issues with clutch judder. Eventually problem worsened and despite the dealer telling me that the car was tested by 4 technicians who could not find a fault I insisted and went out with a technician who agreed a problem did actually exist. Since the clutch has been replaced I now have problems engaging reverse, 1st, 2nd & 3rd gears and also have problems coming down box. Dealer once again assured me that no gearbox problems could be identified and any notchyness or imprecision would ease with use? Sadly, a month on and no improvement. Car has been returned four/five times now and recently the dealership hinted that, yes, the gearbox did not perform as per manufacturer’s specifications, in short, much crunching and grinding was experienced. I received a phone call to inform me that gearbox had been replaced. However, I still continued to have problems with reverse 1st, 2nd & 3rd gear then the bombshell! The gearbox fitted was not brand new from the factory when vehicle was returned they said that they had driven both cars. The "donor car", a used registered forecourt vehicle which the gearbox was swapped from and my vehicle drove better?? and assured me any residual problems would ease with use. Appreciate anyones help/advice.

Toyota Rav4 xt4 auto 2006

Found to be very poor on fuel mpg, only 22 at best, no better. On a run I have been told it will get better when it has done more miles . It is now at 8,000 and I am still waiting. Otherwise a very good car, have had the diesel and now have the petrol as they don’t make a auto in diesel.

Toyota Yaris MMT 2008

I have previously owned two automatic Toyota Yaris’ and adored them. Just bought a new one which has the MMT - it is possibly the worst car I have ever driven. It is like driving with a kangaroo in the engine, jumpy, erratic and just downright awful. Also has the most horrific roll back, even on a slight incline. On calling my dealer to complain (I have had it 3 weeks) I got the distinct impression he wasn’t surprised to hear from me. The battle shall now commence for me to return it. Seriously, do not touch the MMT model if you are looking for an automatic car.

Toyota Yaris 1.3TR 2008

Truly awful, badly built, cheap materials and downright nasty to drive. Noisy at just about any speed, ponderous handling and nausea-inducing ride. Interior seems reasonable in the showroom but in reality is very badly thought out. Garish dashboard out of normal sight lines. Boot poor, even with sliding seats, huge gap in floor with seats slid forward is crazy. Poorly presented on delivery, numerous items missing or inoperative. Total inability and disinterest of uncaring dealers in resolving any issues. They've got your money so why other offering any help? Toyota sent me vouchers worth £100 for each friend or relative I recommended to them. I can't think of anyone I dislike that much.

Toyota Aygo 1.0 Aygo 2007

A spirited car that couldn’t be cheaper to insure. The fuel economy is brilliant (50+) and the car is well constructed and has a good solid feel to it. The doors also close with a nice clunky feel that I love. This is a perfect first car and ideal for town and city driving, it’s OK on the motorway but does feel a little out of its depth.

Toyota Hiace 2007

Fantastic, reliable van with good fuel consumption and great dealer backup.

Toyota Corolla Verso 2004

It looks very good family car, but how do you feel when MMT stops working in the middle of the road and you can not move. It occurs so often that you have to get rid of this vehicle, as even after changing the gear box, problem persists! and there is no solution.

Toyota Aygo Aygo Black 5 Door 2006

If Steve McQueen had been a car then the Aygo he would have been.... cool. Black, I have had my windows tinted, so cheap to run, try and find cheaper, a push bike might be. Really impressed, from Sept 06 I have done 24k no probs, nippy, sporty, well built, in fact a pleasure to own, my back seat is always down, which makes the room internally superb, servicing is very cheap, in fact running costs are for nothing, really can’t fault, if you want a low budget car well made with a touch of style, look no further.

Toyota Corolla Verso 2.0 D-40 T-Spirit 2005

Great family car, bought this used just over a year ago and it’s been one of the best buys I’ve ever made. A really solid spacious car that is totally reliable and very reasonable to run. I’d recommond this car to anyone, can’t see me needing to change it for some time as it’s so durable.

Toyota Yaris 1.3 WT-i T3 5dr 2008

I’ve just bought a brand spanking new Yaris and I LOVE IT!! This is the first time I’ve bought new and I just fell for the Yaris as soon as I saw it. It’s a funky looking car with a very spacious and comfortable interior and it’s just so much fun to drive. Brilliantly affordable car that’s cheap to run and looks gorgous. 5 out of 5!!

Toyota Avensis Tourer Tourer D-4D 2004

Bought at 85,000 miles and dual mass flywheel/clutch completely shot. Cost of repair £1,500 - fortunately not borne by me. Further research shows that this is a common problem with the D-4D cars that Toyota is nbot prepared to recognise - shame on them. I had a 1988 Toyota Carina II for 10 years from 1991 to 2001. By the time I had got rid of it, at 200,000 miles plus, nothing major whatsoever had gone wrong with it. I had a 1997 Carina E Estate from 2001 to 2008 - again a high mileage at disposal - over 170,000 and nothing major had ever gone wrong with it. It is simply not good enough for a modern car to suffer this type of breakdown at such a relatively low mileage. Toyota's stock has gone way down with me. These cars should be good for 250,000 miles without expensive major components failing like this.

Toyota Aygo Blue 2008

I’ve had my special edition Blue for 4 weeks. I’ve got to the 600 mile mark, ready to open it up a bit now it’s run in. Likes: The Bluetooth, which I wasn’t interested in when I bought it is amazing. As another review stated, it’s like having your own bit of Star Trek, it connects automatically when you get in the car and the voice recognition is superb. You can say "double 5" and it will hear it as 5 - 5. I’ve not had a single mis dial and I’ve a relatively broad Lancashire accent. The ride and manoeuvrability are surprisingly good. Excellent suspension, very nippy and agile through traffic. The size of the car is an amazing advantage you can get it to fit anywhere. The road tax, £35!!! My 600cc Motorcycle is £48. The insurance premium (I’ve saved £200 this year). The extras you get with the limited edition: Bluetooth, Air Con, Remote Central Locking, Colour Coded Bumpers and Mirrors, Special Edition Mats, Electric Windows, Leather Gear Knob. 5 doors is a must as the boot is so small. What I don’t like: (and this is going to sound quite harsh as I genuinely like the car!) No coat hanger hooks anywhere. It makes quite a lot of noise at high speed, you can hear every piece of gravel go round the wheel arches after the gritters have been out. You have to slam the doors to get them to shut, especially the boot. The interior light only comes on with the driver door, there’s no light in the boot The parcel shelf won’t stay up so it’s fiddly getting anything in and out of the tiny boot. The gearbox is a bit flimsy, you have to force the gears in, or have to declutch for it to go in smooth. The colour of the car means that it’s grubby in a couple of days. The bumpers offer no protection from other cars so there are scrapes on the lovely bluey paint already thanks to careless drivers. It is impossible to get anywhere near the claimed mpg. I’ve managed 49.5 mpg (most of the mileage on 40, 50 and 70 mph roads. My 1.6 Clio RSI could get up to 50mpg.

Toyota Auris 2.0 d4d t3 2007

Fantastic car; well built, nippy, economical and supremely comfortable. Engineered to last with legendary dealer support. My first Toyota and certainly not my last.

Toyota Aygo Blue 2007

The best car I have ever bought, just the right amount of room for my shopping and good on the motorway too!

Toyota Aygo 2007

Bought Aygo Blue June 2007. Great on fuel and lovely to drive. Not bad size inside ideal for myself and my two grandchildren. Unfortunately, this car has been in and out for repair on 3 separate occasions. There was more ice and condensation inside the car than outside the car. I have also had to have my window fixed as it would not go back up, also had to have glove compartment fixed as this would not stay closed and also had to have gear knob fixed as this was turning around every time you changed gear. I love my Aygo but unfortunately I seem to have purchased a badly manufactured Aygo. Not sure if anyone else encountered same problems.

Toyota Yaris Verso Auto 2002

This is great little big car very nippy and economical 45 mpg good all round vision plus it€™s very easy to drive. You can get loads gear in when you put rear seats down. I will be looking to upgrade to a later model soon p.s. it has gone through every mot without a fault and its done 72000 miles.

Toyota Aygo 2007

Great little car.....fuel economy is astonishing! The car is nicely styled. I have the black sport version with allows, body kit and spoiler and it looks great. Although it only has a 1.0 litre and only gives 97bhp, its acceleration is surprisingly very good. It is quick and nippy, and great on motorways as well. Great car, cheap, quality and brilliant!

Toyota Auris 2007

I am having real problems with the Driver’s Smart Entry - sometimes the car will unlock and sometimes it won’t. Using the ridiculously small key is a real pain. Toyota shrugs their shoulders and talk about radio waves. They’ve changed the door receiver but it’s still the same. Has anyone else had this problem?

Toyota Prius T2 2005

50MPG UNDER AVERAGE USE FAMILY SIZED SALOON WITH GOOD HATCHBACK LUGGAGE SPACE AND LARGE UNDERFLOOR AREA SEEMLESS AUTO DRIVE-TRAIN MAKES ’ORDINARY’ CARS FEEL ROUGH

Toyota MR2 2000

Without a doubt the MR2 is one of the best cars I’ve ever driven. Almost everything about this car is great. The handling is awesome, the steering razor sharp. Obviously one of the reasons for buying a car like this is the pose factor ; ) Its contemporaries like the MX-5 can’t hold a candle to it as the car just oozes style and is far less of a common site. Ok, it’s not perfect. The load space is appalling, practically non-existent and the suspension can be so firm you can feel every pebble you drive over. However there are good reasons for this: to keep the weight almost 50/50 and to allow for better handling. A true driver’s car. All in all Toyota have created a genuinely excellent two seater sports car that you can buy for under £10,000 second hand and for that they should be applauded.

Toyota Aygo Black 2006

Hi Ho...Hi Ho... Christ this brings back panto memories and the small guys who used to dance alongside that girl dressed in white, black hair, sweeping brush and all that. This has to be the smallest oversized child’s toy ever introduced onto the market, (unless the Fiat 500 makes a liar out of me)...

To be fair, this was one of those test drives when your better half gets all exited, hot under the collar, giggling and eager to please you, (maybe us lads should keep an Aygo tied to the bed) Ha! Small...yes it is. Great colour...yes it was. Four wheels...yep all intact. Gadgets...blue teeth and an mp3 accessory does not count as much of a gadget blitz in my growing list of vehicular gad trads.

But once i managed to prise my rear left buttock into the drivers seat i had to admit to the better half, (who by this time looked like she was ready to slobber all over the car, and me, (quick find a bed post)!...That it really was deceiving from the outside looking in. The finish was really good and the driver view is impressive and at the same time felt quite safe. Turn the key...Aygotwat would not start! Flapping and panicking around the car came a hectic type of salesman, (must have been at least fifteen), pleading with me sir to stay where i was sir, i will get a mechanic sir, (like as if i was gonna leap out and forget it, after taking what felt like 3 x months just to get in it! The kind mechanic arrived and after adjusting the battery terminal we were finally ready to drive away and complete our test drive.

The Aygo was a real charmer of a car and there was nothing i could honestly fault from a driving point of view for a car at the base end of the market, the better half had grown a smile that was twice the size of her face, she loved it. I had the vehicle for a full couple of hours and even managed a local shopping trip where again, with all honesty found the Aygo to be really impressive.

I have to admit that personally i prefer the more mid to top range of vehicles than the bottom, but with all things being equal, Toyota have possibly found something of a girly winner with this little gem. Oh and if it is going to encourage all of those lovely better halves out there to slobber, and sweat, then us gentlemen should go out and make two purchases... 1 x black Toyota Aygo, and 1 x extra strong piece of chain to tie it to the bed!

Toyota Prius T3 2006

This car looks great in black with the leather trim. the T4 and T spirit options aren’t really necessary. Its great to drive, totally reliable and gives you a good feeling to drive. Dont expect to average more than 46mpg.

Toyota Corolla Hatchback Love the make 2007

No review submitted.

Toyota Avensis Tourer 2.0 D-4D T3S 5dr 2004

Excellent estate car. I bought my 54 plate Avensis Tourer 2 months ago and I’m very happy with it indeed. A very solid and safe car with excellent handling and very good fuel usage. As second hand cars go, if you can find one with reasonable mileage they are a very reliable car to go for.

Toyota Land Cruiser Amazon 4.2 TD 5dr 2007

A proper 4x4 with every gadget and luxury trim you could want as standard - I’m in heaven. I love this car and really enjoy driving it. It is best suited to off road, where it really shines but on road is a fine enough drive too. So comfortable you’ll want to eat your tea in it! Wonderful.

Toyota Avensis Hatchback 1.8 VVT-i T2 5dr 2006

Very good value for money. Excellent on fuel and very reliable so far. I’ve had mine 18 months and nothing has gone wrong with it. Nice enough drive but you do get a fair amount of road noise. Good space and excellent level of comfort for it’s class. A good all round car.

Toyota Dyna 300 2.5D-4D 2003

Well built solid van. Driver is well considered with not uncomfortable cabin, but although supposed to be a 3 seater it really only seats 2 comfortably as quite narrow. ABS standard as is power steering but although quite nippy on the straight it is woeful around corners, some quite serious under steering that takes some getting used to. Very noisy too. Not bad value for the money but not great.

Toyota Avensis Estate 2.0 D-4D T2 5dr 2007

I think this is one of the best estates on the market. After looking at several I chose the Avensis because of excellent safety, very good security, huge load space, good standard kit and very generous mpg. It’s a very nice drive and although there is some road noise it’s barely noticable. Very smart looking too. Excellent job Toyota.

Toyota Corolla Hatchback 2003

No review submitted.

Toyota Camry 3.0 V6 Auto 1998

The Camry is a very under-rated car in the UK (but not elsewhere in the world) which means it is often avaialble at a very reasonable price second-hand. I have had mine since 2001 and it hasn’t missed a beat. It is large, comfortable and reliable, and has needed no work other than servicing. It shares many parts with the Lexus range and its build quality is similar. The V6 is packed with leather, foglights, cruise, sunroof, climate control etc. The V6 delivers over 190 bhp and with the auto gearbox you have a great powertrain with smooth gearchanges that seem to be intuitive, whether you’re driving hard or just doing the school run. Put your foot down and this apprently docile, understated car surges forward with a great (if fairly quiet) snarl from the V6, out-accelerating most other cars on the road. On the downside, it lacks "feel" through the steering that you might get with say, a BMW 5 series, and the ride is a little soft for some. Also the 3.0 is thirsty - you only get 22 to 24 mpg on the urban cycle. All in all though, if you’re looking for a great-priced used car in the large saloon sector, then the Camry will take some beating.

Toyota Prius 1.5 T4 Auto (Hybrid) 2007

I can’t speak highly enough about the Prius. I have always been green-minded but the small electric type cars were just not something that I could drive. When the Prius cam along it gave me exactly what I was looking for - good looking, fuel economy to die for. This performs just like a normal car and the use of batteries is really not a hardship. This is the perfect answer to the issues that I had about driving 30 miles to work every day. I save money and help save the planet - a good days work in my opinion!

Toyota Prius 1.5 T4 2007

Wouldn’t drive anything else just right now, nothing yet in the market compares to the space and peformance of the Prius whilst maintaining the same level of fuel economy and low road tax. A top buy.

Toyota Aygo + 2007

This AYGO + is one hell of a little car. Good on fuel and quite a comfortable ride. The service package that you can take out with your local Toyota dealer for around £11 per month for up to 5 years of servicing is quite a bargain as well. Good seat for driving in and I get no back ache after 300 miles of non stop driving. Also thrown in is a nice throaty little sporty roar from the exhaust system. Where ever AYGO it go’s. Could nit pick but with road tax of £35 per year and low insurance. Well say no more. PS. I am 63 and still like a little thrill now and again.

Toyota Avensis Saloon 2.0 D-4D T2 2007

The Avensis is a good family car, reasonably priced. Plenty of space and reliable. I test drove both the petrol and the diesel models and the diesel is far and away the better of the 2. The road noise on the petol was too much but on the diesel it was almost unnoticable. A great family car.

Toyota MR2 1.8 VVT-i 2dr 2005

Have recently just a bought this MR2 in pristine condition with just under 22,000 on the clock and she’s a beaut! Such a great car to drive, so much fun. Completely impractical if you want to do the weekly shop of course, which means the wife doesn’t get to use it! Not too pricey to run and these cars really do hold their value well.

Toyota Verso 1.8 WT-i SR 2007

If you are looking for an MPV that covers all bases then you could do no better than a Verso. The performance and driving are both above average as are the safety and space aspects. All five rear seats fold flat and this is useful for transporting furniture or large objects ( if that’s whay you need to do ). The interior of the Verso is the most attractive of any vehicle I have ever driven and of great quality.

Toyota Yaris Zinc

The Yaris Zinc MMT is fine as long as you can avoid hills, otherwise the car in front is a tractor. It attempts to climb the hill in fifth gear with traffic building up behind you, going slower and slower until at about 23 mph it changes into fourth but then the battle is lost. It`s speed is down to 15 m.p.h and you have to pull over to let to let other vechicles past. So, if you see a Yaris struggling up a bank it is in M.M T. mode so try not to shake your fist and blast your horn.

Toyota Yaris 1.0 litre VVTI

I love my Yaris! A car driven mainly by old people and girls, not really for boy racers!!! Never had a problem with it, except wishing sometimes it had 6 gears! (Takes a while to stop roaring on the Motorway!) Would definitley have another Yaris in the future!

Toyota Picnic 2.0 GLS 5dr

I’ve been driving my Y reg Picnic for just under 2 years now and I can honestly say it’s one of the best cars I’ve driven. I bought it out of necessity when our 4th child came along as we needed more space but I’ve actually really enjoyed driving it. Bags of space (of course) and the fuel consumption isn’t too bad for a car of it’s size. A real gem.

Toyota Auris 1.6 T3

This car is reasonably priced, drives well & not too expensive to run. A good car, but nothing more than that.

Toyota Aygo 1.0 litre 5 door

Bought the new AYGO Blue a couple of months ago. The fuel economy is simply amazing and for the 1 litre engine is more than quick enough for me and it has no difficulty on the motorway. This is a perfect first car as running the car, tax and insurance are all on the reasonable side. I would highly recommend the AYGO.

Toyota Camry 2.4 CDX VVT-i 4dr

Bought my Camry second hand and have had absolutely no problems with it. Solid, capable and very comfy. It’s not the most exciting car to drive or to look at granted but if you’re looking for a reliable family car with bags of space you can’t go far wrong with this one.

Toyota Yaris Zinc MMT

I sadly sold my Yaris Colour Collection MK 1 and bought a Yaris Zinc MMT gearbox model. What a mistake! When driving round the local areas I dread hills as it always tries to get into to high a gear and then drops to 1st and ends up screaming like a boy racer before jumping to second then when its over the hill it refuses to change into 3rd etc, until either I change it manually or the speed is over 45Mph! Don’t touch a MMT geared car they are rubbish. Babbs.

Toyota Aygo 1.0 VVT-i Sport 5dr

I’m so pleased I chose this car. It’s so enjoyable to drive and very comfortable. Plenty of space for my two teenage children in the back and very reasonable on fuel. Couldn’t ask for anything more. Excellent.

Toyota Land Cruiser LC5 Invincible

Two months into my owership of the LC5 Invincible and, overall, I am delighted with it. It is surprisingly easy to drive - predictably, intensely useable and wonderfully comforable. I dislike the way the third row seats work - the Disco3 is much better in that department. Everything else - including fuel economy is great. My wife loves driving it too!

Toyota Rav4 2.2D-4D T180 5 dr

Delighted so far with this car. Very good interior design, everything where you want it to be and very comfortable for the whole family to travel in. Very nice to drive.

Toyota Corolla Verso 1.8 VVT-i T Spirit 5 dr

This could be a great car, however, after countless problems with the MMT gearbox (and I know I’m not the only one!!) I have decided to cut my losses and get rid as I am no longer confident for my wife and children to travel in it. Great shame.

Toyota Yaris 1.4D-4D SR 5 dr

This is a really good solid car. Never had a single hitch and very economical to run. Excellent car.

Toyota Prius

It looks good and is extremely economical. I like to be as green minded as I possibly can and this did factor is my choice of car. It was not the cheapest car to buy but I'd imagine that the prices will come down in the future. A stylish and economical drive.