Sixty-one thousand drivers can’t be wrong. That’s how many took part in Auto Express’s Driver Power survey. That makes it the biggest of its type in the UK. When all the votes had been totted up, the public chose Toyota’s iQ – available from Howards Group showrooms here in the south west – as the most reliable car on the UK market.
The news just gets better for Toyota, as its sister brand Lexus took second and third places in the survey with the NX and IS models.
Winning the survey is no mean accolade. When buying a car, motorists are predominantly swayed by reliability. Manufacturers will make all sorts of claims on this front, but it’s the voice of the man in the street, or rather on the road, that really matters.
The Toyota iQ is a clever city car that looks great parked neatly outside urban coffee shops or zipping around one-way systems. But enough of the glossy TV ads. You want reliability, right? So what does the iQ have to offer in practical terms?
The iQ has been a fixture on our roads now for six years and owners are thrilled with its dependability. Obviously, you’re never going to take your family of seven on a Grand Tour around Europe in it, but the iQ is more spacious than you might think.
The iQ is certainly unique. It scores over similar-sized rivals such as the Smart by having a full four-seater cabin. It’s also a nice drive and scores highly for safety and reliability.
You can choose from two engines. You won’t find that 1.0-litre, three-cylinder petrol unit on the starting grid at the Nurburgring, but the iQ seems faster than the 14 seconds it’s listed as taking to get to 62mph. On the motorway, it’s pretty refined, with lots of sound-deadening and tall-gearing. More perky performance can be enjoyed with the 1.3-litre petrol, which will take you from 0-62mph in 11.8 seconds.
But the main reason you’ll buy the Toyota iQ is because you want to drive something as unique as you are. It’s a personal statement. The slightly boxy shape does make it a little Marmitey, but the interior quality and finish are superb, as you would expect from Toyota.
A nice touch on the iQ is the asymmetric dash, so that the front passenger can sit further forward and an adult can sit comfortably behind them. The iQ won’t bust the bank, either. The 1.0-litre is free to tax and the car delivers economy of 64.2mpg.
The Toyota iQ is available from Howards Group’s south west showrooms in Somerset and Dorset. Call us on 01934 332620 to book a test drive.