Fiat 500 vs. Toyota Aygo: which is better?
Toyota Aygo or Fiat 500? Style or substance? Read our comparison of the agile Fiat and the pragmatic Toyota based on performance and more
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The Fiat 500 and Toyota Aygo are two of the most popular cars in the city car category, each offering a unique style.
Both models excel as small cars, but they have their own unique selling points. Whether you’re after a well-thought-out interior or an economical engine, let us guide you through your next purchase as you weigh up the Fiat 500 vs. Toyota Aygo.
Does the Fiat 500 or Toyota Aygo offer more style?
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Considered to be one of the most recognisable cars on the roads, the original Fiat 500 of the 1950s is an iconic Italian car, and when Fiat revived the name in 2007 for its up-to-date model, the retro styling lived on.
You can easily tell a Fiat 500 apart from other small cars by its curvy design, rounded headlights and palette of soft colours, which give this car a vintage feel. Go for a high-spec model and you’ll get plenty of chrome touches to remind you that this is an up-to-date model.
The Toyota Aygo is just as striking, but for different reasons. It uses a lot of sharp, angular lines to give it a more menacing character, and the overall theme of the car is ‘x’. Besides the x-themed trim level names, the front end has a distinctive ‘x’ shape across the grille and headlight area.
The back end is just as impressive, with a funky two-tone design made up of the car’s body colour and a black glass panel beneath the rear windscreen. This design is usually one you’d expect on more expensive cars, so it helps to lift the feel of this little model.
Is the Toyota Aygo or Fiat 500 better to drive?
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The Fiat 500 is known for its fun, engaging driving experience, which is partly thanks to its incredibly light weight.
Many older cars came with a 1.2-litre petrol engine, but the 0.9-litre turbocharged unit can be more fun and efficient, and it sounds great.
Newer cars come with a 1.0-litre petrol – it’s a great middle ground and the mild hybrid technology helps to reduce emissions.
The Toyota Aygo comes with a fairly similar 1.0-litre petrol engine, but it doesn’t have any turbocharging or hybrid technology, so it’s better suited to towns and cities where you’re unlikely to need to accelerate with as much urgency.
They’re both designed with urban environments in mind, but the Fiat 500's city mode gives it the upper hand. It makes the steering very light, helping you make tight manoeuvres.
Fiat 500 vs. Toyota Aygo: interior
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These are budget-friendly cars, so while you may not get high-quality leather options as standard, you do get playful bits of trim, like body-coloured panels inside to remind you of the colour of your car.
The more basic Fiat 500 models come with a simple radio system, but many newer and higher-spec versions get a touchscreen infotainment system that works with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard.
Toyota also fits the Aygo with a touchscreen, which in many models comes with a built-in reversing camera.
Despite the handy bits of car tech, key controls like the air-conditioning have physical dials, which we think are far easier to use on the go than fiddling with a touchscreen.
Toyota Aygo vs. Fiat 500: which has more boot space?
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The sizes of the boots in these two cars are not very different, and both can easily fit a few shopping bags.
The Fiat 500 has a larger 185-litre boot, while the Toyota Aygo offers a smaller 168-litre space.
It’s also worth noting that the Toyota’s boot opening is a little narrower because of the shape of the lights, so it could be marginally easier to fit bulkier items in the Fiat.
Compare Toyota Aygo and Fiat 500: which is more reliable?
Both of these cars are known for their reliability, and because they’re so popular, there’s plenty of data to back them up. For example, the Fiat 500 generally scores well in customer feedback surveys, and the Toyota Aygo comes with a long warranty (up to 10 years for eligible models).
Parts for these two mainstream models should also be readily available, and they’re generally cheaper than some other manufacturers because they have simpler mechanical parts.
Fiat 500 vs. Toyota Aygo size and dimensions
While these cars might not be as small as a Smart car, they’re a lot more compact than your typical family hatchback.
The Fiat 500 is 3,571mm long, 1,893mm wide and 1,488mm tall, but the Toyota Aygo is even smaller at 3,465mm long, 1,615mm wide and 1,460mm tall.
Toyota Aygo X vs. Fiat 500
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Toyota stopped selling the Aygo in 2022, and just before it went off sale, the Aygo X was introduced. It’s quite a bit bigger than the Aygo, and even slightly larger than the Fiat 500.
The Toyota Aygo X is designed to look like a small crossover, so it gets jacked-up suspension and some rugged styling. You also get a larger boot (231 litres) and more usable rear seats.
If you need extra space to carry the odd passenger, then it’s well worth looking at an Aygo X. It's still a very compact model that’s great for towns and cities.
Used Toyota Aygo vs. used Fiat 500: which should you buy?
Both of these cars have very unique styles, so consider if you value the retro styling of the Fiat 500 or the more aggressive, angular look of the Toyota Aygo.
The Aygo can sometimes be more affordable, and it has a great reliability track record with the potential for up to 10 years’ warranty cover, but the Fiat 500 comes with a wider range of engine options, including turbocharged and mild hybrid models that are slightly better-suited to faster roads.