iQ Customer Reviews

iQ 1.0 Strata (2009)

Having owned our Toyota IQ for 8 months, I have decided to write a brief review. (Which in the end turned out longer then I was intending) I have 24 years driving experience and have driven over 30 different cars from 9 brands, with a combined global millage of over 900,000 kilometres.
In total we have just under 8000 kilometres on the clock of our 09 IQ.
The car has been used for short daily runs as well as for long journeys, Greystones to Bray and back every day. The longest single round trip done was, Wicklow to Wexford to Waterford to Cork and back. I
Day to day Driving: The movability, nimbleness and quality of ride make this car an ideal little run-around, the beauty is in the fact that the car feels and drives like a much bigger car then it looks yet drives with real ease and nimbleness, I also have a Toyota Avensis 2 litre, 2006, a reasonably powerful car with a high level of comfort , a completely different beast, yet I have no reluctance or hesitation to jump into the IQ , in fact to some extent I prefer it, I still get the feeling that I am driving a comfortable and safe car that has road presence, and am treated accordingly by other road users.
In my opinion under normal driving conditions the car has adequate power for its intended purpose, at least in regards to what one would expect from a 1 litre 3 cylinder engine, although this car is not about powerful driving , it can still hold its own in amongst larger cars on a motorway , in fact the drive is superb , quieter then my Avensis and completely stable , cross winds have little impact , and it sits as if it’s on tracks, even at speeds the higher end of the scale. Accelerating up to and past 120kph is no problem and it does it within a respectable timeframe allowing you to join fast moving traffic with ease. Although the speedometer is out by about 10 kilometres per hour over and above actual driving speed, I suspect this is mandatory in order to achieve a higher rating in the NCAP, although this is just an assumption, my Avensis as well as other cars that I have driven suffer from the same phenomenon.
Push it harder and it still responds, push it to its limits on windy and twisty roads (with good visibility into the distance) and you can feel as well as hear the safety systems kicking in, an audible alarm sounds to alert you that the safety system VSC is doing its thing, and I can tell you it works, as do all the other safety systems ABS, BA, TC, and EBD, the only thing thankfully, that I can’t verify are the nine airbags!!!
The car itself in my opinion has style and some clever little design attributes that has enabled Toyota to fit a full car into a small package. I have had had four people in the car, my wife being of a smaller build allows a full size adult to sit behind her while she is driving, on the other hand when I’m diving I can only get our 6 year old daughter in comfortably behind the divers seat, however there is amble room behind and in front of the passenger seat for two fully grown adults to sit comfortably in unison. The car is what it says on the box 3+1, 3 adults and 1 child, and it works; it’s quite funny to see people’s faces when four people get out!
As I said before the car is much bigger than it looks, particularly in width, but this is in my opinion why it works, it feels as wide inside as my Avensis and this gives you the feeling of being in a much bigger car. With the back seats down we manage to fit a surprising amount of garbage in during our trips to the recycling centre. How we manage to accumulate the volume of garbage is even more surprising, packaging, always seems to be twice the size then needed, a bit like other cars now that I think of it.
Ok, so, in regards to driving, and handling in my opinion it will meet the demands of even the hardest of drivers , not that this car is designed to be driven hard , it isn’t, but it’s reassuring to know that it can handle the pace when and if needed. Comfort , perhaps surprisingly , extremely comfortable , even on longer than normal journeys , the seats although they look relatively basic, seem to hit all the right spots , not as comfy as the Avensis but there designed to meet the intended purpose.
Build quality, build quality in my opinion varies depending on what aspect of the car you are looking at; from a mechanical point of view it is excellent, clever, well made and consistent in this area.
Interior finish although I like the style and design, I have found the plastics to be a little on the soft side, particularly in terms of residence to scratching, the area where I have noticed this most is on the door panels, but then I’m not the gentlest of people, my mobile phones tend to last a few months before they start looking like they been to hell and back.
The finish and the feel on the steering wheel is excellent, as good as any high end car that I have driven, and it adds to the feeling of quality while driving. The controls are easy to use and of an acceptable quality, although I find the single radio control joystick button easy to use , I do miss a volume dial that works as quick as my wrist, while I’m on the subject the radio sound is good with good clarity and ample bass if you like it that way. (6 Speakers)
Another item that I miss is a read out for remaining millage, although, average and current kpl are available. Millage is excellent, but like any car is heavily determined by the driving style. I have managed to come close to the claimed figures L/100 of 4.9 for urban, as well as the 4.3 for combined, but under heavier driving conditions have been closer to 6.3 - 5.5 respectively, but the fact remains it can achieve the figures if driven accordingly, either way it costs me less than half to run as the Avensis, which leads me on to the next subject, is the car worth the money?
Well that all depends on what you are looking for, if you where to compare it with other cars in its class it may seem a little bit on the pricy side, even if you compare it with other small Toyotas, well at least on face value, if you dig a little deeper you will realise that this car is packed with the latest in safety technology, not all of which are found in its competition , a long list for such a short car , 9 SRS Airbags , ABS, TRC,VSC,EPS,EBD,BA, this costs money , and for me it’s worth the extra bit.
In a nutshell , although as mentioned some items could be improved and although there are other cars out there that may be worth considering, I love this little car , not only does it offer style, safety and comfort , but it gets us around in a affordable manner.
It’s a green lean, mean machine.
Sincerely Yours
Stuart.P