Couldn't be happier with it. I took my Passat along to go as a trade-in, it was nice having one last hoon down the lanes in it on the way to the dealers but it had turned into a problematic car which needed commitment and quite a bit of money putting in to it, which of course it wasn't worth. I'm very glad to see the back of it, its repair bills and the ludicrous insurance premium.
So the C1s then!
Both are identical but for the colour and the 'Prawn' has stripes ...
They are the middle of the range 'Feel' edition which gets a good level of standard spec and we both added the optional extras of 15" (standard steels are 15" anyway) alloy wheels and a spare wheel instead of the tyre sealant. We also got C1 carpet mats, rubber boot liners and mudflaps for the pair too.
First impressions are its a more grown up car to the original C1, however it still has the character and of course the same engine, which in my opinion makes the C1 so fun to drive. There is much less road noise and the ride is also much improved, I suspect it has softer dampers which give it a more cushioning ride quality. The seats have a bit more padding and are very comfortable, with the drivers seat being height adjustable.
Spec wise they get: Air Conditioning, Trip Computer with MPG etc, Remote locking, Electric windows, lots of safety kit including hill assist (actually pretty impressive), LED running lights, Outside temperature display and so on. The main feature is the 7" colour touch screen which features DAB radio, Bluetooth connectivity and further car information for eco enthusiasts. I'm really enjoying the Bluetooth and its the first car I've had with it. Getting in and it instantly recognizing my phone and starts to play the track which it was on when I left the car. Making and receiving phone calls without having to touch my phone, etc. There is no built in sat-nav however there is a phone app which can be bought and this will show on the cars screen, something I might look into at some point.
Apparently the 1.0 Toyota 3 pot engine has been reworked to give it more power (a whole 1bhp!) and a better torque spread, with more low down. First impressions are that this has worked and with normal driving few revs are needed, of course to get it going it is still the rev happy engine from the original C1, full of character and a good noise for a tiny 3 pot. They also come with a change light which indicates an arrow when the car thinks you should be changing up or down a gear, this too works quite well and is geared towards economy driving.
In fact I've heard that the new C1 manages to be lighter than the original one! It feels a more solid car (not that the original one doesn't, always an impressive feature) and to drive it feels like a bigger car but its still fun to throw around and use its engine well! I was worried that the extra gadgets and features would take the edge off the car but in a lot of ways they have sold it to me. For me it has to have air con and thats easy to find now, but the 7" screen and other electrical features just add that bit more interest for me, it makes it a very nice thing to use.
For example, the hill hold assist, is a feature I thought would be useless but in fact it works perfectly. With the clutch down, first gear in and the brake pressed, once the brake is released the car holds the brakes for 2 seconds or until you have got your foot on the accelerator and are at the bite point - its seamless. Yes, of course it can be lived without and decent driver skill allows the same reaction but its a feature I'm becoming to like. Earlier I reversed out of a space on a downward slope as I went to put my foot on the accelerator and let out the clutch to drive forward the car held the brakes, it made me chuckle!
Unfortunately my phone camera has not done justice to the cars colours, in particular the red one which is more of a red/orange/prawn colour - its orange on the V5 ...
I guess you can tell why I chose its registration ...
I since started to fit the mudflaps, the front ones are ok but a little small - still they should help to protect the leading edge of the wing and sill. However the rear ones are a real nightmare to fit and don't sit straight given the holes already in the car to accept them. So they are going back.
The touch screen audio function:
With the phone connected it shows the battery status of the phone, phone signal and that its ready to take or make calls:
The phone function:
The business end - the trusty Toyota 1.0:
Its pretty much the same car under the skin as the original C1 but with alterations to the engine, suspension and sound proofing. Space wise the boot is slightly bigger with a slightly lower lip and there is more room upfront with a greater flexibility in driving position. The rear headroom doesn't seem quite as good as the original but I can still fit in and I'm 6'2", however if the soft top version is specified then the headroom is extremely limited.
Overall I'm very very happy with it, its nice to have a car which I don't have to worry about what will need replacing next or what will need my time to tinker with. I have my pair of Xantias for tinkering and that I can do in my own time, while still having the C1 to rely upon and use through the winter without worrying about salt corrosion. So this is my daily driver with my Xantias continuing as my long distance choices and for when I need a bigger car for but daily the C1 is ideal and good fun too. It also means that I won't be able to change it for at least 2 years, probably 3, so that should be the end of me going through so many cars!
I was very tempted to get the Aygo for the warranty but its more expensive for a similar spec (paying for the warranty?) and its hideous. I'll probably only have the C1 for a maximum of three years anyway, so the extended warranty is not a conern.
