Potential Iq Owner

[Ben Davy]

Hi guys, not been on here for ages.

Being in the process of selling my Honda S2000 I am on the lookout for another car. I know its totally leftfield but I really like the idea of having an IQ. I love the styling, and really look forward to not watching the fuel gauge move every time I press the throttle.

Ive been reading up about them and finding out various things, some good some bad.

I was just wondering whats peoples ideas are on them.

Ive heard of vibrations in gears at certain revs, poor MPG figures, especially not what Toyota claim etc.

Would welcome all input on what everyone thinks.

Id like an approx. '09 and in White or Silver.

Ben

[FROSTYBALLS]

'...poor MPG figures, especially not what Toyota claim etc.'

If you're referring to the official EU consumption figures, very few cars get near to the figures that manufacturers have to use when providing consumption figures for comparative purposes. For an idea of what IQ owners are actually achieving, have a look at the Honest John Real MPG page for the IQ - http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/realmpg/toyota/iq-2008

[Guest]

Hi Ben. Some would say you already have the perfect car, as many hanker after the S2000. However, moving to the iQ is a good one. The MPG issue, well, what can anyone say about government figures, they're just like MP's, you can't believe anything they tell you. So, as you will see from my post, I register my fuel usage on Fuelly, a site that tracks all the entries you make into it to do with your fuel usage whatever vehicle you own.

I'm averaging 57.1 at the moment. I did hit 60mpg once, and it's an accurate way of knowing what your mpg is. You may have seen a number, small as it is, of people on here averaging 60mpg. Thing is, I have achieved over 74mpg in my iQ. This was after filling up in Welshpool and heading up into Cheshire. When I got there it was still on 72mpg. This was mostly down to a quirk with the computer. When filling up the AVG MPG resets and looks for new data. Having to travel behind trucks at 40 and slightly above that on occasion is what gave me such a good mpg figure. But if you want that kind of figure, and are prepared to drive between 40 and 50mph, you can do it.

The car does have many good things going for it, and like most people here I am prepared to sing its praises and have a little whinge about other things with it. Overall, I would not like to think of a replacement in the future that may come close to matching it. I love what my iQ has given me, a new way to enjoy driving on these crappy crumbling roads we have, and the poor driving habits of many others. Pick the right car and you could have years of great economical motoring ahead of you.

[Meld]

I’m a new IQ owner, with a 60 plate IQ2 automatic which I bought as a runaround and for the commute. My other car is a Lexus IS300 which is wonderful but not really the right thing for the daily commute. In the fortnight I’ve had the IQ, I’ve really grown to like it, it is just so easy to drive and park in town and so far (admittedly only 1 tank of fuel), my brim to brim average is 44.7mpg. That’s probably twice what the Lexus would have done on the same trips, so my economic argument for the IQ is standing up! It’s also given me an opportunity to give the Lexus a bit of TLC in its old age and keep it for long runs and
pleasure driving.

Before I got the IQ, I drove an Aygo and absolutely hated the robotic automated gearbox. The IQ’s CVT is so much better. The other things I considered were a Jazz and a Smart. Jazz is nice, but somewhat dearer, but it will carry more people (not an issue for me, the IQ will rarely carry anyone but me) and the Smart is another car with a horrible automatic gearbox.

All in all, I am happy so far.

[Grumpy Cabbie]

It's a fun car, can be parked ANYWHERE (ok, not quite but you get the idea), turns on it's chassis, gets some looks and is still quite distinctive.

We have the 1.0 auto and fuel economy is way below expectations, but it's almost exclusively used in town with lots of short journeys. I guess it depends on your priorities though. If fuel economy is #1, then it's probably not the car for you. If you're after a distinctive city car, then it's a winner.

Inside is very very deceptive. It's much bigger in there than it looks on the outside. Seats aren't great for long runs though and the back two seats are erm, not a place any adult would want to sit for more than 5 minutes. But it's the flexibility of them that appeals. They fit one smaller adult and a child, but we have used ours about 3 times in 4 years. The rear seats fold down nicely to give a little room for the weekly shop if there are just one or two of you in a household.

It ain't no S2000 though, but driving has changed and parking and ease of use is important to most town or city dwellers now. You could probably still keep some sporty number for weekends if you have the space.

Just go test drive one and enjoy that turning circle :)

[iQ-Chris]

Hey Ben

I've had my iQ for about a month and I'm really impressed. I had a Mini before that, so the biggest difference (for me) is that the iQ takes a bit of getting used to when cornering. Having said that, I live in London so it's only when I head out of the city that I really notice it. I'm super-sensitive so I can hear a few minor rattles from the interior plastics but it's no worse than the Mini.

I consistently get 46mpg without being intentionally frugal, which is better than the Mini and there's no road tax to pay. The iQ's real advantage is its cabin: It's more spacious and better equipped than the Smart. It feels more grown-up and stable than the ForTwo I test drove. I thought I'd never use the iQ's rear seats but ended up doing exactly that on the weekend I bought it!

Highly recommended, good luck!

[Ben Davy]

Thanks for the great replies. Does sound like a great car. I may go and have a look at one this weekend, depending on getting the money for the S2000.

Which size engine too? Ive looked at the 1.0 but wondered if the 1.3 is worth the extra for tax/power against mpg?

Have any of you suffered vibrations through the gears at specific revs or anything similar?

[Grumpy Cabbie]

The 1.3 is rare and barely improves on performance or economy. Personal choice.

[craggle]

They are indeed a great little car, I love my one. :)

I have a 1.3 litre, iQ3 with the 6 speed manual gearbox. I think it's the perfect combination of power, 100hp so not bad and the 6 speed gearbox is very nice and will cruise at 80mph and will do 95mph if you try.

I went for the bigger engine as I do use my car for the occasional longer journey so thought the extra power would be useful on motorways and it certainly keeps up with most of the traffic on there. Being an iQ3 you get all the goodies too like keyless ignition, climate control, auto lights, auto wipers Etc that the iQ1 lacks.

I was getting a steady 50mpg in the summer with the standard wheels on the car but that has now dropped to about 47 with my 205 wide, 17" tyres on it. Another good thing with the 1.3 is it doesn't have the 3 cylinder vibration or the EGR valve problems that the 3 cylinder version is having.

The silver cars can look pretty cool too. I have changed a few things on my one now like adding the roof spoiler and different wheels to make it a bit more individual. :)

Have a look at my thread if you are interested in changing anything.

http://www.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/topic/134890-an-iq-called-toya/

Craig.

[Andy Kay]

I second everything Craig has said (except the bit about silver cars looking cool ;-)

[atkiman]

Thanks for the great replies. Does sound like a great car. I may go and have a look at one this weekend, depending on getting the money for the S2000.

Which size engine too? Ive looked at the 1.0 but wondered if the 1.3 is worth the extra for tax/power against mpg?

Have any of you suffered vibrations through the gears at specific revs or anything similar?

I've got a 1.3, stonking little motor , smooth 6 speed box, and can crank it out on the m-way , expect 50 to 56 mpg , I run along the a14 -m6 from kettering to coventry 4 days a week , 92 miles a day for the last nearly 4 years. Will happily cruise along at 80 , top whack really is 105, hold her around the 65 for best fuel consumtion . Try them both if you can, I just didn't fancy a 3 potter for what I was going to use it for.

And frostyballs, nice hino, well underated truck imho, always wanted a crack in one

[Soeley]

The 1.3 is rare and barely improves on performance or economy. Personal choice.

I would say the extra 30bhp the 1.33 gives must make a big difference to the feel of the car?

They are indeed a great little car, I love my one. :)

I have a 1.3 litre, iQ3 with the 6 speed manual gearbox. I think it's the perfect combination of power, 100hp so not bad and the 6 speed gearbox is very nice and will cruise at 80mph and will do 95mph if you try.

I went for the bigger engine as I do use my car for the occasional longer journey so thought the extra power would be useful on motorways and it certainly keeps up with most of the traffic on there. Being an iQ3 you get all the goodies too like keyless ignition, climate control, auto lights, auto wipers Etc that the iQ1 lacks.

I was getting a steady 50mpg in the summer with the standard wheels on the car but that has now dropped to about 47 with my 205 wide, 17" tyres on it. Another good thing with the 1.3 is it doesn't have the 3 cylinder vibration or the EGR valve problems that the 3 cylinder version is having.

The silver cars can look pretty cool too. I have changed a few things on my one now like adding the roof spoiler and different wheels to make it a bit more individual. :)

Have a look at my thread if you are interested in changing anything.

http://www.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/topic/134890-an-iq-called-toya/

Craig.

I agree with Craig, the 1.33 is a sweet little engine that loves to be rev'd and fair moves when done so.

I would say to test drive both 1ltr and 1.33ltr and see what you think. The £30 for road tax doesn't really come in to it over a year. All the poor mpg report seem to come from the CVT owners to, not saying all CVTs give poor mpg, but those that have complained seem to own them?

I travel 27 mile to work over A & B roads over the moors and get 50 mpg with out even trying.

[Mike169]

Hi, a friend of mine has the 1.0 version but now wishes he had bought the 1.3, i really suggest you try both before parting with your cash.

Mike.

[Ben Davy]

Nice post Craig. Car looks nice, I like the little touches, spoiler finishes it off well. I am hopefully going to look at a 1.3 tomorrow. Its white which is my favourite colour and then silver.

So will see what happens. I was always unsure which would make more sense to go for the 1.0 or the 1.3. As mentioned above there are many 1.0s around but not many 1.3. I think having the 1.3 will just take the edge off having a small engine.Nearly all my driving is local and hardly ever go long distance. So I think from what ive learnt so far i should be ok. I will miss the power of the S2000 but certainly not running the thing. Defo not a car suited as a main car, not for me anyway.

So lets see how I get on =)

[Grumpy Cabbie]

One thing I will ask.... how tall are you? You look quite tall in the photo.

The IQ whilst a tardis inside doesn't suit me for longer journeys and I'm 5'11''. It's ok or passable but I wouldn't say it's comfortable and the seats are tricky to get right, and then someone wants to get in the back and moving the seat forward moves the backrest from the setting you took 3 days to get right.

Just double check your happy with the seats on a test drive. Do we still love our IQ? Sure, just make sure you are. With hindsight, the 1.3 is probably better for you coming from a sports car.

[bobkneale]

IQ is a good little town (short runs) car that's easy to park etc,, If I was doing more than 5000 miles a year on A roads or motorways I would not have considered an IQ even a 1.3 IQ

As I only do 5000 miles per year and 99% on B roads with distances of 15 miles each trip it is perfect and running costs are low with Zero road tax and 60+ MPG plus cheap insurance. My IQ is the smallest and cheapest car I have ever owned !

It still feels a bit like driving a "go kart" but it suits me now !

If I was doing "normal" driving (50,000 miles a year) on mixture of roads and motorways plus not to concerned about running costs, I would never consider an IQ !

That's just my view after 45+ years of driving in many countries across the globe.

[Andy Kay]

It still feels a bit like driving a "go kart" but it suits me now !

That's something I'm still getting used to, but it's great fun just how "chuckable" the car is.

[Ben Davy]

Im 5'10 to 5'11. I sat in one at a Toyota dealership a few weeks back and it seemed pretty good, was surprised just how much room there was. I think for the use it will get for me it will be good.

Wasnt able to see the one today as the seller had a problem, but the car salesman has agreed to drive it over for me to have a look at it tomorrow, so all being well a deal may be done tomorrow.

[Ben Davy]

Update...

A deposit has been paid. They are putting a fresh MOT on, so all in all Im happy. A 1.3 white IQ. Which one does that make it? Its a 2010 on a 59 plate. 50k miles (which I would have preferred less, but hey ho).

Ive had a look on here but couldn't confirm which oil to use, recommendations?

Was going to change the sparks as a matter of course till I saw the price of about 12 squids each!!!! WHAT?

[Meld]

Congratulations! I wanted a white IQ, but settled for Silver as it was the best value car I found.

I test drove a 1.3, it's certainly nippier than the little 'un, but for what I wanted the 1.0 is fine. I'm sure you'll enjoy it and 50k miles is nothing for a modern car.

[FROSTYBALLS]

Congratulations.

As regards engine oil, have a look at the following: http://www.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/topic/148358-engine-oil/

0W-20 is the preference, with 5W-30 as a second choice.

[Soeley]

Good stuff, I'm sure you won't be dissapointed :)

[Ben Davy]

I love it!

Sent from my iPhone using Toyota OC

[Grumpy Cabbie]

Excellent news.

How you finding the turning circle? :)

[Ben Davy]

It's great, can turn the car around without thinking of doing 3 point turn. Driving to work on residential roads for about 8 miles I'm getting avg 50mpg so that's good too.

Sent from my iPhone using Toyota OC