Toyota Aygo vs Volkswagen Up! for First-Time Buyers
Both are among the cheapest first cars to insure and run, so the real differentiator between them isn't cost, it's safety: the newer Aygo X scores 4-star Euro NCAP against the Up!'s 3-star, the lowest rating of any model on this site.
Group 3 to 9. Real quotes across old Aygo and newer Aygo X trims come in under £100 a month standard cover.
Group 1 to 17. Ordinary 1.0 petrol versions mostly sit in group 1 to 5.
Typical used price
£5,800 to £11,000 on the used market
£5,500 to £10,100 on the used market
Road tax
Around £190 to £200 a year on models registered since 2016
£20 to £200 a year depending on registration date
Fuel economy
58 to 69 mpg combined
51 to 67 mpg combined on the low-group 1.0 petrol engine
Euro NCAP rating
3 stars for the original Aygo, 4 stars for the newer Aygo X
3 stars - the lowest of any model on this site, pedestrian protection only 46% on both tested generations
Why choose this one
Toyota's reliability reputation is one of the strongest in the industry, and the range doesn't really have a trim to avoid on insurance grounds - the original, the Aygo X Edge and the range-topping Aygo X Pure all cost within £16 a month of each other.
Running costs are hard to beat, some of the lowest insurance groups and best fuel economy of any model here, with straightforward VW-familiar servicing.
Sources: First Car Scout vehicle listing and insurance-group data (July-August 2026).
The catch
Insurance group isn't the story here, both stay genuinely cheap across their ordinary ranges. The real gap is safety: the Up! scores the lowest Euro NCAP rating of any car on this site (3 stars, pedestrian protection just 46% on both tested generations), while the newer Aygo X beats it with a 4-star rating. If the Aygo X is in budget, that's a real, checkable reason to prefer it over the Up!, not just a marginal difference.
