Renault Twizy used buyer's guide & review - Is this part-scooter, part car a winner? / Electrifying

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If you like being noticed, there are few better ways on four wheels to turn heads than in a Renault Twizy. The tiny two-seater attracts more attention than any supercar and yet it’s almost cheaper than walking.
Underneath the alien moon buggy looks, the Twizy is a pure electric car which is designed to be perfect for city driving. It’s safer than a motorbike but smaller than a car, making it easier to nip through gaps and down tight streets.
Should you buy a used one though? Tom Ford finds out
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[@stevepoole5542]

I absolutely love my Twizy. It is a 2012 and I have owned it for 3 years. It is used by either me or the wife every day. We don't live in a city, we live in Cornwall and it still makes sense for short trips.

[@primavera919]

Is it good uphills? will it make it on steep angles?

[@AnlGelenler]

In my opinion, conclusion of this video is not fair! Twizy and Ami meets different expectation.

[@TwizyMan]

I have owned my Twizy for nearly four years and I intend to keep it until I give up driving (I am over 70) I disagree with much of your review which, in places I found to be rather childish. The Twizy makes a lot of sense for city use, especially as more congestion zones and low emission zones are introduced, it becomes even more attractive. In my view the Ami is the car that is over priced as it can't even go on a motorway because of the ridiculous top speed and you will hold up traffic on many inner city roads with 40 and 50mph limits. If the Ami had come into the country at the launch price in France equivalant to £6000 I think it would sell very well, because of the superior weather protection. It is significant that my Twizy is now worth £2500 more than I paid for it. I bought out the battery lease in 2020 for only £250, so the lease payments are no longer an issue. I notice that there are 3 Citroen Ami basic versions for sale with in dealers in the UK at £8500 that have been either on eBay or Autotrader for over 2 months and they are still not sold. A sub £7500 Twizy sells almost immediately. What does that tell you? I am not certain if production of the Twizy now in South Korea not Spain as originally, has finished or not. If they do stop making them I think the prices will probably harden even further. With zero depreciation the Twizy is even more attractive and just the best fun to drive on my twice weekly, 6 mile rounds trips to the shops. Everywhere I park people ask about it or comment positively and to be told by teenagers that your car is "sick" or "really cool" is very satisfying to a grumpy old codger like me.

[@Ddr-dk6yi]

I got one and it’s just mind blowing car. So much power at the traffic lights. In town it’s just perfect even for parking.

[@Yanquetino]

I like funky-looking vehicles, and would probably love having a Twizy to run errands around town. However, Renault doesn't sell them on this side of the pond. It does get me thinking that perhaps I should look into buying a used Smart ED or i-MiEV for such tasks. And at least they are more weather worthy, comfortable, and safety tested!

[@Larry]

Nissan sell proper plastic windows for their version of the car, the new mobility concept. I imported some for mine, far far better than the zip up ones, but they're £360 for them. But I bought mine from The Eden Project, a ex-promotion model Renault gave them to promote EV's. It's the purple one in their KZbin videos if you're curious :)

[@edojap]

Can you please instruct me on how to buy them? Where from? Thanks!

[@Larry]

@@edojap look for a youtube channel called "Andy Kirby" he has a video on where to but them!

[@asakuras01]

I didnt know there is a Version of Nissan. What is its name?

[@tootsscaf]

my twizy is a cheap and fun way of driving around in the countryside of Belgium. bought for 3500€ second hand 2 years ago. max speed is 70km/h on flemish roads so ideal for the twizy 80. it's a 2012 version so it has the version 1 charger which of course died...for the second time. first time i repaired myself. i managed to find a repairer in Germany (service24 irxleben) which repairs for 500€ and gives 2 years warranty.

[@itekani]

You can buy a powerbox and full doors to make a bit more attractive. The Citroën Ami is just available as 45kph moped, so not really comparable. But now the Chinese Wuling Mini is coming to Europe as the Freeze(?). That would probably be the real competition for Twizy.

[@danielrichards8472]

Great summer car!

[@kingsfurneaux6313]

Nice video, thanks. Now... any chance of doing something about the French Nosmoke (electric Moke clone)?

[@kuzmanmeramov1729]

It make sense in Tenerife, Madeira , but not in rainy weather in Albion

[@pepperrealrobot6580]

A lot of fun! Am looking at a used Twizy WITH Doors (and windows!) 😂

[@therevster9828]

Fantastic looks like Fun.

[@TheJAMF]

I'd love to own a Twizzy, but hard to find one without battery lease... and cheaper than a Smart... you can find them under €6k here with 90k kilometers or 56k miles.

[@oliverpolden]

In my opinion, most people should be commuting in a micro EV. Full size EVs make little sense since you could keep your existing car for the journeys where you need a full size car.

[@bobbralee1019]

As a EV enthusiast and a motorcyclist, you must put the Twizy against something like the BMW C Evolution +, similar price and similar function just don't get Tom to do it because his explanation of why a Twizy was better than a two wheeled tells me he's not a bike expert

[@wasnuloshier]

After many cars, from low Budged to expensiv, i found my "best Car ever" ...its the Twizy, best "car" ever here in Berlin

[@conorgraafpietermaritzburg3720]

We could get Renault Twizzys in South Africa because they aren't left hand drive, but not Citroën Amis because they are ONLY available in left hand drive. Import of left hand drive vehicles is now illegal in South Africa except in the case of service vehicles ir fire engines etc. So the Twizzy is a viable option. How it would last under our road conditions is another thing

[@toyotaprius79]

It's more than high time for Renault to update their Twizy. The Zoe had at least two refreshes, doubling range and reducing entry cost.

[@Larry]

I wish they released the prototype version, that one looked amazing.

[@toyotaprius79]

​@@Larrywhy am I only seeing your reply now. And from one of my long time favourite KZbinrs no less!

[@EleanorPeterson]

I remember seeing these a decade(-ish) ago and thinking, "Well, it's a useful size and has got a decent top speed, but it needs proper lockable doors/full weatherproofing and a 75% price-cut." Sigh. It's 2021 and nothing's changed. How's that possible? I bet there's a Chinese Twizy equivalent by now. No frivolous colour or customising options or battery leasing shenanigans, but with (no-doubt horribly flimsy) real doors and a price tag of £1,200 instead of £12,000. Too bad Renault's still aiming it at the smug i-Phone + Dyson + "My other 2 cars are both Teslas" demographic. I said 10 years ago that I'd stick with my £30 bicycle. I'm still pedalling the damn thing and hating every bloody mile of it. [I'm based in Yorkshire in the north of England. The weather's lousy for cycling.] It's both depressing and annoying that in ten whole years there's been ABSOLUTELY NO PROGRESS WHATSOEVER regarding affordable [sic] EVs for the masses. 😔

[@iallso1]

In NZ there are some small electric vehicles, possibly smaller still than the Twizy, but enclosed. The advantage of these is that in NZ they are not classed as motor vehicles, don't have registration plates, don't have to have vehicle registration (road tax), or a WOF (MoT), and therefore can be parked pretty much anywhere a pushbike could be, including the footpath. Therefore there is no place for a Twizy where road rules would have to be obayed.

[@Larry]

I heard the Twizy is illegal in NZ as it doesn't have a specific class.

[@alaaa1794]

Developing countries awesome option

[@t-rex4211]

Where do they get mot’d? Will they fit over the pit?

[@margaretsmith6785]

Would be perfect fot me ..shopping

[@lorensvetvilas6615]

First saw this amazing “toy” in a showroom in Paris. (Wanted to bring one home to the US!) Are they road-approved in the US???

[@CptSpears007]

If I win the lottery I’ll buy a few of these for driving around my mansion

[@geekacres]

Y'all get the coolest cars...

[@RealButcher]

Hs the feel of the BMW C1. And better than the Citroen Ami, I guess.

[@TheophilusPWildbeest]

Question: Do friction brakes always recover more energy than regen brakes? I ask because in my car (BMW 330e) I can use regen in normal hybrid mode or I can turn it off (select Eco Pro mode) in which case it rolls very much further when you lift off the accelerator and you have to use the friction brake to stop the damned heavy thing (it carries a lot of momentum). I thought having regen on was the natural best thing to do, but now I'm not sure, should I be using the friction brakes instead, can anyone help?

[@MrFatknacker]

Friction braking (as in Brake Pads rubbing against Brake Discs) does not recover any energy, only loses it through the generation of heat. However on an EV (or PHEV such as a 330e) the initial part of the braking process is achieved using the electric motor in reverse as a dynamo to recharge the battery which is regenerative braking. What is switchable between driving modes (such as ECO PRO) is how much regenerative braking is applied by lifting your foot off the accelerator pedal before you press the brake pedal. On some cars (such as the BMW i3) this can be quite pronounced and is referred to as “one-pedal driving” in that you can effectively control the car’s speed without needing to use the brake pedal except in circumstances where you need to stop suddenly. The flip side to this is that it is often more economical to coast than it is to suddenly slow down and and speed up - while the physics of this makes sense (as in you can never harvest as much energy slowing down on regenerative braking as you then consume speeding up again) it does rather assume that coasting is an option without hitting the vehicle in front of you, and in any event actually you can coast with one pedal driving by feathering the accelerator - regardless BMW opt for reducing the regenerative braking effect when lifting off the accelerator when in ECO PRO mode.

[@TheophilusPWildbeest]

@@MrFatknacker Thanks for the reply. When I switch to eco pro then the car will coast and show zero regen on the display until I press the brake, then the display shows a lot of regen. So friction braking appears to recover energy, which must mean some devious engineering to merge the two. Anyway it means that the real question is which is best, hybrid mode with constant regen working, or eco pro with coasting until the pedal is pressed and then get friction and regen together? Hope this makes sense because I'm puzzled.

[@ctc80]

I wouldn't mind owning one in the US to go to the locals beaches not far from me🏖😎

[@SysdefWonder]

How tall are you?

[@terryhayward7905]

When did £12,000 become cheap ?

[@chrisbailey1966]

I like the Twizy, but it's too expensive in what it offers new. I have my name down with Citroen for the Ami - hopefully that will shake things up a bit especially if they can bring out a version that will do 50 MPH. I think Renault are missing out by not improving the range and giving it some proper doors.

[@gavc6442]

Lol Twizy has a better range and a better top speed than that fugly plastic pig 🐖 Oh and yes u can also now have decent windows too

[@Random.ChanneI]

If they make a 50mhp Ami i’ll buy it immediately as well

[@mclkaraboulad]

Long live SMART !

[@CampGareth]

As you point out, a citroen ami makes a lot more sense unless you need that 50mph top speed for a country B road or something. Half the price new, about the same used but without the £50/month minimum battery lease that a lot of used twizys are still on. I hope they hurry up and bring it to the UK or I'll be spending another winter on an ebike.

[@raymondand]

Use mine as a daily driver. I am an attention seeking twat though so perhaps that’s why? You sit right in the middle so don’t get soaked when it’s raining. Mildly moistened at the elbows is the worst. You just need a jacket and hat for when it’s chilly. You can always park and it costs sod all to run. If they were £4000 everyone would have one and no one would buy all those full size cars. Perhaps that’s why Renault charge £12000 for them? You can gets several bags of shopping in so it’s not entirely impractical. Get a powerbox for 65 mph and wider wheels for less understeer. Just get one!

[@minniesaab7255]

💙💙💙💙💙

[@Stellafurutorp]

in sweden teenagers can drive these cars

[@michaelblue7852]

That's terrible value compared to a used Zoe. I guess it's more about fun than value for money.

[@DavidSmith-ch3kv]

🖥

[@smoothmicra]

Like getting piss wet through in the rain? Like no heating for those chilly winter days? Like a vehicle that is as secure as a paper bag? Do you have a spare 12 grand? Yes?Then the Twizy is for you friend! A niche market.

[@kuzmanmeramov1729]

You know people who can run faster than 30 miles per hour? I know nation who can't produce own cars, but Indian and Chinese copies

[@goodmanvolley]

I vote no.

[@Petelmrg]

The fact that it's pretty useless is it's biggest appeal in a way...

[@odragoreval6749]

It's too expensive more than an ordinary car, and it's not worth? much better you buy an SUV car than this electric scooter with almost the same price and big advantage and durability.

[@hennysalimgrnkrh1842]

HenyHenyHenyHenyHenyHeny

[@NormanF62]

I was laughing so hard… forward to the end where your Twizy becomes someone else’s rubbish bin! 😂 😂 😂

[@TwizyMan]

Why? that was simply childish and NOT funny. Perhaps the youths here in Norwich are better educated as I have never had any problems parking my Twizy in the city.

[@watahyahknow]

thinking about buying a twizzy without the battery pack ( leased batteries removed makes the used twizy pretty cheap) im going to be ripping the electric motor and controller out and replace it with a 150cc gy6 scooter engine out of a quad plenty of room in the former battery compartment for the gastank and battery for the starter and it should manage to get up to about 80 kmh theres a simulair eeehr thing that weighs about 330 kg loaded and is fast enough kzbin.info/www/bejne/nWfLgHRoeMSLg6M might even run it on propane / lpg

[@TwizyMan]

What! just buy yourself a quad bike and leave the poor Twizy for people that appreciate them.

[@watahyahknow]

@@TwizyMan quad dont have doors nd roof and are wider , i drive electric no problem ,,,, as soon as they stop charging rent for batteries and the price for a good used set of batteries isnt equal to the price of a used mid size car

[@mikadavies660]

Funky looks but limited use and £50/mth battery contract. My wife's electric motorcycle was far cheaper than a second hand Twizy, goes further and is faster. So I can't see the point, even at £5,000

[@antonthompson7838]

I just looks like a really posh disabled person’s mobility scooter 😁

[@rahmann936]

Completely pointless, enough said!

[@tonypower9315]

Cheap….you did say cheap? Ffs, it’s a piss take Renault as usual. The only thing they got right in France they have a version that at least does 90kmh for B roads so relatively safe, the idea was good but they fked it up by getting soaked in bad weather and the price 12k please! Now the citroen ami kills this stone dead simple, cheap 5000€ which is amazing and you charge it with a a standard plug. However cintrons being french still managed to fk it up by not giving us a 90kmh version like Renault. The ami is what we need now…cheap no fkin frills, no fkin Tesla shit electrons that will shit a bucket after 4/5 yrs.

[@Phones007]

The fact that this car is NOT weather proof makes this car a wasted opportunity and a failure 😑

[@johnroddy8756]

Plastic for seats .The pollution making these toy cars,are seldom mentioned.Pointless my opinion