I bought my 2012 with only 13,000 miles for $7700.00 I thought it was a fantastic deal getting such a low mileage car for less than half the sticker price.
In my 3 years of ownership, I have had zero problems which was important to me as I lived in very rural area where getting serviced would be very difficult. Although it is best suited for urban settings, I've taken mine on a couple of … trips that were over 1700 miles one way and it was perfectly fine. What really annoys me, is all these professional reviews making idiotic comparisons, it is not as quiet as this car, it is not as fast as that car, it doesn't have the storage space of something bigger...imagine that! So far as as storage goes, I bought a hitch and a 5X8 trailer and I've hauled hundreds of pounds worth of furniture through mountainous regions of Arizona and had no problem...just use some common sense.
We looked at numerous small cars before selecting the IQ including the Honda Fit, Mini and Nissan Versa. One readily discernible difference was the quality of the material in the interior-the IQ was far superior and did not smack of cheapness like the other others. Another design feature I really like is the simplicity of the controls. I can readily adjust the heat without looking at it. I hate all that touch screens with constant smudged surfaces. The quality of the audio is fine also.
When it comes to driving, the thing that brought the biggest possible smile to our faces when doing the test drive was the turning radius. We stopped in a parking lot, cranked the wheel all the way and spun it around. It really has to be experienced to be believed. When it came time to change tires, we followed the recommendation of Tire Rack and dropped down to 14 inch tires, that makes the radius even shorter without adversely affecting anything. It also saves you a fair amount of money and gives you a much greater selection of tires. You can also save a couple of hundred dollars by not getting the tire sensors if you choose. Just keep a tire gauge with you.
Finally, I have owned over 40 cars including numerous Mustangs from the 60's and this IQ has garnered more comments and questions than all my other cars combined.
My only regret is that Toyota did not stay the course with Scion. I wish that they would have come out with a convertible and a 6 speed and then perhaps a turbo. It could have been a real Mini fighter, but, alas, they did not.
In conclusion, I remain very happy with my IQ and if you are reasonable in your expectations given the design of the car, and bear in mind that everything is some sort of a compromise, I think you will be too.