Daihatsu road test reports and car reviews

Daihatsu Sirion s 2008

Bought new in 2008. mainly for my wife to drive but I love it. Three cylinder engine lacks grunt but wind it up and it growls at you and goes well. A bit noisy at speed but will travel above legal motorway speeds all day. Never got the 67 mpg they said but it is still an economical car with a high level of equipment. Absolutely no problems in nearly three years so well chuffed. The rear seats are amazing. I am over 6 feet tall and can sit comfortably in the back. got a lift in an Audi 6 the other week and it was cramped by comparison, crazy. The boot is small but the seats lift easily so no problems there. All in all a great little car.

Daihatsu Extol Toyota sparky Glass Van 2001

I live in Malta and mine is a variant, it’s the Toyota Sparky with glass windons not a closed van. It’s a seven seater with great room, rear seats fold down to make room for big boot space, still seating 3 plus passenger and driver + 5. I use this as my MPV, it’s automatic, very simple and comfortable to drive. I had this car imported from Japan as it’s not available in Europe, though it should be as it’s a great city car for large families e.g 5 family members like 3 kids 2 adults kids are in between 8 yrs - 15 yrs. To sum it up would not change it for anything else if have to buy new car will still keep this till it dies; btw it has already done over 118000 miles in 9 years it had 710000 miles on the clock when I bought in 2007. It’s a great companion also has full extras; dual Airbags, aircon, power steering, eletric windows all round, Abs, automatic transmission, GPS CD/Radio Japanese Version/Software cannot be used in Europe only CD/Radio works in Europe.

Daihatsu Extol 2004

I own an Extol van which is an 04 plate, I bought it as an ex demonstrator with 158 miles on the clock. It now has 87000 and having sent it in for MoT it needed new brake pads; as I am an ex mechanic I always do minor work myself, at the same time I noticed the alternator belt was a bit shabby so decided to change it. My big beef it that there seems to be little stock of parts held by the dealer, alternator belt out of stock at the factory, brake pads, next day but discs 3 week wait, (it’s normal to change both at this mileage), after market parts are few and far between, pads, only one type of pad held by all factors, not the same as the ones fitted to my vehicle, maybe it’s because mine is an early model? Alternator belt; I had to remove it and take it in to match it up, for your ref its 1750 long and has 4 ribs, that’s for my van with power steering but no air con. I have just ordered pads from ebc and await delivery with baited breath, if all turns out well I will post part numbers and manufacturers for your reference as the parts from the factors are about one third of genuine. I would have given a much higher rating for the van if I had not had so much trouble with after market parts, as it has been a good little work horse and up ‘til now has been trouble free.

Responses to this review

Hi Dave, toyally agree, this has been the most reliable and best designed vehicle I have owned. The aftersales parts thing is a bummer. I have ordered three sets of third-party brakes and none fit. Looks like a dealer job which is not cheap for a small van. Good luck with yours and please let me know how you get on. Cheers - Andrew Sellick-Brown from Torfaen

Daihatsu Terios SX 2008

I LOVE IT!. It’s easy to drive, not too bad on fuel and it has surprised a lot of "off roaders" when it keeps up with the others. Okay, so it’s not a Land Cruiser but if you remember what it costs.... it’s great value. I have some decent tyres on mine for greenlaning and have pulled Disco’s out of the snow back in January!!! No intention of changing it - it’s a "keeper".

Daihatsu Sirion 1.5sx 2008

I originally purchased a 1.3 SE Sirion in 2005, the car was faultless. Changed it for a 1.5SX in 2008, lots more grunt when loaded up. A few built quality issues though, with poor reverse sensors,trim falling off, exhaust vibration in CAT under load, now the stabiliser linkarm joints have worn out (parts on B/O). 15,000 mls on the clock now, just starting to loosen up. It looks like I may have to keep it for a while due to the shortage of new cars, perhaps they might bring back a turbo version similar to the old YRV, I’ll be up for that!

Daihatsu Materia 2007

A great car, lovely to drive but I have had a car tax bill for £200. They say my car emissions are 176 g/km. I can’t remember what they were originally, can anyone help? For the first 2 yrs I paid £165.

Daihatsu Sirion 2010

I found this car pretty good at first, but then everything started going wrong with it. First the stabilizer bar bushings went bad, then the steering rack, then the left arm, now there is a noise at the front right of the car and the dealer cannot figure out the problem. This car has become a headache.

Daihatsu Materia 2008

I have had my Materia for 2 years, it looks good, drives very good and as a car for two old folks it ticks all the boxes. My grandson thinks it is groovy, so the appeal spans from 15 to 70. If I were picky the fuel tank could be bigger, but I am getting 300 miles for £30 so I am very happy with its economy. I find the driving position very comfortable and the back seat space is quite amasing, the centre infromation panel is very good when you get used to it, the spec is exellent for the money. If you are thinking about buying a Matreia go for a decent test drive, it is different but I would certainly recommend this fun car.

Daihatsu Sirion 2009

I’m from Egypt actually, not from England but I just wanted to say that I had this car for about 6 months and I’m also very pleased that I have this car because it’s very stable on high speeds, also on hard turns, besides I had a top speed of 170 KMH not as they say 160.

Daihatsu Charade 1.0 EL 5-Door 2003

The ride is very good and the cornering excellent for a car of this type. I like the interior design and find the car spacious and comfortable. The instruments are most pleasing. The engine is superb in providing good lugging power with free-revving zip when required. The gearchange is superb and high fifth gives relaxed cruising. The styling is pleasantly functional. It is hard to identify a better car of its type and time. It’s just a pity more people didn’t buy them because if they had spares would be more plentiful and therefore cheaper. Not many pattern parts are available.

Daihatsu Sirion 1.0S 2009

I’ve had this car a few months now and I am very pleased with it. For a car sharing its basics with the ultra reliable, but significantly more pricey, Toyota Yaris, this car is a real bargain. Add in the current 5 year warranty, and the very reasonable fixed annual servicing charges, and I think you get the perfect small runabout car. I’ve read a few reviews suggesting that the Sirion is a tad unstable on twisty roads, and that the gearchange is poor. I certainly haven’t found either to be true with my Sirion. I find the little 1 litre engine to be surprisingly nippy, the handling to be fine at sensible speeds, and have had no problems with the gearchange at all. I particularly like the wide range of speeds comfortably covered by each gear - this may well compromise any "boy racer" performance at a traffic light drag race, but it makes for a very relaxing driving machine around town. A great little car, very comfortable suspension, and with aircon as standard, a real bargain for anyone not worried by brand snobbery - just remenber for £8,360 or thereabouts (I got £2,000 discount thanks to the Government’s Scrappage Scheme) you are getting a car made in Japan - in fact exactly the same car as Subaru sell as the Justy - for thousands of pounds less! Go for it if you want a perfect reliable runabout car. You won’t have any regrets.

Daihatsu Sirion 1.0SE 2008

Super little car does what it says on the tin though needs a bit of a stoke through the gears when fully loaded up hill but hey, it’s only got 3 cylinders! But boy what a spec it has, and the comfort puts many a dearer car to shame. You can drive a 100 or so miles in it and get out totally refreshed - excellent. Wife just adores its light clutch and super-light power steering - bit too light for me at times specially after a shift driving HGV1s! All in all a terrific car and we have had Daihatsu in the past so know what they are about,and when you can get a years tax for £35 its money in the bank! Oh and with 60mpg you can’t go wrong. It’s like a Tardis inside - get one and enjoy!!

Daihatsu Terios 2008

I have it for 1 year. Kicks the ass of the very expensive SUVs in terms of serious off-roading. Travels on highway like a normal car. It is not so fast but not as slow. Big boot and plenty space for 5 people. Bravo Daihatsu. A diesel version is my wish...

Daihatsu Copen Roadster 2008

Not for the faint-hearted, shy, tall or portly! As a bulky 65 year old I find it a bit tight roof up, but despite the rattles I love it. Best on a sunny day with roof down and Dire Straits on the excellent radio/CD. Yes, sorry that was me! Worry a bit about no spare wheel but with 5 years warranty and RAC cover perhaps I shouldn’t. Had cars for 43 years, this is the best yet - all the rest are just boxes on wheels, The Copen is special. Believe me!

Daihatsu Charade 1987

Small and economical, new ones are better than Prius and much cheaper, I hope the quality has improved and the handling, the older ones I have been in have rattled so much and been so noisy that my old 1972 Austin Maxi seemed like a Rolls after travelling in the Daihatsu`s, I might consider a Charade or similar, but am still inclined towards a Citroen for a small economy car.

Daihatsu Yrv 1.0 Manual 2002

I was looking for a small car, reliable with low running costs. I found a 02 plate 1.0l YRV on Auto Trader. Having never seen one before I tried to find reviews but there appear to be none for the 1 litre variant. The engine is a well proven 3 cylinder (as in the old Charades). It’s performance is as expected and is perfect for my 11 mile commute on A roads and one junction of the motorway. The fact it is only three cylinder is only obvious when idling, it is slightly lumpy compared to a 4. Fuel consumption is quite good for mixed driving, coming in around 40-45mpg but I would have expected a bit more. This is no track day car and the handling is, well, interesting. The interior is reasonable and feels surprisingly roomy. Electric windows and mirrors. The boot is a usable size and can fit a couple of small cases or a medium sized dog. All in all, I am pleased, it was never intended for excitement but is practical to me.

Daihatsu Copen Roadster 659cc 2dr 2005

Only owned it for 3 weeks but the most fun vehicle I have ever owned. The road holding is outstanding and economy is very good. Performance is excellent for the size of the engine with only slight hesitancy below 2000 revs. I would disagree with Robin Martin’s review in that I feel that the body shakes and groans more with the roof up as the roof panels and windows tend to creak against each other whereas with the roof down all is harmony. Because you are so close to the road with such low profile tyres you also feel all the road imperfections but this is what makes the car such fun.

Daihatsu Terios 1.5SX 2007

Nice car, enough power and low fuel consumption, good 4x4 response but horrible cheap and poor quality plastics. I sold my old Terios 2004 to buy this thing, and I’m not happy, this one is just bigger, but the old one was better built.

Daihatsu Terios 1.5 SX 2008

Excellent Value 4x4 Very well built, great on and off road with good handling and surprising strong performance and economy. Well worth consideration.

Daihatsu Sirion 1.5 SX 2007

I have recently test driven this car as I am in the market for a cost conscience car that isn’t too flat to drive and has a certain sense of style about it - and I’ve seen it! - but it isn’t this one. The Sirion isn’t a bad car at all; the 1.5 has enough power to it and it feels nice enough to drive, but I just feel it’s an awful lot of money when you look at the competition. I’m afraid I’m going to be hanging on to my money until I can get my hands on the new Fiat 500, which is in a different class altogether.

Daihatsu Terios 1.5 SX 2007

A seriously cool car, a mini chelsea tractor. I love it, its hard yet cute. I know it can handle anything.

Daihatsu Charade 1.0 2007

I bought this car to use as a runaround. It is pretty cheap and I guess that you get what you pay for. The term basic sums up the Charade pretty well but the fuel economy could make this an appealing proposition for some drivers. I think that a Citroen C1 or Toyota Aygo may have been a better choice.

Daihatsu Extol 1.3 EFI Micro

This is a great little van, even if it does look a bit odd. Very smooth ride and excellent steering make it a really nippy little motor. Perfect for me as a market trader and the wife enjoys driving it too. Very drivable little van and good load capacity for it’s size.

Daihatsu Copen Roadster 1.3 2dr

Attractively priced for the convertable market, and for the price it is a fun little car and not a bad little performer with the roof up, however, performance with the top down, which lets face it what you buy a car like this for is pretty dire with the slightest bump in the road sending shudders through the whole car. It does have some nice plus points and like I say for the money I suppose you get what you pay for.

Daihatsu Materia 1.5 5dr

Okay so it’s a bit odd looking but at 6ft 3" this worked in my favour as the ’distinctive’ shape gives you an awful lot of headroom. Not bad to drive but can be a bit noisy although you do get used to this. The big downside is the gearshift which can only be described as awful. Only had this car on loan for 2 weeks and whilst it does have it’s good points (spacious, good kit) it wasn’t hard giving it back.

Daihatsu Yrv 1.3 Radical2 5dr

I was initially very impressed with the YRV I purchased six months ago (53 plate). A lot of car for a little money and a good amount of space, however, after driving this for a little while I’ve realised why. Handling is dreadful and taking a sharp bend requires nerves of steel. As a run around not bad but I don’t think I’ll be hanging on to this much longer.

Daihatsu Sirion 1.3 S 5dr

For the money this car is excellent value. It’s nippy and feels solid and safe to drive. On the minus side the boot size is very small and there is a bit of roll on tight corners but all in all it’s a great run about around town.

Daihatsu Charade 1.0 5 dr

I’m very pleased with my car, it’s proved itself to be very reliable and is very cheap to run. For a car of it’s price you get everything you need and whilst the interior is best described as practical, it is certainly comfortable.