2003 Daihatsu Terios

Summary:

Persistent

Faults:

Stop lights gave me some issues.

Brakes needed some repairs in the first month.

General Comments:

I bought the car as a request from my wife, and it has been one of the best cars I have owned.

Replaced the gas pump as a suggestion from my mechanic with one from a Toyota Corolla, as they share parts, and did a lot of improvement on the performance.

Off-road the car is very capable, and has a lot of strength for such a small engine. However the cabin is very small, and with the baby's car seat, we can only fit one more person. Wish the car had more room.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 7th April, 2010

2001 Daihatsu Terios 1.3

Summary:

No-headaches and a practical little SUV

Faults:

The engine began to lose power at 95,000 kilometers until I figured out it needed a clean-up of its injectors. Outside from that, this has been a no-headaches car.

General Comments:

Whether you think of it as an oversized station wagon or an undersized SUV, once you've used it you cannot deny how practical this vehicle is.

Although the ride is not as comfortable as riders of larger SUVs may be used to, this light AWD car will definitely take where you command it to go with good fuel efficiency and no major concerns.

It has enough room for my small family and a full load of groceries or two couples on a beach trip with full load of coolers and bags. You probably won´t believe it, but I've even fit a small 50cc motorcycle on the back (with the back seats folded).

I've gotten more than I paid for and I consider myself a proud Terios owner...

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 2nd November, 2009

2000 Daihatsu Terios SX 1.3 liter gasoline

Summary:

Don't buy it

Faults:

Ever since I bought it I have had all types of problems.

The automobile was supplied without a cigarette lighter, without a cover (cap) for the gasoline tank, on the following day a tire was deflated, the air conditioned unloaded, and the battery (in the motor) was loose.

Until today the motor is out of tune. At minimum speeds the motor shakes almost until it turns off. It has already gone through two checks (1000 km and 10000 km) and the salesman has not been able to solve this problem.

After the first check of 1000 km the car was given back without the cover (cap) of the oil of the motor.

The car vibrated too much at 100 km/h since the bar of the front transmission was out of balance. It was changed at the second check.

The motor is very weak, it lacks power and consumes much gasoline, approximately 8 km to a liter.

It is very unstable at more than 100 km per hour.

General Comments:

It looks nice, but I am very disappointed and very unhappy. I am going to change it for another brand of car.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 24th August, 2001

11th Feb 2003, 07:00

You've apparently been to a very "dodgy" (unreliable) service center / dealer. I have a Terios DVVT with wheel spacers and as long the steering and wheels have been aligned and balanced there are no vibrations until around 130-140kms/h on the freeway (this is the spedometer readout, not real-speed which would be around 10% less). I have done long stretches at high speeds without any fuss (apart from the engine noise). Namely I have run it up to a little past 175km/h on the speedometer on a flat run, around a corner, with A/T tyres. Again, handling was pretty tight and this is the very limit of the car (but be aware that the current model has revised torsional rigidity and suspension setup).

In regards to consumption, initially, when it was brand new, it did 2 tanks averaging 10 litres per 100kms and ever since it's been consuming 8.0-8.5lt per 100kms. One way to reduce your consumption (although I haven't done this yet) would be to relocate your air-induction tube to a place receiving more air (in that case, watch the river crossings!). This is particularly useful if you do a lot of highway cruising. In terms of power, there's a lot you can do there... a RAM-Pod setup, extractors, free-flow muffler... but personally, off-roading I complain more about the clutch than the lack of power itself! You just have to adjust your driving style to the car, once you adapt it's heaps of fun to drive anywhere... on-road, off-road, highway or city. I have found myself in an Opel Corsa 1.4 16v trying to drive through winding country roads at the speed I would do in the Terios. Fact was I couldn't do it. The Corsa never felt as safe around corners preferring to slide around sections the Terios could handle easily without losing its line.

So far, my Terios has been a great buy... I'm just sorry you didn't have the same experience, but I'd just like to add that the Daihatsu people in Australia and Japan are very understanding... you should've gone straight to the importer with your issue and they would absolutely make sure that you'd be another satisfied customer!

Cheers.

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2000 Daihatsu Terios dvvt 1.3

Summary:

Great economy all terrain option

Faults:

One of the bushings on the sway bar endlinks fell out or was never there.

General Comments:

I rented this car for a week and it is great for what it was made for, an economical option for rural areas where you have to cross terrible roads. It is peppy enough at low speeds because it is light, the suspension is very adept at being comfortable on incredibly rough roads yet still controllable. Full time 4x4 with optionally locking center differential gets out of any conditions and the high clearance fords rivers easily. But it can't go more than 100kph comfortably.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 18th January, 2001