Faults:

It's been in same family for over ten years now, and in that time barely anything has gone wrong. A few bits of rust here and there, but barely any compared with other Cuore models.

Springs seem a week point on this car, might just be this particular one, but they need to be replaced sooner than most.

Seals around windows needed TLC after 14 years, some misshapen and others loose. However fixed with windscreen sealant and 4 hours of TLC.

After years of use by elderly relatives, the synchromesh on 2nd is a little worn, however it's still a delight to drive, and it's nippy and economical.

It needs all four arches treated and painted, and it's due for a timing belt change, which proved difficult to find, as Daihatsu are no longer sold in the UK.

General Comments:

Overall a very reliable car, fuel use is incredibly good, quite easy to drive. However some taller drivers will not find it the easiest to get comfy, but there is loads of room inside.

The seats are surprisingly comfy and well upholstered, and the material has proved hard wearing.

The interior is plasticy but durable overall, and the switch gear is a little dated but perfect for simplicity.

A full Daihatsu service history has kept it running like a watch, however the dealer no longer exists, so it will have to be an independent garage now.

Brilliant first car or for the elderly.

Nothing ever seems to go wrong ever. A little gem of a car. Very underrated.

Like a Micra, but cheaper and a little rarer. Once a common sight, but thinning out these days.

Faults:

Dead cell in the battery last year, happens with any car though.

General Comments:

Cabin is noisy above 50mph.

Side windows fog up a lot on damp days if the blower is not turned on.

Small boot.

Basic features.

BUT...

Same engine as the Toyota Yaris, but lots lighter so..

Very quick off the mark.

Handles very well for a small car.

Great for town and city driving.

Very manoeuvrable, small turning circle.

Easy to find a parking space. You can park where others cannot, nice!

Absolutely fantastic on fuel. Does not like to drink petrol - great.

Cheapest road tax class for its age.

Faults:

Corrosion on the rear wheel arch suspension seam caused the car to fail the M.O.T.

Other than that, nothing major went wrong.

General Comments:

I purchased this car as an insurance write off for £450 from an auction. Repairing the damage cost more than the car! Didn't come with a master key either, so had to be exceptionally careful not to lose the only remaining key.

Performance was pretty spry, fastest I ever went was 90mph on a slight uphill gradient in 5th.

Acceleration was good, but it would tend to drink petrol if I became too enthusiastic, also high speed cruising tended to decrease fuel economy, at 70mph, plus it would drop to less than 40mpg. Keep it under 60mph and no harsh accelerating, and 50mpg plus was achievable.

Did suffer from punctures, managed to have 4 in the time I owned it, but tyres were cheap at around £25-£30.

Big problem was rust; it started to corrode quite bad for a 9 year old car. Weak spots were the rear wheel arches and below the fuel filler cap, which could have failed the next M.O.T. so decided to cut my losses and invest in something newer.

Wasn't really rustproofed with the British market in mind, I've seen 1993 Fiat Cinquecento's with less corrosion. Bodywork is very flimsy and easy to dent thanks to the thin metal, which results in the car being very light at 720kg.

Good legroom in the front and rear, but a bit cramped width-ways; two large passengers would tend to rub elbows occasionally.

The radio/cassette was crap with lousy FM reception, started a bad habit of taking my eyes off the road to re-tune it.

The engine is a gem, but tended to use a fair amount of oil, and filled up the car would billow blue smoke for about 10 seconds after starting from cold, then would clear.

Couldn't fault the reliability; started on the button 1st time every time. Sad to see it go.