Daihatsu Charade Thoughts?

[Ian_Fearn]

Anybody know anything about these? 2003-2006 type shape as shown? I think they look pretty miserable, tiny, tacky and pathetic but most seem to have a lecky windows, aircon etc.

 

Are they a credible alternative to something like a Citroen C1 etc or just a joke played on us by Daihatsu?

 

Looking for a cheap town runabout/commuter hack without the V6 fuel bills and parking a massive motor.

 

 

Ta in advance.

 

[dollywobbler]

No idea. At a guess, I'd say the 1-litre three-pot is a belter, the ride's probably a bit grim and the interior plasticky. I've always quite liked them, but not as much as the first Sirion.

[New POD]

Is the clue in the name ? Charade ?

[Jon]

I'm sure Clarkson waxed lyrical about these back in the day; make of that what you will. I'm struggling to think of another model of car which seemingly reduced in size, segment-wise.

[brickwall]

I had one on hire and DW has pretty much explained it. It drives nice but will not soak up a bump and the inside is plastic. Great turning circle and good Daihatsu build.

 

Looks smart on four doors.

[dugong]

Daihatsus never rode hopelessly; my G11 certainly doesn't - and I live near some of the worst roads in Cambridgeshire.

[dollywobbler]

The Sirion rode about as well as a drunken donkey. It may have been broken. It made smooth roads feel bumpy. Just like a Mini.

[eddyramrod]

I don't remember having an issue with the ride of my Charade, but it was 25 years ago and even then it was an old banger, so ride quality may have "progressed" from model to model... funny how that progress all seems to have been down hill since about 1990.  The 993cc 3-pot was a pure laugh, it was powerful and rorty.  If the price is right, do it.

[Station]

They do handle well due to the weight/size/wheelbase.

I prefer the earlier Mira/Charade/Domino/Cuore.

 

My favourite Daihatsu being this one:

 

[sporty-shite]

Mother in law has just got rid of one of these. It was a bit tinny, but was a proper giggle to drive. The three pot begs to be thrashed!

 

Buy one.

[Junkman]

Cars with three cylinder engines should be bought as a matter of course.

They are the next best thing south of a V8.

[Ian_Fearn]

Hummmm. The concept of the boneshaking ride is the nail in the coffin. Driving to work is miserable enough without the associated back pain.

 

I've been rocking a truly god awful 14yr old Fiesta 1.25 for the last week. It used to be green but now has the obligatory non existant wheel arches plus added dirt from 14 years of my dad choosing not to give it any attention of any kind (including servicing) but jeez, this thing goes, stops and is comfy so maybe i'll look for a wanked out Fez instead.

 

Also, and more importantly the fiesta uses half the pez than the V6 Omega. Anybody want a 2000 V6 Omega Elite estate? Its got a full tank of gogo juice at the moment so its value must be doubled?

 

Any other more interesting choices bearing in mind I'd rather hack my balls off with a rusty nail than get another modern diesel engine?

[Ratdat]

I've had four Daihatsus, a G10 Charade, a G11 Charade, a Mira and a Cuore and all of them have been great little cars. Fun to hustle about A road in and mega frugal as well as being very relaible. No, they are not great for 300 miles on the motorway ...they'll do it ok but it's not their forté, buy then you wouldn't expect it to be. 

 

The Cuore (and the Mira too, I guess) in particular was a surprisingly capable little car. 60mpg on a good day and the ability to chug along steadily at 80mph if requires. The ride quality was decent by small tiny car standards and the seats comfy. It was quite noisy and had some very cheapo plastics in it but then it was a cheapo car when new. 

 

The Charades are a size bigger and are correspondingly quieter and more comfortable, the G10 in particular was lovely. I'd expect the later you go, the cheaper they'll feel as the early G10 felt like a much plusher car than the later G11.

[oldford]

CV joints can get a bit noisy and they're very expensive from International Motors.  Engines can get tired and burn oil and exhausts corrode and break.  I think that there's a campaign on at the moment to replace the fuel filler pipes.  Early cars used the black master/2 grey sub keys for the immobiliser, later ones used the 2 grey master key system.  Black master key blanks were never available, but by now the independant lock smiths have caught up and can replicate the transponder programming rather than spending £100s on a lock set and immobiliser box.  Model code is L251S and it uses the EJ-VE engine.

 

The front doors open to an angle of 90 degrees which is good.

[Junkman]

Hummmm. The concept of the boneshaking ride is the nail in the coffin.

 

Needs to be tested. Dugong's Charade is surprisingly smooth, quiet, and comfy, even on long journeys.

[Station]

Easy entry into Daihatsu L200 owning would be to get a Nippa, you can get one for about 200 quid if you look. They are very fun, even with Corsa coilovers they aren't that rough, even over speed bumps.

[Fabergé Greggs]

I drove my mates GTti when I was 17. When that boost light started to flicker my life altered course. 

[Station]

This is nice:

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Daihatsu-Charade-Detomaso-gtti-LSD-RARE-JDM-race-track-hillclimb-rally-sprint-/271584341418?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item3f3bb02daa

[SambaS]

THE CAR LORD is currently telling me to buy a Daihatsu Charade, G100 series.

 

I just wish THE CAR LORD would realise there's already a decades worth of 'projects' in my possession and that I don't have all that many decades of life.

[Station]

Unfortunately, THE CAR LORD has an unfavourable effect on sensible cells in the brain, and just cancels it out.