Tell me about: Small modern three pots

[Jim Bell]

Specifically the kind of thing you'd find in an early naughtiest Diahatsu Charade.

Any good?

Any major failings?

What they like to live with?

Any info, opinion or Chinese whispers greatly appreciated.

[alf892]

Can be hard to start after HGF surgery.

[dave21478]

I had a Daewoo MaTits in 2000 and its wee 3 cylinder was actually not a bad lump. It nipped along quite happily and wasnt too unrefined. It was brand new when I got it and I didnt keep it long so dont know much about long term issues, but the car was bought by an old biddy near my fathers house and it never seemed to cause her problems either. It only disappeared a few years ago, and was replaced by a newerer one.

I think these things are all generally pretty reliable and whilst not a powerhouse are more than adequate for a small car.

[DavidB]

Perodua Nippa is 'capable*' and 'willing*', yet extremely 'frugal*'. I've had 90 out of it, it can accelerate hard (but not that hard) up to 8000 rpm once it's out-cornered anything else on a roundabout. I can't fault it at all. It is a little gutless, but it's a 3 cylinder 850cc engine.

 

* copyright all lazy car journalist reviewers

[Jim Bell]

Thanks gents. Sounds an acceptable level of competence to me, and no negativity so far.

[Matt]

The 993cc, 54bhp one in the Swift isn't a bad engine but a fast car it does not make. It's efficient enough to earn it's keep (see below) and they sound mad. The only downside of having 3 cylinders I have found is that at idle (just under 1k) it does vibrate a fair bit compared to a 4 banger. In my cars case it causes a rattle in the passenger door panel but that's probably more a consequence of the car being thrown together without much care.

[cort16]

The one found in the Citroen C1 is zippy. My Mrs had one for a couple of years and I enjoyed driving it when I got a chance. it was really nippy but still really good on fuel.

 

The 1.0 one found in Corsa's. Not so much.

[Lacquer Peel]

I had a couple of 3 pot Subaru Justys , they sound brilliant, especially with a burst exhaust. Other 3 pots I've heard since have left a bit of an aural vacuum.

[sierraman]

New focus/fiesta has a 3 banger. A lot of people on these Daily Mail type sites are whittling about it packing in after the warranty is up. It's been in development for about 5 years so I'd guess they have it off to a fine art. I'd much sooner chance my arm on it than the equivalent diesel.

[fairkens]

the 1.0 corsa is awful

 

have test driven the new ford 3 pot, it is an awesome engine esp in 125bhp flavour

[Cavcraft]

There is, as we all already knew, only ever going to be one winner here: 

 

 

 

They do sound (and feel) a bit rough and they go through oil pressure switches like there's no tomorrow BUT...they're ace on fuel, reasonably nippy and the engine actually gets quieter the more you move them along.

[Jim Bell]

There is, as we all already knew, only ever going to be one winner here.

I may be purchasing a contender. Well. The Mrs might.

[2Thumbs]

They're odd. You go to pull away in one and it sounds like you're ragging the knockers off of it just to stop to from stalling. Then you look down and you realise it's only going at 1500rpm.

 

But I can see how that makes them fun to drive, the feeling you're going a lot quicker than you really are. Also they sound a bit like a baby V engine lol.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

New focus/fiesta has a 3 banger. A lot of people on these Daily Mail type sites are whittling about it packing in after the warranty is up. It's been in development for about 5 years so I'd guess they have it off to a fine art. I'd much sooner chance my arm on it than the equivalent diesel.

The 1.0 3 pot is also available in the Mondeo, that's the Mondeo that's bigger and heavier than a MkIV Zodiac. You don't have to read the Daily Nazi to wonder at the longevity of that

My 3 cylinder experiences include a Wartburg and a Corsa , one was hilairiosly shite the other just shit. I bridged the Wartburg and the yard used it for about 3 years to move their gas axe and bottles around in. I used to hear it popping and burbling whenever I drove past.

[They_all_do_that_sir]

There is, as we all already knew, only ever going to be one winner here:

 

 

 

They do sound (and feel) a bit rough and they go through oil pressure switches like there's no tomorrow BUT...they're ace on fuel, reasonably nippy and the engine actually gets quieter the more you move them along.

I had one of these as my first car. It was 4 years old when I bought it and cost £2500 to insure for a year but that's what happens when you are 17 and live in NI

 

Said "breeze" on the side. Not so much a trim level as an indicator of performance

 

Engine was actually quite willing, used bugger all fuel and could hit an indicated* 100mph. Downhill. With a tailwind.

 

Apart from the comedy grade interior plastics it wasn't badly screwed together. Catalytic converter is part of the downpipe and mine cracked just below the manifold.

MAF sensor went and it needed a couple of rear dampers and tyres in the two years I owned it.

 

Mine never suffered the dreaded cam chain rattle that seem to inflict these.

 

Was quite impressed how tough it was given I was an idiotic teenage boy when I ran it.

[cms206]

MIL bought a new 52-plate Matiz and ran it into the ground then sold it to her nephew and bought another brand new in 2007. She only recently chopped it in for an Alto.

[skattrd]

3-pot Daihatsu's rock, preferably turbocharged

My Mira classic was awesome, 4wd and a cracking 3 pot 659cc turbo motor ... I should have kept it.

 

They do occasionally come up for sale, but not particularly cheap unless broken.

[dollywobbler]

Loved the Daihatsu Silly-Ian I had. It did seem to have a mild piston ring issue though, which meant it'd occasionally puff out blue smoke. Was a LOT better after a too-soon oil change. Great engine, just a shame the car just rusted itself into bean tins. Absolutely bonkers though. Begged you to rev it, and genuinely sounded like it wanted to be a V6. 

[DVee8]

I may be purchasing a contender. Well. The Mrs might.

Haven't you just got a your-ass dizzel in silver?

[pbottomley]

I am all for the love of three pots ... but then I, like the engine, am one cylinder short of a four pot 

[Parky]

I only haz two cylinders in the 500. But it does sound awesome, like an angry bee and goes well too.

 

When it's coil packs, injectors, ECU and everything else is working properly that is. I would love to shove the motor in something like a Midget and see how it works with an SU for each cylinder...

[Cavcraft]

I cannot deny the ex-DW Sirion  was a massive laugh to drive.

[spike60]

I have a 3 legged VAG shite in the form of a Polio 1.4 Tdi, it goes better than you'd expect on boost but much worse than you'd expect off boost. S'alright, not turned to ratshit. Yet.

[gordonbennet]

They must have some enriching device on Aygo/C1/107, whether that finds its way into anything else with that little engine i dunno.

 

Loading cars onto transporters can be a bastard, some of them will stall at the drop of a hat, smaller engined especially bad, you try to keep the revs as low as possible on that job in order to save the clutch...they are after new cars that some bugger has shelled out their hard earned on so a bit of care doesn't go amiss.

 

Invariably some small engines just won't play ball, that fuckin horrible 3 pot Corsa for instance don't for Christ's sake get one of those bastards,  unless you give it a bootfull of throttle and slip the clutch the bastards just die, even then they can't pull 'emselves up the deck, Fiat 500 another one even with its 4 pot.

 

But that little Aygo 3 pot you can take right down to stall revs, and it'll still pull gamely, reversing up the decks you'd notice the odd puff of black smoke just like a Diesel and i think this is some sort of anti stall kicking in, whatever it is it works and makes traffic a doddle....but do not get an automated manual whatever you do, ruins that little car, just as it does to every car and lorry so fitted.

 

I second the Matiz as a better than you would think little motor, it even comes with a proper torque converter auto box and it's as smooooth as can be, that'd be a good town car if you can find one.

 

Found Mitsubishi Colts good too, but they have their own version of automated manual to avoid.

[Volksy]

I've tried the 1.2 three pot in the Polo, quite rated it. Was an eager little unit that revved willingly and made a nice thrumming noise. Seemed pretty poor on fuel for the short time I had it but probably not helped by the constant ancillary issues such as faulty temp sensors and failing coil packs.  The rest of the car was utter crap however. 

[twosmoke300]

Why do most of the 3 pots in cars ,esp the corsa and Vw ones , sound so fucking terrible when triple bike engines sound so sweet

[gordonbennet]

Wartburg 3 pot sounded lovely, went like a scalded cat too.

[bub2006]

We had a corsa 3 pot on a x plate. Probably mentioned before that it was an odd spec. Envoy trim with electric power steering and nothing else. But it had a 6disc changer factory fitted in glove box. That was fun. Had it to nearly 90 on clock then it started to slow down. Awful on hills but good on fuel even though I thrashed it everywhere. Which in turn was down to the amount of hills!

[alf892]

I read an article once about the daihatsu 999cc that argued that it was the perfect configuration and size for lots of complicated reasons........I think it was by LJK but it was that long ago it could have been The Beano

[dugong]

Another vote for the 993cc Daihatsu triple.

https://soundcloud.com/stalin-will-eat-my-volvo/charade-noise]https://soundcloud.com/stalin-will-eat-my-volvo/charade-noise



G11 Charades are hilarious fun.