Second-hand Sense: Daihatsu is one of those Japanese car manufacturers that live permanently in the shade of the industrial giants that control the Japanese motor industry. However, it is not exactly a newcomer to the market and its small to medium-sized cars have been sold in Ireland for many years.
Those who remember the original Daihatsu Charade will recall a super little car whose body gave in long before its engineering components did. Daihatsu is still making very good small cars - cars that don't have a great profile or attract a great deal of attention but which are pretty solid and dependable nevertheless.
The Terios is not just an oddly named member of the Daihatsu family, but also a very oddly styled one. It was inspired by Suzuki's small runaround four-wheel drive which, though small, became a big success and was much in demand by city drivers who wanted some limited four-wheel capacity without breaking the bank. Of course, that was in the days when four-wheel drive was still a novelty and not the overwhelming presence it has become in cities like Dublin or London.
The Terios now looks like a rather dinky alternative to these large vehicles. Yet it is a far greener alternative to them, it does have limited off-road ability and will deal with grass and gravel without fuss and it is still small enough to park in a conventional space. Anyone familiar with the turning circle of a Land Rover Discovery will appreciate the benefits of the latter point.
You don't get much in the way of extras with the Terios. The standard grey interior is matched with easy to use instrumentation and switchgear and the package is quite basic. The boot area is not bad but it is far from overly generous. Seating is comfortable and the cabin does feel cramped. This is probably due to the fact that the Terios is a narrow vehicle - in order to get the height the width seems to have been sacrificed. It is a rather interesting exercise in stretching design parameters while still making a small car.
Toyota has had a long association with Daihatsu, so there are quite a few engine crossovers between the brands. The newer Terios has the same 1.3 petrol engine as the Toyota Yaris and that unit has a very good reputation for economy and reliability. You will probably find the ride of the Terios a tad uneven and light and it is really not a vehicle to be pushed too hard. It is a good car for things like taking dogs into the country or tackling the odd snow flurry, but it is not heavy-duty either in its performance or abilities. That said, these cars can be more tenacious than you might expect.
There are no recall records or EuroNCAP crash test results for the Terios. Daihatsus do, however, have a reputation for reliability and longevity. A basic 2002 model with a 1.3-litre petrol engine and 45,000 miles on the clock will cost about €10,000, while a 2003 with 30,000 on the clock has an asking price of €12,000 at one garage.
FOR: Light and economical alternative to mainstream four wheel drives. Much greener too.
AGAINST: Odd styling and profile. Soft ride.