Daihatsu Copen (2003-To Date) Car Review

When shopping for a used roadster, most buyers like to play it safe. TheyÕll look at a Mazda MX-5, an MG TF or possibly a Fiat Barchetta if theyÕre feeling a bit adventurous. The trouble is, thereÕs a whole lot more fun to be had if you could just broaden your view a little. Those who do a lot of city driving will often find these cars straining at the leash a bit in town, often resembling energetic dogs that just want a bit of space. Better to choose something that can take the cut and thrust of city traffic in its stride and offer the added security of a hard-topped roof. ThatÕs where DaihatsuÕs Copen comes in. You may never have heard of it and if thatÕs the case, youÕre forgiven. ItÕs not been a sales hit in the UK and as a result, used buyers can snap up some low mileage bargains.

History
We have Japanese K-car regulations to thank for the Daihatsu Copen. The same set of taxation rules that brought us fun tots like the Honda Beat and the Suzuki Cappuccino have given us a car that offers the same recipe but updated for a post millennial clientele. The first K-car to be imported with a folding hard top, the Copen was a little more expensive than other cars of its ilk but some customers reckoned it worth the additional outlay for the benefits in safety and security the metal roof bestows.
Introduced in June 2003, the Copen has been largely unchanged since launch. In July 2004 a Vivid limited edition model was offered, featuring red paintwork, heated cloth seats, a leather Momo steering wheel and a rear tonneau. This retailed at £12,995 on the road. The original 660cc engine was replaced in the spring of 2007 with a less buzzy 1.3-litre unit. This delivered better economy and performance, prices were under £11,000.

Opinion
The Copen looks good value, especially when one considers that many of its customer base will be young professionals looking for a second or even third car. It may well prove a little too cutesy for some, but with only 1,000 cars imported per year, thereÕs still an element of exclusivity about this car. You might expect said element of exclusivity to prop up residual values nicely, but the fact that the Copen has been on sale in Japan for a while and is priced from around £8,000 means that a few have reached these shores as grey imports but not in the sort of numbers to seriously undermine the carÕs UK valuations. Importers know that there is other fare that will sell far more easily than the quirky Daihatsu.
The CopenÕs chassis is based on a truncated version of the Cuore hatch and it feels agreeably stiff, the seat of the pants driving position giving the little Daihatsu a genuine sports car feel, although the Momo steering wheel may be a little too large for those with prop forward thighs. The gearbox is fun to snick the lever through and overall packaging is helped by the fact that the Copen utilises a compact front-wheel drive layout. At just 3,395mm long, it is simplicity itself to nuzzle into a tight parking spot.
The roof is the CopenÕs party piece and the car looks good with the hardtop folded or deployed. Fabricated from aluminium, itÕs a lightweight structure and it flips neatly up and down, courtesy of a series of electric motors, in 25 seconds. There are two catches on the header rail to flip and then a dash-mounted button does the rest. WhatÕs more, a proper metal roof makes a lot of sense in the city proving a less tempting target for knife-wielding idiots. A more basic version of the roof is offered in Japan which may well help to explain some of the price differential, watch out for imported models featuring it. The interior is nicely, if a little unadventurously, styled and features a compartment behind the seats for odds and ends. Otherwise the boot space is briefcase-sized, due to the fact that the roof ÔcassetteÕ impinges into the luggage bay. If you commit to driving with the roof up, youÕll achieve more room.

Cost
Prices for the Copen start at £8,100 for a 53 plate car with around 29,000 miles showing on the clock. ThatÕs the book price at least. In reality, the prices will vary quite significantly, often because these cars tend to cover less than the usual 12,000 miles a year annual mileage. YouÕll need around £8,700 for an 04-plated model. Vivid special editions kick off at £9,000 for a 54 plated car. Insurance for all Copens is a very reasonable Group 9.

Problems?
The Copen is a tough little thing but the big ticket item in case of a fault is that folding hard top. Raise and lower it several times. Check the seals, check that it sits squarely in the boot cassette and ensure that it hasnÕt been damaged in any other way. Aside from that, precious little problems have been reported. Check the alloy wheels for kerbing and make sure the log book is well stamped up. These cars run better on 98 RON petrol than standard 95, the difference feeling quite marked in terms of outright performance.

Parts
(Estimated prices) A clutch assembly will cost around £130, and the front brake pads approximately £50. A radiator will be in the region of £145, and an alternator £220. A broken starter motor will require £260 to replace.

Road
The Copen manages to pack a lot of goodies into a tiny footprint but the tape measure dictates that it will always feel very comfy for two, especially for bulky western shoulders. Head and legroom isnÕt such an issue and the pedal box is surprisingly spacious. Luggage room is at a premium, but the Copen is never going to be a car youÕd plump for if you were planning a fortnight away.
Its 660cc engine fizzes, whooshes and zings all the way to 8,000rpm, a bobbin-sized turbocharger helping the tiny powerplant develop 63bhp. True, thatÕs not going to generate retina-detaching acceleration but due to the fact that the Copen weighs less than some cars ownerÕs manuals, it will sprint to 60mph in an acceptably brisk 11.7 seconds before topping out over 100mph. ItÕs well up to the cut and thrust of a motorway journey, although on longer inclines you may have to drop a gear in order to realise some meaningful acceleration. It feels astonishingly vivid at normal speeds, the constant chattering of that engine giving the impression that itÕs travelling a good deal quicker than it is. Zip the Copen along a set of country lanes and youÕll feel as if youÕre achieving some heroic velocities only to realise thereÕs a Kia Pride in the dinky rear view mirror impatiently trying to get past. ItÕs huge fun.

Overall
If youÕre prepared to think outside the box a little, a used Daihatsu Copen could be a smart solution. ItÕs got just enough about it to satisfy those who enjoy driving but wonÕt punish you during the sort of city trips that many of us have to put up with. As long as you donÕt take yourself too seriously, the Copen offers a fun, vaguely exotic, alternative to more prosaic roadster offerings.

By ANDY ENRIGHT.

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Daihatsu YRV (2001 Ð to 2005) Car Review

DaihatsuÕs ÔYoung Recreational VehicleÕ may not have had the nation scrambling for their chequebooks the first time around, but that doesnÕt mean it isnÕt a sound used purchase. With a weak reputation to fall back on, demand isnÕt huge, yet youÕre buying into a manufacturer with a superb reputation for reliability and innovation. Think of it as a cut-price Toyota Yaris and you wonÕt be too far off the mark.

History
The YRV was introduced to the British public at the 2000 Birmingham Motor Show and was instantly viewed as just another in a long line of tiny Daihatsu oddities. The Cuore and Sirion models hadnÕt made much impact on domestic sales figures and although the YRV seemed an entire generation forward in terms of styling and build, few reckoned it would capture the publicÕs imagination.
And so it has proved. Two models were initially available, a standard trim base model and an upspec Premium trim level. These were followed in summer 2001 by the F-Speed which boasted a trick semi-automatic version and the 4Trak which, as its name suggests, was fitted with all-wheel drive. Perhaps realising that the aggressively priced Citroen Saxo was capturing the spoils in this market sector, Daihatsu released the Radical and Radical2 versions of the YRV, value models that lowered the entry price to YRV ownership to an accessible £7,995. All models were powered by the same 86bhp 1.3-litre engine until the YRV Turbo arrived with a 130bhp turbocharged version of that powerplant. The last YRVs were sold in 2005 once the model range had been replaced by a new Sirion.

Opinion
Viewed from the front, the YRV could be nothing but Japanese. The slightly self-conscious detailing and twin-tracheotomy intakes either side of the numberplate are certainly more Tokyo than Turin, although the effect isnÕt altogether unattractive. From the side, the story gets more confusing. Borrowing elements of standard supermini design and adding the slightest dash of micro-MPV makes the YRV slightly uneasy on the eye. The overall effect is of a hall-of-mirrors VW Polo with some Toyota Yaris Verso genes thrown into the mix somewhere.
The signature styling touch is the Ôdouble-wedgeÕ design applied to the side doors. Whereas most cars have a clearly defined Ôbelt lineÕ, in other words the line marked by the bottom of the side windows, the YRV junks this styling tradition. Instead it opts for two big windows which cant upwards at the bottoms. Distinctive, certainly, but does it work aesthetically? The juryÕs still out on that one. What is a deft touch is the addition of an optional ÔpanoramaÕ fixed glass roof, which has the effect of making the windscreen look as if it arcs back into the roof.
Seven YRV models are available, six of which are powered by that 86bhp 1.3-litre engine from part-owners Toyota, based on the unit fitted to the Yaris. Entry-level and Premium models based on a five-speed manual gearbox are most commonplace, but the more interesting variants are the four-wheel drive 4Trak and the YRV F-Speed. This range-topping version offers a Formula One-inspired steering wheel gear change, based on a conventional four-speed automatic gearbox. This system is operated with Ô+Õ and Ô-Ô buttons mounted on the arms of the steering wheels. To enable the system, a dashboard switch must be flicked, else the system reverts to operation via the standard floor-mounted gear lever. If the system is anything like other ÔTiptronic-styleÕ gearboxes, it will allow for zippy downchanges and the added reassurance of keeping both hands on the wheel. Should you wish to cut costs, the Radical and Radical2 models offer pared down fun. The Turbo130 also offers a version of the sequential automatic gearbox, this time allied to a punchy 130bhp engine.
From your position behind the wheel, the interior tries to appeal to Euro-tastes, but falls short in terms of plastics quality and a slight lack of a cohesive design theme. The dimple effect fascia and door trims are almost up to VW standards, but the aluminium-effect display panel is not carried off with any great conviction. Despite this, the YRV impresses with its tally of standard equipment. Some of the clever packaging ideas that were trialed on DaihatsuÕs mini-MPVs have found their way into the YRV. High-mounted rear seas that offer 150mm of sliding adjustment are fitted, and these seats can also be folded into an entirely flat position by virtue of boasting removable cushions. Models from standard trim upwards boast body coloured bumpers, mirrors and door handles, as well as central locking, electric door mirrors, electric windows all round and a driving seat height adjuster. The Premium manual and F-Speed models also add air conditioning, remote keyless entry, electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD) and alloy wheels as standard as well as the optional panorama glass roof. The 4Trak features an uprated stereo system and bigger wheels and tyres.

By ANDY ENRIGHT.