Daihatsu Charade (1987- 2000) Car Review

If youÕre shopping for a secondhand supermini, you probably havenÕt considered DaihatsuÕs Charade. Like most small car buyers, youÕve probably set your sights on a mainstream model such as a Ford Fiesta or a Vauxhall Corsa. However, if your priorities are quality and value for money, a Daihatsu Charade might be worth tracking down. The Charade started life as a rather uninspiring looking hatchback (offered in three and five-door form) with lacklustre 1.0 and 1.3-litre engines. These were replaced in 1993 by altogether more modern machines. This expanded range included 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6-litre hatchbacks and a 1.5-litre saloon. They were better equipped and offered buyers greater value for money. Though now almost completely replaced by the smaller one-litre Sirion, the Charade remains an affordable supermini alternative and makes sense as a good second-hand buy.

History
While the earliest Charades (1987-1989 CX and the hot-hatch GTti models) are practical and affordable vehicles, post-1990 cars are a far better bet. From September of that year even the entry-level 1.0 CX added power assisted steering to its already comprehensive list of standard equipment. Creature comforts on both variants included electric door mirrors, an internal fuel filler and boot release switches as well as a good quality stereo.
Later that year, the range was extended to include a 1.0-litre, five-door turbodiesel CX version. Then, in 1991, this trio was joined by another variant, a 1.3-litre petrol-engined five-door hatch that was available in three different trim levels: CX, CXi and GXi.
However, the newer the Charade the better and the revised 1993 line-up is superior to anything that came before it. It includes an economy version (the 1.3 petrol GSe), plus a trio of three and five-door hatches with a single point fuel injected version of the 1.3-litre engine. There was also a luxury 1.5-litre variant called the GLXi SE (which boasted air conditioning and metallic paint) and a flagship 1.6 GSXi three-door hatch.
In 1996, the whole range was given a makeover and gained cheeky front end styling that singled it out from a number of more anonymous-looking competitors. These models are also longer and much roomier than their predecessors. ThereÕs more leg space for both front and rear-seat passengers, while greater glass area and careful changes to the interior have given the cabin a more airy, less claustrophobic feel. Luggage space is improved, too.
Three-door models were dropped after a couple of years and, at the end of 1999, the 1.5-litre saloon and the automatic and anti-lock brake options were deleted. The range continued as a single 1.3-litre LXi SE hatchback with generous equipment including dual airbags, central locking and electric windows and mirrors. This model was deleted at the end of 2000.

Opinion
As already mentioned, equipment levels are better than average. Standard features of the revised 1993-on cars include a rear wash/wipe, a heated rear window and a removable stereo. All have side impact beams in the doors for added safety. (A driverÕs airbag became a cost option in 1996 and standard on later cars while the latest LXi SE has a passenger Ôbag as well.)
Further up the scale, the 1.3 LXi five-door comes with power steering, electric mirrors and a rev counter. Move up to the GLXi and Daihatsu has added electric windows and central locking as well as extra speakers for the stereo.

Cost
Prices for the earliest 90G Charades start very low and you can bag a 1993K 1.3 CXi for £,400. Our money would go on the new 1.3-litre Charade, though. Prices for these start only slightly higher at £600 for a 1994L GSe. A mid-range LXi that was first registered in 1995 should cost around £700. If you prefer the nearly new option, expect to pay between £1,400 and £1,600 for a 2000V model of either the 1.3 hatch or the 1.5 saloon.

Problems?
Rust can be a problem on older models, as can worn engines, particularly on the complex GTti version, which weÕd advise buying only with a full service history. There are far less worries on post-93 cars which have proved generally reliable and durable.

Parts
(Approx for a 1.3-litre 1993 model excl VAT) A clutch assembly will be around £130 and brake pads for the front and rear are around £40. An alternator should be close to £200 and a radiator around £110.
A replacement headlamp is close to £100, a full exhaust system excluding the catalyst will be around £190, and a starter motor can be up to £170.

Road
Under the bonnet of the last generation of hatchbacks thereÕs a choice between 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6-litre power. However, youÕre far more likely to end up behind the wheel of one of the most popular mid-range 1.3 cars.
This is no hardship though, as it is one of the most refined engines in its class. Indeed, tests showed that the Charade's interior noise levels at 50mph are equal to those of Nissan Micra at just 30mph. The other emphasis with these powerplants is fuel economy: the LXi model, for example, is capable of over 60 miles to the gallon. Around town, it can average 43mpg.
Fuel economy was even a priority on the automatic version, which uses a sophisticated electronically-controlled four-speed system codenamed `ESAT`. Left in `auto` mode, the computer selects gear change points to maximise fuel efficiency. Should you need swift acceleration, though, simply plant your foot hard down on the throttle and the transmission switches to `power` mode.
Overall
Often overlooked and under-rated, the Charade is a capable and durable supermini that is certain to appeal to anyone buying a secondhand car with their head as well as their heart.

By CLAIRE EVANS.

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Daihatsu Cuore (1997-2003) Car Review

Small is certainly beautiful when it comes to city cars. Daihatsu have heartily embraced the Ôless is moreÕ concept with the Cuore. While it may be the height of vogue in downtown Shinjuku, does the little Daihatsu cut it as a used buy here on the UKÕs pockmarked roads? If new sales are anything to go by, the answer is a resounding yes. The Citycar class is taking off, and with offerings like the Daewoo Matiz, Fiat Seicento and Vauxhall Agila to compete against, the Cuore has its work cut out. The Japanese have been, are, and probably always will be, the experts on miniaturisation. From personal stereos to cameras, the Japanese inability to be satisfied with a product until a minuscule version was available was bound to come round to cars. HereÕs how to track down a used Cuore.

History
The Cuore was borne out of JapanÕs stringent small car tax regulations which demand tiny dimensions in return for revenue rebates. It is this which sparked the manufacture of genuinely tiny cars, although the export success of these cars in foreign markets meant that they probably would have been developed without the existing legal framework. They all have one thing in common, and that is to European eyes, they look faintly odd. European rivals aimed to create more mainstream looks, which the Daihatsu Cuore aimed to replicate.
The Cuore was first offered for sale in the UK in summer 1997, and was launched in base (three-door) and Cuore+ (five-door) guise. The engine available was a tiny 847cc three-cylinder unit shared by the Daihatsu Move. In fact 65% of the Cuore and Move were common, and the Cuore was a more mainstream alternative for those who couldnÕt put up with the pointing, chuckling and general bafflement the Move generated.
In October 1997 limited numbers of the Cuore Avanzato TR-XX R4 were introduced. This was a citycar able to accelerate to 60mph in less time than it took to carefully enunciate its name. The specification of this model was, and remains to this day, almost unbelievable. A microscopic three-cylinder 659cc engine had a turbocharger and intercooler attached to it, with drive going through all four tiny wheels, like a Lilliputian Audi Quattro. An aggressive bodykit and alloy wheels completed the image. Unsurprisingly, the Avanzato was a touch avant-garde for British tastes and few were sold before it was quietly withdrawn in 1999.
April 1998 saw the launch of three limited edition models, the ÔStartÕ, ÔSÕ three-door and ÔSÕ five-door. The Cuore range received a freshening in December 1998 when new 1.0-litre three cylinder engines were introduced along with a slight lengthening of the chassis, changes to grille, lights, bumpers and specification levels. The same Cuore and Cuore+ range designations existed as before. It was early 2003 before the last of the Cuore models exited the dealersÕ showrooms.

Opinion
The Cuore is a city car that doesnÕt have people chuckling in mirth as it drives by, unlike its sibling, the Move. Its shape is tidy, rounded and slightly reminiscent of NissanÕs Micra. The wheelbase is relatively long, which helps with packaging. The packaging of people into its compact dimensions.
It's a little bigger than you might expect; the Japanese bureaucrats now permit their little ÔK-classÕ cars to be slightly longer and wider which has allowed the latest Cuore to grow in every area but height. Don't expect it to be a Fiesta - two big blokes up front will still rub shoulders - but against Eastern opposition and Western rivals like Fiat's Seicento, it feels relatively spacious.
Which is a bonus in a car thatÕs billed as the cheapest Japanese built new car on the market. As a used buy itÕs a good way to get nearly new for next to nothing. Though there's a choice of three or five doors, the dimensions of both body styles are identical - so don't go offering back seat space to any sumo wrestlers. Better to flatten the split-folding rear bench and make use of a decent amount of luggage room.
It's a pity you don't get this on the three-door base model. Still, there is quite a lot else for your cash. Twin front airbags, an engine immobiliser, a decent stereo, colour-keyed bumpers, a rev counter and a rear wash/wipe all come as standard on the 1.0 models, though curiously, there's no clock. The 1.0 Cuore+ does include this, along with electric windows and mirrors, central locking, a centre console with cupholders and a special impact release system which unlocks the doors in a collision.
There are a number of little touches not normally included on a car of this price; the height-adjustable front seatbelt mountings, the remote headlamp levelling, the twin vanity mirrors and the remote levers to open the rear hatch and fuel flap. Interior door bins and that clock are the only real omissions. Still, there's the option of a 3-speed automatic gearbox: you'd be surprised how rare this is in this sector.

By ANDY ENRIGHT.