2003 Daihatsu Charade review from Australia and New Zealand

Nothing yet!

Absolute value for money. For $12 000 drive away it's unbeatable for runabout work. In my job I travel at least 600km per week around the city which wreaked havoc on my 3L turbo Skyline. It was costing me $75/week in petrol just to get to work and back! The Charade is beyond economical, $20 for a full tank that goes 600km.

It accelerates well for a 3cyl, but isn't exactly a record breaker. This is not a performance car obviously, but keeping up with the traffic is a lot easier than most larger more powerful cars due to a puny 720kg to lug around.

Inside it's deceptively large - 4 adults can sit in it comfortably. Forget about having much in the boot though, it's enough for a suitcase at best. The seats fold down for more possibilities - I can get as much in the tiny 2 door Charade as I could fit in the 4 door big Skyline.

Interior is spectacular for a cheap car - everything is well thought out and nicely built. Door handles worry me and a tachometer would be nice though. It's a pity Australia didn't get the VVT or 4WD versions. A turbo engine would be stunning - 75kW in that tiny shell could be a devastating hot hatch.