2002 Daihatsu Sirion 1.0L 1.0L Three Cylinder

Summary:

Excellent Value, Surprising Performance

Faults:

Nothing at all, besides the dealer.

The air-conditioning had to be installed after purchase (not fitted on overseas model).

The dealer installed it and scrathed the dash, they repaired it after I blasted them.

Then at the first service they put grease on the front mats and seats, another blasting which I cleaned and then it was sold.

Note: the only reason I sold it was for quick cash, I loved the car.

General Comments:

Note: In terms of the performance rating, I gave it a high mark simply because the car performed very well for a 1.0L.

The car was always smooth on the road and the cabin was relatively quiet, though on course bitumen the tyre noise resonated through the cabin.

The suspension was firm, yet allowed too much body roll through corners and on sharp bumps was very abrupt.

The steering was light and the turning circle was excellent.

The cabin was modern and cheery to say the least, yet the interior plastics are very hard, cheap and scratch too easily. A small compromise.

The seats were comfortable to a degree, a little firm, but I felt they failed to hold you in position through corners.

Getting to the performance side of things the motor is spirited for its size, moving the car of the line reasonably fast. It doesn't mind being pushed and gets to 100KM/H (62MP/H) with no trouble, despite its 40.5KW specification.

One annoyance is that the higher you rev the more the motor screams and without a tachometer you aren't sure when to ease off.

The Air-Conditioning doesn't help the performance, yet still allows you to drive normally.

Be warned! Don't expect an enjoyable ride when the car is fully loaded i.e. 5 passengers (really only fits 4) because the extra weight makes it perform rather sluggishly.

The legroom is what you would expect from a car in the super-mini class, acceptable, but nothing impressive, head room is not a problem. I'm 176cm tall.

Boot capacity is good for its class (235Litres), with the seats down and the parcel shelf removed there is about 900-1000 Litres of space.

The four-speed automatic transmission in conjunction with the motor was great with smooth shifts and great economy. Abrupt kick downs to second gear when pushing the accelerator down in third gear though, works in speeding up the car though.

Summing Up: for a cheap car there are plenty of features, a 3 star safety rating and a reasonable performance, what more could you expect for $13,490 on-road.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 6th November, 2004

2000 Daihatsu Sirion GTvi 1.3

Summary:

I loved my car

Faults:

Airbags never went off in accident.

General Comments:

I had an accident recently and I was hit from side on which caused my car to be rolled.

I was very shocked to find that neither of my airbags went off.

I loved my car, that was the only disappointment.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 6th August, 2004

28th Oct 2004, 22:51

This car makes cranky noises in low gear. It fits even more than 6 passengers (probably because people in my family are very thin) It makes fast acceleration at high gears. I once entered this car in a raly race and came first! Thanks to the acceleration. Daihatsu Sirion is well performanced.

22nd Sep 2012, 13:46

If you only have front airbags, it is normal to have them not deploy during a side accident. Even in a car that has side airbags, the front airbags will not deploy during a side collision.

1998 Daihatsu Sirion 1.0L

Summary:

Overlooked bargain of a car

Faults:

Drivers seat has lost a little shape.

When idling the bonnet rattles.

The car is a 3 cylinder, therefore the car has a slight vibration, but nothing too serious.

General Comments:

I've put 14" alloy wheels on the car. Which increased the width of the tires. This dramatically improved the cars handling and the steering (the car doesn't have power steering)

The car came with 2 factory speakers in the front doors. I recently installed new speakers in the front and noticed that in the rear doors, there was a space and wiring for a speaker, only they were never installed. Worked out really handy for me!

The car is really economical, even when driven hard.

The car has never failed to start, and can handle a carload of adults when it needs to!

This is the best car to park, fits anywhere!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 20th June, 2004

13th Oct 2005, 02:42

Interesting that a three cylinder engine would therefore vibrate? Should it not be less prone to vibration given the crank angles?

16th Dec 2005, 02:12

Interesting you should say that, but no, it does have a gentle vibration hum that 4 cylinder (and higher) engines do not. It's not normally noticeable unless under strain at idle; e.g. Hillstarts with a full load.

20th Jul 2008, 05:36

You probably shouldn't fit 14" wheels to your car if 13" is specified. Unless you fit make the rolling diameter the same by fitting low-profile tyres, the speedo reading will be inaccurate.