1998 Daihatsu Terios Standard 1.3L, gas
Summary:
A very durable and reliable compact SUV with great off-road performance
Faults:
Its reliability and quality are really outstanding. I've abused of this car for six years and I never had any problem.
No problems until it passed 200000 Kilometers/125000 Miles.
With this compact SUV I've only worried about replacing its tires (The full-time 4WD consumes the front and rear tires at the same rate), replacing its battery, and putting some oil and gas on it.
General Comments:
I live in Medellin (A three million people city in Colombia-South America), and I have a farm in the mountains. I've tested this car in the city roads, and I often go off-road to the Andes mountains.
City Driving:
Its acceleration is very surprising for a 1.3L car. A very good performance is obtained at very high rpm (The car runs comfortably at up to 7000 rpms) and you'll never have a problem with the engine.
About fuel efficiency you can expect up to 48 Kilometers per Gallon. Gearing is fast, parking and handling is easy and predictable for a 4x4 and It performs well at 100 - 140km/h.
Off-Road Driving:
Every time I go off-road I get surprised. The car is strong going up-hill and very reliable on muddy terrains specially using the differential lock. Good on slippery terrain and sand. Its light and compact, so it can sometimes even go where the big SUVs can't.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 6th April, 2004
21st Oct 2004, 13:34
I bought my car in October. There are two critics that I would say about this car. First one is about ergonomic faults.
For example, the open/close buttons for windows at the inner side of the front doors. In my opinion there must be designed in horizontal position. they aren't proper in order to use easily. The second one is driving security on the road. Equilibrium of the car is very sensitive at off-road using. You have a problem on curved road because of the upper placed center of mass. you should decrease your normal speed lower level than other 4x4.
12th Aug 2010, 11:28
Center differential locking is not good for all time driving. I broke my front differential because of different tires. I changed the front differential for 350$ (US). It was an old one. It is running good off road.
29th Feb 2024, 12:50
You only use Center Lock on unsealed roads, sand, mud. You DON'T use it on sealed roads, otherwise what you have described happens...
29th Apr 2004, 03:19
Hi =) just curious as to what sort of problems you experienced with the Terios after it reached 200000kms?