2001 Daihatsu Cuore Plus 989

Summary:

Cheap and cheerful: a lot of car for your cash

Faults:

I crashed it and wrote it off. There were no problems prior to my accident. I walked away from a front end collision at speed. This gave me confidence in the safety of such a small car.

General Comments:

Given that the Cuore is a budget car, there is nothing to complain about. It is plastic inside, but not offensively so. The colour scheme is easy on the eye, if unexciting.

The layout of equipment is good, with the exception of the dash-mounted rear wash/wipe switch, which would be better placed on the stalk controls for the main wipers. That's the only complaint (such as it is) that I have.

The seats are sturdy and comfy. The leg room in the back is adequate for adults on a short journey.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 6th June, 2004

1998 Daihatsu Cuore 5 door + 850

Summary:

Not as cheap as they make out!

Faults:

The exhaust has gone, after 36,000.

General Comments:

Cheap to run, until servicing comes around, then you will stitched up by the dealerships.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 21st November, 2003

2001 Daihatsu Cuore

Summary:

A well specified mini car with good performance

Faults:

Nothing has gone wrong.

General Comments:

The general quality and design of this compact car are of a high standard.

For an inexpensive vehicle the list of equipment is impressive, and includes automatic transmission (albeit only three speed) power assisted steering, front and rear electrically operated windows, driver and passenger air bags, electically adjustable mirrors and air conditioning.

The three cylinder engine, with four valves per cylinder and electronic fuel injection is just under one liter in size, and is a gem of a power unit.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 28th September, 2003

1998 Daihatsu Cuore 3 door 847cc

Summary:

The easyJet of automobiles

Faults:

The original exhaust fell off at around 25,000 miles, but the car had only been used for short distances until that point, so exhaust corrosion could be expected. Despite being an unusual car, the garage could replace the part on the same day.

General Comments:

It looks unusual: thin, box-like and has no frills. This is designed to be a shopping trolley on wheels and it serves its purpose well. There is room for 4 people and a few shopping bags in the tiny boot.

Fuel economy is excellent (54 mpg) and a full tank is just GBP 17-18.

Driving over even small bumps and pot-holes is not comfortable - the car shakes and shudders and is also noisy above 50 mph. Top speed is about 85-90 mph.

It is very reliable, in part due to the lack of features, but Daihatsu spare parts are expensive and are not easily available in a generic version from a car-parts superstore.

For a 850cc engine, it is quick off the mark at traffic lights, but expect to be overtaken as the car creeps up-wards to 70 mph.

For a car to get you from A to B without hassle, this does the job perfectly.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 30th August, 2003

10th Feb 2005, 07:38

We needed to replace the full exhaust system at about 27k miles. That cost £99, which we thought reasonable. Apart from that, all we have had to replace in the 3.5 years of ownership have been three wiper blades - probably caused by switching when blade frozen to screen! Suffered a block breather pipe at about 20k, which was probably caused by the car standing idle for many months before we bought it. This was fixed free of charge by local Daihatsu dealer during routine service.

The car never uses oil and seldom returns less than 60 mpg.

26th May 2006, 20:21

Ebay.

8th Apr 2008, 15:36

I wrote this original review, and the little car is still going strong 10 years on. The paintwork is looking tired and it needed another exhaust a couple of years ago, but there has never been a mechanical fault. It was my first car and I expect it'll be the most reliable car I'll ever own.

1995 Daihatsu Cuore Base 0.65

Summary:

Good value for money, great perfomance!

Faults:

Nothing at all major.

Adjustment to the clutch cable was needed in 1998.

Not bad considering the age of the car.

Overall very reliable.

General Comments:

Build quality is fairly good considering the price of the car. However there were a few annoying rattles.

All things considered this is a very good car especially for those on a budget. Very reliable car, good value for money.

Surprisingly good performance for a 650cc three cylinder engine.

Outpaces the Ford Ka which has 1300cc!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 29th October, 2000

1999 Daihatsu Cuore + 1.0

Faults:

No problems so far. However the steering wheel needed to be realigned before I accepted delivery.

General Comments:

Not bad for a very small car. Build quality is probably below average (rattles and squeaks everywhere) but it is fun to drive. The auto transmission is good too. Not sure about safety in a car this size despite the airbags and SIPs. In summary: surprisingly good.

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

Review Date: 4th January, 2000

17th Jan 2001, 04:06

Small car, small money, cheap to run, doing 12,000 miles a year on a V reg, and the only thing I have had to do is re-fill the windscreen wiper water.

Overall, brilliant, but watch out for vicious depreciation.

Oh, and it's ugly, but I like it.

18th Mar 2001, 12:18

I live in Portugal and I have a Cuore Sportivo, red color. It's a good car, small, and fast. On the highway, I travel at 160KM/H, and it makes a good trip. It is very silent.

It's beautiful and I like it.

I want photos of the car.

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