Faults:

Rear anti-roll bar had broken mounts. Main dealer has agreed to replace them under warranty.

General Comments:

Generally a nice drive. The torque is useful in town and motorway driving. The engine is a modified version of the Toyota Yaris 1.3 and has a turbo.

The specs promise 130 lb/ft of torque. This is noticeable at times, but I don't think I am able to get the required performance at all times. There seems to inconsistency in the power delivery in day-to-day driving. Sometimes, you put your foot down and it will deliver the goods, at othertimes, you will wonder where all the power has gone!

The nice feature of the car is its ability to perform with the big cars at motorway speeds. It cruises at 80-90 mph with around 3100 rpm on the tacho. This means it's a relaxed drive at high speeds, if you wish to accelerate upwards from this speed its got the pulling power. But if you want to accelerate even faster, it will kickdown and accelerate to around 110 mph towards the redline.

Overall economy is good, you will get around 40 mpg without trying too hard. But you might get better economy if you are prepared to take it easy.

The steering is light and accurate. The general feeling is the car is weightless. It's a similar feeling to driving a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo (without the extreme acceleration :- ().

Down sides is that because of the firm suspension, the trim has a tendency to have minor rattles. So you may have to open up some of the trim and ad some soundproofing or bolting down the loose bits.

The auto gearbox is superb for cheap car. The changes are extremely smooth.

The car grows on you. I've had the car a few weeks. I decided to drive it to work (60 mile round trip) a couple of days a week. But now I am finding it a joy to use this car most days of the week to commuting. My other car is a Mercedes C43 AMG. So driving this car to work makes me feel good, cos its kinder to the environment whilst not being a bore to drive :-)

Faults:

Bracket for the rear anti-roll bar snapped - replaced under warranty and is a known fault.

External door handle replaced - was becoming more and more difficult to use.

General Comments:

Fantastic car which is very underrated.

Excellent performance which gives many drivers a shock (me included) yet it's still returning more than 40mpg!!

The interior is great, the dashboard is well laid out, if a little basic. Still after nearly 20,000 miles there are no rattles and everything is still working as it should (unlike my previous car!).

The handling is great, it's like driving a mini roller skate, but the grip is compromised by the Bridgestone tyres.

The ride is OK, but can be harsh over bumpy roads, a new set of performance springs should sort that out though.

The auto gearbox is great, the shifts are very smooth between gears and the manual control is very useful. The buttons on the steering wheel are well placed and the response is instant.

The car is very well equipped with Remote Central Locking, Electric Windows all round, Electric Door Mirrors, 4 speaker Radio/CD, Air Conditioning, Panoramic Roof, Alloy Wheels, Body Kit etc. etc.

Faults:

Engine management light came on nothing wrong. nearest dealer 40 miles away.

Clutch went at 20000 miles although Daihatsu paid the bill was £500.

Brake pads and Disc's to replace with genuine parts £316 non genuine £210.

Exhaust £240.

General Comments:

Generally very expensive for parts as outlined in previous section.

The car appealed to me as it had Toyota engine Air Con etc and the shape appealed to me.

Has not lived up to my expectations at all and I have lost confidence in it.