1988 Daihatsu Charade CLX review from North America
"The best car for the money ever!"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Bought the car ($1200) with a bad clutch and CV joint at 88K miles.
Installed a new water pump at 120k miles.
Tachometer and water temp go in and out, they have bad screw grounding inside the instrument panel.
Will tend to overheat, as the fan will not come on soon enough during in town driving. Some people put in a manual switch to turn the fan on.
The drivers' door hinges wear out because of the long door on the 2 door model, but that allows easy entry into the seat.
General comments?
This car is great and it has taken me back and forth from California to Florida to Missouri, but now has 198000 miles on it and the head gasket is leaking some, but it still gets about 44 MPG on the road, and 39 MPG in town with its 5 speed.
I wish they would still make them like this. It has the largest 13 inch tires on it, and I had to pound down the inside of the back wheel wells so they would not hit the large metal seam, but that help me get the high MPG.
The AC unit installed in the USA is a little under powered for the car, but I know a guy who put in a bigger compressor that fixed it with only a small bracket change, and it works great.
Recommended reviews
| Excellent beginner's car |
|
| Economical, Sporty Hatch |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model year | 1988 |
| Year of manufacture | 1987 |
| First year of ownership | 1994 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2008 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.0 Manual |
| Performance marks | 7 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 9 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 7 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 5 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 10 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 88000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 198000 miles |
| Previous car | Mazda RX7 |
| Date of Entry | 3rd September, 2008 |