23rd Jul 2015, 10:38

Hi there, yes it is based on an L700. By the time I purchased it, it was actually a 5 year old car, where Daihatsu had released it around 10 years ahead of the time I purchased it. We don't have many options whenever we purchase a car in our country. With a budget of only rm20k at that time, the options I had were Hyundai Atos, Proton Savvy, Kia Picanto, etc. But due to concerns of spare parts and maintenance, I chose a Kelisa. I believe in the UK you guys would have wider options, such as a Nissan Micra, Toyota Starlet or something.

You were right about its outdated look, which I agree with as well. Somehow it does look like a Mini rip off to me, but all I know is that Daihatsu are making cars that are cheap, reliable and low maintenance. Other manufacturers had better looks such as the Kia Picanto, but the maintenance I heard is terrible.

As of today, 6 years of ownership, a Kelisa in my country has a higher resale value than the rest of the choice I had back then.

I have driven quite a number of cars actually, such as a Datsun 120Y (B210), Volvo 240GL, a few Proton Iswara (Saga), Perodua Myvi, Perodua Viva, Toyota Corolla KE70, Nissan Sunny 130Y, Proton Wira 1.5 (carburetor), and a Honda Civic GL hatchback. I could not compare this Kelisa's handling with a Volvo or a Proton Wira (Lancer); I also could not compare its acceleration with a Honda Civic. I was just writing based on my experience I had with it.

Of course cruising the highway with a Ferrari, Mercedes or even a Toyota Camry would be fantastic and definitely much better than my Kelisa. But still, what I meant is that with the budget that I could afford, it is good enough and acceptable comfort for a cruise along the road on the highway.