Daihatsu YRV

Used it for a 20mile commute every weekday, the weekend we would use it for going on treks. The engine is great made by Toyota take it easy it will return good MPG but also has a good turn of speed if you keep revs over 3000rpm, there is not a lot of torque but smooth, gearbox is fine & light. I liked the looks and clever use of space inside seats fold down flat the roof is quite high I got a full size washing machine in it's box in the back no problem another time 2 mountain bikes and 2 weeks worth of packing when we went on holiday. The boot is great the seats are clever I loved the glass roof does not open but great when it's sunny got a cover when it's not. There is a fair ammount of equipment(mine was the premium model) AC electric mirrors windows ABS remote locking. It seems like a great car but the problem lies with the manufacturer if Toyota built the whole car it would have been great but Daihatsu did. The car feels tinny and weak there is no weight in the doors and they clang shut like an old Mini, the cabin plastics are tacky cheap and scratch very easy. The biggest problems is the suspension and road holding. The car is very high and narrow so they made the suspension hard but there is no quality or control from the shocks this has an effect on the road holding and feels like it might tip over, the rough ride also finds every squeak and rattle in the cheap plastic interior. It all adds to a car that feels insecure and weak and I was worried how it would fair against a NCAP 5 star car. When it snowed winter 2010 it was hit by an Astra MK3 at a low speed that wrote off our car and barely scratched the bumper on the Astra. Reliability was good it had a new battery the exhausts and brake disks are a very common problem. The exhausts dont last long and always snap before the midbox silencer I just cut the middle silencer out and put in a straight piece in after the second exhaust failed.

Quite a car of idiosyncrasies. The angled design is all about angles because if you catch it from one angle (i.e. side) it looks young, sporty and refined (alloys, rear spoiler, angled lights) but from another (i.e. front) its boxy, unstable and pensioner-suited. From a third angle (the back) people genuinely believe it is an MPV with its generous height and individually lit number plate and roof line.I'm in the young category that was supposed to put the Y in YRV and I liked the design (for the price) but seeing pensioners in the same model soon wore thin and the fragile front-on view sometimes gives me a scare! Nonetheless it has turned heads more than any other unmodified car I've had at this value and in continuing with the idiosyncrasies, while the exterior might provoke some debate, the view of the inside was unanimous.Everyone who has ever been in my YRV loved it. The space is staggering and the rear 'stadium seats' (raised with extra leg-room) are repeatedly described (no prompting on my part) as the most comfortable back seats ever, combined with the glass panoramic roof (extra) made for a really incredible passenger view and experience that drew comment again and again, often with reference to the car costing far more than I bought it used, which is always flattering.For the used price the extras are also unbeatable, all windows and mirrors are electric and full air con is brilliant, which also prompted surprised comment from four six footers enjoying the space and features on the long-haul down to the surfing towns of North Cornwall. However while passenger ride is always positive, the idiosyncrasies extend to the driver. First impressions are good with a nice driving height but comfort levels for the driver soon wear thin.I found the possible seating positions became frustrating after time and after long journeys you appreciate not sitting in the car. The ride is also hard and whether this was deterioration or the general suspension design, but I didn't feel like many shocks were absorbed by anyone other than me - over every bump in the road! However, I accepted all that for some of the performance benefits I noticed like the understated acceleration and healthy sounding progress at top speeds on motorways. The car doesn't struggle with fast as much as you might think it would, and though fast cornering doesn't seem natural, next to my previous Fiat Punto, the YRV is certainly very willing.Running costs are almost excellent, okay the parts tend to be slightly more expensive but you can offset that against it being much rarer to need them - until I got a YRV I thought going to the garage 3-4 times a year (Fiat Punto) and paying out over miscellaneous problems was the norm. Fuel consumption seemed quicker than expected given the green-car credentials but that might have been due to driving at speeds and it's to the cars credit there was no trade-off from faults and repairs given such usage. It just kept on going no matter how much I pushed it all summer and all winter.If you take the whole package into account from the drive, to performance, to running costs to interior functionality and passenger experience, to exterior design (last but not least of course!) I am certain I could not have got a better car for the price so if you're young and on a sensible used budget that doesn't involve long-term credit, this is the most-fun, quirkiest-design and best spec you'll get pound for pound. The value is outstanding and can make someone spending many thousands more jealous. However if your ONLY concern is the drive and handling (and you have no mates... sorry passengers) or desire for functional comfort, then look at more mainstream hatchbacks (and pay more!)Finally, just to reference one specific remark in other buyers guides, I also had a persistent water leak (the only problem I ever had with the YRV) so this must be a problem with these cars. It can be very demoralising to find the cabin full of water (I have some horror stories - one after being away for a week) but bail it out, put the heaters on and get over to your nearest Daihatsu-approved dealer. Their customer service is excellent and mine at least now know where to find some of the harder to find problem seals! Check obvious roof and door seals yourself before buying!