1.0 S 5dr Hatchback

Very underrated little hero car!

I bought this Sirion because I wanted a Toyota Aygo but they are too small to take a child's buggy in the boot. I know the Sirion 1.0 has the Aygo/Yaris engine (which is actually Daihatsu's own design). The Sirion gives an all round better package than the Aygo because it's bigger inside (rear seat space/boot space/headroom) without being much bigger than the Aygo. It even manages to trump the Yaris for interior space, yet is a touch shorter externally! It also qualified for £30 ved which was very high on my list of reasons for wanting one!
Even the S model which I bought has everything you want (a/c, 4 x e/w, abs, 4 airbags, CD player, 3 full rear seatbelts etc). I put alloy wheels from an SE model on because they look nicer than steels with tatty trims, but that's all it was lacking really. There's even 6 cup holders in them!
I bought a tatty example with 88k on the clock as my budget was very low, but the engine is fine and all the electrics work. I know the Japanese engine is pretty bulletproof! I even serviced it myself (I'm female) which was cheap and easy (spark plugs, engine filters and oil). The engine is quite old school which I'm used to, having owned classic cars in the past, so I'm a big believer that 'less is more' as far as some technology is concerned. The engine is not covered in sensors to malfunction and the clutch and throttle are cable operated like older cars. Yes, the 1.0 3 cylinder is a bit noisy but not ridiculously so. It's quite characterful and endearing. It performs adequately in traffic and open roads. I don't feel like I'm holding people up travelling behind me. The car is lightweight so 0-60 is reasonable. I wouldn't frequent the motorway in one but towns and country A roads are just fine!
The exterior design is what I would call 'grannyish' but I'm past caring about cool points. I even settled for one in gold paint!
Unfortunately Daihatsu pulled out of the UK market so knowledge and confidence in Daihatsu is low for your average person. That makes this a very underrated little car which is secretly good in many ways. Engine, suspension and brake parts are readily available as it is essentially a Yaris/Aygo underneath. Highly recommended if you're not a car snob and want reliable little runaround that can seat more than 2 in comfort!

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