“You have never given me a lift anywhere Matt, but I imagine it’s like going on a roller coaster. You are nervous before hand but glad you did it afterwards.”
That was my friend Jonny’s summary of my driving after following me in the Daihatsu Terios. What Jonny doesn’t realise is that, it wasn’t my driving he was witnessing, but the remarkable dynamics of the Terios.
In particular he was referring to a roundabout where I demonstrated to my passenger that if you turn in hard and late in the Terios, it pitches. It doesn’t roll, but it takes up an incredible angle with the passenger down by the kerb and the driver up in the clouds (assuming that you are turning right, otherwise it’s the other way round).
Surprisingly, the car handles well through higher speed corners and moderate B-road bends. But around town, if you are bit heavy footed when exiting small a roundabout or pulling away from a U-turn, it really leans over.
As you lean through the corners you find that the seats are not just very soft and comfortable, but also offer good lateral support. The interior generally is straightforward and pleasant. If you are over 6 foot tall, you might miss having reach-adjustable steering, but it’s really not a big deal; the driving position is good. Equipment includes electric windows, CD-player, passenger and side air bags and reverse parking sensors.
The plastics might be a bit shiny for some, but everything is nicely built and almost everything is easy to find. Although the button for heating the front windscreen, inexplicably, is located under the steering wheel, below the steering wheel adjustment handle. It’s level with about halfway up your shin. Which isn’t in practical terms a problem, as you will probably only want it before setting off. But still, it’s really odd, annoying and faintly amusing.
On longer-runs, the cabin continues to be enjoyable. The ride is stable and road and wind noise minimal.
The good news about the engine is it manages 34.9 MPG. The bad news is it is too small for a lot of A-road or Motorway travelling. You can be in top gear at 45mph, which is a long way from 70 mph. So this is not a car for people in a rush.
I really wish that there was a 1.8 litre engine because then I could say this car has handsome styling, is well built with all the equipment you need and it makes complete sense as a purchase for anyone who misses the 3 door Toyota RAV4 (now only available in 5 door). I would know who should buy it. I could point out that it is also about 25% cheaper than a Toyota RAV4.
So I was a bit stumped as to who would buy a Daihatsu Terios. It’s not a big 4x4 for big families and its not an executive 4x4 for those who can afford it.
Camp site managers might buy one? It has a tow bar for caravans, four-wheel drive for when the fields get muddy and low Co2 so you won’t choke the campers. There aren’t that many camp site mangers though, are there?
Young families? Hmmm. Maybe, but are young Mums still a bit too fashion conscious?
So I was still a bit stumped when I went to visit my sprightly 90-year old Grandparents. They get smaller every time I see them, but they love to come out to the driveway and see what car I am testing.
As my Grandmother stood on tip toe to peer through the tinted windows and my Grandfather kicked the tyres, I explained that I thought it was well-styled; a handsome but little 4x4. My Grandparents are pretty deaf now, so my Grandfather responded in an impressed tone, “Its quite a big car isn’t it?”
And my Grandmother concurred, “Yes, it is isn’t it?”
They also like the fact that you step up into it, because at their age it’s a lot easier. Now my Grandparents were not poor, but they have been retired some 25 years so they can’t go and spend lots of money on cars. They only go to the shops and bridge clubs and things. And suddenly a Daihatsu Terios made complete sense to me and to them.
Summary
A handsome, well built, good value 4x4. Cheap to buy and run. Comfortable and practical. Ideal for people wanting to only do local travelling as the small engines don’t really suit lots of long motorway runs.
Road test car details:
Daihatsu Terios 1.5 SX
MPG: 34.9
Co2 per KM: 191
0-62: 12.2 secs