Daihatsu Coo Car Review by Phil Lee
What is this car? It’s really a bit of good old fashioned JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) badge engineering… Of course we all know that Toyota owns Daihatsu. In Japan it’s the same as a Toyota BB but with different head-lights and tail-lights….
When Sun Rise Cars was approved to comply the Toyota BB – the approval automatically covered the Coo as well (with a bit of additional head-light and tail-light testing!)…
This a terrific small car that is the in-between car that Toyota felt was not for Aussies! It’s the mid-size sibling that fits between an Echo and a Rukkus…. it’s realy Toyota’s answer to the tremendously successful Nissan Cube.
I think it’s a clever design and a good size. It’s a small car with a vast interior space – it’s roomy inside and comfortable – much more spacious than an Echo – and the 1.5 litre VVTi engine is very punchy (especially for highway driving) – more responsive than both the smaller Echo and the Nissan Cube.
For me the standout feature is the attention to quality… When you open the door to one of these after sitting in either a Cube or an Echo – it feels like a much more substantial and expensive car – the textures of interior materials and design features look and feel sophisticated – not cheap, whereas some of the afore mentioned competitors – feel a little bit basic and agricultural in comparison (especially in the area of power-plant sophistication)…this driver feedback carries through to the whole feel of the car on the road – it feels like a well engineered, modern car. It has excellent compliant suspension, very good handling and road feel – better than the cheaper but competant competitors such as the Cube or Echo:
Call Sun Rise Cars to either order exactly the colour and spec you want direct from Japan – or we usually carry a few of these in our Aussie inventory… 02 9744 0539 (Phil’s mobile: 0416 285 333)
