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Let's get Terios
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| The Terios is a smart and chunky little chap |
The Daihatsu badge on the Terios may not immediately inspire confidence in those unfamiliar with it, but knowing that the brand is part of Toyota should.
Daihatsu is at the budget end of the Jap giant's vast umbrella as Lexus is at the luxury end, so they have very different starting prices in the desirability stakes.
But desirable the Terios is for those seeking a capable 4x4 family car with plenty of room and moderate running costs but unable or unwilling to pay for a more prestigious marque.
And capable it is. With permanent 50/50 four-wheel-drive, a differential lock and a decent 105ps on tap, the Terios doesn't quiver at the prospect of a bit of slippery, muddy work (or fun) and could get you out of some otherwise dodgy situations.
Although the new Terios is bigger than the model it replaces and the track considerably wider, it's still a compact vehicle, making town driving a relaxing affair, aided by an excellent turning circle of just 9.8 metres, a high seating position and good visibility coupled with large door mirrors.
The car has to be built to a budget, hence a rather spartan interior, but there are many pleasing touches not found on more expensive vehicles.
For example, the rear doors stop open at three different angles to allow easy entry and egress, and the rear load bay is usefully high to allow easy loading.
The stereo controls are easy to see and use and there are big, round and simple heater/aircon controls.
The Terios is handsome in a chunky, jolly way and feels well built - the doors shut with a pleasing thunk and switches and knobs click firmly in place.
The boot is accessed via a big, upright door which opens to reveal a decent 380 litres of space with all seats upright (enough for four golf bags), and the split rear seats fold and tumble forward to liberate a generous cargo area - this is helped by the door-mounted spare wheel.
There's ample room for four, five at a squeeze, and there are three sets of Isofix seat mountings in the back.
On the road the Terios handles surprisingly sharply. The totally new chassis provides a good ride and stability, with front MacPherson struts and a new anti-roll bar, and the rear suspension features variable rate springs and improved damping.
It works well and the car can be thrown into corners with some confidence, feeling well planted and with little body roll.
The ride is slightly firm but not excessively so, and improved rear shocks make the rough-terrain experience fairly comfortable.
The steering is very good for a 4x4 of this type; it's accurate, with much less understeer at higher speeds than you'd expect.
And so to the engine. It develops 105ps but that's at 6,000rpm - and the red line is at 6,500rpm. The result is that to get decent performance you need plenty of right foot, at the cost of fuel economy; I achieved 30.4mpg over 300 miles.
It also means things can get quite noisy. The engine sounds strained at anything over 3,000rpm and once you get past 4,000rpm - and you will - the engine becomes quite noticeable.
You'll certainly need to raise your voice to argue, er, chat with your spouse at 70mph, when the unit is pulling around 3,700rpm, but if you don't mind that, the Terios can provide quite a spirited drive. It also means there's little differential whine to speak of.
When close manoeuvring, the "reversing" sensors seemed to have a mind of their own, chiming out irritatingly and at random in long and short beeps, like Philip Glass on a bad day. But they did provide some amusement for a while
Equipment-wise, even the base model 1.5 S, which costs £12,995, is very well endowed and the 1.5 SX as tested, which adds goodies like 16-inch alloys, roof rails, front fog lamps and a heated front screen and mirrors comes in at a competitive £14,295 OTR. All models have comprehensive safety equipment.
Factor in Group 7 or 8 insurance and a three-year unlimited mileage warranty and the Terios is a seriously attractive SUV proposition.
3:09pm Monday 23rd June 2008
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