Used Daihatsu Sirion 1998 - 2005 review

What's the used Daihatsu Sirion like?

There seem to be hundreds of superminis out there, most of which look identical. The same can't be said of the Sirion. Its styling is undeniably unusual, but it manages to look almost elegant.

The Sirion's other big plus point is financial. It's cheap to buy and even cheaper to run, with fuel economy being particularly impressive.

Overview

It's decent if you rate value and style over ability; pretty much useless if you don't

Pros

• It's got distinctly quirky looks, it's well-equipped and cheap to buy and run

Cons

• The Sirion is noisy, has a cheap interior and doesn't drive very well

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Daihatsu Sirion

1.3 SE 5dr

£599

Daihatsu Sirion

1.3 S 5dr

£1,295

Daihatsu Sirion

1.3 SE 5dr

£1,890

Daihatsu SIRION

1.3 F-Speed F-Speed 5dr

£2,000

Daihatsu Sirion

1.5 SX 5dr

£2,150

Daihatsu Sirion

1.0 SE 5dr

£2,178

Daihatsu Sirion

1.0 SE 5dr

£2,490

Daihatsu Sirion

1.3 SE 5dr

£2,495

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However, that's where the Sirion's list of merits ends. There are plenty of superminis that offer significantly more space inside than the Sirion. Also, the quality of the materials and the design in the cabin fall woefully short of the style that the outside promises.

It's not a brilliant car to drive, either. It's gruff in town, rides too firmly and there's too much vibration in the cabin. On faster roads, there's pronounced body lean and a shortage of grip in bends, and too much noise on the motorway.

Our recommendations

Which used Daihatsu Sirion should I buy?

Initially, there were two versions, Sirion and Sirion Plus. Each had a 54bhp 1.0-litre engine that was breathless at speed, but good at zipping the car around town.

The standard car provided basic kit, including power steering, twin front airbags and electric mirrors. The Plus did much better, coming with air-con, central locking, side airbags, anti-lock brakes and four powered windows. This is the one we'd recommend.

The range was face-lifted in 2000, when the two existing trim levels were rebadged E and EL, and a new version called the SL was introduced. The SL had the same specification as the EL, but with sports seats and a new 102bhp 1.3-litre engine, which provided some much-needed extra power.

Eventually, Daihatsu introduced a whole range of variants including a 4trak four-wheel-drive version and even an F-Speed model with a ridiculous F1-style paddle-shift gearbox. Leave these versions alone, and go for either an early Plus or a 1.3 SL.