The little Daihatsu Charade is a low-cost city car that is unlikely to leave you out of pocket.

It was launched in 2003 by Daihatsu, a Japanese firm in which Toyota has a major stake.

The Charade comes in three and five-door variants and is powered by a solitary 1.0-litre petrol engine.

Modest equipment levels compliment the car’s frugal approach to motoring.

Engines:

There’s only one option with the Charade and it’s the company’s eager little three-cylinder, 1.0-litre petrol unit. Its heady thrum and excellent fuel-sipping qualities are the highpoints, although refinement at speed could be better.

Exterior:

They say a picture paints a thousand words and from looking at the Charade it’s clear that function won the battle over style. That’s not a bad thing, as the little Daihatsu’s boxy stance ensures that the maximum has been extracted from the cabin.

Interior:

For once, describing the Charade’s cabin as basic should be viewed as a complement. The car’s simple controls, space efficient seating layout and tall stance all tick the right boxes – what more could you want from a budget small car?

Driving:

There’s little need to drive the Charade briskly – to do so is to miss the point regarding economy anyway.

What the little car excels at is not wasting fuel and getting you from A to B in comfort. All the controls are light and direct, the Charade copes easily with poorly surfaced urban roads and, despite its tall stance, doesn’t pitch or roll as much as you might think.

All in all, the Charade is a competent city car.

Ownership:

With its low price tag and even lower running costs, the Charade is unlikely to cause your credit rating to crash. It’s also an easy car to drive and park, thanks mainly to its compact dimensions.

There are very few creature comforts, although for short journeys you’ll barely notice the Charade’s basic cabin.

What To Look For:

Being a car designed largely for city use, expect to see at least a few parking dents and general scrapes. Kerbed wheels are another issue, with only you able to weigh up the extent of the damage against the asking price.

Remember that such damage could be hiding more expensive problems that you can’t see.

Of course, such issues – and more – should all be evident on the test drive and once completed you can then make your final decision.

By Iain Dooley

Second Glance…

Reasons to Buy

Cheap, cheerful, economical to run, easy to drive

Reasons to Beware

Realistically not a car for piling on the miles with, basic cabin, refinement at speed

Pick of the Range

Charade 1.0 EL 5dr

What to Pay

2003 03 – £1,540

2003 53 – £1,635

2004 04 – £1,965

2004 54 – £2,060

2005 05 – £2,440

2005 55 – £2,590

2006 06 – £2,960

* Figures relate to showroom prices for cars in A1 condition.