Hello nice to meet you all! My name is Frank, I'm 17 years old (almost 18, just a few more days...) and I am going to buy a Daihatsu Copen soon. I'm from the Netherlands, near Amsterdam. I've seen a Copen once before in my life and was in-love right away. I am still deciding on if I want to buy the 0.7 or the 1.3 version. I've called two different car shops to make an appointment and will visit them tomorrow. I think I like the 1.3 version more because it is cheaper to maintain (?). On this forum I also found a post on the differences between the 1.3 and 0.7 version, however I really am not sure what to go for. What's better the 0.7 or the 1.3? What's more fun to drive? Please let me know!
Hi, I'm 19 and I got my Copen when I turned 18 and he was my first car. He is the 659cc model. I haven't driven a 1.3l but here are my thoughts. Cost: 1.3 requires less maintenance, so will be cheaper in long term. Both engines are very reliable if taken care of. Both use timing chain. 1.3L will probably take more abuse before it gives up, but please treat it well regardless. 1.3L engine can be found in other Daihatsu models such as the Sirion and Terrios, so parts will be easier and cheaper to find if needed. Toyota has their own variant of the same engine, further making parts easier and cheaper to get. The 1.3L is rated to get about 2 to 4 mpg more than the 659cc if I remember right. So a little bit of money will be saved there. Handling: Apart from the engine, they are exactly the same. The slight increase in front end weight of the 1.3 will probably be slightly noticeable, but shouldn't make that big a difference. (20KG difference) The 1.3 does produce more torque, so torque steer may be felt more frequently and stronger, however it is only a small torque increase over the 659cc (100NM vs 119NM) so again, probably next to no difference, but since the Copen is so light it may be more noticeable then I'm predicting. (can't say for sure, only driven the 659cc) Speed: They are both slow. The 1.3L is definitely faster but still far from a race car. (9.5s vs 11.7s from 0-60mph) Copen's are very good at making you think you are going faster than you actually are. (Loud, stiff and low to the ground) Fun: This area is very subjective. I think it is important to say what cars you have driven and what your preferences are when reviewing or giving opinions on a car. I have driven the following cars, BMW 120d Msport, BMW 640d msport (just up and down a street, barely exceeded 15mph) Ford Fiesta with a 3cyl engine and a Peugeot 208 GT line with a diesel engine. For me personally, the most fun cars rev high, make cool noises and have a certain character to the way they increase and decrease revs. I also like cars with good feedback through the steering and a mechanical feel to the gearbox. I am personally not at all interested in how fast the car actually is. I only care about the pure feeling and sound of the cars mechanical bits and how all the feelings come together as a complete package. So now you have some context when I say things like "it feels great" or "its the best I've felt". In my opinion, I think the 659cc will be more fun. The 659cc is turbocharged, and it can be heard spooling up and recirculating boost air back into the air intake when you lift of the throttle, and I love hearing that sound. The 659cc engine also revs higher (8,000 vs 6,800) and I love the sound of a engine at high revs. I have heard for a brief moment, a 1.3L Copen accelerate out of a roundabout past me while I was on a walk, and it had a nice exhaust note, but I can't really say which sounds better in the exhaust since I haven't heard the 1.3 for long enough in a wider range of rpm. In the 659cc you can also feel when the turbo kicks in and I think that makes accelerating feel more exciting. That little bit of turbo lag followed by a build up in torque is fun for me. I also like the novelty of owning a car with such a tiny engine. Summary. If you want the most speed then get the 1.3L If you don't care so much about speed and want more excitement at normal road speeds then I would personally recommend the 659cc. (down to personal preference) If you want to tune the engine for more power, there are more aftermarket options readily available (from Japan) for the 659cc. If you want to save money, you will save more with the 1.3 in the long term, but Copen's tend to rust easy and engine reliability is basically the same (turbos can fail on the 659cc, but this seems to be linked more with a bad service history rather than it being unreliable. I have heard some people say their Copen are on the original turbo and have exceeded or are close to 100k miles) So money saving may or may not be that much bigger depending on service history and how long you keep/drive the car for. You can't really go wrong with either. The Copen is great, and is the best car I have driven by a very very wide margin.
What is better out of a 0.7 or 1.3 copen , I think only you can answer this , whats more fun to drive again what is your driving style and how hard do you like to drive or feel you are driving hard ? I drove a few 0.7 copens before buying my 1.3 . just me personally I preferred the less servicing and more ease of parts , plus as much as I loved winding up the 0.7 turbo , in some ways this was to tempting and i would of found it harder to just drive while keeping the revs low . I dont think there is a lot of actual difference in the driving experience regarding handling and speed etc , like AFRON says what ever you choose you will feel like you are going faster than you actually are , this I really like . I have had stupidly fast cars in my past , but the Copen can still put a massive smile on my face whenever I drive it .
Hi, I am Ger from Delft. The Netherlands also. I own a lefthanded drive 1.3 Copen classic ( 2006 80.000 km), besides a Honda CRV. I have no experience with the 0.7 Copen but I think they are all right-handed drivers. You should consider this also. Haha, you have to climb out of the car at a parking ticket machine. The 1.3 is more rare and expensive than the 0.7 in the Netherlands. Generally you may add 2-3000 euro of the price of a 0.7 for a 1.3. It depends on your budget also. My Copen is fine, fast and in very good shape and I experience no problems at all. Apperently you have fallen in love with the car, but a good Copen can be hard to find since it is obviously an old model and most owners are not selling their beloved easily. I advise check your candidates carefully. Especially the types that are sold via garages on "Marktplaats". Some are there already for more than a year (!?), better check for an enthousiast who wants to sell privately. Check for rust, engine, tyres and rims, good closing and opening of the roof. You may ask a former Daihatsu dealer to have a look also. Good luck, Ger
Hello there, I am the owner of a 1.3 Copen. I personally think it is fantastic! This one might be slightly better for motorway/higher speed roads than the 0.7 Copen. It just depends on your preferences. I think both will be fantastic cars for you regardless of which one you choose.
I bought a 1.3 Copen about a week ago now. I did a test drive in a 0.7 one as well, in my experience the 1.3 is just as fun to drive (maybe even more fun ). Thanks for all the kind recommendations. I'll post some pictures of my Copen later, when the weather is a bit better .
