Hi I have such fond memories of my '08 dark grey Copen 1.3 which I had to sell due to a house move. The only car my wife and I almost fell out about driving! I now have the hankerings for another. Question is will I be happy with a 660 turbo or is the extra expense £2000 - £300K) worth it? I've trawled the forums and seen a few posts which say the 660 is a great drive but with not quite the oomph understandably. Should oil changes and awkward filter location be a deal breaker? I can really only afford a 660 for say ~£4k but would I regret not spending the extra for a more recent 1.3? Sensible to just test drive a 660 I guess but just wondered peoples thoughts before I make a move.
Hello Earthdweller, I don't think you'll be disappointed with the 660. It is a hoot to drive. I'd say your choice is down to your mileage. If your doing a lot, save some more money. If not, get out there a buy a 660 Copen.
dwayner i dont know about the 1.3, i wish they had come here, but the .6 is super reliable - ive done over 205,000 kms, with only a couple of small things to fix - turbo, clutch, engine run as good as the day i got it - last service, nothing required replacing - so cant be beat. Im buying another copen to use for spares, should i need it..there is quite a few up for sale here in australia.
Have had my 1.3 for just over 2 years and I love it - i cannot speak for the 660, the only thing i will say is that as i have read comments made by owners there does appear to more problems/ issues! Most around the servicing, every 3 to 6k, access to the oil filter and the cost of parts - turbo's in particular. Mine is due for its next service and have already spoken to a number of different garages, costs etc - all are quite relaxed as the 1.3 appears to be a standard type engine, used by Daihatsu and others in quite a number of models. To me that says that I should be able to get the bits and the support to keep the Copen going for many years. Difficult i know, but what looks good value now many not be in the long run? Does that make sense! One persons opition! Hope this helps.
Hmm Thanks Guys (gals?) Right that puts me back on the fence! Basically seems that if you can afford it then maybe the 1.3 makes more sense. Easier servicing, lower road tax, better mpg, better performance. Otherwise you wont go wrong with a 660 at all and may even prefer the turbo ride. I notice that cosmetically in the Uk at least the newer copen has a boot spoiler and coloured inserts in the steering wheel. Seems about it. There is a red model for sale near me with gold alloy wheels which looks tempting, also found a blue one with white seats! These are the colours I've found mostly in the 660 version. Red Black Silver Dark Silver Blue w/white seats Green w/tan leather Champagne White/ivory Yellow Not a bad selection really when you pair it with the various seat colour combinations. I think I'm leaning towards silver light or dark but I supose the right mileage/age/price could sway me.
I have the 660 version and find it to have plenty of oomph for my style of driving. I looked at the 1.3 but couldn't find one within my budget. The 1.3 has marginally better fuel economy and is cheaper to tax. Had I been able to afford one I would have opted for the 1.3 simply due to running cost savings and to avoid the spectre of turbo failure. That being said, I feel (hope) that I bought the 660 with my eyes open. I found one with a full service history (essential) and a low mileage. From what I have read about turbo failure, the two main causes appear to be lack of regular oil changes and not allowing the turbo to cool after driving at high speed/revs. The second factor should not be an issue during normal driving. The service issue seems to be the key, tales of turbo failure seem to go hand in hand with an unknown service history and modified engines. Dealer servicing is all very well if you think improved resale value offsets the hugely inflated cost. If you don't mind a bit of DIY the servicing costs are pretty cheap, plus you know what has been done and you don't have to take your car back because the dealer has overfilled the oil. Decent oil can be had for £5 per litre (2.6l required for a change) and my local motor spares specialist sells the filters (fram) for £3.30. Timing chain beats belt every time . The little engine behaves beautifully and is plenty of fun. I can't imagine the 1.3 being that much better as the car is more about corners than straights, the little turbo makes the right noises too. One small point is that the car was designed around the 660cc (kei car limitations). Sorry to muddy the waters further.
Personal choice Having now tried both models,they are just as good as each other so it's just personal choice. Have another idea to ponder over,54 plate turbo with blown turbo,very high miles is currently at one of our local approved mechanics................ Owner dropped his 1300cc Suzuki end of last year...............not going to repair it as the frames bent................. How does Copen with 170bhp of motorbike engine sound!!!!!!! Will keep everyone up to date with the progress,plans etc,they tell me it looks like a three month project Watch this space...............................................
Now that would be great. I've seen Suzuki Cappuccino's with Haybusa engines. They were crazy fast. Would love to see a Copen with a Motorbike engine. Would you self build?
Major update! Seems my wife misses the Copen too! Shes prepared to swap in her Fiat 500 as px so that changes the budget completely. Plus she'd mostly let me drive it. I am now looking for the newest lowest mileage 1.3 Copen in the Uk at a dealers so I can px. I expect to keep the Copen for a long time. Just missed an 09 plate with 3800 miles on at Kings Manchester. Are there any new ones anywhere. So close now I can taste it!
copen 58 plate with either 11000,or 16000 miles local to me totally spotless had a look when it came into the dealer a couple of days back I am not involved in project copen power,when done the guy wants to do a few shows with us,pretty secret type of garage with several new cars being tested for performance mods so i will get photos and more info when i can
Hi Earthdweller, Quick look at Autotrader, the Copen at Kings in Manchester is back up at £7k, that £250 less than last week - maybe the sale fell through? Mileage is nothing and will still have the remainder of the 5 year warranty! Enjoy....
There are SMARTs too! http://www.youtube.com/results?sear...1.0.18376.8.7.1.0.0.0.212.828.0j4j1.5.0...0.0. Way too crazy imo! And the engine won't run as long as a standard 1.3 or 0.7 of a Copen will!
