Hi Just thought i'd introduce myself as a potential future owner. Been looking at copens for a while now and becoming more tempted by the day. I own a smart roadster at the moment and am very happy with it (despite its little quirks) but as i've had it for 5 years i fancy a change. Any ex roadster owners made the change here? Im into small 2 seat buzzy convertibles and like to be different and the copen or indeed dare i say it here cappucino fits the bill. Any pointers as to what to look for or any advise would be greatly appreciated. Cheers
Hi Yksum, Welcome to Copenworld, Here's a link to the buyers guide: https://www.copenworld.com/vb3/showthread.php?t=1078 I came to the Copen from a Cappuccino. Great car, shame about the rust. :-((
A year ago I started looking for a smart roadster but was put off by the semi auto gear change which was similar to the change on my Citroen Pluriel. I started having problems with the sensodrive gears on the Pluriel and the cost of repair was more than the car value. Anyway that put me off the smart, that plus stories of water leaks which destroyed expensive components. I liked the look of the smart with the big wide tyres but they have even less boot space than the Copen which is saying something. The roadsters I test drove I think were less of a driving experience than my Copen, plus I really like the copens gearshift. Overall I would say the Copen beats the smart plus the Copen is a proper convertible. Best of luck with your Copen search yksum.
The roadster isn't without its faults but a lot of what people may think of them is slightly unfair. I've had mine for 5 years and have had very little go wrong with it. Yes they can leak, mine does slightly in very heavy rain but then so do a lot of convertibles and its so slight its barely noticeable. Most have had the leak issues sorted by now. The gearbox takes some getting used to but once you're used to it its actually quite rewarding, especially the steering wheel paddles. Performance is good enough, dare i say quite exciting! and running costs are reasonable. They are a lot more reliable and robust than many people think. I'm only considering changing as i fancy something different and i've always liked the copen. Is there much difference between the .6 and the 1.3 in performance terms? I know what the published figures say but that doesn't always translate to actual on road driving. There are plenty of .6's for sale but am i better off shelling out a bit more money for a 1.3? Cheers
I'd say it's down to personal preference & circumstances as to whether a 659 turbo or 1.3 would suit. If you do lots of mileage I'd suggest looking at a 1.3. Only because the 659 turbo needs fresh oil every 3000 miles. To start the argument, I believe the 659 turbo engine to be the better drive due to the high revving turbo unit giving a more enjoyable experience.
I dont do many miles tbh....circa 4k per year but it would be my daily driver and i wondered if the smaller engine might struggle a bit compared to the 1.3. My roadster is only .7 but has plenty enough grunt for what i use it for. Is the bigger engined car noticably quicker than the turbo one? I only ask because the earlier 06 are a fair bit cheaper at the moment so is performance and economy the only real difference?
I run the 659 turbo Copen as my daily driver doing around 6k a year, mostly town driving. It doesn't struggle at all. I've been on motorway trips in it to. Happily cruises at 70 mph at @ 4-4500 revs, redline is 8k. The only difference between the two models are 0-60 times & service intervals. Try out a 659 Copen, I'm sure you won't be dissapointed. If you think it is lacking in the speed department go for the 1.3. Just be sure to choose a 659 with excellent service history.
Hi Yksum,i m owner of 1.3 copen (850 kg),this type of engine is excellent for the copen, i remind you that the same engine have the Terios (1.180 kg) and goes well.Horse power 87cc AGAINST 850 kg (hp/kg),which do you think that wins?If you beat the weight your car is perfect.Engine (1.3 L) with no problems,for many miles and if you need more torque you can anytime put a turbo(Aftermarket) but its not worth it.Real power with no turbo help means economy and a healthy motor,thats the difference....
Adam K, for the history: DAIHATSU Copen 0.7 Turbo Acceleration 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph) 11.7 s - Torque: 73.8 lb-ft @ 3200 RPM OR 100 Nm @ 3200 RPM and Daihatsu Copen 1.3 L 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph) 9.5 s - Torque: 120.00 Nm (12.2 kgf-m or 88.5 ft.lbs) at 3200 Rev. per min. THATS THE REAL DRIVING FUN:-(o
Yes the 1.3 is quicker, but the stats don't tell the whole story. It's hard to explain. Coming from the Smart roadster, Yksum, you'll understand what I mean. It's a lot more fun than the size of the engine displacement suggests. The fun of the Copen isn't about the speed anyway. It's about being different & looking cool at slow speeds.
What about the reliability of 0,7 engine in time?All these are not stats but the official manufacture numbers in the whole world and when you buy a car you need the best performance of it.You can't compare Smart roadster cause the technology of the smart is lower than copen at every section.I know cause i m an owner of a Smart Fourfor 1.5 cdi turbodiesel,JAPAN FOREVER,COPEN FOREVER..............
Yes i know exactly what you mean. The roadster isn't about 0-60 times or top speed but it more than holds it own and it excells in handling and like the copen it looks cool. Again my reason for looking at changing is that i've pretty much had my fun in the roadster. I've enjoyed it while i've had it but i want a new toy similar to the roady with similar performance and space and is also quirky and different.
dwayner Hey tunedtimer! the .7 engine is extremely reliable in the Copen. Ive done over 220,000 km in mine - its just a matter of always servicing it when your supposed to.
That's the Copen all right. Good hunting. Let us know how you get on & what you think after your first test drive in one.
Im torn now between the .6 and 1.3. I just want to change my roadster but can't be arsed with the selling and buying thing. Don't spose anyone on here wants to do a straight swap?
I test drove a couple of .6 copens when I was looking, but eventually bought a 1.3. I found the .6 accelerated noticeably slower than the 1.3 but I'd have been happy with a .6. As Adam says the cars aren't about power or acceleration. I had to pay significantly more for the 1.3 than a .6 but obviously the 1.3 is a newer car. It depends on what your budget is but personally I'd go for the 1.3 which has a Toyota Yaris engine and is less finicky than the turbo charged car. The 1.3 is cheaper to run as well.
