DAIHATSU YRV 1.3 5dr (2001)

Bit pricey to buy but dead cheap to run, v reliable

I got my YRV three years ago, second hand at 30k miles. Since then I've put another 50k miles on it and it's been relatively reliable. The only problem has been some water leakage, so there must be some minor problems with the seals. That may well be to do with the Scottish weather though! I mean that's the only problem that you wouldn't ordinarily expect of a car this age. It's had the odd thing like brake discs and exhaust but it's quite a common car so the availability and labour are fairly easy to source. But it seldom needs work, especially compared to friends' cars of similar ages, so I'm chuffed with it in that respect.

The best thing about it is the sheer size inside. I had a go in a Micra before I got the YRV, and I went with the YRV mainly because it is such an immense tardis. It's difficult to see from the outside but there's bags of space in there, and the back seats especially are really big (and really nice and high up) for such a tiny car. The back seats fold up to make the (already big) boot even bigger. I moved my son to uni in it last year, and it JUST squeezed all the huge amount of pointless stuff he insisted on taking! The front seats recline very easily with a little lever at the side, that's much nicer than having a twiddly thing you have to rotate for ages. I also find it quite a quirky car, not as dull looking at a lot of Fords or Vauxhalls.

To drive it is just fine. It's not hugely powerful but nippy enough in traffic and pretty good on the motorways. It does inevitably struggle with the steeper inclines, and it could certainly be softer and more comfy over some of the rougher surfaces that we encounter. I have been pleased with fuel consumption and the insurance is fairly low. My other half has just got a Skoda Octavia though which is starting to embarrass our little YRV in terms of fuel consumption. It just seems to sip fuel, really amazing.

The car we got had the see-through roof in it (with moveable covers) which does give a very good view all around, which is nice when we're driving around the highlands. Visibility generally is top notch, it's quite high up for a small car and the body pillars are all in sensible places so it's straightforward to see all around and to park.