I bought the Daihatsu Applause honestly thinking it was a saloon, but it turned out to be more of a hatchback. Bit cheeky that, as I really wanted a bit more boot space than it had, but I suppose I should have checked a bit more closely before actually buying the thing.
For some reason I always had it in for Japanese motors before I bought a Daihatsu Applause. I suppose they are quite good though. I had an Italian car before this so being able to go out without expecting the thing to break down every fifteen feet was like a breath of fresh air. Also in performance terms the Applause was a lot more nippy than you might think.
In fact, looking back on it, I had some good drives in my Daihatsu Applause and I remember it quite fondly. It was pretty uncomfortably and I did my neck in once or twice trying to get a good position, and it wasn't exactly the most stylish and refined of motors but I think the Japanese did a pretty good job on this one. Also, I've seen them at a great price recently.