As requested, I'm writing a short thread about the comparison of the two trucks I've owned with likes/dislikes of each. Both trucks were the newer body style trucks (99+ models) with EFI, power steering, and A/C. The Subaru was equipped with a 3-speed auto transmission and all wheel drive. The Hijet is a 5-speed manual with button push 4x4 mode. Accessory-wise both trucks are set up with camo bedliner paint, cd player/speakers, camo interior, and tool box in the bed. The Subaru was geared more for offroad so it has several accessories that I opted out of on the Hijet so that the Hijet will be more road-worthy. The Subaru had: 4" body lift, HD front coil springs, front guard w/fog lamps, rear roll bar w/lights, front/rear receiver hitch, and winch. Okay, so now you have an idea of the similarities/differences between the two trucks options'. Interior: The Subaru is by far the more comfortable cabin. It is larger/wider inside with lots of storage places and 4 cupholders! The seat backs are very adjustable as well. In comparison, the Hijet's interior is much tighter and the seats seem to be in more of an upright position. I have 2 cupholders that are located on the dash. It lacks all the 'cubby holes' of the subaru interior. So the Subaru is the best interior of any mini-truck I've seen (especially the 99+model subarus). As for the area of driving: Keep in mind I am comparing my two trucks, which is not necessarily a true comparison between all subarus and hijets. Once again, my subaru was setup more for offroad and had the auto transmission. Driving-wise the Hijet is the winner. The Subaru is fun, but in my case it lacked the power of the Hijet. The Daihatsu gets up to speed faster and then can hold that speed even when going up steep hills. Of course, this may be due to the fact of the added weight from accessories on the subaru, the 4" lift affecting aerodynamics, all wheel drive, and the gearing of the 3-speed versus the 5-speed manual of the Hijet. Whatever the cause, the Hijet has the power and is great at the higher speeds (90-100kmh) as well. Driving Noise: The subaru could see the high speeds without issue, but I found the engine to be quite loud when going 95-105kmh. The exhaust noise was penetrating. To my surprise, the Hijet was amazingly quiet going 90kmh. I could barely hear the engine and it sounded like it was not revving high at all. This was a big surprise because I had thought that the subaru would be quieter at highway speeds because the engine was further away from the cabin. But despite the Hijet's engine being behind the seats, it is by far the quietest of the two trucks I owned. The Hijet also idles quieter. So in the area of engine/exhaust noise, the Daihatsu is the better. Ride Comfort: The Subaru would get jarred pretty bad over railroad tracks. This may have been due to the HD front coil springs. The Hijet is much smoother over the tracks and feels more solid when in the bumps. I was surprised at the Hijet's ride quality because I had figured the subaru's full coil suspension would make it the better ride of the mini-trucks, but the Hijet's front coil/rear leaf setup was better in my case. Transmission: 3-speed versus 5-speed manual Well, this is a matter of what a person would prefer. The 3-speed was a good transmission and has a nice "POWER" mode button that causes it to shift itself to redline. This turned the subaru in-town driving experience into a sport-car/race event. Very responsive. So in town, the 3-speed is convenient for sure. It also gives you more interior room not having the shifter. The downside is the fact it is geared differently. 2nd gear took you all the way up to 65kmh. From there 3rd had to take the rest (66-140kmh) That is quite a long gear. So it wasn't geared to give you maximum horsepower/torque at the highway speeds. The Hijet 5-speed is smooth to shift and I enjoy being able to row through the gears. The transmission allows me faster acceleration and the gearing probably aids in the high-speed power that is present when 90+kmh. So if in the city all the time, you'd probably prefer the auto. If driving any highway at all, the 5-speed is the way to go. Fuel Economy: Okay, this is the big area of why I loved the Hijet. The Hijet got me 38mpg on the 1st tank, and 35mpg the 2nd. Now those are great numbers. This was mostly driving 90kmh and some city mixed in there. The Subaru I had was not a MPG champ to be honest. 25mpg was more common. I saw my highest numbers in the subaru when keeping it in town going no more than 75kmh, but the mpg's fell off when I would go 85-100kmh. But this is probably due to the combination of the 3-speed's gearing, all wheel drive, 4" lift, and the weight of accessories. So in fuel economy, The Hijet is the winner. So both are fun to drive. The main reason I switched is because one truck was for one purpose, the other for another. I wanted a truck that was quiet on the highway, got great fuel economy, and had the power. The Daihatsu had all of those things. This is why on this truck I am only doing cosmetic upgrades (paint/camo seats) and keeping the ride low. I want to keep the driving characteristics stock. So these are my observations between the two. I love things about each truck and each truck has a few things I wish the other had. But you have to choose what is most important for your situation and go with that. ~Josh
Josh, Thanks for taking the time to post the comparison. That's why I like this place. I've learned quite a bit by reading posts like this and others. Nice job! Phil ________ Honda CD100
