Episode 60

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Published on:

13th Jul 2023

The Daihatsu Rocky 4x4 - Part 2 of the "Little Weirdos" 4x4 Series

00:00 - SHOW OPEN - 1990-1992 Daihatsu Rocky

Today is the second episode of our Little Weirdo’s 4x4 Edition month-long special featuring four small, fun-to-drive and affordable used 4x4 SUVs from the 80s and 90s, and today's small SUV is the Daihatsu Rocky, sold in the US from model years 1990-1992

01:25 - INTRO - The Rocky

The Daihatsu Rocky was an outstanding example of the small 4x4’s sold in the US back in the 80s and 90s, and you should know about it in case you come across a good one when you’re looking for a used car or truck.

03:55 - Timing Is Everything

The Daihatsu brand was launched in the US in 1988 during a recession and in the case of the Rocky, while it was a well-built, reliable and outstanding off-road vehicle, and certainly one of the best examples of the small 4x4’s sold in the US at the time, it hit the market towards the end of that small, rugged 4x4 era when consumers who wanted an SUV were gravitating towards larger 4-door examples, like the Ford Explorer and Jeep Cherokee. After only 5-years in the US and faltering sales, Daihatsu exited the US market and the Rocky was no more, but it still represents an impressive example of the small 4x4s sold in the late 80s and early 90s, so it's worth considering if you can find a good one.

05:55 - Fun Both On-Road and Off

Like the other small SUVs in this month-long review, the Rocky is highly maneuverable due to it’s short 85.6-inch wheelbase, which, for comparison, is more than 3-inches shorter than a 1990 Mazda Miata’s wheelbase.  But what made it even better was its wide track compared to the competition.  At 57.9-inches, the Rocky had one of the widest tracks for a small 4x4 vehicle in its class. 

Combined with an independent front double wishbone suspension, traditional leaf springs in the rear and more than 8-inches of ground clearance, the Rocky offered reasonable on-road stability and comfort along with impressively capable maneuverability when driving off-road. 

07:05 - Not Exactly Fast

The engine motivating a 1990 Rocky was a 1.6-liter DOHC 4-cylinder that made 94-horsepower at 5700 rpm and 94-lb.ft. of torque at 3200 rpm when new, which is pretty typical for similar size 4-cylinder engines from that era.  However, unlike most of the other SUVs in this series, the Rocky was on the heavy side at about 2800 pounds.

With less than 100-horsepower, a relatively high weight and a 5-speed manual transmission, you should expect zero-to-sixty-mph times similar to or a little slower than the other 4x4 SUVs in this month-long series. The only review I found with stopwatch times was from Road Test Magazine featuring a 1991 Rocky that covered zero-to-60-mph in 17.59-seconds. This is quite slow by modern standards, but still similar to the acceleration of other small SUVs in this review.

Road Test Magazine Daihatsu Rocky Review - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Do1k_f2MvJ4&t=5s

08:50 - Features and Options

Keeping with the nature of this rugged, jeep-like small 4x4, there weren’t a lot of creature comforts available on the Daihatsu Rocky when it first launched.  Early examples had hand-cranked windows, manual door locks and manual locking hubs that required drivers to get out of the truck to lock the front hubs by when using 4WD. However, over the course of the Rocky’s short run, many of these issues were fixed with the addition of power windows and locks, along with auto locking hubs and more attractive alloy wheels, rather than simple steel wheels   

10:10 - Two Trim Levels

  • SE is the base level interior with vinyl seat trim
  • SX is more premium, with up-scale cloth seats or velour seating surfaces on the SX Plus model with wrap-around bucket seats
  • Air Conditioning was an option and I recommend it, if you can find a Rocky with functioning AC

11:10 - Two Ways To Get Your Vitamin D

  • All Rocky models have a tilting/removable sunroof section above the driver and front passenger seat
  • Buyers had a choice of a soft top or a hardtop over the rear seats.
  • Soft-top could be easily retracted to provide ample sun to the rear-seat passengers.  But if you want more security, you should get a Rocky with a hardtop, that can be removed for the same open effect as the folding top.   
  • Both hard and stop tops are interchangeable

12:30 - What To Look For In A Daihatsu Rocky

  • Excellent Condition (garaged, no accidents, no rust, etc.)
  • Minimal Owners
  • Low miles
  • Consistently maintained/serviced
  • Has all parts and pieces that came originally with the vehicle

I haven't vetted this vendor, but they could be a potential resource if you need Daihatsu Rocky parts:

https://daihatsurockyparts.wixsite.com/drpn

15:00 - Price - What Can You Expect To Pay?

Prices vary dramatically from very inexpensive ($1500) to expensive examples that push up towards $15,000. Condition of the Rocky you buy is mission critical since Daihatsu is a brand that is no longer sold or serviced in the US. Realistically I would expect to pay between $5,000 to $8,000 for a great example, but again condition is everything. I suggest that you be patient and wait for an excellent, but affordably under-priced example to come to you. If you have the time to wait, a good one will show up.

23:40 - Show Wrap/Close

I rate the Rocky highly as a fun-to-drive small 90s 4x4 and would buy an excellent condition example myself if I could find one at the right price. However, finding a excellent condition Rocky will take time and patience since they are quite rare.

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Better Than New
Find a cool used car, truck or SUV at a price you'll love
The average new car sales price in the US is nearly $50,000, and the average used vehicle sales price is close to $30,000... I think that's insane! Well if you're like me and you don’t want to pay these crazy inflated car prices, I believe you should still be able to drive something fun. That’s the idea behind Better Than New – a podcast to help you find a cool used car, truck or SUV at a price you’ll love.

I’m Gary Crenshaw, host of Better Than New and a long time automotive enthusiast, and I want to inspire car buyers on a budget to think differently about what they can actually afford to drive. My goal is to introduce listeners to the broad array of interesting, fun-to-drive, enthusiast-friendly used cars, trucks and SUVs available at prices just about anyone can afford… vehicles from the 80s, 90s, 2000s and beyond that offer buyers a wide range of interesting choices. Each week we’ll explore a specific vehicle or vehicle category, tell you what to look for and what to avoid, and give you practical tips to help you find your next cool used car, truck or SUV and keep it on the road for years to come.

With a little work, the joy of owning a cool used car at price you’ll love is within reach and this podcast is here to help you find it.

So hop in, buckle up and let's go for a drive!

About your host

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Gary Crenshaw

A lifelong lover of all things mechanical, Gary has spent the majority of his existence driving, dreaming about or wrenching on cars, motorcycles and even the occasional airplane.

It started with mini-bikes and go-karts as a kid, progressed to 2-stroke dirt bikes, followed by his first car… a 1969 Volkswagen Beetle. Then came the Yamaha era with several RD400s, RZ350s and a Canadian RD350LC (should have kept that!). A pilot’s license was next with some memorable hours flying a 1946 Aeronca Champ low and slow around the Pacific Northwest. While in college, his brother-in-law who sold high-end cars hired him to deliver BMW, Mercedes and Porsche vehicles to customers.

Those early experiences led to a lifetime of owning an eclectic mix of interesting used cars, including a ‘65 Mustang GT, a ’72 Datsun 510, a Porsche 914, a Celica Alltrac Turbo, a Mini Cooper S, a couple of Miata’s, two Audi S4 Avants, a Galant VR4, a Fiat 850 Spider, a 1983 Subaru 4x4 GL wagon and a first gen RX-7, along with dozens of daily driver cars and SUVs from Acura, Honda, Toyota and Mazda. And his favorite? Depends on when you ask, but that distinction likely goes to the Mazda RX-4 station wagon he learned to drive in. That fun-to-drive car combined Gary's passion for wagons, rotary engines and manual transmissions all in one.

So what about you? Which used car, truck or SUV would you love to own? Let’s find it together!