This Tiny 4x4 Is The Best SUV You Forgot About, Although it is Very SLOW (Bronco/Wrangler Beater)

[@jeffhayes3728]

Tommy, thanks for the excellent review of the Daihatsu Rocky. As a multiple Rocky owner and parts supplier for these little SUV's, you pretty much hit the nail on the head with the review. We were working with a glass broker to get rear glass manufactured but Covid-19 stopped all progress with the overseas company making the glass. We will resume once we can re-establish the connection. Thanks again, Daihatsu Rocky Parts Northwest.

[@toyota420xp]

Inthink this vehicle is the best looking of all the ones you mention. I like it. Looks like a small old bronco. The paint scheme looks american. The rear glass probable could be made

[@trianggaindralukmana2184]

Just buy from Indonesia but maybe not same model as yours, since the the sales market rocky or taft is in indonesia, we have lot of aftermarket support too

[@HNRichard]

@@trianggaindralukmana2184 Apart from the rear glass and that fiberglass detachable roof, yeah you can source the from Indonesia; there are still lots of them rolling around. Some even swap the engines to a more powerful 1KZ Turbo diesel from Toyota.

[@robormiston2841]

Are they related to the Geo Tracker, I have a 95 Tracker and it looks almost the same but better lol.

[@trianggaindralukmana2184]

@@robormiston2841 geo tracker is based on suzuki vitara, the soft offroader. Meanwhile daihatsu has soft offroader like ifs daihatsu on vids or solid axle daihatsu rugger, taft, rocky hiline.

[@vincents.6639]

Daihatsu: ☺️ our 30 years old suv is still going strong. Tommy: 😭 our 3 days Land Rover is still at the workshop.

[@TheDeezelsmoke]

This is the comment that needs to be pinned

[@cpscps2679]

I worked at a Honda dealership that picked up a Daihatsu franchise. I sold a 3 cylinder Charade in 1990 that still hasn't made it to 60 mph.

[@nielsdebakker3283]

I owned a 92 charade 1.3-16V 90hp, no slouch. But the fastest charade from that model(G102)l was a 1.0l with 101hp, look up the GTti... edit: The square blank in the dashboard is for the electric mirror adjustment switch.

[@05Forenza]

I legit laughed at this comment (or rather chortled I guess lmao)

[@apache-yaquibrown4060]

Loved the charade.

[@t0nyloaf]

I loved my late 80s charade!

[@principalsolway3588]

I owned one of these about 15 years ago whilst working for Shell Oil in Borneo, Sarawak Malaysia. At the time it was at least 15 years old . What amazed me was what great condition it was still in. Everything worked. I loved taking in into the jungle on some pretty awful roads and drove along the local beach all the time, I never dared taking the back windows out but lifted the top off when I could. Locals thought I was crazy for not using my air con. As the review stated it was seriously slow. Once every 3 months I would drive to Brunei and it struggle to do 100kph on the perfect motorways. More than 100kph and it was scary. I used to get it professionally groomed every few months and no matter what I did to it- it would look like new again. Great little car for using on developing nation roads, never once broke down, did get stuck once but some local villagers help push me out.

[@devoalan]

So I had one in 2014 when we had a food cart on the beach here in Daytona. I used it to supplement the 4x4 suburban I used for towing the trailer. Had it hooked to the back via a very nice tow bar rig, and would use eight wheel drive to get off the beach at the end of the day. After the cart I sold it, and have pretty much been kicking myself in the butt ever since. So I had a new 1990 delivered today, purchased from the guy that bought it brand new from the dealer. I'm the second owner of a 33 year old Daihatsu! Resto already in progress.

[@stevenyoung3360]

My 1992 Daihatsu Rocky was one of the best vehicles I ever owned. Tough as nails. The real reason they didn't work in America well is because they cost twice as much as the Geo Tracker, but were 3 times as solid. A true Toyota competitor in terms of quality.

[@BakerMan024]

Daihatsu also owned by toyota fyi

[@stevenyoung3360]

@@BakerMan024 They didn't have a stake in them until 1998, long after the rocky in America.

[@mountiansand4x4s5]

My parents had one when I was a kid and I miss it so much. It was deadly on ice but invincible off road. It was so light and got over 30 miles to the gallon dispute being a 4x4 and tires would dry rot before you wore the treadmill off if them. The whole top was panels and you could strip it down to just roll cage.

[@TheWoodythedog]

Many forget it was a winner of one of the major 4 wheel drive magazines 4 Wheeler of the Year Award.

[@dannisetioko6538]

Here in indonesia, rocky is a diesel only.. the gas version is called Feroza, and never came with 4wd..

[@emilramirez7543]

I rode in a Daihatsu Taft in the mountains of Colombia. Man that had to be the coolest off road SUV ever.

[@clarksonoceallachain8536]

New taft or old taft

[@morgster1260]

the USDM 1.6L petrol Rocky is called the Feroza here in Australia, while the rocky comes as a 2.8 Diesel/Turbo Diesel. the USDM rocky/Feroza has pretty much an indestructible engine. i had a feroza paddock basher which the engine had caught fire. not only did it keep running, but it ran better than it did prior to the engine fire lol.

[@KleineErbse]

Same in Germany 🙂

[@HoolaaBaaloo]

And same in Brazil 😉

[@aaronbehindbars]

If you stayed home sick and watched The Price is Right in the late 80's, early 90's, you've heard of the Rocky.

[@alaindeul1333]

This little thing is actually a beast

[@aaronbrandes7456]

I remember the Rocky when sold new! I heard they had a issue with the rear main seal. Want to talk about low power? My daily driver is a 1982 Subaru BRAT 4 speed with a 1.8 liter OHV boxer motor. 0-60 in about an hour.

[@AndrewAMartin]

My first car was a 1980 Subaru 2wd wagon with the 1.6 liter, 5 speed manual, and a tiny little 2 bbl carb -- heavier than a BRAT and less power. Not fun driving on the highway, but it was easy to work on. I'd love an upgraded BRAT, but I don't need another off road toy, I have a Wrangler for that...

[@sinegra30]

There are actually 4 models of this vehicle which are Feroza, Rocky, Sportrack and Bertone freeclimber, the last one with a BMW engine and automatic transmission. Middle dash panel (the one where you put like pencils and stuff) will crack, there is a 1997 version more equipped than yours

[@WEBLY12121]

I had a sportrack it was a removable hard top that I had to leave in my flat as I didnt have a garage - back when Tom Tom was a thing ha ha

[@strawlegalmanfiction5299]

I am watching this because I have just bought a 1990 SX rocky, very low mileage and superb condition, I love it.

[@patrickKitambo]

What mileage and what price?

[@nicolaspablopiza990]

I used to own a charade gtti. 1.0L 3 cylinder turbo intercooler. Quickest car I have owned and I miss it every day...

[@chrismartin153]

I still don't know why they weren't more popular they had a injected engine and a more comfy interior than the Suzuki. Anyway great video love that you guys post at least 1 video per day keep it up:)

[@teamsquidofilms1463]

My samurai has fuel injection

[@chrixrimmington6630]

Well if you look at how much they cost back in the 90s it wasent a cheap car to buy. At least not in the australian market anyway. I have the 92 el feroza 4x4 (australian market) which has power windows, mirrors, central locking, electronically adjustable suspension but no headlight washers 🤔. The coin slot in the center compartment is the power mirror switch and the blank panel on the dash is the 3way dampers S M H soft medium and hard. I don't have much trouble finding body parts as daihatsu was popular in the australian market but engine and electric parts just don't exist. Parts stores don't have them and the few they do have (air filters ect) are stupid expensive. If you are looking at buying one don't. Buy two, your going to need the parts.

[@MiikeyLawless]

Also, it's slow.

[@brandonlaswiss1037]

Do you remember the 87 Dodge Raider

[@heartofdixie67]

I almost bought one...$13500 !!!

[@johnsmith-oh2xo]

Yeah it's a 2door Mitsubishi Montero....

[@lifeupnorth9385]

Yup! I own the '89 V6 5-Speed. Awesome little car.

[@benpinter1988]

You could buy this with a 2.8 turbodiesel in Europe. They are quite rare these days, most of them have rusted away.

[@jaycotto26]

Fourtrak came with the 2.8 diesel Sportrak came with the 1.6 pertol

[@damaralfaruq4368]

Meanwhile in my country there are plenty of them that still in good condition for around 8000 euro

[@badgerpa9]

Love the 1980's flannel and little "proper" sport utility.

[@NorCalExplorer-JS]

A 2.8 L cummings crate motor in it would do wonders for it.

[@johnsmith-oh2xo]

Hell yeah 4bt it........

[@AndrewAMartin]

@@johnsmith-oh2xo A 4BTA would be way too heavy for the front suspension. There are better, smaller, lighter diesel options available -- even a VW TDi would be better.

[@captainkamikaze8085]

My Chevy Silverado short bed has an exhaust leak that also doubles as a rear window defroster. Talk about luxury 💎

[@chrixrimmington6630]

Mint

[@tealcformerfirstprimeofapo22]

I love these little things with a passion Probably one of my dreams is to have one.

[@tealcformerfirstprimeofapo22]

@Jack K indeed

[@florianpaulet4768]

I didn't event know that it was sold in the US. Here in France we had the same model, but it was named Feroza. The Rocky was the diesel version

[@rightlanehog3151]

TFL, How long do we have to wait for a Rocky video shot on the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art? In all seriousness, we really are overdue for a 2 door 4X4 from Daihatsu's parent company, Toyota Motor Corporation.

[@onetwentyeight]

They already did it, it's the 1st gen 4runner. ;) (also the blizzard, which was a mishmash of daihatsu and toyota)

[@gilbertoguajardo6900]

I own a 1992 Rocky. It’s fun to have and turns lots of heads! Everyone is always trying to figure out what it is. Love my little Mater!

[@yorkchris10]

I saw a Daihatsu car in Oz that really looked like the spiritual successor to the Mini.

[@LouisSubearth]

Sounds like a Mira Gino

[@yorkchris10]

@@LouisSubearth yes, thank you!

[@katkylekim]

Toyota used this same body for JDM and it was the Blizzard .

[@jdmcarandmotorcycle]

It was actually Daihatsu Rugger but Toyota put smaller not so reliable engines 2LT

[@morganwells567]

I live in a small college town of Pullman Washington (GO COUGS) and there is some of those Daihatsu trucks around this town I’ve never seen anywhere else. Very cool.

[@TheIndianscout]

I bought a new Feroza in 1992.Had alot of fun with that vehicle.

[@pattingtonmcb2589]

I miss mine, in a small town 25-45mph Awesome 4banger Great video

[@andrewsnow7386]

You're probably already looking for one, but you need to get a 2-door Mitsubishi Montero/Pajero / Dodge Raider to complete your set of late '80s 4x4s. Make sure you get the V6, not only a bigger engine, but a better rear suspension (although the mechanical auto front hubs do suck a bit). I contemplated a used Rocky in the '90's but got a Samurai instead. Then moved to a Dodge Raider when I needed more room for a child. I still have the Raider, and am thinking of taking it to the mountains today for the first snow of the season. Now if you want to talk good seats for off-roading, it's hard to beat the suspended "bouncy seat" in the Montero/Pajero/Raider. But only the driver gets this comfort.

[@RoverRacer913]

Love this, can I have dibs when you're done with it?🤣

[@TFLclassics]

yes, sold :)

[@RichardVac]

I think it really looks like it's ready to go off road, it is a good looking proper off roader

[@johndeotte3229]

The Rocky reminds me of the interior of the 77 Subaru wagon we had, the key sealed the deal.

[@TheCoyote808]

Something to keep in mind for the speed is that there was federal legislation limiting speed limits in America to 55MPH until the early 90s. Manufacturers were even required to emphasize the 55MPH speed on their speedos as well. So you'll see cars from the 70s into the 90s with yellow, orange, or larger white font on the speedo that says 55 on it. So it's no surprise the Rocky struggles to even get to 55.

[@rickyloganjr.2362]

Hi Tommy 🙂, firstly I absolutely love your flannel shirt. I'm so looking forward to more of your adventures with the Rocky, please bring Blaze along for that off road trip. Given you're 23 years old, I love your passion for unique vehicles like the Rocky.

[@ronaldsmith5375]

Paying tolls with coins was a big deal back then - folks in the northeast needed all the coin storage they could get to survive the commute to work. No smart or wireless options were in play.

[@MattRNewcomb]

My mom leased a Rocky from 94-96. It’s still our favorite old family car memory. The top was easier to take off than solid top Jeeps. It easily handled sand dunes. It was a fun ride

[@MichaelMiller-rg6or]

I love that tiny ass transfer case lever!

[@shanebretey373]

I had one in 1995, I really miss it. If you ever want to get rid of that one let me know. It was my 2nd vehicle.

[@doublej9717]

A lot of the Scion lineup was actually produced by Daihatsu

[@rightlanehog3151]

Yes, that is true. The FJ is built by Hino but then again, they are all branches of the Toyota tree.

[@HotRodDad]

There were only 50,839 units sold in the USA. Only 19 units were sold in 1992, the last year.

[@jandolezal1062]

Go Daihatsu, go!!! Gotta love em. Absolutely amazing vehicles with unique character.

[@MadMushroom66]

I own a 1995 Daihatsu Feroza, it's the Daihatsu Australia 20th anniversary edition with all the bells and whistles. And although it's not running great due to previous owners neglect. I still love it. I can't wait to fix it and take it off road. For now it's just a town runabout. But it's worth it, they'll only appreciate in value as there are less and less of them

[@t.h.o.r.]

I bought one in 1996 loved it for 3 years just bought it back last week- 15 years later!

[@7stupidguys]

So what I’m hearing is...LS swap it.

[@calholli]

I'd rather go ZX14 or Busa... Rig another shifter in there for the seqential trans in the bike engine, and still keep the 5spd manual in the truck... Give you many options for gearing, offroad and also good highway speeds. That would be epic.

[@MadMushroom66]

That much power would make it topple backwards 😂 probably damn near do a backflip. But the engineering would be a nightmare, I doubt it would fit without cutting into the firewall. I've often thought about putting a Honda v-tec engine in mine

[@jameskuhlman9835]

Three models. They also imported the Nubria. My mother had the wagon.

[@jameskuhlman9835]

Or maybe that was Nubira. I didn't own it, only saw it in person a few times. It did have quite an appetite for timing belts. Funny how autocorrect always messes with a proper noun, but won't correct my most common ERROR!

[@LouisSubearth]

That's Daewoo not Daihatsu

[@jameskuhlman9835]

Welp, they both start with daaaaaa... Retreats with eggs face.

[@stephengiannone5449]

I love these older off road vehicles.

[@ahummerich2751]

My wife and I owned a Charade hatchback with a 5 speed manual. It was a blast to drive but it had poor pickup. We live in the mountains and it spent most of it’s life with the pedal to the medal. We put hundreds of thousands of highway miles on that thing.

[@eggy1962]

Sportrack in uk, plus we had the 1.3 Terios which was smaller and i think sold more, the real work horse was the Fourtrak which had a slow but torquey diesel 2.8.... most of which were worked hard

[@austinl.2703]

My wife had a Rocky for 15 years. Great little car ! You will need to shift from 5th to neutral to change the cassette tape and don't invite anyone over 6 feet tall for a ride. If they sold then here again, I would buy one again.

[@tagandbruce]

Had 5 fourtraks and a charade and they were the most reliable well built vehicles i have ever had.

[@simsalb]

I learned to drive in the UK in a Daihatsu Charade Diesel Turbo 3 cylinders I think. It was a hoot! This is the first Daihatsu I've seen in the US! Enjoy yours guys 😃

[@Thegentlegoon]

In Indonesia now, the Feroza caught my eye last year. Going to get into one soon. Thanks for the reassurance it’s goin to be a smart buy.

[@michaelb6729]

My first car was SWB base Rocky (F70) with the 2l Petrol ! . . . that was one little tuff truck ! Try to find a F75-78 series mid-wheel base turbo diesel. They were tough as !

[@Ali-Al-Amiri-123]

I've owned Rocky for 3 years. You don't need special engine parts, you need similar year model of Toyota Corola, they have exactly the same engine.

[@MiikeyLawless]

Wait really? What toyota engine code?

[@johnbeer4963]

Interestingly, the Daihatsu Charade held an MPG record for normal cars on the actual road for ages, one managed to do over 110 miles per british gallon. It was a 1.0 litre 3 cylinder diesel. I tried to find one for years but they were horrid and didn't sell well here and all the ones that did sell rusted away.

[@joyceano5354]

This is better than your new "ran okay for just 40 hours and 167 miles" Defender. Actually, ANYTHING is better than your 2020 Defender. Heck, the beat-up Samurai you featured is better than that money pit electro-box Defender.

[@jonathanchick7667]

in Australia they are called the feroza, the rocky is a bigger model

[@ceclivevenlo2589]

Cool video! :) Love it. Have a Feroza (NL) EL-II with Powerpack (fills up a few of the blanks on the dash). Being powered front side windows and a 3 stage damper setting. Bought our baby in 1998 and drove it from 86 to 230k KM. Let us "down" twice: leaking cabin heater and a broken bearing of the tensioning wheel for the power steering belt. Car is really part of our life and will end up in the garden as a monument. It took us from Amsterdam to the North Cape (9.000km in 3 weeks), Ireland, France, Italian Alps and Iceland (!). Did (for European standards) pretty serious off-roading with it but you do miss power and torque for deep mud. Cheers! Jelle

[@marcuscook5145]

I can't believe this thing wasn't successful. It has early 90's heyday Honda levels of build quality and refinement. Quite a contrast from my Samurai which feels like a high school shop class project. Was this too expensive or something? I feel like there should be more on the road.

[@trianggaindralukmana2184]

I have the same vehicle called daihatsu taft, powered by 2.8 liter NA diesel with only 4 speed and top speed 60 mph 🤣 The 5 speed transmission has top speed 70-80 mph Fuel consumption is 10km/l and it have rear and front solid axle

[@willharris7614]

I remember these! These were sold as the Daihatsu FourTrak and alongside the smaller Daihatsu SportTrak. Epic cars! I haven’t seen one for ages. Greetings from Brighton and Hove in the UK.

[@yiy3429]

The Daihatsu Rocky review. Thank you.

[@tomthinks2089]

You didn’t mention the Isuzu amigo.

[@mehGyver]

and Trooper RS

[@happysack321]

trooper gang

[@Axle1007]

I have a 98 rav4 and it's pretty small. Shorter than most 4 door cars these days. I love it. Not my every day car but always love getting into it.

[@user-jg7ds6fw2x]

Daihatsu Rocky 90 4x4 is the Best car I ever had for off road.

[@lanceripplinger8352]

Such a funky vehicle. Now get that thing some proper off road tires, and lets see what it can do up the mountains!

[@julesmarwell8023]

Hi Tom Daihatsu was very popular in Aust... relieable small car though have heard of Chassis cracks whereas the Zook is bullet proof Thats why I own one.. 2015 with 25k Kilometres on the clock. best car I ever had.. and I have had plenty Keep the vids coming. Cheers

[@Mixwell1983]

Depending on peoples age I am sure a lot of people have heard of Daihatsu. I am 37 and remember seeing them here and there in the early 90s.

[@hamzainvests]

you look like Woody from toy story! should have also got a hat to match! haha great content! keep it up :)

[@oscarastua]

What about the first generation of Kia sportage ????

[@trabertgraneau3323]

Considering how obscure the Daihatsu is in the US, it’s a miracle you were able to find this Rocky, Tommy.

[@HNRichard]

Also there is another version of the Rocky in Europe, called the Bertone Freeclimber. Presumably aimed to be a luxury small SUV back then, powered by a choice of 2.8 BMW 6 cylinder gas engine or the 2.5 BMW diesel engine. Sadly, only a few has sold and survived over the years.

[@Oddman1980]

I used to see these things on the road, but I never knew anything about them. I don't think the 5-speed was such a problem at the time, the Samurai sold just fine and they all had 5 speeds. And while you say that thing is slow, I'm sure my Samurai (with 30" tires) is much slower... and it has a more annoying buzzer too. Not a bad little SUV though, it looks comfortable, easy to park, and maybe even fuel efficient.

[@timeaftertime3563]

Thanks for the cool video 👍 Now I really regret having sold my Feroza. It looked just like this one. Very capable little offroader and quite fun to drive. Living on a small island there is no need for quick acceleration and high speed anyways.

[@foch3]

Every time I find one on craigslist the motor is blown and they want 4000$.

[@oztrekgelsoft8409]

I have one in Australia on my other channel it called chalkie just type it in it comes Up .. As Far as parts well you will see there is no parts and I had to customise it a hell of a lot.

[@Samwin1980]

I've got a 1993 2.8% liter 4 cylinder diesel 4x4 pick up. I use it for a service car for heavy equipment opening roads in rough terrain in Eastern Indonesia. It can take a lot of punishment and abuse and just runs. There are no computers so easy for jungle mechanics to fix. Spare parts in Indonesia are cheap and common. 26 years and running where newer vehicles fear to tread. Horrible to drive and awful ride... 😂

[@ronaldsmith5375]

Yea - the maximum speed limit in the United States was 55 mph from the early 70's (thanks to the OPEC Oil Embargo) until January of 1996. The Rocky - along with a number of other small cars - was never made to get to 60 mph.

[@rightlanehog3151]

55 Saves Lives.

[@TFLclassics]

Great point, thanks!

[@johnsmith-oh2xo]

Idk what your talking about my Geo tracker will do 80 lol...

[@johnsmith-oh2xo]

And that's with 31's

[@natureb1995woooo]

I bought mine in 1991 SE, Guam when i was stationed on in the Navy. When I moved back to the California and finished up my time in San Diego. Moved back to maryland in 1993. Kept it until 2002 with 165000 until the timing belt broke. FYI: NAPA finally had one that I order one week before it broke. I loved this vehicle. I am 6.1 and had no problem seats and i test drive the a 2013 wranger and that is so slow. I would buy a another Rocky before I ever by any Jeep products.

[@radioactivegarage6967]

Had one got it running thanks to Jeff for the parts and not a day goes buy I dont regret selling it. Sure it's slow but very capable off road and fun as heck to drive.

[@disendangered]

I’m a professional boxer and this is the perfect car for me

[@RickDominick69]

Reminds me of the Suzuki side thrip

[@jorgeluisburgoacosio9998]

That 1.6 petrol actually was the base model globally, we have the 2.8 turbo diesel from the Toyota Hilux as top of the line engine and it's quite a tractor 🚜 unstoppable with the optional rear locker, it feels like the Land Cruiser's lost child

[@karelvvv]

The reason Daihatsu quit selling cars in Europe, is the build quality, most of the owners are private buyers, only driving 8k miles a year, so dealers had no income on selling spares or new vehicles...

[@clarksonoceallachain8536]

Nope Its because there cars were receiving low safety scores Because of the G forces There light weight cars were experiencing when the car crash test happened

[@maesy6730]

I have a 1989 rocky which is a 2.8 diesel (UK), still works daily on the farm, and i mean work :) It will go where my hilux wont/cant :)

[@stephenblack8698]

The fact that is only available in manual makes it far more valuable to me. I'm so done with all of the manufacturers discontinuing their manuals.

[@DavidJones-xp2sh]

You should get a diahatsu fourtrak that’s the big brother to the rocky with a 2.8L TDX

[@massacmongo995]

Had a similar release system to tilt /remove the sunroof in my 87 Honda Civic SI

[@matthewmathias3199]

I have a 1995 Daihatsu Feroza II. Have to agree, soooo slow. But offroad it is amazing.

[@justinmiddlebrook4584]

Followed up how the head gasket blows out frequently and parts are hard to find with a 0-60 lol "At 6 thousand rpm this engine just screams!"

[@Offshore1977]

Love this Rocky Review. Love theses classic 4x4’s you guys buy and review. Sort of like transporting me back in time. I remember when these were new. Maybe you guys can do a Dodge Raider review.

[@the_jarmel]

Haha ha that right foot to the floor FACE..LOL ONLY TOMMY LOL 😍

[@sweetds1]

I love my 90 Rocky except I need rear glass and it is impossible to find. 😩

[@crizcriz103customz]

I remember the amego commercials

[@Belushi-hg2tl]

A buddy ofine that sell cars has one of these!! White and in immaculate condition!!

[@TheNaranjaso]

I think these kind of cars should be more popular in the US they certainly are way more popular here in Costa Rica, the new Jimny looks pretty cool and can be a beast 4x4 if you do a few mods to it. I drive a SWB 90 series Toyota Land Cruiser Prado which I love, it has never let me down!