frankphuket

Camry in attitude black has black interior, have ordered this for our company, not top but the one under top model Hybrid.

Just a thought, if you can go a little more...have a look at the new Volvo XC40, great car in my opinion. 

For what it is worth: had a quick test drive in the Camry (Top model Hybrid, as only that was available). not testing for myself, as not my kind of car, but for company car. 

With the lack of options, (never been a Toyota fan, just don't care for the design), we did order 2. Hybrid but not top model. I think this one is a good deal, as it is only 50-60K more than the regular 2.5 model. 

From the short test drive some thoughts:

x interior was cream/white....(which we did not order, ordered black to keep it reasonable for longer) and was indeed very nice...nicest Toyota interior i have seen. Good looking supple leather, not plasticky as usually found. It also looks quite a modern interior and is light years better than the outgoing one.

x Exterior, well....it is unmistakenly a Toyota...the back looks ok, the front well not really. 

x Space: i was a little surprised to find that the back seats were less roomy than the outgoing model, especially what headroom is concerned. The car appears a bit flatter, more sporty. The trunk is excellent size, square wide and deep. Seats are well formed

x Driving: in Hybrid mode it is stealth quiet. You don't feel the hybrid and petrol mode swap and kick in, very seamless operation, nice. Never been a fan of CVT and this is no different, if you really put the foot down, you can hear immediate high revs but the speed kicks up a bit later, kind of non linear if you get what i mean. however, it feels definitely brisk, but in a non sporty way, because of the sound, etc. Can't say too much about handling, as it was all pretty straight, but i feel it did do well....had a Camry 15 years back, which was aptly named the "boat"....

Again, it will sell loads, not only because it is a Toyota, but no alternatives really. The minor change Teanna is a big let down, as it is 95% the old one with a 10 year old interior. The Honda not available yet and i won't buy a Honda in Phuket at least for some time until they have sorted out their dealership mess and fiasko. Waiting 2-3 weeks for a queue to service your car isn't on! It is absolutely ridiculous how much Honda is loosing here in Phuket since last year their fallout with the main dealership covering like 7-8 dealers, now they have 1 for the whole of Phuket!

Has power and looks sporty....at 1m....depending on the definition on power and sporty....nothing new really.

If you like bland styling but great reliability: Toyota Altis

A bit more sporty but slightly over budget: Honda Civic 1.5 turbo 

Not really an SUV, but kind of cute and reasonably sporty: Mazda CX-3 or quite nice drive but maybe will have a model change soon (not sure) Mazda 3.

2nd hand of course has much more options: a couple of years old Mini Cooper comes to mind or have a look at 2nd hand Volvo V40 in one of the local 2nd hand website or check through Volvo if they have some certified 2nd hand, with maybe 30-50,000km you are right there at 900k-1m. The T5 engine has very good power and the interior is rather nice. 

Saw one in the flash in the local Lotus on display 2 days back. Looks nice enough, although the interior is still rather far away quality wise from what some competitors offer. In this price range i would be looking at an Audi TT or a Benz AMG C43 Coupe....but hey whatever floats someones boat i guess. 

over budget, but just in case you can stretch to it....AUDI A4 Avant, 4wd, about 250hp! New.

otherwise either Volvo XC40 or Mazda CX-5 diesel or see if you can find a 1 year old Mercedes Benz GLC 250d (non AMG would probably after 1 year be around 2.8m?) as new is about 3.3m

3 hours ago, mogandave said:

My first guess would be inserts

nope, they exchanged the wiper blades (rubber) twice, as this was my first thought obviously, didn't do one bit....only after the 3rd procedure of window glass treatment (means they somehow apparently have to polish the glass and than treat it again)....it got better and now i am nearly "noise free"....let's say it is better by 95% which i can live with. From what the service guy explained me they had to get specialized equipment for it....but you know, i am not really taking his word for that, might have just been that Benz Thailand didn't give them the go ahead of doing some other treatment....who knows.

On 8/25/2018 at 9:29 AM, aussieinphuket said:

i have a Merc AMG63 ML wagon, since new 2009, has been a good vehicle, some minor problems that go with age

still running strong.

 

when i arrived in Phuket Mercedes dealer was useless... i even had to buy mine in Bangkok at an authorised Mercedes dealer as the sales people or whomever in Phuket would never return my call and when i arrived for a service they looked stunned...

 

there was an enormous language difficulty in the beginning when i pointed out items that needed repairing or replacing and many times i would turn up and the service was done but no repairs so the vehicle had to go back again, the thing that annoys me the most and its not just with Mercedes but also Honda and Ford, if you need a part they want a deposit and then they order stock from Bangkok, whereas we are use to having vehicles just fixed and when we collect we pay in total, they holding the vehicle so whats the problem. Ford didnt even have a brake bulb in stock for a Ford Ranger... i just laughed and walked out.... Honda oh we have to order battery from bangkok i just took car and went to the nearest battery shop and had one fitted for much less the cost.

 

Mercedes have improved alot, maybe because more and more mercs are sold and in Phuket, the language has become much better and to make sure i write a list out and stick it to the inside of the window what needs to be done.... sofar so good.

 

Honda told me the other day my car was ready to be collected, i had a faulty brake switch under peddle which only cost thb300 but the vehicle was also booked in for a new Navigation screen as this one went faulty and cost about

25K, they ahd vehicle for a week called its ready to pick up.... arrived bill only thb300, whereas the invoice for navigation screen, then you get the cashier and girls doing the Thai Dance looking around at each other, obviously it was done, oh its coming then why did you call me, i had to take the vehicle as needed to collect my wife from hospital..... car was dirty and filthy when they gave it back to me as it must have been sitting out the back all week not even a quick wash down... i took it back 2 days later at 9.00am told them i will go to central for breakfast and shopping and will return 1200 please make sure its ready and invocie ready. arrived back all done, but cannot process as cashier back from lunch 1.30 so i had to sit and wait... anyway this is thailand..... 

 

 

BENZ Phuket, sales staff was good and professional all the way; however the service with the Wiper issue was not handled properly and I saw that the sales staff also got quite sensitive with the issue as i believe i was not alone facing the problem. My car was always cleaned after service...so no issue with that. I do believe the Phuket dealership has a big space problem, it is just too small to deal with all the cars.

On 8/25/2018 at 10:34 PM, Crash999 said:

Thanks for the review Frank. 

 

Funny enough I have a new e-class and everything is great except for noisy wipers. They ‘skip’ instead of sweeping making a very loud noise. I didn’t have this issue with my last Benz so I took it in for service. Only the drivers side was doing it. After the service now both sides are making the noise so I’ll have to take it in again! 

 

Did you do anything special to get it finally fixed? 

yes i insisted with Benz here that this can't be kept like this....made several videos of the noise and send it 3 times. They always say they have polished the window again, but only the last time they "apparently" got some more specialized equipment from BENZ overseas. I have researched and this issue is a worldwide issue with GLC, C and maybe some E series. Was rather disappointed with that, but showed BENZ Phuket my findings on google...so it is not an imaginary problem. I also think the wiper motor is pushing the wipers to strong to the windshield. For me it was mostly the drivers side doing...like a 20 years old wiper which has never been changed! GRRRR

On 8/23/2018 at 10:53 PM, Jitar said:

Interesting review Frank.  The transmission control and air ventilation are the same on some other Benz models.  The air con filter is no where near good enough in Thai traffic to keep fumes out.  The gear lever design is a very good copy of an indicator stalk.  Very easy for those not familiar with this to accidentally get N when indicating to overtake.  You do get accustomed to these qirks but they are not good design.

 

The F-Pace is a bit plasticy and the rotary gear selector is also a little clumsy.  The Jag air re-circulation will latch on but it must be selected on every start, like the stupid auto start stop.  I do like the F-Pace exterior styling a little better than the GLC, but that's just me.  Some things were better controlled with simple switches.  

 

I recall a poster complaining about some issue with tyre scrub on sharp turns with the GLC.  Have you encountered this?

 

no tyre scrub with mine....just the wipers were annoying enough...but fixed now. I also wish they would leave us (users) the option to choose, rather than to let the cars make those decisions. I fully agree some things were better controlled with simple switches...BTW i like the styling of the F-Pace too....and indeed the gear lever has been used for indicators a couple of times in the beginning....a bit scary.

looked at both GLC and GLE and preferred the GLC, not only because it was cheaper! Interior of the GLC nicer and the trunk of the GLE is probably not bigger (might even be smaller) due to the hybrid battery, it also makes the loading bay very high, increase of roughly 15cm i would guess? Exterior also felt more clunky....but sure the new model will correct those issues. As an alternative I would definitely consider the XC90 T8. Interior is a class act, engine is very strong. 

On 8/22/2018 at 1:09 AM, gaff said:

 

Any smart car works this way to avoid moisture. Why do you need air circulating ? Benz have good filters for exterior air.

 

I do not buy diesel and I understand your "The car has grown on me, or rather it feels smaller than my initial thoughts". because even the S-class feels too small after few months...

 

204 hp/3800 rpm is a bit on the low side, but it's the minimum acceptable to have an interesting car to drive.

 

 

 

 

 

Problem is that the car does it randomly and mostly I know it because i can feel odors coming in, so even Benz "might" have great filters, my nose is 'better'! :p Most other cars you are in control, and switch the circulation on/off as you please...Benz thinks it MUST do it for you whenever it thinks necessary. Sometimes i feel cars are getting too smart....or maybe i am getting old.

I do quite like Diesel engines, they have good shove in most regular driving conditions and fit an SUV rather well; not fond of the noise though. 

Would prefer the new GLC43 AMG too....hehe, but a bit out of budget. 

On 1/17/2018 at 8:38 PM, JoeW said:

Mazda 2, Mazda CX5 -> It's so bad that they are involved in a lawsuit regarding both car's DPFs breaking down and completely wrecking the engines. Not sure about the EV...

both my sons have driven more than 30,000 & 50,000 km in their M2 diesels (one in Bkk nearly only city driving) and no issues with engine....only some issues with suspension. Doesn't mean those problems will come, but just to let you know the experience we had

So you compare I guess the M2 diesel vs the 2.0 Benzine. For Bkk driving the Diesel for sure consumes much less. My two sons have the Diesel and the consumption is great. They are really quite nippy little cars...swift. The M3 is quite a big bigger, which can be good and not...depending on your usage. Definitely much higher fuel consumption if this is important to you. I did test drove the M3 2 years ago and thought it drove well planted and overall a good driving car.

One thing i have to say about the M2 is that both of my sons car had suspension issues after 1 year...fixed under warranty but still a little 'dent' in the otherwise pleasant ownership.

For me it all depends on what you are looking for, for under/just around 1m in my opinion:

Best Handling/performance: 1) Ford Focus 1.5 ecoboost 2) Honda Civic RS 1.5 turbo 3) Mazda 3

Best Space/luggage: 1) Honda HR-V, 2) Subaru XV

Best Fuel Efficiency: 1) Mazda 2

Best Resale: 1) Toyota Altis, Honda Civic 2.0

Just my opinion and it all depends what we each need or want in a car....wouldn't buy anything but the HR-V if i need to transport a big dog for example...hehe.

Look i think it is simple....we can all agree due to taxation German cars are more expensive than Japanese here in Thailand.

However, we live here....and I for one just don't quite like what the Japanese manufacturers offer here in Thailand engine wise especially. 

The nicest car to drive for "regular" Japanese cars money was the Ford Focus with the 2.0 TDCI engine and a proper stick gear.

What is just stated here is that the Audi A4 Avant with 4wd in Black Edition trim is a superior value for money than competing C Class estate.

The Audi TT is also very good value compared to what else is available here in Thailand.

11 minutes ago, greatwhitenorth said:

my wife laughs at guys who drive audis.  little dicks she calls them

same my wife says about all Fortuner drivers....:)

In Germany all 3 (Benz, BMW and Audi) are positioned on the same level, each has their little advantages in different departments.

I ordered the A4 Avant because it has this fantastic 2.0 turbo, has 4WD and is very highly speced at a price where you can only get a regular C class estate without 4wd and lower speced at higher prices. My wife got the Benz GLC last year and I somehow feel underwhelmed with it, maybe SUV are just not for me. Plus the wiper issue has somehow pissed me off and lessened my image of Benz.

1 hour ago, mike324 said:

 

Majority of the Thais don't use cruise control, so I don't think its a big issue.

not only Thais but also Foreigners....living in Phuket I have no use for it....nor do I think it is very useful in Bangkok!

3 hours ago, ExpatOilWorker said:

Some Mercedes models do have adaptive cruise control, so it is only a matter of time before Audi and BMW will follow suit.

The stop and go distance control for heavy traffic apparently don't work very well in Bangkok traffic where motorcycles constant navigate between cars and cause the break to jerk.

 

Good to hear that Audi is expanding. I like their new Q5. 

Do the OP by any chance have a complete Audi price list?

he does...any for once it is also easy to find on their website....for me I like the value of the Audi A4 Avant with quattro and all specs and the TT, both just a tad above 3m with better engines than the offerings from BMW and Benz....at least in my opinion. Also I do believe those are complete import and not assembled here in Thailand, which "might" add to the quality. Mercedes Benz Thailand still can't fix my less than a year GLC250 studdering and rubbing wipers!!! Not too impressed!

Audi_Pricelist_Vertical.pdf

It seems that the new dealer for Audi in Thailand is getting serious. The line up they are importing is pretty good and so are the prices, especially in view of fully imported models.

The TT with quattro is about 3.199, the newly just introduced A4 Avant comes with quattro and 252 hp engine in full black edition trim, for 3.29m. A Benz C-Class estate without quattro and lower specs comes at 3.69m.

From what i heard is that they are trying to get more dealers outside of Bangkok, next year Phuket is supposed to open.

Wish they would also take over the rest of the VW group, like VW, Skoda, Seat as there are some nice cars....and I for one like some 'flavour' in the otherwise rather bland Japanese car mix here in Thailand....

Nothing against them, it is just that not much interesting engines are available here....

9 minutes ago, Jai Dee said:

Paintings are a bit easier on the upholstery than labradors. 

Well...paint could scratch up and on the fabric. Corners could hit and Mark the plastics...?

As mentioned before...change the ABS sensor...i did it 3 times, every time another one short...after changing always ok. 

So, looking for a car to transport my Lab around. Price less than 1.5m

Wish list: x easy entrance to trunk 

X good size trunk with even uncluttered surface

Some cars I looked at:

Lots of Honda:

1) HR-V : good size trunk and back seats good flat...so far Best option

2) CR-V: only available in 7 seats (apparently) therefore not even surface

3) BR-V and Mobilio: very good load area but interior too simple for my liking

Mazda:

1) Cx3: tiny boot

2) cx5: a bit cluttered and new one coming out soon

Volvo:

1) V60: not bad but over budget.

Subaru

1) XV: high loading area and small...wanted to like it but just didn't work

2) Forester: ok size but don't like the car

Nissan

1) Xtrail: soso boot in hybrid with clutter

So guys if you have some more options let's hear it. Didn't look at a Honda Jazz but with back seats flat down could maybe still an option

I have had similar issues with my Golf GTI. If driving through a bit of higher water on the road there is a chance that the ABS sensors located near the brakes of every wheel will malfunction.

This happened to me at least 4-5 times over a couple of years...dreaded the sound and look of this warning lights.

As i am located in Phuket I ordered straight from a shop in the USA with delivery within 5 days and let my local garage handle it. The issue is that you will need to connect to a maintenance computer to find out which one is the culprit or you order all 4 and have the other 3 spare when they go bad...as they will go bad and you save on shipping. No idea why they are so sensitive, it does rain quite a bit in Germany too.

this is one example of what needs to be changed:

https://www.europaparts.com/abs-sensor-wht003858.html