frankphuket

ok, here we go.

After more than a year now my son is driving his Mazda 2 in Bangkok and i was in it several times as a passenger and driving it too.

It has good oomph and that is already a big reason for me to prefer it over similar sized cars with petrol engines.

Over a year my son in Bangkok traffic managed to get about 6l/100km, which I think is excellent and i don't think he is even trying to safe fuel...(he didn't know how much it consumes until I managed to put it in sight on the dashboard....kids!).

It had a few issues which had to be taken care by warranty, the biggest ones after less than 10,000 km the shocks were gone....Mazda acknowledged that this is an issue and replaced immediately.

Would I buy it again....YES and I just did for my other son....good discount even and the interior is for sure one step or two ahead of the competition. Great little cars in my opinion.

Quick, fun, versatile....good fuel economy....what is not to like.

4 hours ago, sendintheclowns said:

posscript to

I have checked out the whole lineup of Subaru. The Forester  has poor reviews, due to it being quite old design - but you are right, we should test drive it. Also missed the Nissan line. will follwo up.

Thanks to all posters !!! Juehoe is correct about the loss of warranty. we didn't install LPG until after the warranty has expired on the Escape.

 

Design has never been a strength of Subaru, but they newer models are not bad at all. The base model goes for about 1.298 for a definitely roomy and good 4wd car. (Nissan and Mazda in 4wd are quite a bit dearer i believe) not sure the engine, but if you put LPG i guess you are not a speed freak. (no offense) I did test drive the XV last year and thought it handled very good, but wasn't so keen on CVT....never have, never will probably. One issue with Subaru is however the dealer network depending on where you are.

If you are in Bangkok and not too afraid to get good friends with a good VW garage there are 1-2 VW Tiguans on the market 2nd hand. Great size of car, excellent engines, both the 2.0 turbo from the GTI (this thing flies) or the very economical Diesel. A bit leftwing....

The CX-3, HR-V are certainly smaller than the Escape....nor are they 4WD.

I guess the following options come to mind: Mazda CX-5, Nissan Xtrail and the Subaru Forester....all from 1.2m-1.7m I assume. If you want a little smaller but still 4wd you could look at a Subaru XV.

DIAGEO and Pernod Ricard are a good start! they are wholesale and you should be able to find info online. Wine: IWS and BB&B are big....cheers

17 hours ago, Gary A said:

In my experience, new car discounts for cash deals do NOT exist. The finance commission must be pretty good. You are better off not mentioning cash. After getting the best deal and when you get to the part where you are asked how many years finance do you want, that is the time to tell them it will be a cash deal. It's amusing to see the look on their face.

It seems a little more difficult to get, but depending on brand (Honda and Toyota are not very flexible in that). I have been offered a 100K discount on a new Hyundai Elantra Sport and got a 60K discount on a Mazda 2 diesel. With Mazda this discount also incl. the insurance and blabla....so I ended up with those freebies and 35K discount. Both companies were advised I would pay cash and I did with the Mazda 2.....so yes, it is possible, but they do prefer you go the finance option, so they can cash in a little commission on that as well.

14 hours ago, JaseTheBass said:

 

I thought they stopped the Ecoboost engine here because the Thais thought about engines in the same way as Americans do - bigger is better - and continued to sell more of the old tech 1.5 than the cutting edge 1.0.

 

 

i would think you are right in this assumption. That's why Vios, Jazz and City are the Best sellers....tested and reliable.....driving enjoyment is of lesser importance.

I personally wouldn't have mind the Hyundai, even though i was burned by Hyundai Thailand 10 over years ago, when they left Phuket with no service and I had a Tiburon....really nice car.

However, Thais are not so keen on the brand and the lack of service centers is a fact I could not deny. Mazda is nearly next to the house. The diesel M2 is not a bad little engine at all.....and funny enough the interior is nearly identical with that of the MX5 at well over 2m Baht....same air controls, dashboard.....I wouldn't be very happy as MX5 owners knowing that a 700K little car has the same engine....but then I would never buy it.....as I don't really 'fit in'....

Not sure what FORD is up to...but no more 1.0 Ecoboost, only the dated 1.5l engine and no discounts, etc....they won't sell many in that way!

finally son decided on the Mazda 2 5 door model in White. 1 step under top spec model. Cost price list was 769,000+7000 for pearl white. We got a cash discount of 35,000 Baht and free insurance, registration, back sensors and camera and front camera. Overall i felt this was a decent offer for the model in question, which is really nicely speced.

Ok I know...not exactly same category. 

However the Hyundai in GLE spec, middle was offered to me at 100K discounts coming in at 769k with still free insurance and 7 years warranty and 5 years free service (material and labor).

The M2 diesel in good spec is around 734k after some discounts. 

I know the M2 diesel well enough, the Elantra not so...decent looks in and out. Decent drive...but not sure about owning experience, reliability etc. Anybody here has one and could enlighten me?

ok, let's get the ball rolling...

Broaden the range a little...., as the HR-V isn't really that spacious to start with, not even sure you can fit a surfboard?

1) in the compact car segment the Ford Focus is a nice and quite spacious drive.

2) For road safety: Subaru XV under 1m with 4wd or the Subaru Forester staring at 1.2 with 4wd and lots of space

3) Nissan Xtrail entry level model....a little over budget (1.2-1.3m) but long term a good choice with lots of space.

4) Mazda Cx-5 at around 1.2-1.3m entry level model

5) Ford Everest....around 1.3m to start with, huge...but based on a pick up and might be too big for some.

6) a bit of an outsider: Hyundai Tucson...not sure what kind of price/promotion they have, sometimes quite good discounts or one lightly used one would be a good deal as they do depreciate a lot quickly being Hyundai. Good warranty on them.

.....sorry haven't checked the airbag situation on any....

Great review Frank. Mirrored many of my own thoughts. I've been into BMW my whole life and figured I'd never be old enough for a Benz. But to be honest their current line up (in Thaland at least) is streets ahead of BMW in external looks, power and interior quality. I still think BMW has the edge in balance and driver 'feel' In other markets where genuine M cars are a more resonable price or regular models are available with larger displacment engines and better choice of options I'd probably still choose a BM.

Here I had been awaiting the release of the M2, to see if the price would be more competative. Or to see if the new C450 AMG coupe was going to be available - I really would prefer a 6 cylinder motor to the current crop of 4 bangers.

M2 at 5.9 was beyond my budget and the Merc seems only to be out in C300 guise. The AMG C63s is available at 9.9m - so also beyond my budget. I really enjoyed the C300 test drive. My sales guy wasn't so chatty Great interior ( a bit gadgety as you say ) and good control in sport mode. But I still felt it was more suited to a woman or a middle aged businessman.. Funny as I'm 50 and beyond middle age I guess.

Anyhow I couldn't see myself in any of the underpowered 3 series available here ( even less so with a slushbox )

So bit the bullet and have ordered an A45 AMG facelift model. 381bhp/475Nm 7 speed DSG with locking front diff/adaptive suspension package....and 6 Months to wait. I have been looking for a new car for over a year and considered many options from Subaru to Porsche and I'm still surprised that Merc seems to offer the best combination of power, comfort, prestige and price.. Hopefully I'm not disapointed.

Yep, it ain't easy here to fulfill our motoring desires. Completely agree with Benz vs BMW. Never thought I would say that in my life, but the current Benz line up looks better, sportier than the BMW and interiors are even further apart.

Wow, an A45 must be quite a riot...just hope it won't be too hard for you....from what i read it ain't the softest and road here are not German Autobahn smooth.

Subaru i always thought of...but never could get over the dated interior or a bit "old tech".

That's why i am still sticking to my Golf GTI so far....lack of better options available. Enough oomph for roads here, quite decent interior and quite versatile if not a 'little boring'....

Probably not your cup of tea, but for the price quite decent. Audi TTS, the new one comes with quattro as standard i think. Dealership only in Bkk.

Thanks for sharing your impressions on these 3 cars.

The new C class is definitely the sexiest in the segment right now especially with the AMG package.

I am fan of BMW since years but the new generation of Benz is really impressive.

A month ago or so, I had a look at the new C Class Coupe in Central Festival and it took me few minutes before I can walk away.

Or maybe was it the price tag that remind me the hard truth of Car market in the Kingdom....

As I am a second had buyer, I can see the value of the Benz holding strong over the year but, the choice of engines with more than 200 Bhp is by far greater than Bmw.

You can only find a few 328 on the market when you have hundreds of C250 for the same price.

Volvo is also great on second hand market, a good choice of V40 T5 , just 2 years old, for 1.2 M Thb... most probably my next car!

BTW, may I ask you where you can have the maintenance done on your VW in Phuket?

Hi, i service my GTI and MINI GP in a local garage opposite the "Suan Luang" Park. Kachang Garage, owner Khun Gai is very knowledgable and a good guy.

Not quite sure about the latest idea of Benz to only sell E cars, with the C350, it is plug in only.....not suitable for everybody. Also strange that they have changed so quickly from the diesel hybrid....

For what it's worth...been liking Mazda's style lately quite a bit and had very favourable comments here on several models test driving them. I need to however update that on 2 occasions my friend and son bought Mazdas last year-Friend a CX5 and son the 2 Diesel. The CX5 had several issues from beginning in terms of quality and little updates having to be done under warranty. My sons 2 even more so, after only a year and 6000 km the rear shocks had issues and Mazda replaced them saying theye had to do plenty of those already....not normal if you ask me on such a new model. Additional troubles with the stop/start function, which took several times to get to the bottom of. Battery dead after 1 year...and a few other smaller niggles. Hmmmh, not overly impressed with quality control....the 2 drives real nice though and has plenty of go...just a bit wondering all this within 12 months. My wife's Xtrail had nearly no issues for the first 7 years and even then only regular wear issues....

For what it's worth...been liking Mazda's style lately quite a bit and had very favourable comments here on several models test driving them. I need to however update that on 2 occasions my friend and son bought Mazdas last year-Friend a CX5 and son the 2 Diesel. The CX5 had several issues from beginning in terms of quality and little updates having to be done under warranty. My sons 2 even more so, after only a year and 6000 km the rear shocks had issues and Mazda replaced them saying theye had to do plenty of those already....not normal if you ask me on such a new model. Additional troubles with the stop/start function, which took several times to get to the bottom of. Battery dead after 1 year...and a few other smaller niggles. Hmmmh, not overly impressed with quality control....the 2 drives real nice though and has plenty of go...just a bit wondering all this within 12 months. My wife's Xtrail had nearly no issues for the first 7 years and even then only regular wear issues....

Hey guys, any of you has some valuable information on this model? I am looking at the updated version, which exists about 1-2 years I would think. Might get the wifey one of those lightly used....? New they are around 3.4m, so not cheap, but for the lack of anything much else on the market with a bit of premium feel maybe worth considering. Benz GLC well, not so sure, the local Benz dealer is rather arrogant....

Anybody has some updates or possible exceptions?

My son is becoming 17 next month and due to logistic reasons it would be very helpful if he could legally drive a car to go to Uni. He has been driving with me on the side for a while and is well trained, but is there any possibility for him to get a car driving license at 17?

For motorbike it is 15-17 only 110cc, which has not much choice I believe.

Driving without a license I suppose would void any car insurance in case of accident?

Hi,

My son is looking for a retro style bike, small engine. Anybody has any feedback on those two brands and bikes.....or should go the Vespa way. Thanks for any info

Why is this even a topic? To start with all is very relative. For someone 1m Baht car is just about the budget they can afford, for some it is 2m and for some it is 20m Baht. Overall most Japanese and German cars are good cars, no doubt, but they are differences in what each car is designed for. A new Honda Accord surely drives more comfortable than a new Mini....but does that mean that everyone wants comfort...I guess not. There are people who just like comfy cars, some like just practical cars or a combination of both and some like driver oriented cars with which you can have a little 'fun' with, good handling, powerful cars. There at least in Thailand unfortunatley till only very recently the Japanese cars have kind of had a bit of a "dormant' stand. Same engines forever, nothing turbo charged, supercharged, remotely fun to drive, etc...I would still argue that a BMW 3er is a nicer handling and more fun car to drive than a Accord...but then again it is also more fun to drive than a 7 series...so really can't compare.

In the mid segment with new Accords and Teanas however I do admit they come closer and closer to the Mid class segment in terms of comfort to a basic 5 series or E class.

But if you have the cash why go with the Samsung if you want the IPhone 6s? Same token, if you can afford you probably want the Best and not the closest to it....and or at least what you think is Best and what suits you Best. It is a very personal thing

About Audi: it seems to me that at least since late last year there is a new and quite big Audi Centre in Bangkok and they have a very active FB page as well with posts of people buying mostly TTs etc.

Not quite sure where it is located but seems quite a big set up....compared to VW who is doing.....NOTHING!

For what it is worth, AUDI has a very good reputation in Germany, they might not lead the way in terms of exterior design, but technology as well as interiors are pretty spot on and can compete with Benz and BMW if not better them.

Their Diesel Wagon are the 'weapon of choice' for many German sales reps/manager who have to drive around a lot in Germany.

Just not so keen on the 'still just a hot hatch' even if a very hot one indeed.

Would trade a little power and get something nice looking like the grey imported Audi TT RS 2.5 with quattro and about 340 hp. Should be plenty fast and has the looks at around 4.2m as well new.

Yes shame about the 330 ActiveHybrid as that was the one i was looking at with the 3 litre Twin Turbo engine plus electric giving well over 300+ bhp for a reasonable price, not interested in the 2 litre 330e plug in either

I do feel that Benz and BMW seem to change their lineup in terms of engines quite a bit, at least on the more 'niche' engines part. Last Year Benz brought the Diesel Hybrid C300, now not anymore available and it is a petrol plug in instead.

If i am not mistaken BMW just updated the 328i with the 330i mentioned....now not available anymore and from what i see not available engine choice in other models too. Also, not to long ago I believe there was a 220i, now only 218i.

So it seems if you want some decent performance you need to go the Hybrid way....for both! kinda funny....

5.99 for the M2 seems very steep though....great car...but the price is hard to digest.

Firstly, I do not think it is questionable if a manual car is more engaging or fun to drive, it just is...but with conditions...like road, traffic, etc.

I definitely prefer manuals but in Bangkok I would not want one. On nice open roads it is just fun to 'be in control of the stick'.

I own a manual Mini Cooper and a manual Citroen DS3 here in Thailand. If the OP can find a DS3 then I would highly recommend it. With the detuned Mini Cooper S engine and around 156 turbo charged hp it is a nice swift drive, still comfy and decent manual easy to shift gearbox. They are very rare though.

New, I think only Honda Jazz and City are worth while considering....stay out of the eco market if you want a bit of driving pleasure. Hondas engine is quite nice, but the auto box isn't in my opinion so with manual that would be pretty swift lil car

Easy: if you need space go for the Jazz, if you like driving go for the Mazda 2 diesel. The diesel is a real nippy little car and is great with fuel. I do prefer also the steering and handling of the M2 over the Jazz....which in my opinion have ruining a nice handling car (like it was 6-7 years ago). If you still like the M2 diesel but want a bit more space, go for the sedan version over the hatch, quite good trunk.

There are good discount to be had a Ford, so a Fiesta should also be considered. The 1.0 ecoboost is a fun little car, nippy engine, good handling, even better maybe than the M2. Comes quite fully loaded compared if you can get it at around 650K, as it is the top model.

Other options....hmmh...if you don't like driving, don't care about quality, handling or all those things, you can put the MG on the list. it looks kind of decent for the younger generation....

Cant even think of people here driving turbo engines. Wonder how many people would be killed for every kickdown..

that would be a lot....coz all the pick ups are turbo engine cars....!

We are not talking about a 4 liter car with a bit turbo, but small engine replacements with small turbos, which I strongly believe is the way to go forward, although I am not 100% certain about the reliability in the climate we are having here....yet I am not tech guy. Most of those small displacement engines with forced induction are coming from Europe....

Good to see that finally the Japanese brands are catching up and not only selling their 'dusty' old tech to Thailand

By they way....after 6 months my little Citroen DS3 (1.6 turbo) is doing fantastic, not a foot set wrong....great little car to drive with a very slick manual gear shifter. Rare to find, but well worth it...If you can find a decent one at under 750-800K go for it....a little softer than a Mini, which works quite well on local roads.

Not quite sure why some here are looking down at this? Completely agree with fair competition, but hotels which have not been registered, nor have they been legally approved by government should be penalized for the simple fact that they have not gone through the legalization process probably because they can't as they were either build wrongly, not obliging by building rules, etc. This means very often they lack a number of safety features in the building code.

Now, if i were a guests I would still be concerned about it...of course most of us won't even think about it, but when "shit hits the fan" well who they will blame, sure not that they paid less money?

It is not fair competition that some hotels or as indicated here a big part get away with doing things on the 'cheap' and lowering the standards of the hotel industry by not following rules and regulations, whereas other hotels spend a considerably amount of money doing so. Yes, it might affect rates, but come on, there must be some standards and rules which we must be able to rely on. Overall prices of hotels in Thailand are probably the cheapest in the world (except Peak season maybe).

If you read the story the 'illegality' has nothing to do with shoddy building; the example cited is that they offer 'daily rates'. Now I am not in the hotel business but I am sure that having an advertised daily rate is good for customers who don;t want to book in advance and want the option to move. Seems like the competition is too hot for the big boys with their lack of transparency in pricing.

Guys, transparency on pricing is not an issue at all, at least not in the past 10 years i would say with online agents showing daily rates, such as AGODA, EXPEDIA, Booking.com, etc.

You can find daily rates from top 5 star international hotels to 1 or 2 star guest houses.

The issue is the lack of execution of laws, of course the local government know who the culprits are, but choose to ignore for 'whatever reason'....

I agree the Phuket has still a long way to go, but it has come somehow further in the past 2 years due to the military government, just look at the taxi issue we had here since forever....solved nearly overnight...at least to a big part. So i guess we need to keep on pushing for 'right'.