Wiggy

3 minutes ago, BKKBike09 said:

Depends a bit too on colour of the car. Dark colours tend to show chips and scratches more than Thailand's favourite colour, white.

 

 

My current car (7 years old) is white, and the paint has faded slightly, which is one reason why I’m considering the ceramic coating. I had a full colour restoration done, but it’s still not as the original. The new car is red. 

1 hour ago, howerde said:

A ceramic coating will make the car shine beautifully and will make it easier to clean that is all, it will not protect against stone chips heavy scratches  etc, for that you need the car wrapped, if the car is left out in the sun then it might last a year, 

Thanks, all good to know. Fortunately the car will be parked undercover while it’s not being used.

1 minute ago, silverhawk_usa said:

Mr Kleane 03 Crystal Coat

R28C+Q6 San Sai Noi, San Sai District, Chiang Mai
On the middle ring road between the 1001 and 118.
 

I have had 2 cars and a pick up ceramic coated here.  Although the name has changed over the years, I last used them a year ago.  They do a great job even detailing the engine and interior. The initial cost isn't cheap, about 20,000 baht depending on vehicle size. No idea how this compares to the Honda dealers price.

They let you bring the car back about every 6 months (check w/them) and will do a "refresh" and detail if you like for 500baht. No problem with it lasting for years.
I only wash the car myself using a automotive shampoo and mitten first.  I rinse the car completely and then use a leaf blower to dry as the water just bubbles up and blows away. Avoids scratches and swirl marks on a blk car.

 

 

Thanks. They look very nice indeed. I’m being quoted 24,000 baht with 24 follow-up treatments and ‘guaranteed’ for five years. They also do a two-year deal for 18,000 with 8 follow-ups. I’ve never had it done before so I don’t have anything to compare it to. I’m in Bangkok. 

2 minutes ago, BKKBike09 said:

If it's free, take it. If it's going to cost THB 20K, leave it. Or just do the front of the car to protect against chips.

 

The coating doesn't last that long, though. Couple of years. Speaking from experience.

 

If you don't do it, just get the car professionally polished and waxed (kat - kleuap) once a year - I had a CRV and local Honda dealer would do that when it was serviced, cost a thousand or so I think. They always did a really good job and the polishing got rid of all the little scratches etc.

Thank you. Good to know. 

I’m getting new car soon, and the Honda dealership are asking if I want ceramic coating. It looks nice, but does anyone have any experience with it? Thanks. 

On 12/11/2023 at 8:51 PM, snoop1130 said:

Their van, attempting to overtake a pickup truck

No, their idiot driver attempted to overtake a pickup truck. 

It’s April 1st every day here. 

I’d be surprised if any lessors would be interested in doing a deal until TG are officially out of their financial rehabilitation negotiations. Plus, four of their A380s (plus other types I’m sure) are leased, and haven’t been returned. 

Police investigate themselves and find nothing wrong. Shock horror. 

TAT is an apt acronym, as that’s what Thailand has become. 

I feel they’re getting desperate.

Forecasts are accurate up to about five to ten days in advance, even with the best computer models available. After that, it’s more or less guesswork, and that’s what he’s doing, guessing. 

Surely it should read, “prevented from forming a government.”

20 hours ago, brianthainess said:

So what was his inexperience, driving downhill,

and taking curves ? no mention of his age.

I have driven on many unfamiliar roads like this in 4 countries, and some in pouring rain, and never had a crash. some roads were unsealed, also in 2 of those countries HGVs.

Brain failure. 

Looks like a failure to secure the container using the twist locks, Otherwise, it’s almost impossible for a container to separate from its trailer, for good reason. 

23 minutes ago, Furioso said:

No problem I hope this is helpful. I really enjoyed the VS X test drive, you're right the 177PS is amazing, I think it was all due to the 200Nm electric engine, which drains pretty fast when pushed hard..but charges back up pretty fast as well. I wonder how much that battery weighs? I believe most HEV car batteries are around 50kg but could be double?

 

Regardless the VS X is impressive, I thought it was a little small when compared to the HS, but I don't need a big vehicle. I actually prefer smaller anyway, esp. since we're in Thailand. The X lists for 919 but you can get it for 800, not bad at all. 

It’s very helpful. It’s always good to get information first-hand.
 

The extra power might do it for me. I’m going to take a test drive in the Toyota Cross, but I think I’ll book one for the MG as well. You can get it for 800k? 

32 minutes ago, Furioso said:

I ride in my neighbor's 2021 HS several times a week. Very smooth, no problems at all and a ton of great features..all for under a million baht. We also test drove the MG 5 sedan, decent but not great I would not recommend it. The new M4 electric has quite a few bugs in the software but YouTubers like Bjorn are very impressed with the smooth ride, overall handling, and fast acceleration. It's a first year model so I don't think it's ready for primetime, maybe in 2 years. 

 

I did a post on resale value on another thread. I estimate a Toyota/Honda are worth 75% after 5 years. MG probably around 60% so either way you go you lose the same amount of money. The big plus is during those 5 years 400k-500k you save can be invested and make out like a bandit. 

 

The MG website has a lot of promotions(HS PHEV, VS, MG4, etc) they usually will install a home charger for free. If you pay cash you can probably get 10%-15% off plus tint and 1 year free insurance. Lot's of things to consider but for sure first year models are the one's I'm steering away from. 

Thanks again for the information. Very useful. I’ve just been looking at the MG VS X, and it does look to be a very nice vehicle. I think it’s been around for about a year or so now. I’m particularly interested in the total (combined) power of 177PS, whereas Toyota and Honda equivalents are down around 120-130PS, which is a bit low for me. I currently drive a Civic RS which has around 180. I’m not a fast driver, but I do like to have a bit of power when overtaking or even getting out of a situation. Definitely food for thought. 

On 8/24/2023 at 5:31 PM, Furioso said:

I went to MG today with a friend test drive the MG VS Hybrid. 

The VS is a subcompact crossover. During the test drive the ride was a big surprise. The VS handled very well, the 200Nm torque electric engine was very quick, actually frightening at times. My best guess is 8 seconds from start to 100km/h. 

 

The interior is sharp, I won't buy a car with bad seats but these were top notch. Two big touchscreens in the front, makes the car look very modern/upscale. I'm not too fond of the front grill but not too important to me. Also, the VS is a little small compared to the HS but it can be an advantage driving here in Thailand. 

 

I was very impressed, will test drive the HS PHEV next week.

The search continues. 

Interesting, thanks for posting. I must say I do like the look of some of the MGs, and there are a lot of them on the roads. My two big concerns are reliability and resale value. I’m not knocking Chinese-made vehicles per se, but a friend bought a BYD, and he said almost nothing works on it. It’s four months old. I’m guessing that’s the exception and not the rule though otherwise the word would be out. 

7 hours ago, Madgee said:

Worth noting that the Honda hybrid battery has 5 years warranty vs 10 years on the Toyota. 

One reason for this is that Toyota use a Nickel-metal Hydride battery vs. Honda’s Lithium-ion battery. My understanding is that the former performs better in hot climates.

9 hours ago, Madgee said:

The GR front / rear Toyota dashcam is all wired in, nothing to plug in. It can be operated via wifi from your phone to take videos or download dashcam footage. If you can't twist the dealers arm to get it free, it costs 6000 baht. Well worth it for the expert fitting, quality and standard 3 year guarantee on all Toyota accessories.

Excellent. Good to know. Thank you. 

16 hours ago, Guderian said:

In the course of a 10 or 15 minute test drive there's not much you can really try out, I immediately felt comfortable in both cars and they handled fine. I was impressed by the acceleration in the GR Sport, though the engine was a bit noisy when you put your foot down. There are three different drive options, though, as with the HRV, so I think it will be a question of finding out which one works best for the situation.

 

I saw the USB slot in the infotainment screen simply as somewhere to put a USB stick if I wanted my own entertainment, so I'm not sure why you think that's dangerous. The usual 12V DC charger is between the front seats and that's what I'd use to charge the phone, I think. Of course, the RS has a wireless phone recharger if your phone supports that, mine doesn't so it's not something I'll miss.

 

For me, the deal breaker with the Honda HRV RS was simply the front sunroof. You can block off the rear part of the roof but they only have that pathetic roll-up gauze cloth thing to cover the front sunroof, and it's useless. I'm a swimmer and spent too many hours in the sea and pool under the tropical sun without UV protection in my early years, and now I have to get pre-cancers burned off my skin and scalp every year. No matter what they claim about the roof glass, I'm not paying good money to have the sun shining down on my head.

 

The deal maker, OTOH, on the GR Sport was the camera system. I've only seen that on the high-end full-size SUV's, I'm sure the front camera will be very useful but less certain about the 360° one, though I've never had that feature in a car before. The Honda has a wider range of colours, at least by the somewhat Spartan Thai car colour selection standards. Both the RS and GR Sport have 18-inch alloys and electric driver seat controls, I don't think in terms of interior and exterior finish there's much to differentiate them, though obviously beauty is in the eye of the beholder. And the oomph I felt in the GR Sport when I touched the throttle seemed far more responsive than the RS, though again in the context of a short test drive it's impossible to say anything conclusive.

Thank you so much.
 

I was merely thinking that having the phone plugged into the high level USB port for map guidance and/or to use Apple CarPlay, and having a cable being in the way as a tad dangerous, but I rarely use CarPlay, except on longer journeys, so not a huge issue. 
 

That said, the 12V DC charger being between the seats is where I need to plug my current dash cam in, so that might be awkward. On my current car it’s under the dash and well out of the way. 
 

I’ll give it some more thought. I currently drive an RS Civic, but it’s just too low, hence the change to a taller vehicle. 

7 hours ago, kwilco said:

Getting out is how I learn about this sort of stuff.

A winking emoji suggests I was joking, so no need for a serious reply. Besides, you still haven’t identified the root of the problem (see my earlier post and you’ll see). 

2 hours ago, Madgee said:

Nope, it has one USB port at the bottom right-hand side of the infotainment system and your phone has to be plugged in to get the best from android auto or apple car play. 

The camera system on the Cross is excellent. if you want to quickly put the front camera on for parking, just stick the indicator on! Also, the side mirrors will automatically tilt down when reversing to help see the kerbside etc. These can be adjusted or turned off easily. 

Performance wise, the Cross GR Sport is quicker than the HRV RS and is far superior in ride and handling according to a friend who got the HRV and now regrets it after having a go in mine! Lol.

 

After running mine in sensibly for 1500 km I took it for a good run from Roi-Et to Khon Kaen, it's a good road and not busy at the weekends. Used the power mode for overtaking and cruised comfortably at 120 kmph . The radar cruise control works faultlessly but not good with the lane assist function so that got turned off!   Covered 250km overall, mostly highway driving at speed and returned 21.6 kmpl ... Not bad.

I drove my friends HRV for a few days when he went back home and IMHO, the extra baht for the GR Sport is well worth it .... He agrees! 
 

Thank you so much. Very useful information. My wife just bought a Yaris Ativ, and I must say I’m impressed with the camera system. I guess the Cross has something similar, if not the same. 

Good feedback Madgee & Guderian. Thanks. 

I'm completely torn between the HRV & Cross. I like the HRV as it has more power and I prefer the look of it. The moon roof does put me off a bit though (especially the rear manual panels). The cross has USB ports coming out of the top infotainment screen with is just plain daft (and potentially dangerous) and might end up being a deal breaker. Did either of you test drive the HRV? Any other tips you might have on the Cross? Oh, and other than the 360° camera, does it have sensors? Thanks.