Sapporillo

13 hours ago, BenBen23 said:

If you want some practical advice you can actually use I'll offer the following. Programming languages are less important than products. Companies invest in products, not languages. Products like SharePoint, Sitecore, Oracle, mySQL, MS-SQL, or any of a great many such products. Having expertise in a product is a good idea because you make a lot more. 

That's very good advice. Product-specific certifications are important if you're an "outsider", they can be quite expensive though (thousands of US$).

1 hour ago, ujayujay said:

Why Duracell? Its a Myth. They are expensiv beqause hugh Marketing Budget, not for its Quality. There are a lot better Brands on the Market.

I would like to see a unbiased review as well, before paying more for a particular brand. As for Duracell, isn't it interesting that the brand who used to run the most adverts is the brand with most "believers"?

30 minutes ago, kannot said:

12 hours ago, JaseTheBass said:

Is that the Powershift that's never been used in the Ranger?

Sent from my R2D2 droid using my C3P0 manservant
 

Nope,  look up "grass catches  fire on Rangers" on the dpf underneath. Ok here it  is 

http://www.news.com.au/technology/innovation/motoring/motoring-news/ford-ranger-recalled-for-fire-risk-59000-utes-affected-after-nine-catch-fire-or-smoulder/news-story/43a0d2d3c9a0a92c823e095b1f352ff6

I haven’t read the article, but what has the problematic Powershift transmission got to do with the diesel particulate filter (dpf)? I can’t see how the gearbox would set fire to the car (or to the grass underneath)?

34 minutes ago, mogandave said:

When people pay a significant premium, they expect better, more personalized service, and they are much more apt to complain about what they perceive as poor service.

Well, rightly so, I might add. I remember when I needed to swap the wheels (winter/summer) on my company car (VW), one of the largest dealers in Switzerland was closest to my office, so I called for an appointment. After 20 (!) minutes on the phone I still hadn’t gotten one and I literally gave up, they had made it too complicated, bouncing me back and forth and asking ever more information. So I found a small dealer with two employees, got an appointment within 30 seconds and never called the big one again. Mind you, they didn’t care, I guess their business is selling cars and doing large repairs, they don’t want you to bring it in for minor stuff or warranty work. And if their business is flailing a little, they have the money to launch a large advertisement campaign, that will bring them a lot more new customers than they’ve lost through bad service. People usually say: if they’re that big, they can’t be as bad as he says, or they would be out of business. 

20 minutes ago, HAKAPALITA said:

I have one, but hes mainly right on German cars.They are not worth the premium here anymore for entry level , but then i dont mind his attitude either.

He says they’re (the German cars) are good to drive, but that they’re not as reliable as Japanese or Korean cars (which is probably true, and can be proven statistically), and that their customer service in Australia doesn’t qualify as ‘premium’ at all. What I can say myself, is that their marketing is top-notch: lots of people will be in awe when they sit in a Mercedes or BMW, and they will be amazed about options and performances that other brands have as well, or even had long before them. 

35 minutes ago, HAKAPALITA said:

He got the Tinted Windows Review spot on. 

I’ve watched dozens of his vids, they’re mostly very amusing, and I think never once he was telling outright BS. One caveat though: he’s really pretty anti-German cars, so there’s that. 

57 minutes ago, mihalis said:

John rates the ranger, Colorado, mitsu and Mazda, tho he bags the shit out of Ford and Colorado customer service.. have friends with these sort of cars, ranger is by far the best car.. mitsu is good but to old in its tech, for me.. 

Yeah, you have to take his reviews with a grain of salt, he’s very partial to Japanese and especially Korean brands, and it’s not always easy to tell how much is ‘just his opinion’. And when it comes to customer service, franchises in a certain area (or continent) are of course independent of each other. But at least he seems to be an independent journalist, most others just write whatever they get from the official press release, that’s why 95% of all reviews are exactly alike. 

44 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Strange.

 

Just checked the CNN website. Besides some articles on the German scandal, all I could find is that Ford is introducing a Diesel engine on its F150, dated 8 January 2018.

Yes, I heard about the new F150 diesel too.  However, there could still be some truth to Jeffrey’s claim, and it’s probably pertaining to passenger cars. Trucks and SUVs are ruled by a different set of rules and regulations, if I’m not mistaken. 

14 minutes ago, poanoi said:

because of the tip habit you are so hellbent on exporting,

i get insulted as soon as i leave my hotel room,

strangers coming up to me with their hands up

saying they are hungry ( read horny and want a drink)

and when i refuse them they call me kee neaow (cheap charlie)

they clearly think i owe them money

I think it hasn’t happened yet, but if anyone ever calls me a cheap Charlie, it won’t bother me, because I know I’m not stingy. And if I was on a budget, I’d use public transport instead of taxis whenever possible, that way I wouldn’t have a problem either. 

32 minutes ago, Ulic said:

grip Thailand. 100 baht tip should be enough. 200 baht if you are a two- week millionaire or American. Of course,

more than that will happily be accepted it from stupid Farang. 

Why would you care? If you don’t want to tip, don’t tip and stand by it, but don’t call other people names because they like to tip. 

9 hours ago, THAILIBAN said:

Probably too many local and well-connected operators running REALLY substandard businesses have complained, as properly managed operations affected their bottom line.

Competition is not something that is appreciated in the kingdom (see TAXI topics and the likes)

While that might be true (or not), if the accused businesses had the proper license(s) and were in compliance with laws and regulations, that wouldn’t really matter, would it? You can’t expect equal treatment in these cases, that’s just a fact. 

1 hour ago, Doctorbu said:

I tip 100-400 based on how far, and the service. Lately a lot of the taxis at suvarnabhumi have been complaining (I know, when do they not complain) that traffic and their que to get back in the pick up area are too long, so they don’t make the money they used to....so they want to charge flat rate which is higher. If they insist on flat rate I give less tip. If they use the meter  and service / attitude is good I give more. Every once in a while you get someone who is so nice, pleasant, smiles.....doesn’t try to play you...they get more. 

Same here, sometimes I even tell them right from the start, if I feel they’re cool. I say: “please just drive carefully and on the meter and I’ll be generous”. If they get it, don’t complain and don’t hassle me in any way, I can give up to 50%, and in very rare cases even more (for short distances). Why? Out of pure selfishness: I can afford it easily, I know the driver appreciates it (of course, a jerk won’t get nothing), and that alone puts me in a good mood. A few hundred baht is nothing for that, in my eyes. 

41 minutes ago, peterb17 said:

I personally find it very strange - why would anybody want a diesel- they are only suitable for farm vehicles- so agree with you. 

 

As someone who has actually some experience of buying and driving a CHR , this thread seems to full of people rabbiting on about old Prius models. 

The CHR has moved on a bit- it super smooth, weirdly quiet, grippy - you don’t need vast power in a car, handling is the key. 

 

We live in a country where petrol is cheap ( although the hybrid uses 95 - not the eco warrior E20 or E95 ) . 

Old Prius? It’s been updated regularly, and the latest models have been getting praise even from some former Prius haters. But of course, to each his own, otherwise we could all be driving Trabants, just like the Communists. 

I agree about diesels, 4 cylinder diesels are just not very refined once they have a few 10’000 miles on the clock (they’re quite good when they’re new, but after a while the stronger vibrations start getting through, I’ve experienced it myself whenever I brought my company car in for service and they gave me a brand new loaner, the difference got more obvious every time. It was a German brand renowned for their diesels). But a lot of people don’t care about these things and don’t even notice them, they wouldn’t know if they drive a V8 or a 3 cylinder either.  But they might appreciate a better infotainment system or a more prestigious brand name, something I don’t care about. So there you go - to each his own :) 

1 hour ago, Lacessit said:

There are small diesels that rival the hybrids for fuel economy, although I don't know which are available in Thailand.

True about the fuel economy, but when it comes to refinement (in city traffic), nothing beats the silence (and total absence of vibrations) of a hybrid. It really is very comfortable to sit there and advance in silence, especially compared to a diesel.  

3 hours ago, ToddinChonburi said:

Once you turn on ac or heater the car will have to run on engine. I tried test driving a prius in the US and almost impossible to just run on battery.  Then turn on ac or Heater then forget it.

Not entirely true. The heater works with the heat from the combustion engine, so yes, it will start the engine if the cabin gets cooler than your preferred temperature,  but the A/C has an electric compressor and doesn’t need to run the ICE to work. Maybe you don’t understand the concept of the standard Prius? Its battery is not supposed to drive the car on its own, at best you could drive a few miles (maybe 5, but I’m just guessing here) on pure electric power, but unless you push the button to put it in electric mode, it will never do that. It will use the electric motor to assist the ICE engine while accelerating, especially from a standstill where a combustion engine is the most inefficient, but as soon as you get up to speed, the car’s brain will use both systems in order to keep the battery sufficiently charged at all times. About the only times the car runs on electric only is when you’re driving very slowly, like advancing slowly on a congested road (creeping). 

There’s a version of the Prius with a significantly larger battery, called the plug-in Prius, which you can charge on the mains, and this version can go a little further on electric power, not unlike the Chevy Volt (but with a shorter electric range). I don’t know if it’s available in Thailand though. 

5 minutes ago, spider1197 said:

Thanks for the info.  I live out in the boonies and don't do much city driving.  I am going to Toyota tomorow and will go for the normal motor.  I like the white pearl.  Anyone know if they have User manuals in English?

If not try to google it, lots of electronic and scanned manuals are available on the Internet. 

Just now, willi2006 said:

People think Toyota Prius lack in power compared with similar petrol cars. Even when you push down the accelerator pedal they accelerate smooth in Normal and Eco mode similar as lifts do and you don't feel a push in the back as most petrol cars do because some people like this. In Sport mode they accelerate also abruplty and if there's power in the battery the electrical engine gives additional power.

It’s also because of the CVT-like transmission. It’s not really a CVT, they developed their own transmission system, I think it includes a planetary gear set, but I’m not 100% sure. But it makes the engine rev up like a CVT whenever you accelerate, and you don’t get that feeling of a ‘strong acceleration’, even if it performs really good in any real-world scenario. 

10 minutes ago, willi2006 said:

In the city it uses about 5 to 6 l / 100 km, on the highway about 4 to 5 l / 100 km.

I have a few friends who drive Prius’ (or Prii?) in Switzerland, and they all say the use not more than 5 in the city. I guess the difference must the constantly running A/C, in a regular petrol car the A/C draws a lot of power too (the Prius has an electric compressor, unlike other cars, where the compressor is driven by the engine, via a belt). 

3 minutes ago, JLCrab said:

Thank you. I am happy, healthy, and filthy rich ... and have no problem buying a pork chop without first visiting the hog farm.

Good for you, I’m happy about that (seriously, no sarcasm). I was talking in general, not about you. Also, a difference of opinion doesn’t bother me at all, I hope you didn’t take any of this personally, that wasn’t my intention at all. 

22 minutes ago, JLCrab said:

Thank you. Life is short.

People say that quite often, but it’s only really true if you’re happy, healthy and not too poor. Otherwise it can seem extremely long and boring. 

Most, if not all, of the electrical power is generated whenever you’re slowing down. You’ll hardly ever use the brake pedal, unless to come to a full stop. That’s why these hybrids save quite a lot of fuel in city stop and go traffic although they have a really small battery (you can only do a few miles on pure electric power), but they’re not much better (or not at all) on long drives or on the highway. So you have to choose wisely, depending where you’ll be using it most of the time. Other benefits would be no engine noise at standstill (red lights, very slow traffic) and probably slightly better acceleration at slow speeds (0-50 kph) due to the immediate torque of the electric motor. 

9 minutes ago, JLCrab said:

I believe companies like BETagro and Mr. Heinecke's Minor Group franchiser of Sizzler more than I believe the anecdotes that you have written with your $100 meals.

I agree that it wouldn’t be smart to believe what a guy (including me) on a forum says. I try and see if I can verify a particular claim by myself, at least to a certain degree. For instance, if I were to buy my food at Betagro, I would check on their website if they publish the names, addresses and a few pics of their producers, and if they allow the public to visit them (yes, some health-food brands do that). Doesn’t mean I would go visit these farms, but it would make me much less sceptical. I choose to remain doubtful - at the very least - especially when we’re talking about large companies. They have a business to run and money to make, that’s their bottom line. 

5 minutes ago, JLCrab said:

No -- I enjoy buying BETAgro chicken and occasionally going to Sizzler because I am not a paranoid like some.

As long as you enjoy it, I can see nothing wrong with it. However, if you strictly believe what you’re being told by advertisers, you could eventually be in for a surprise. It doesn’t have to be lies, but it doesn’t have to be true either, there’s plenty of precedents for that. No need to be paranoid. 

8 minutes ago, JLCrab said:

I never go to parties -- how am I supposed to know there is really a party? Maybe it's a trap or one of those Thai parties where you are invited and then presented a bill at the end. Maybe my house will be robbed if people know that I will be out at a party. You can never be too careful here as there is no Thai Ministry of Genuine Parties.

So two more drawbacks then? You can’t go to parties, and nobody finds your jokes funny?