WarpSpeed

Air con and power steer parts get a hard life here. Engine hrs is a better measure of life here rather than km - a lot of time idling. Watch, you water pump will be next if you haven't changed it already. Quite possibly all normal wear and tear. For the dealt attitude, a few small stones under the valve caps of all four tyres of a few cars in the yard might fix him up:......

Good point on the engine hours, I agree for every location, I think a good feature that needs to be added is an engine hours meter, now that's a piece of tech that I'd welcome in new cars.

The age of 4 years or 100,000 km,.... whatever the car reaches first, then it's time to sell it, not to buy it. The humidity and the road conditions in Thailand destroy a vehicle faster than in European countries.

Read post #102. Half the year it is below freezing, with half of that below minus 30C with the odd meander to minus 45C

Nonsensical post if there ever was one.. Good Lord what a broad range given the wide range of weather conditions across Europe.. I was wondering about the salt on the roads for snow and ice how does that effect a car's longevity and reliability compared to "humidity"? Rhetorical question BTW.

The age of 4 years or 100,000 km,.... whatever the car reaches first, then it's time to sell it, not to buy it. The humidity and the road conditions in Thailand destroy a vehicle faster than in European countries.

Personal point of view of course that in no way applies to everyone.. Some are quite confident and capable of owning a car over those mileage or time limits, I might sell it because it has gotten boring but not because of mileage as I get bored quite easily with common daily drivers which is definitely one bonus for being back home and having such a wide variety of nice used vehicles to choose from... Here the problem is choosing what to own, nice problem to have and not one I'm relishing losing if I return.

Assuming the OP is in BKK, keep in mind that 130K in BKK heat and traffic is a lot more stressful than 130K driving the highways of Texas.

I bought the top end 1.08M baht 2.0L Ford Focus about 18 months ago, and have had zero problems, although mine genuinely is low mileage. Dealer support and responsiveness has been great. Plus, compared to the similarly priced Toyota Altis competition, there is no comparison in terms of technology, performance and handling, at least to my driving taste. And with that performance, the Focus 2.0L engine gets better fuel economy than the Altis 1.8L engine.

IMHO, an Altis is just boring. As for details, even the interior hasn't really changed much in the last ten years. Check out the retro cheap LCD digital clocks they still use, even on the Camry. Sure, the depreciation it isn't nice on anything other than Japanese cars in Thailand due to Thai perceptions, but I really did not want to ride around in something I did not want because I was worried about depreciation.

Yes, everyone has their preferences and priorities, but there you go...just my opinion.

I should've mentioned earlier possibly returning to Thailand over the next few months and a second hand Ford Focus, manual, turbo diesel is on the top of a short list, along with a Bimmer which are surprisingly cheap second hand there and quite abundant, a Seat Toledo and possibly even a Scirocco as they are coming down in price as well, obviously if I have the choice and the price is right the Scirocco is my first preference but the Focus may dissuade me from it as it has good torque/Hp numbers lower price,better mileage, cheaper fuel prices and more utility. I've already got my eye on one for around 350,000 that's also had performance work done already and is pumping out 195hp, but I'm waiting for a decision to finalize my deal to return.

It's a good idea but not in bkk. Only people with mental issues drive a car in bkk.

I represented that remark for 10 years in Bangkok thank you very much.. I can see how an insecure driver may think that way and that's fine because we don't need them on the roads anyway they are more a part of the problem then the drivers with "mental issues" who are at least predictable..

i probably wouldn't go out until evening time when it calms a bit.

That wouldn't be till about 8pm. Hua Hin is as bad as any Thai town when it comes to parking, so make sure you have somewhere to park it before driving down.

You could take the bus/ train to Hua Hin and still hire a car for Issan.

M'bikes. I had been riding in Thailand for about 2 years and it was fine till it wasn't. Hospital, operation, 70,000 baht, permanent damage to my hand, lucky not to be in jail or bankrupt ( he walked away ). OTY.

Traffic regulations, . They have the laws, but not the enforcement.

Even 8:00 is wishful thinking, more like 10:00 most days, 8:00 would be a holiday evening.

Something hard to understand for me. Why somebody will pay more than a million THB for a Ford Focus, when for the same price or less, can buy a top of the line Nissan Teana, Toyota Camry, or Honda Accord...

You might want to check the prices in Thailand for the cars you mention... but Iet me save you the trouble to help you understand

Ford Focus 759 -1.079k

Toyota Camry 1.279 - 1.879k

Honda Accord 1.299 - 1.799

Nissan Teana 1.270 - 1.570k

So there's quite a difference in price between the top of the line Focus and the others cars you mention, not same price or less.

In fact the top of the line Focus is on average 200,000 baht cheaper than even the most basic model of all the cars you claim are cheaper for a top line model...

Not to mention they are not the equivalent car he has compared them with in the states. All of the cars he compared it with here are also 10 to 15,000 more then a top line Focus with the exception of the RS and that's a performance model none of the others can match except maybe the G series.

For the Ford manager said that you cannot expect the same quality of an American car here, is not just false, it is incompetence and showing no pride for what he is selling. Quality inspection is higher for exported cars. Anyway..I do not like Ford. I had one in the US and was enough.

I said here before, to buy an American car in Thailand is too look for extra expenses, sooner or later. Thai mechanics are good repairing Japanese brand, and its parts are available even for very old cars. The US mechanics are trained to CHANGE parts, never fixing anything, even basic problems. Dealership just follows that trend, that may apply only to the US because its cost of labor. Not here in Thailand.

Something hard to understand for me. Why somebody will pay more than a million THB for a Ford Focus, when for the same price or less, can buy a top of the line Nissan Teana, Toyota Camry, or Honda Accord...that in the US were known by the names Infinity G30, Lexus 300 and Acura LT. Dream Japanese cars for many, and big competition to luxury European brands in the US.

Erm there is no Acura related to the Accord in the states, the Accord in the states is the Accord by Honda and the Camry is the Camry By Toyota not a Lexus either. Teana is it's own model without a cross over here it was previously the Cefiro there and before that a Skyline as well in other markets, but here it does not have a crossover, the Infiniti G class is based on the 350-370Z platform. Now we have the Skyline GTR but that is off the radar screen in price comparison and performance.

I sold my 69 Toyota Crown I've spoken of here a few times to a nice Muslim teacher that had come up from Songkhla expressly to see and try to buy it. He came all the way to Bangkok by bus with a couple of his friends to see the car. I could not resist selling it to him he was so impressed and wanted it so badly in spite of him being quite a bit short on asking price, he sincerely appreciated all the work I had done and the uniqueness of the car. I suggested that he not drive it that distance though and have it shipped instead as it was an obviously an older car and though I had gone through it completely and it was in great running condition it was still a classic and it didn't need all that extra mileage but true to Thai nature he did anyways and then called to tell us it took him 3 days to make the trip, but they loved every minute of it, every time they stopped had a dozen people eyeing and asking questions and it made it all the way without a hitch which made me very proud and happy.

He had taken a picture of all 3 of us at the registration agent on his phone and I wanted him to send me a copy but he didn't know how to do it with his phone or how to get the pics out of his phone, I'm not going to lie I had a bit of hesitation about having them come to the house and was even more uneasy when there was 3 of them that showed up, that was unexpected. Obviously given where they came from a lot of things ran through my head like maybe they were buying it for something nefarious, but the car had to much value for that so I quickly discounted it and his reaction to showing it to his mother when he got back and such was too genuine. In the end I was happy to sell it to someone who really appreciated it even if for a bit less money and no doubt him owning it really raised his stature in his village.

^Yep and the numbers of vehicles of a given model increase those chances considerably. Such as a popular model like the Focus.

378980 km. No major problems, regular oil change and service. Wear parts change. Toyota Hilux Prerunner 4x4. One year ago I invested 300k to convert it to off road and a change of colour. Runs at about 10l/100km. Love the car and its performance. An old man's toy.

Before and after....

Fatfather

Nice snorkel, get any use out of that during the floods?

Seriously guys, we're going to argue about reversing cars with the Stig's American cousin?

Hey now!! I'm nothing like the guy in that episode, frankly Jeremy is fatter then most I know and that guy included so he has no room to talk. However I have driven that track many times, it was basically my home track I lived only 15 minutes away from it, now I'm a couple of hours from there.

I must say economic driving is my hobby...

I shift the gears quickly and drive in a very supple way, look in the far for red lights and switch into neutral until they go green...

Anticipate as much as i can and try not to brake.

It is the way i have been driving for 26 years...

Having a manual ... that's cheating ... actually in the UK years ago they had the Mobile Economy Run ...they got some good economy figures. Driving as you do and not in heavy traffic will give good figures.

My wife, quite a good driver and has a UK license, but anticipation is not her forte by any stretch of the imagination , frequently gets from me ... 'why are we still accelerating whilst all those ahead have red lights showing' or 'aren't those traffic lights ahead red'. Wasting my breath though .....

Edit: Read this post wrong..

As for the odometer reading, i suspect the wheels are bigger than original.

I just changed the tyres for Michelin Latitude tour and the size is 225/65 R17.

Correct me if i am wrong but if the wheel diameter is bigger than original, it means i am doing more kms than the odo reading, doesnt it?

No, less, the larger the tire the lower the gearing and rotation, it rotates slower, not faster you're more likely to be speeding without knowing it as it registers lower speed while actually going faster and therefore lowers the actual ODO reading due to less revolutions.

I must say economic driving is my hobby...

I shift the gears quickly and drive in a very supple way, look in the far for red lights and switch into neutral until they go green...

Anticipate as much as i can and try not to brake.

It is the way i have been driving for 26 years...

There have been several studies done that disprove "gentle" driving as a fuel saver. The reason being that you are taking much longer accelerating to speed and over coming the worst fuel abuser in momentum, while those who get up to speed quicker with a moderate pedal application (not flooring it) save more fuel getting to cruising pace faster.

I too was surprised when i did the calculation.

I like to drive economically, virtually never go over 2000 revolutions per minute.

Dont use the Aircon.

As for removing the body, i would like to remove the tray door to see how big a difference it makes...

It doesn't it actually gets worse mileage, the air that gets trapped in the back with the gate up creates a rotation that aids in funneling the air over the bed and it makes it more aerodynamic and thus more efficient. You may save on weight only but lose in aero efficiency.

Fix Or Repair Daily

For Old Retired Drivers.

Found On Rubbish Dump

or

Full Of Rusty Dents

Any more out there!

Found On Roadside Dead

While it's not necessarily my feeling, it has been known to happen quite often.

First

On

Race

Day

134,000 km??? "vehicle with so little mileage"???

Ford Focus........secondhand ford focus......'top of the line ????

A ford in the UK with that mileage would be heading for the scrap yard.

Pretty sure he means top of the line offering for Thailand.

They don' take very good care of their cars in the UK then? Or is that owners there are clueless as to how to do that properly? As it's well publicized how much more reliable British makes are is that related to British assembled Fords then is it? What's that say then?

You think a water pump and an air compressor are the same ?

No, but an air compressor and an AC compressor are.

The AC unit is turned on and off by signal from a sensor, which actuates the clutch on the front of the compressor. You have no control of when it turns on or off.

So how can you make it run at Idle ?

Old wives tale - from the days of steam probably.

And as far as a turbo goes, unless you run it at max revs for an extended time, and then suddenly turn the engine off, no problem.

If you drive on the hiway, then on surface streets, then park in your yard, no idle time required.

Um, I hate to spark this off but there is a shut off delay on many modern cars and home A/C, heat pump units these days but it is not for cooling the system it's for relieving the pressure. Most are automatic though like my Gti does it automatically when I shut down, it then delays on restart for a few minutes, that is also to relieve the load on the engine during start up. My house A/C delays on shut down when you shut it off, that is to relieve pressure and the pool heat pumps I've worked on for decades also have a similar system to take load off of the compressor on restart.

... yah right... At least your last part is accurate, I NEVER rely solely on anyone else backing me either so I certainly wouldn't rely on a machine to do it, in the end the responsibility is still the drivers..

I'm partial to German too, I've raced them with great success and owned street versions as well, it seems without even doing it intentionally, I keep trying to buy something else but always end up back with VW or a product thereof. I can't get over the nonsensical nature of posts though are so generalized and mostly based on no real factual perspective due to measurable statistics. One could almost call them trolling.

I think your title should read.. Why I will never buy another USED car in Thailand...

No lemon laws here and buyer beware...

I only buy new here

Never knew lemon laws applied to used cars anyway?

134,000 km??? "vehicle with so little mileage"???

I don't know where you are from, but in Texas, we don't think that a vehicle should need many parts, beyond normal service, until after it has reached more than 250,000 miles, about 400,000 km.

With all due respect I think you were rather foolish in the first place to buy a car with this mileage on the clock

Nonsense..

See you drag into a sarcastic "mere mortals" comment, you poked, I poked back and ended up having to give my resume once again to demonstrate my knowledge and empirical experience that some how offends some of the masses anytime I do? That's too bad for anyone who goes down that path it's not my problem. If you can't take it don't try to dish it out, if I'm challenged I'll respond, not cower I'm not a door mat, it's not in me to be one..

I'll give you props for manning up and giving my post a thumbs up, I'll give you that respect. Normally Giddy you and I agree on many points which is why I attempted to back out gracefully before it escalated and that wasn't possible because you felt offended and somehow got defensive for a broad comment not directed at any one in particular but the envy of many is sad really. Can't people just appreciate a person for who they are, the skills they may have and share instead of turning it into a "my appendage is bigger then yours is" moment? Which is NOT what I was doing by my comments which is why I stated "that I couldn't relate" and tired to walk away, I was passing on my experiences, thought that was what a forum (which BTW is predominantly participated on by men who should not be so hypersensitive) was supposed to be for? Exchange of ideas and opinions but for some allowing someone their perspective seems a personally criminal offense to them?

Anyway good luck with your new sensors and camera system, hope it works well for you and those who may be endangered without them.

There is a place for technology but there is also a problem when drivers become complacent and too reliant on that technology when for example it runs a muck as has already happened, drive by wire for example can leave people with wide open throttles and no way to stop, or loss of power steering at a critical time, or brake failure, blind spot warnings that fail and the driver is clueless and changes lanes into someone because they are no longer DRIVING their cars and paying attention with all the crutches that exist, their cars are driving their cars, no, I prefer to DRIVE my car, not my car driving me, thank you.. I have a much better record then any car does.. There is also a very real danger of sensory overload for the driver another thing my racing experience tells me, if every GD thing in the cockpit is giving you a warning then we/you tend to shut down and ignore them or mentally override them and then they are useless and so is the driver using them besides being MORE dangerous and distracted as well. ABS good tech but not in all circumstances like dry road conditions requires a human to operate properly still, smart phones are bad driving tech., the worst.. Obviously A/C is a moot point as it's only draw back is being able to close up the car, impairing hearing the traffic at times when it's critical to do so otherwise it has no negative effects only positive ones.