Great post for a Poll?  anyway my vote goes to Yaris 

#1 Look at safety records in Thailand and final choice is your to make 

15 minutes ago, alien365 said:

How do you find the gearbox? I felt the gear changes were terrible in what would be a 2017 model. Very jerky

Jerky CVT......?

CVT doesn't have gears, probably has two ranges but no gears..

The small SUVs are hard to go past, as you get older with the seat height compared to sedans, just that little extra seat height really makes it easier to get outa the car, myself after 20 years driving double deck car carriers i really struggle climbing outa sedans compared to SUVs or utes, maybe another thought when choosing another vehicle. 

The  Jazz is a great little reliable runabout. Have for 8 years ,, still runs like new.

The Honda Shitty is not at all shitty  & for the money cannot be faulted.

The Vios is noisy & degenerates quickly

I will be buying my first car soon.  I haven't driven since I was 18 and I am 56 now so I will be taking driving lessons and getting my license first. However, threads like these do give me some good ideas for my first purchase. In my case, once I retire I will be driving between Bangkok and the North East so I believe I need something that is comfortable over long distances, not just short trips. Would the Vios fit that bill? Any other small or medium-small suggestions. I will need room for luggage and a rowing machine of bicycle (don't ask), but the only people in the car will me my wife and me.  

3 minutes ago, GarryP said:

I will be buying my first car soon.  I haven't driven since I was 18 and I am 56 now so I will be taking driving lessons and getting my license first. However, threads like these do give me some good ideas for my first purchase. In my case, once I retire I will be driving between Bangkok and the North East so I believe I need something that is comfortable over long distances, not just short trips. Would the Vios fit that bill? Any other small or medium-small suggestions. I will need room for luggage and a rowing machine of bicycle (don't ask), but the only people in the car will me my wife and me.  

Sounds like you will need a biggish hatchback to take a bike or row machine..

18 minutes ago, transam said:

Jerky CVT......?

CVT doesn't have gears, probably has two ranges but no gears..

The Avanza I drove didn't have a CVT. VVT maybe but I wasn't impressed. I know I have a CVT so I could be classed as biased, but I've driven and been driven in non CVT's that felt a lot better. Apart from that issue though, I liked the Avanza

7 minutes ago, transam said:

Sounds like you will need a biggish hatchback to take a bike or row machine..

I put a running machine in the Yaris no problem, with the rear seats down it's surprising how big the capacity is in that car. 

7 minutes ago, transam said:

Sounds like you will need a biggish hatchback to take a bike or row machine..

The rowing machine breaks into two pieces and I can take the wheels of the bike. Fold down the back seat perhaps. I'll certainly look at hatchbacks though as that is what my wife wants. Not sure whether I will go for new or second hand. 

On 7/11/2019 at 5:29 PM, Pilotman said:

Love my little Vios, brilliant car. 4 seats , 4 doors, 1500cc engine, comfortable and great gear box. very economic and cheap maintenance costs.  Its a delight to drive. Two years old now and not a sign of any problems. 

have a brand new red one, load of ssss, wish i had bought a mazda or honda, just not good for 800k trips, my toyota hilux diesal is so much better !

I will be buying my first car soon.  I haven't driven since I was 18 and I am 56 now so I will be taking driving lessons and getting my license first. However, threads like these do give me some good ideas for my first purchase. In my case, once I retire I will be driving between Bangkok and the North East so I believe I need something that is comfortable over long distances, not just short trips. Would the Vios fit that bill? Any other small or medium-small suggestions. I will need room for luggage and a rowing machine of bicycle (don't ask), but the only people in the car will me my wife and me.  

I can get a couple of 24” bikes in my Jazz with the seats folded obviously.
It’s a bit of a struggle to get them in though and really a 2 person job.

Off topic slightly but I had an idea to fabricate a trailer for the bikes ( we travel to a park for exercise most days ), but it seems like they don’t have them here and don’t think I’ve seen a tow bar here either !!
Are they a thing here or unheard of ??

3 minutes ago, GarryP said:

The rowing machine breaks into two pieces and I can take the wheels of the bike. Fold down the back seat perhaps. I'll certainly look at hatchbacks though as that is what my wife wants. Not sure whether I will go for new or second hand. 

That's OK then..I was just thinking my 4 door Vigo had a weee prob with a push-bike, front wheel had to be pointing upwards...

1 minute ago, stropper said:

have a brand new red one, load of ssss, wish i had bought a mazda or honda, just not good for 800k trips, my toyota hilux diesal is so much better !

oh dear, not red,  Prayut will be upset. I've even thrown out all my red shorts and T shirts. 

3 minutes ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

I can get a couple of 24” bikes in my Jazz with the seats folded obviously.
It’s a bit of a struggle to get them in though and really a 2 person job.

Off topic slightly but I had an idea to fabricate a trailer for the bikes ( we travel to a park for exercise most days ), but it seems like they don’t have them here and don’t think I’ve seen a tow bar here either !!
Are they a thing here or unheard of ??

Might be better asking that in the cycling forum.

Might be better asking that in the cycling forum.

Yes but more of a motoring question as a trailer will come in useful for diy stuff also !!

I’ll open a thread .

2 minutes ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

Yes but more of a motoring question as a trailer will come in useful for diy stuff also !!

I’ll open a thread .

As you wish, I was focussing on the bike carrier, you were on the trailer, slight cross purpose????

1 hour ago, transam said:

Jerky CVT......?

CVT doesn't have gears, probably has two ranges but no gears..

CVT's can feel very jerky for anyone who can't keep accelerator pressure constant.

33 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

oh dear, not red,  Prayut will be upset. I've even thrown out all my red shorts and T shirts. 

Forget about red, forget about Prayut. It's the clear leader in the rate of paint degradation, because it absorbs more UV and infra-red than any other colour. One only has to look at 10 yo red cars to see that.

I have a Mazda 2 and a Suzuki Ciaz. I much prefer the Suzuki, it is more solid, good power, and much more room. If you want smaller, I rented a Jazz and preferred that over the MAZDA. It is more solidly made etc. mazda isn't terrible. But saying that mine got hit right front by a scooter doing around 100kph. The damage done to the cars suspension was extensive, and some of it turning up months later.....we replaced four different components including a large brace and some tied into the engine supports. Made me wonder how well it was made. The scooter was only moderately damaged, and it's footrest punched a hole through the door besides other body damage. Amazingly the youngster driving the scooter who flew over the hood was briefly knocked out, a few stitches in his chin, and out of the hospital the next day. If I had a SUV he would have been dead. He was a very lucky boy, especially as he wasn't wearing a helmet....hopefully he learned his lesson.

Suzuki ciaz for the largest and most comfortable eco car (1.2 L). Else, wait for the new honda city due this year, possibly with a 1.0 turbo and also a hybrid version.

1 hour ago, GarryP said:

I will be taking driving lessons and getting my license first.

 

Why do people not try and adapt to the local culture ?? Lessons ! Licence ! 

????????????????

Mazda 2. Benzine 1.3L Engine. Since 3 Years l own one. 45000km. No Problems, very Confortable, good Maintenance, 6.3L/100km in City. Still on first Tyre Set.  Resale Price same as Honda, Toyota or Suzuki.

I think the Jazz is top of the class. Mazda 2 if you want to save some money. Check out what's coming from Toyota. Is the Yaris the Corolla hatchback? They've just introduced an upgrade. What they're selling here may not be the latest and greatest. Jazz/Mazda 2

On 7/11/2019 at 5:29 PM, Pilotman said:

Love my little Vios, brilliant car. 4 seats , 4 doors, 1500cc engine, comfortable and great gear box. very economic and cheap maintenance costs.  Its a delight to drive. Two years old now and not a sign of any problems. 

we bought one 5 years ago and traded it in last year, great little car and I am not a small person, seats are very comfortable, great to drive and very good on fuel, cant recommend them enough. I have ridden in other small cars and the seats are not size friendly or comfortable, the vios seemed to have much better motor strength as well.

I've owned a Jazz and a Swift, would take the Jazz over the Swift any day. Both are small cheap cars but there's a lot more quality in the Honda.

10 hours ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

I had a look at one, the 7 seater comes well equipped looks good if you need 7 seats.
The other option is the 5 seater and is quite basic in comparison ( obviously cheaper ).
Probably bigger than the op is looking for.

BR-V has a very hard, bouncy ride.  Hired one in Indonesia, never again.  

 

Mitsubishi Xpanda is a more modern, larger alternative.  Only been a passenger in one, but was impressed for an 800k car.

 

Buy something that has a boot/trunk. As you mentioned kids, the extra bit of metal gives a little confidence thinking about being rear-ended.

This is the OP... Think the Honda City is leading the race for me. Just ahead of the Jazz. I like the idea of a boot instead of a hatchback and it seems slightly bigger inside. Tomorrow checking out the Vios.

 

And thanks everyone for the comments. So helpful! I’d buy you all a beer...

 

 

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And thanks everyone for the comments. So helpful! I’d buy you all a beer...
 
 
Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect
 

I don’t drink.... just send me the money [emoji51]