New car time! This time - the 19 year old son

[pedro01]

Time for another new car - so the search starts today. This time for my son - so no BMWs or Mercs. 

He's 19 - about to go to Mahidol or ABAC to study music and both are miles from the house (and KM to for those on the metric system) and it seems he wants something on the larger side but not Fortuner large. He's just spent 19 years of his life with dad driving him around Bangkok and for some reason - he's scared witless.

 

So I think he wants bigger/safer but still wants something pretty.

 

Budget would be 1.5 million max - would prefer brand new - and the post sale warranty/service is going to be a consideration.

 

Any thoughts - anyone got a good deal recently on something that suits?

[chakatee]

Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid is 1.2M and has quite good safety specs and looks good. Smaller than Fortuner

[Kwasaki]

What does he want.? 

[pedro01]

11 minutes ago, chakatee said:

Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid is 1.2M and has quite good safety specs and looks good. Smaller than Fortuner

Nice looking car - will go have a drive.

[KhunLA]

New ... hell no.  Give him your car, and buy yourself a new one.  Within a year, he'll ding it up a couple times.

 

I gave my daughter the Mazda 2, and picked up new car for us, and yep, she dinged up 2 out of 4 corners of the car already.  It's what we all do with 1st car.  As a youngin, I totaled a few, used, so were expensive oops.

 

Smaller is better, easier to miss sh!t, and find parking.

[bang saen guy]

18 minutes ago, pedro01 said:

Nice looking car - will go have a drive.

Read some reviews. The Mazda CX-30 is worth a look

[RandiRona]

You are the kind of dad I could have used when I was 19...well if you look at it, I still can at this ripe age....

Alex...I will take Mazda for a million for Jeopardy fans!!

 

[THEN]

The new Honda HRV RS looks pretty good and also good size car for Bangkok traffic.

1.179.000 thb.

[LosLobo]

53 minutes ago, pedro01 said:

and KM to for those on the metric system

 

The abbreviation for kilometre is actually km. I am sure that those on the metric system, who actually comprise 95% of the world's population appreciate your consideration. ????

[pedro01]

1 hour ago, KhunLA said:

New ... hell no.  Give him your car, and buy yourself a new one.  Within a year, he'll ding it up a couple times.

 

I gave my daughter the Mazda 2, and picked up new car for us, and yep, she dinged up 2 out of 4 corners of the car already.  It's what we all do with 1st car.  As a youngin, I totaled a few, used, so were expensive oops.

 

Smaller is better, easier to miss sh!t, and find parking.

We got 2 cars right now - both with 3.0 V6 engines.   The oldest is 18 months old I think.

 

I would not sleep at night if he was driving either of them. 

 

But I get your point. 

[bbko]

What's his driving history like?  My son is 14 but I know when the time comes his very 1st car will be a dependable, clean second hand car.  After a couple of years and if he's proven himself, I'll trade up.

[OneMoreFarang]

2 hours ago, KhunLA said:

Smaller is better, easier to miss sh!t, and find parking.

Yes, but then there advantages of a big car.

My first car was big and old (and not powerful). I learned to get around all those tight corners and parking.

And after that every other car was like a toy. Much easier to navigate.

[JeffersLos]

2 hours ago, Kwasaki said:

What does he want.? 

Daddy to pay, by the looks of things. 

[KhunLA]

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Yes, but then there advantages of a big car.

My first car was big and old (and not powerful). I learned to get around all those tight corners and parking.

And after that every other car was like a toy. Much easier to navigate.

Yea, but that wasn't Thailand.  Smaller definitely better here, to a point.  

[pedro01]

3 hours ago, JeffersLos said:

Daddy to pay, by the looks of things. 

jealous much?

[pedro01]

3 hours ago, bbko said:

What's his driving history like?  My son is 14 but I know when the time comes his very 1st car will be a dependable, clean second hand car.  After a couple of years and if he's proven himself, I'll trade up.

Zero - he's just having lessons - he's only learning 'cause of how remote the campuses or campii are....

 

I should buy a tank

[RJRS1301]

3 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Yes, but then there advantages of a big car.

My first car was big and old (and not powerful). I learned to get around all those tight corners and parking.

And after that every other car was like a toy. Much easier to navigate.

We have moved on from the T Model though.

 

[scorecard]

6 hours ago, pedro01 said:

Nice looking car - will go have a drive.

...your son have a drive. As mentioned, what does your son want?

[pedro01]

16 hours ago, scorecard said:

...your son have a drive. As mentioned, what does your son want?

No - my son can't have a drive as he doesn't have a license yet.

 

As for what he wants - he's the only "safety first" 19 year old in Thailand - I think he'd settle for a Sherman Tank.

 

In fact - at 19 - he's probably having a couple of Shermans a day.

[pedro01]

Right, after a drive around...

 

Nissan is out.

Mitsu is out.

 

Whats in:

Toyota C-HR, Toyota Civic Hatchback, Honda HR-V, Mazda CX-30, Maxda 3

 

I was suprised the lad liked the Mazda. I was also suprised the Mazda prices seem to have come down relative to its peers. 

 

Will go to Subaru, then he can mull it over. 

 

Bizarre thing, hes got his 1st driving lesson on Monday - 3 hours long. Then more of the same till his test on Saturday. If he passes, hell be given a rental for a month or 2 because regardless of whether he passes or not, he needs more driving time before he gets a new one.

 

I did the same with the wife - called a car rental company - told them she'd just passed and I needed something old for 2 months while and that we'd definitely be claiming. They gave us something appropriate and she dinged it a few times as expected. Mind you - I didn't expect the first thing she'd hit would be a new E300.

[pedro01]

The CHR. I think it looks cool. 1.8l engine.

 

To me - this says "young lad" and looks pretty cool.

 

[pedro01]

The Mazda - on the face of it - a bit of an old mans car. 

 

But - it's really well equipped (like the holographic head-up display) and about the same price of the Toyota. The inside is lovely. 

 

My experience of Mazda was they were about 30% more than the equivalent Honda/Toyota - but they seem to have closed the gap. 

 

Now - I left him to it in the shop - just let him chat with the sales people, so I'm not influencing him to go for the old farts car. 

 

[Saanim]

9 minutes ago, pedro01 said:

The Mazda - on the face of it - a bit of an old mans car. 

 

But - it's really well equipped (like the holographic head-up display) and about the same price of the Toyota. The inside is lovely. 

When choosing CX-30: forget the option with the funny large display costing 100,000 more than the type without (there were 4 options last year). The display (and Bluetooth phone) is controlled at the middle console by 5 push buttons (4 around the large round one and 1 under the small for radio) and also by the large round for turning and pushing either. Never clear which one is for what.  The many screens appearing on the display nobody knows what they are really for, actually no instructions for.  One "very useful" screen showing whether wheels are turning when driving or not turning when the car standing.???? 

 

What I had thought the display will have, it has not: a navigator.  Only when you combine and set it up with an Iphone or Ipad. Actually, there was an info it's possible to have the navigator built-in after getting a special part for it. And it was promised before we decided for that option. After urging the service people also at HQ in Bkk many times and after extensive searching on internet I gave up. 

 

 

[pedro01]

1 hour ago, Saanim said:

When choosing CX-30: forget the option with the funny large display costing 100,000 more than the type without (there were 4 options last year). The display (and Bluetooth phone) is controlled at the middle console by 5 push buttons (4 around the large round one and 1 under the small for radio) and also by the large round for turning and pushing either. Never clear which one is for what.  The many screens appearing on the display nobody knows what they are really for, actually no instructions for.  One "very useful" screen showing whether wheels are turning when driving or not turning when the car standing.???? 

 

What I had thought the display will have, it has not: a navigator.  Only when you combine and set it up with an Iphone or Ipad. Actually, there was an info it's possible to have the navigator built-in after getting a special part for it. And it was promised before we decided for that option. After urging the service people also at HQ in Bkk many times and after extensive searching on internet I gave up. 

 

 

Thanks for that. Solid advice - what year is yours and how have you enjoyed it? Any flaws?

 

[DavisH]

My son may end up at Mahidol this year. He will probably stay at the dorm, as its also quite far from where we live (Nonthaburi). He doesn't seem so interested ing wtting his licence any time soon though.

 

Does your son want to travel each day between uni and home? If it's far this can cut into study time considerably. 

I do like the cx-3 actually, and may be suitable if there is just 1-2 in the car. Or the honda civic. 

[Lacessit]

Buying a new car for a 19 yo is not something I would do. Secondhand banger, so he could learn driving without all the modern frills.

Statistics say most new drivers have their accidents in the first three months of driving. Myself and my son both reinforced said statistic.

[Saanim]

11 hours ago, pedro01 said:

Thanks for that. Solid advice - what year is yours and how have you enjoyed it? Any flaws?

 

It's 2020, actually no serious flaws. What's useful from the additional options is a screen of rear camera popping up when returning and attention monitoring from sides.  

[fredscats]

On 1/14/2022 at 1:25 PM, OneMoreFarang said:

Yes, but then there advantages of a big car.

My first car was big and old (and not powerful). I learned to get around all those tight corners and parking.

And after that every other car was like a toy. Much easier to navigate.

Too true, go look at Protons on Marketplace,cheap Malaya/French build

[tonray]

Rent him a room near campus....when he graduates get him a new vehicle.

[Ralf001]

11 hours ago, Lacessit said:

Buying a new car for a 19 yo is not something I would do. Secondhand banger, so he could learn driving without all the modern frills.

Statistics say most new drivers have their accidents in the first three months of driving. Myself and my son both reinforced said statistic.

I'd prefer to buy my 19yr old something new that will be reliable, not some banger that could have a dodgy service history and prove to be unreliable.

 

Insurance will take car of any accidents.