Alternative to Fortuner

[BugJackBaron]

Hey, looking for a safe SUV easily affordable and available here.

Fortuner would be my first choice but ideally I'd like something accessible 

to shorter people as well(my wife). Not sure if any SUVs would fit that but some

cars like the Nissan Kick(first google result) would.

  What do you think?

[Ben Zioner]

My wife is 1.52 meters  and has no problem whatsoever driving a 2022 CRV. I am 1.82  and  when sitting behind the wheel of a Fortuner I thought I couldn't see the road. Hence the CRV.

[KhunLA]

If sticking with ICEV, then that Toyota Cross is looking good.  I haven't researched the spece, so ignorant on that aspect.

 

If EV, my wife's choice was MG ZS, she's all of 150ish cm.  I'm 175cm and works great for both of us.

 

Both start @ <1M baht

Edited July 31, 2023 by KhunLA

[KannikaP]

3 minutes ago, Ben Zioner said:

My wife is 1.52 meters  and has no problem whatsoever driving a 2022 CRV. I am 1.82  and  when sitting behind the wheel of a Fortuner I thought I couldn't see the road. Hence the CRV.

Did you try raising and/or pushing back the seat when YOU drive?

I am 176 tall with a Vigo, which is a Fortuna with a back bed. No problem seeing the road.

[transam]

9 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

If sticking with ICEV, then that Toyota Cross is looking good.  I haven't researched the spece, so ignorant on that aspect.

 

If EV, my wife's choice was MG ZS, she's all of 150ish cm.  I'm 175cm and works great for both of us.

 

Both start @ <1M baht

Are you on an MG retainer......................????

[transam]

Mrs.T is short, but she drove the Vigo 4x4 auto OK, but the Honda CRV would be a good choice....

[bbko]

My Mrs is 154cm and I'm 192, we're happy with our SUV, Mitsubishi Xpander.

[motdaeng]

34 minutes ago, BugJackBaron said:

Hey, looking for a safe SUV easily affordable and available here.

Fortuner would be my first choice but ideally I'd like something accessible 

to shorter people as well(my wife). Not sure if any SUVs would fit that but some

cars like the Nissan Kick(first google result) would.

  What do you think?

a fortuner is a large, heavy car, but personally, I wouldn't consider it as a really safe vehicle ...

[transam]

1 minute ago, motdaeng said:

a fortuner is a large, heavy car, but personally, I wouldn't consider it as a really safe vehicle ...

Why....?  ????

[KhunLA]

11 minutes ago, transam said:

Are you on an MG retainer......................????

I try not to recommend things I know nothing about, hence the 'haven't researched' the Cross comment, but they do look nice, and I see a lot of them when out & about.

[Woof999]

Mrs Woof is a smurf (4 feet 12 in heels). She finds the Fortuner fine to drive. Personally I find it a little awkward to get into because of the seat bolsters.

 

Lack of memory seat function (position of the driving seat between me and the Mrs is rather different to say the least) is one of my biggest moans though. Forever having to manually (electronic, but still manual) change the seat position, mirrors etc.

[Ben Zioner]

8 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

Did you try raising and/or pushing back the seat when YOU drive?

I am 176 tall with a Vigo, which is a Fortuna with a back bed. No problem seeing the road.

Yes, of course, the Toyota gave me  that distinct truck feeling while the CRV has the feeling of a sedan, with a more elevated driver position. Before  moving to Thailand I had been zipping around Tel Aviv in a small Renault  Modus and when I got the  CRV didn't need any adjustment at all.

[transam]

2 minutes ago, Woof999 said:

Mrs Woof is a smurf (4 feet 12 in heels). She finds the Fortuner fine to drive. Personally I find it a little awkward to get into because of the seat bolsters.

 

Lack of memory seat function (position of the driving seat between me and the Mrs is rather different to say the least) is one of my biggest moans though. Forever having to manually (electronic, but still manual) change the seat position, mirrors etc.

Sounds like you need a BMW....????

[tgw]

48 minutes ago, BugJackBaron said:

Hey, looking for a safe SUV easily affordable and available here.

Fortuner would be my first choice but ideally I'd like something accessible 

to shorter people as well(my wife). Not sure if any SUVs would fit that but some

cars like the Nissan Kick(first google result) would.

  What do you think?

I'd go for a Honda CRV

 

If you like a smaller crossover better, like the Nissan Kick, there's the Honda WRV

Edited July 31, 2023 by tgw

[Ben Zioner]

6 minutes ago, transam said:

Why....?  ????

Fixed rear axle, drum brakes and rigid chassis that doesn't absorb impact through deformation. 

[KannikaP]

5 minutes ago, Woof999 said:

Mrs Woof is a smurf (4 feet 12 in heels). She finds the Fortuner fine to drive. Personally I find it a little awkward to get into because of the seat bolsters.

 

Lack of memory seat function (position of the driving seat between me and the Mrs is rather different to say the least) is one of my biggest moans though. Forever having to manually (electronic, but still manual) change the seat position, mirrors etc.

Oh you poor dear having to lift a little lever up at the side of the seat in order to see out of the window properly, or worse still, having to show the Mrs how to put it back. 

Takes me a couple of seconds to adjust mine to where I want it, height, distance and tilt. 

[KannikaP]

5 minutes ago, Ben Zioner said:

while the CRV has the feeling of a sedan, with a more elevated driver position

Surely a CRV has a LOWER driver position than a Vigo/Fortuner. No?

[Ben Zioner]

2 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

Surely a CRV has a LOWER driver position than a Vigo/Fortuner. No?

Sure, and yet you don't have a truck bonnet in your face as in the [2015] Fortuner. BTW my post was saying that the CRV driving position is more elevated than that of a sedan.

[Woof999]

3 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

Oh you poor dear having to lift a little lever up at the side of the seat in order to see out of the window properly, or worse still, having to show the Mrs how to put it back. 

Takes me a couple of seconds to adjust mine to where I want it, height, distance and tilt. 

The seat needs moving in 3 directions. 2 of them need changing almost full travel (back and down) before I can even get in the car, so if it's p$ssing down with rain I get wet. The movement is electronic and the travel is pretty slow, so it takes a good 30 seconds plus. On a $65k car that's full of electronics, memory seats aren't a big ask. I had them on other cars 20 years ago.

 

Did you get out of the wrong side of bed?

[transam]

27 minutes ago, Ben Zioner said:

Fixed rear axle, drum brakes and rigid chassis that doesn't absorb impact through deformation. 

And, why is it not safe.......?  ????

[Ben Zioner]

2 minutes ago, transam said:

And, why is it not safe.......?  

Inferior cornering, inferior braking and inferior protection of the driver and passengers.

[transam]

1 minute ago, Ben Zioner said:

Inferior cornering, inferior braking and inferior protection of the driver and passengers.

Yes, the Fortuner is not a rally car or to be driven like one............????

 

As for inferior braking, I have never had a problem stopping one, unless you have dodgy legs..........????

[Ben Zioner]

5 minutes ago, transam said:

Yes, the Fortuner is not a rally car or to be driven like one............????

 

As for inferior braking, I have never had a problem stopping one, unless you have dodgy legs..........????

Yep, I used to drive this in my younger years, wasn't a rally car and I managed to stop it, most of the time.

 

And, some may say it is more advance than the Fortuner as it was a front wheel drive.

 

Edited July 31, 2023 by Ben Zioner

[KannikaP]

3 minutes ago, Ben Zioner said:

Yep, I used to drive this in my younger years, wasn't a rally car and I managed to stop it, most of the time.

 

But did it have adjustable seats?

[KannikaP]

55 minutes ago, Woof999 said:

Mrs Woof is a smurf (4 feet 12 in heels). She finds the Fortuner fine to drive. Personally I find it a little awkward to get into because of the seat bolsters.

 

Lack of memory seat function (position of the driving seat between me and the Mrs is rather different to say the least) is one of my biggest moans though. Forever having to manually (electronic, but still manual) change the seat position, mirrors etc.

In England 4 feet 12 inches is...........FIVE FEET.

Don't know what it is where you come from. 555

Edited July 31, 2023 by KannikaP

[Ben Zioner]

3 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

But did it have adjustable seats?

Better, you could open the roof and drive standing.

[KannikaP]

44 minutes ago, Woof999 said:

Did you get out of the wrong side of bed?

11.45, still in the pit! 555

[Hanaguma]

If you wanna have fun, go Mazda. A cx 30 is a blast to drive. Or if you want to be a bit higher up, a CX-5 with the 2.5 litre turbo. 

[BugJackBaron]

Thanks for all the replies. I have some homework to do.

As long as I can get a car/SUV second hand in the 7000 dollar range(I am told that is the minimum u should consider for safety)

I'll be happy.

[KannikaP]

11 minutes ago, BugJackBaron said:

Thanks for all the replies. I have some homework to do.

As long as I can get a car/SUV second hand in the 7000 dollar range(I am told that is the minimum u should consider for safety)

I'll be happy.

The price is nothing to do with the safety of a second hand car @ Bht 240,000. It's the maintenance and the quality thereof, looking after, lack of accidents etc which matter