5 minutes ago, proton said:

Toyota again probably 1.2 Yaris, in any case never ever ever a Chinese car.

We are very similar then. I would never ever ever buy anything US made.

I have a Toyota Vios. It is 7 years old and is in perfect working order after 130,000 kms. it was 680K new and its still under 800K new today. I love this little car and I will definitely replace it with same, or a Yaris, both are under 800K.  I am not convinced on the MGs.  They may look good, but will they last and have the reliability of a Toyota.  In any event, out of principle, I would not buy a Chinese made car. 

3 hours ago, novacova said:

First choice Toyota.

2nd choice Honda.

Which reminds me, why I chose a T and not a H.

The H dealer didnt have a Civic on the lot to test drive, she suggested I test another H vehicle ( don’t recall which).

So off we went to Toyota, we bought a Vios with a upgraded engine size!

The standard engine size had no or very little acceleration power.

Make sure you have all dash door inside lights and defrost. Some vehicles don’t come with all the normal features similar to back home.

 

imop

How 'bout a Toyota Hilux Champ?

Gas or diesel, 3 engine sizes.

Get the short-bed for city driving.

 

 

40 minutes ago, Gweiloman said:

Yes, these are real and valid concerns. But then, everyone has different risk profiles, in life and in financial matters. Some people go rock or mountain climbing, some others ride bikes. I try not to look at what might go wrong but on the positives instead.

I use to buy the most modern innovative car models but no longer. In all cases, the extra bells and whistle breakdown easily, difficult to get the extras fixed correctly, even the replacement parts fail quickly.It seemed like everything was programmed to break a month after the warranty period expired. Parts even failed within the warranty period. Of course, to get dealer maintenance, there is a line-up, and lots of time, there will be at least 2 visits, one for diagnosis, and then once the parts arrive. Maybe a third or fourth visit, when the first diagnosis wasn't complete or correct.  I was in dealer's shop every 2 or 3 months, ended up paying about 60% for maintenance of the original purchase price within 3 years after the warranty expiry. The innovative parts can be very expensive and rare. Another downside is, the vehicle is not available for use, when in the shop for repairs. Sometimes it had to stay 2 or 3 days at the shop for repairs. Finally, the engineering or design wasn't complete or correct in the first few years the model was sold, seemed like the design was rushed. Bottom line is you'll spend lots of time at the dealer and won't get use of the vehicle when you need it - maybe buy 2 of the same model.

 

Imagine in 20-30 years time when people look back at classic cars.

 

Here is a beautiful EV dolphin or whatever the fk its called.

I don't thing so.

 

 

 

 

27 minutes ago, Gweiloman said:

Lots of reasons. Quick stretch of the hands after 2 hours of continuous driving, lighting a cigarette etc. Unless you’re a seasoned driver, you probably won’t know.

I used to drive a lot "back home". And when I wanted/needed a break, then I stopped and had a break, maybe walk a little, whatever.

I hate it when drivers and riders think they can do other things at the same time. Sure, you can try to do that, but if your concentration is not on the road and traffic, then don't be surprised if bad things happen.

And unfortunately, those bad things also happen to the people around you. 

4 minutes ago, NoDisplayName said:

How 'bout a Toyota Hilux Champ?

Gas or diesel, 3 engine sizes.

Get the short-bed for city driving.

 

 

I really like these be nice to have a 4wd version when they eventually come out.

Also if it was smart cab I would be very interested.

1 minute ago, Banana7 said:

I use to buy the most modern innovative car models but no longer. In all cases, the extra bells and whistle breakdown easily, difficult to get the extras fixed correctly, even the replacement parts fail quickly.It seemed like everything was programmed to break a month after the warranty period expired. Parts even failed within the warranty period. Of course, to get dealer maintenance, there is a line-up, and lots of time, there will be at least 2 visits, one for diagnosis, and then once the parts arrive. Maybe a third or fourth visit, when the first diagnosis wasn't complete or correct.  I was in dealer's shop every 2 or 3 months, ended up paying about 60% for maintenance of the original purchase price within 3 years after the warranty expiry. The innovative parts can be very expensive and rare. Another downside is, the vehicle is not available for use, when in the shop for repairs. Sometimes it had to stay overnight for repairs.

What car was that ?

3 hours ago, Sheryl said:

Honda Jazz or City. Jazz is better and a little cheaper.

I've been driving a 10 year old Honda City for the last year and I would certainly opt for a new one if the chance arose, preferably a hatch back.

3 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I used to drive a lot "back home". And when I wanted/needed a break, then I stopped and had a break, maybe walk a little, whatever.

I hate it when drivers and riders think they can do other things at the same time. Sure, you can try to do that, but if your concentration is not on the road and traffic, then don't be surprised if bad things happen.

And unfortunately, those bad things also happen to the people around you. 

Me too. I don’t pee in my car when I’m driving lol

12 minutes ago, Doctor Tom said:

I have a Toyota Vios. It is 7 years old and is in perfect working order after 130,000 kms. it was 680K new and its still under 800K new today. I love this little car and I will definitely replace it with same, or a Yaris, both are under 800K.  I am not convinced on the MGs.  They may look good, but will they last and have the reliability of a Toyota.  In any event, out of principle, I would not buy a Chinese made car. 

Dont think they make vios any longer ours is 2012 model, we got the 100k tax back, thanks Yingluk!

4 minutes ago, kwak250 said:

Imagine in 20-30 years time when people look back at classic cars.

 

Here is a beautiful EV dolphin or whatever the fk its called.

I don't thing so.

 

 

 

 

Yup. The City/Jazz/Yaris/Vios are going to be classic cars one day, much like the Corolla/Nissan Sunny are classics today.

 

I think not…

11 minutes ago, proton said:

Dont think they make vios any longer ours is 2012 model, we got the 100k tax back, thanks Yingluk!

Ditto with the Mazda 2.  Luckily the wife never needed a car, as previous ones were in my name.

 

A bit eye opening, as having that much & more taxes on a domestic made car.  That tax alone about 20% of MSRP, on entry level version.

1 hour ago, Doctor Tom said:

I have a Toyota Vios. It is 7 years old and is in perfect working order after 130,000 kms. it was 680K new and its still under 800K new today. I love this little car and I will definitely replace it with same, or a Yaris, both are under 800K.  I am not convinced on the MGs.  They may look good, but will they last and have the reliability of a Toyota.  In any event, out of principle, I would not buy a Chinese made car. 

I rented a vios for a week in Krabi, fun car, felt like drive a go cart.

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I don't think it was mentioned in the question.

I also think new or used is an important question.

As far as I know all vehicles lose a lot of retail value in the first year or two. So I guess it makes sense to buy one used which is not too old.

But that obviously brings up the questions: Where to buy such a used car which was properly serviced?

 

Personally, I know a little about cars, but I wouldn't be able to really check out if a car is in good condition. Maybe it's possible to buy such cars from reputable dealers. But do those dealers exist in Thailand? And what if I buy a used car from a dealer and later find out he told me a lot of BS? I guess there is little one can do when all is paid. 

I am lucky to have a trustworthy mechanic. I also used to work on cars myself, when they were made without so much fruit salad.

 

7 or 8 years ago, I bought a 2006 Toyota Vios with 83,000 km on the odometer for 230,000 baht. It's now about 185,000 km. I haven't spent much on it apart from good tires and regular maintenance.

I would probably get 80,000 baht for it now, so depreciation has cost me about 20k baht/year. It has never missed a beat, and has been all over northern Thailand.

 

It is a whinge of mine that car manufacturers are anti-competition. They try to drive independent mechanics out of business by designing their vehicles to need specialist tools.

 

I can understand people like the cachet of a new car to show off to friends, relatives and neighbors. However, I also understand buying a new car is one of the worst financial decisions one can make, apart from buying shares in tree farms.

 

I guess one way to answer your question is to suggest you educate yourself better than you are already are, about what to look for in a used car.

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I don't think it was mentioned in the question.

I also think new or used is an important question.

As far as I know all vehicles lose a lot of retail value in the first year or two. So I guess it makes sense to buy one used which is not too old.

But that obviously brings up the questions: Where to buy such a used car which was properly serviced?

 

Personally, I know a little about cars, but I wouldn't be able to really check out if a car is in good condition. Maybe it's possible to buy such cars from reputable dealers. But do those dealers exist in Thailand? And what if I buy a used car from a dealer and later find out he told me a lot of BS? I guess there is little one can do when all is paid. 

Most major brands in Thailand also sell certified second hand cars that have been fully checked and will come with a warranty.

Toyota has Toyota Sure: https://www.toyotasure.com/home/
Honda has Honda Certified: https://usedcar.honda.co.th/
BMW: https://usedcar.bmw.co.th/buy-used-cars
Volvo Selekt: https://selekt.volvocars.co.th/en/home

You get the idea, pretty much sure every brand does this these days. I would never buy from a tent - either certified from the manufacturer or a direct private buy from a farang. When I first came to Thailand there were no manufacturer certified used cars, I bought from a tent and had nothing but problems - I've only bought new ever since.

53 minutes ago, Gweiloman said:

Yup. The City/Jazz/Yaris/Vios are going to be classic cars one day, much like the Corolla/Nissan Sunny are classics today.

 

I think not…

Who said anything about a Honda Jizz?

Thinking more about BMW,Ferrari,Aston Martin.

Not BYD .MG 

18 minutes ago, kwak250 said:

Who said anything about a Honda Jizz?

Thinking more about BMW,Ferrari,Aston Martin.

Not BYD .MG 

BYD and MG are not Ferrari or Aston Martin price, they are completely different things: affordable mass market cars vs high end, exclusive supercars. Why are you even comparing them? It's ridiculous. Obviously I know why you are comparing them - it's just an anti China bash. Very childish and you have made yourself look quite silly by making such a comparison.

Suggest you take a look at the Toyota Yaris Cross.  The Smart version just makes it under your 800K limit and it is a Hybrid which Toyota has been building and servicing for almost 20 years.  The two higher priced varients may be worth a value vs cost evaluation.

4 hours ago, KhunLA said:

For knocking around town, and short/local out & about, Neta V is hard to beat for 499k

 

I really liked our MG ZS, and that starts @ 689k (4 ICE versions <800k)

 

Though personally, I wouldn't bother with another ICE, and spend the extra 149k baht for the MG ZS EV (949k).  Couldn't go back to an ICEV, or a low sitting sedan.

 

Didn't recommend much, as I haven't owned or peeked at.  Dolphin looks quite nice, as saw one at a charging station.  Same w/Neta V, for the budget minded.

I've read nothing but bad things from MG owners based on after care and parts being an abolsute disaster in Thailand.

Hard to go **wrong** with any of the Japanese makers.

Toyota

Honda

Mazda

Nissan

Mitsubishi

 

Have owned them all in the past (cars not SUVs) , bought all second hand and if you buy one that has been looked after it will never let you down.

Never had any issues with any BMW I've owned either despite reports to the contrary. 

If you buy a car that has been looked after, it will look after you. 

16 minutes ago, Startmeup said:

I've read nothing but bad things from MG owners based on after care and parts being an abolsute disaster in Thailand.

Hard to go with any of the Japanese makers.

Toyota

Honda

Mazda

Nissan

Mitsubishi

 

Have owned them all in the past (cars not SUVs) , bought all second hand and if you buy one that has been looked after it will never let you down.

Never had any issues with any BMW I've owned either despite reports to the contrary. 

If you buy a car that has been looked after, it will look after you. 

You tripped yourself and contradicted your own post without even realising it lol

50 minutes ago, kwak250 said:

Who said anything about a Honda Jizz?

Thinking more about BMW,Ferrari,Aston Martin.

Not BYD .MG 

@josephbloggs said it better than I ever could. Time to stop digging further.

2 hours ago, Banana7 said:

The real issue with Chinese cars is reliability and maintenance. They maybe good for the first few years, as most cars are, but after that, watch out. Are all parts stocked locally? How many places can diagnosis and fix an issue, first time properly? What happens in an accident - lots of reports of an EV catching fire due to batteries being shorted, and the fire keeps reigniting after it is extinguished.

I'm a fan of the new stuff coming out of China but did notice that some of the earlier MGs look like crap now, after only a few years. Worn. Beat.

How about those typical taxi cars?

I have to admit I don't even know the brand and models. But it seems many taxis are the same brand and model.

I guess there must be so many out there that service and spare parts and mechanics who know these cars are no problem.

Are these models a good choice just for that reason? 

1 hour ago, josephbloggs said:

BYD and MG are not Ferrari or Aston Martin price, they are completely different things: affordable mass market cars vs high end, exclusive supercars. Why are you even comparing them? It's ridiculous. Obviously I know why you are comparing them - it's just an anti China bash. Very childish and you have made yourself look quite silly by making such a comparison.

Who said I was anti-china?

Nothing wrong with China I have visited many times.

Also some of the lower BMW vehicles are priced the same as Ev cars.

Now who's being silly?

3 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I don't think it was mentioned in the question.

I also think new or used is an important question.

As far as I know all vehicles lose a lot of retail value in the first year or two. So I guess it makes sense to buy one used which is not too old.

But that obviously brings up the questions: Where to buy such a used car which was properly serviced?

 

Personally, I know a little about cars, but I wouldn't be able to really check out if a car is in good condition. Maybe it's possible to buy such cars from reputable dealers. But do those dealers exist in Thailand? And what if I buy a used car from a dealer and later find out he told me a lot of BS? I guess there is little one can do when all is paid. 

I thought second hand prices in Thailand were very high, and from checking car sales websites it still seems to be the case, at least for Honda, Toyota, Mazda, Benz and a few others. The price difference between a brand new car and a 2 year old secondhand one (same model) is so little that for me it would be a no brainer but to buy brand new. 

18 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

How about those typical taxi cars?

I have to admit I don't even know the brand and models. But it seems many taxis are the same brand and model.

I guess there must be so many out there that service and spare parts and mechanics who know these cars are no problem.

Are these models a good choice just for that reason? 

Taxi-Meter's are typically the Toyota Corolla Altis.

I had one and never had an issue.

IMO, there are a good choice in the city but as they have a low ground clearance not so good on flooded roads.

SUV's fare much better in that case.
 

32 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

How about those typical taxi cars?

I have to admit I don't even know the brand and models. But it seems many taxis are the same brand and model.

I guess there must be so many out there that service and spare parts and mechanics who know these cars are no problem.

Are these models a good choice just for that reason? 

Most of the taxis I see are either Toyota Corollas, the larger ones (people movers ) seem to be Toyota vans or SUV's .

It makes sense, there can't be too many mechanics in Thailand that are unfamiliar with a Toyota.

4 hours ago, Gweiloman said:

So why do they have it in premium cars such as Mercedes, BMWs etc?

 

 I assume you don’t have it in your car so you probably don’t know what you’re missing. Adaptive cruise control for example is fantastic for city driving with stop and go traffic. Blind spot monitoring is really useful particularly in Thailand where bikes ignore turn signals and zip by on your left when you want to turn into a smallish soi. TPMS takes the guesswork out of kicking your tyres. Lane keeping assist can be useful if you need to take both hands off the steering wheel for a couple of seconds for whatever reason. Dashcams reduces your insurance premiums and an integrated solution is just so much more elegant. Automatic tailgate is really useful when both hands are occupied.

 

You could always go back to crank starting your car if you don’t need modern conveniences and safety features.

 

"Lane keeping assist can be useful if you need to take both hands off the steering wheel for a couple of seconds for whatever reason."

 

If you really do that I suggest you go back to driving school.