Advice on car purchase Toyota

[jayboy]

I don't know that much about buying new cars in Thailand (my former company dealt with that side of things). However I'm in the market to buy a new Toyota (prefer that brand for ease of service among other things) for mainly Bangkok use, taking kids to school, local shopping and the occasional trip upcountry.Looking for robustness and safety rather than performance.FWD not required but OK if comes with right car.

 

1.Is it courting problems to think of buying a used car in Bangkok?

 

2.Otherwise assuming new, which Fortuner or similar recommended? Would consider Corolla Cross.

 

3.Budget Bt 1 mill to 1.6 mill

 

Thoughts gratefully received.

[LosLobo]

2 hours ago, jayboy said:

I don't know that much about buying new cars in Thailand (my former company dealt with that side of things). However I'm in the market to buy a new Toyota (prefer that brand for ease of service among other things) for mainly Bangkok use, taking kids to school, local shopping and the occasional trip upcountry.Looking for robustness and safety rather than performance.FWD not required but OK if comes with right car.

 

1.Is it courting problems to think of buying a used car in Bangkok?

 

2.Otherwise assuming new, which Fortuner or similar recommended? Would consider Corolla Cross.

 

3.Budget Bt 1 mill to 1.6 mill

 

Thoughts gratefully received.

I recently purchased a Yaris Cross and would recommend either the Yaris or the Corolla as they meet all the criteria. Sometimes, it's hard to distinguish between the two.

 

The Yaris can comfortably fit two adults and three children in the back, but for longer journeys, the Corolla offers more comfort, space and a larger trunk.

 

However, the smaller size of the Yaris makes it more suitable for navigating Bangkok's narrow streets.

 

Having driven a Fortuner before, it felt like driving a truck, I can't comment on the Corolla Cross.

 

I suggest test driving all the models.

 

I personally wouldn't purchase a used car in Thailand due to concerns about maintenance and flooding.

 

A fully-optioned, top-of-the-line Yaris costs approximately 1 million, while the Corolla is around 1.4 million.

[KhunBENQ]

I have opted for the small standard Yaris. 100% ICE no battery/hybrid.

Of course too small as a family car, rarely more than two. Quiet relaxing ride, low fuel consumption.

Some nice gimmicks (keyless entry/start, cameras, blind spot warning), some of little use (start/stop, lane assistant).

 

The Cross (a hybrid) is the current bestseller, not sure how long the queue is.

Has a number of additional features like power tailgate and more.

 

12 minutes ago, LosLobo said:

Having driven a Fortuner before, it felt like driving a truck,

I never thought about driving the bulky truck modifications.

Once sat in the back of a Fortuner "taxi" in Phuket.

Hardly ever experienced such nausea in a car, lowered windows but could keep it to myself.

A mate once picked me up from Suvarnabhumi to Pattaya. At the time the M7 had some quite steep humpbacks at the canals. Mate was a crazy racer and flew over, when landing I almost hit my head. Not for spine patients

[richard_smith237]

Have you also considered the KIA EV5 ??? (new model - looks decent)

 

Its an EV of course - so if you are against that, then its a no goer, however, just driving around Bangkok it would offer greater efficiency. 

 

 

 

 

 

[Lacessit]

4 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Have you also considered the KIA EV5 ??? (new model - looks decent)

 

Its an EV of course - so if you are against that, then its a no goer, however, just driving around Bangkok it would offer greater efficiency. 

 

 

 

 

 

A BYD is less expensive, although Kia is a top quality brand. It depends on the OP's ease of access to charging. It's more convenient to charge at home.

[Lacessit]

I'd be buying a Hyundai Kona N AWD. 1 million baht, seriously good car.

[Ralf001]

You wont go wrong buying secondhand from Toyota Sure.

 

Ignore the posters suggesting inferior non toyota product.

[Ralf001]

5 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

I'd be buying a Hyundai Kona N AWD. 1 million baht, seriously good car.

 

Not listed on the Hyundai Thailand website.

[Lacessit]

17 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

 

Not listed on the Hyundai Thailand website.

I didn't know that, google listed it.

[Lacessit]

18 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

You wont go wrong buying secondhand from Toyota Sure.

 

Ignore the posters suggesting inferior non toyota product.

Hyundai and KIA are rated as better vehicles than Toyota nowadays. While Toyota retains the reliability cachet, it's a pretty staid brand.

 

Have you ever been in a Kia Stinger, or Hyundai Kona N, before you posted the opinion they are inferior?

 

I remember the Toyota Avalon in Australia. Critics said it suited buyers who had been dead for at least six months.

[Ralf001]

8 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

 

 

Have you ever been in a Kia Stinger, or Hyundai Kona N, before you posted the opinion they are inferior?

 

 

 

Never heard of them, have either been available in Thailand ?

[Middle Aged Grouch]

Hyundai is good but the aircon seems to be weak in all the models and never feels as strong as in a Kia. It's rather surprising as both the brands are built on the same production lines but just relating my personnal experience.

[jayboy]

37 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

While Toyota retains the reliability cachet

 

But that's exactly what's important to me.

 

In Thailand nobody comes close to Toyota's servicing capability.(At least that's what everybody tells me)

[Lacessit]

33 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

 

Never heard of them, have either been available in Thailand ?

I have driven a friend's Kia Stinger. $20K cheaper than its Benz counterpart, 35% more turbo boost. A seriously good car.

 

My son bought a Hyundai Kona N in February. The computer has 4 drive modes, Economy. Normal, Sport and N.

 

The N mode is also known as the Jesus Christ mode. That's what people say when they first put their foot down. Really for racetrack only.

 

 

 

 

[Lacessit]

10 minutes ago, jayboy said:

 

But that's exactly what's important to me.

 

In Thailand nobody comes close to Toyota's servicing capability.(At least that's what everybody tells me)

Toyota have had several recalls, tarnishing the brand

 

Hyundai have had a number of awards for high reliability. It also ranks high in customer satisfaction.

 

I don't know if it is the same in Thailand, but my son's Kona N enjoys a 10 year/100,000 km warranty.

 

My advice? Test drive one.

[KhunLA]

@jayboy  Since you mentioned Cross, guessing you really don't need something as lart as a Fortuner.  If you can charge at home, don't ignore BEVs.  At least take a peek and test drive one.  Before splashing out 1M baht or more.

 

Posted this earlier, ignore the rant, and just look at the specs & price.  I own and love the MG ZS EV.  Also had the ICEV version, and loved that.  Also on sale now for 599k I think.  Though for same price, hard to not go with the BEV version.

 

ICEV, do like the Corolla Cross, and looks quite nice.  That's all I know about them, as see a lot of them when O&A.   Definitely would get that instead of the Yaris Cross.

 

But seriously, for the price 1M baht, do peek at MG & BYD offerings.  Daughter has the BYD ATTO 3, a more stylish MG ZS, though not a fan of the driver's seat.  Very nice though.

 

Good luck with whatever you choice is.

 

Oh yea, here's a thread on Charging Stations (CS), and TH has more than enough.  Anyone stating differently, hasn't a clue what they are talking about.

Edited August 26 by KhunLA

[LosLobo]

3 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

I have opted for the small standard Yaris. 100% ICE no battery/hybrid.

Of course too small as a family car, rarely more than two. Quiet relaxing ride, low fuel consumption.

Some nice gimmicks (keyless entry/start, cameras, blind spot warning), some of little use (start/stop, lane assistant).

 

The Cross (a hybrid) is the current bestseller, not sure how long the queue is.

Has a number of additional features like power tailgate and more.

 

I never thought about driving the bulky truck modifications.

Once sat in the back of a Fortuner "taxi" in Phuket.

Hardly ever experienced such nausea in a car, lowered windows but could keep it to myself.

A mate once picked me up from Suvarnabhumi to Pattaya. At the time the M7 had some quite steep humpbacks at the canals. Mate was a crazy racer and flew over when landing I almost hit my head. Not for spine patients

I rented a two-year-old Yaris Smart Sedan for three months before getting the Yaris Cross and found it surprisingly spacious enough for two adult westerners in the front and two Thai adults and a child in the back and a pile of shopping in the boot.

I would have bought one except for the ground clearance. 

I received the Cross after 10 days on order and found it vastly more spacious and with a 210mm ground clearance more suitable for flood prone areas. Sadly, as I didn't want the sunroof or the low profile tyres, I bought the Premium which does not have the power tailgate, very disappointing as the tailgate is f*** heavy 😞

My experience with the Fortuna was that it had similar suspension to Hilux Ute.

I find it is not difficult to get 30km/l in the Cross.

Edited August 26 by LosLobo

[Ralf001]

6 hours ago, Lacessit said:

Toyota have had several recalls, tarnishing the brand

 

Hyundai have had a number of awards for high reliability. It also ranks high in customer satisfaction.

 

I don't know if it is the same in Thailand, but my son's Kona N enjoys a 10 year/100,000 km warranty.

 

My advice? Test drive one.

 

Hyundai do not sell the Kona in Thailand.

 

https://www.hyundai.com/th/th

[newbee2022]

16 hours ago, jayboy said:

I don't know that much about buying new cars in Thailand (my former company dealt with that side of things). However I'm in the market to buy a new Toyota (prefer that brand for ease of service among other things) for mainly Bangkok use, taking kids to school, local shopping and the occasional trip upcountry.Looking for robustness and safety rather than performance.FWD not required but OK if comes with right car.

 

1.Is it courting problems to think of buying a used car in Bangkok?

 

2.Otherwise assuming new, which Fortuner or similar recommended? Would consider Corolla Cross.

 

3.Budget Bt 1 mill to 1.6 mill

 

Thoughts gratefully received.

If you use the car only in BKK a Yaris will be a good choice. Not too big for a parking lot.

[AndreasHG]

The Toyota Fortuner and the Corolla Cross are two very different vehicles.

 

The Fortuner is built on the Hilux pick-up truck chassis. It's a body-on-frame design which makes it suitable for heavy duty use (off-roading, carrying heavy loads, towing, etc.). This comes at the expenses of fuel efficiency, road handling, comfort and safety. Average mileage per liter of (diesel) fuel is approximately 8 to 9 km/l in urban cycle and 10 to 11 km/l on expressway (13 km/l the estimated fuel consumption by Toyota Australia Specs & Dimensions | Fortuner GX, GXL, Crusade | Toyota Australia).

 

The Corolla Cross is a unibody vehicle and is more suitable for an urban environment such as the one found in Bangkok. 

It is a nimbler, more efficient vehicle with a mileage of approximately 19 km/l in urban cycle and 16 km/l on expressway, for the Hybrid HEV models, the drivetrain of which is optimized for urban use (24 km/l the estimated fuel consumption by Toyota Australia Specs & Dimensions | Corolla Cross GX, GXL & More | Toyota Australia). 

Edited August 27 by AndreasHG

[KhunBENQ]

Just came back with my Yaris (ICE) from the district town (18 km on a non congested highway).

Measured 4.6 l/100 km (21.7 km/l).

At higher speeds on motorway I needed about 5.5 l/100 km (18 km/l).

Edited August 27 by KhunBENQ

[Lazybones]

20 hours ago, jayboy said:

I don't know that much about buying new cars in Thailand (my former company dealt with that side of things). However I'm in the market to buy a new Toyota (prefer that brand for ease of service among other things) for mainly Bangkok use, taking kids to school, local shopping and the occasional trip upcountry.Looking for robustness and safety rather than performance.FWD not required but OK if comes with right car.

 

1.Is it courting problems to think of buying a used car in Bangkok?

 

2.Otherwise assuming new, which Fortuner or similar recommended? Would consider Corolla Cross.

 

3.Budget Bt 1 mill to 1.6 mill

 

Thoughts gratefully received.

I have both a fortuna legender an a yaris cross ( for the misses). Can't find a bad thing to say about either. Despite that some are derogatory against the fortuna they don't realise that it no longer uses the hilux train but has its own unique chassis. It also has all the latest features available giving the extra room for trips with family and friends. The cross is an incredible car but i have to sneak a drive. Misses very possessive. Would recommend either depending on your requirements.

[LosLobo]

18 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

Just came back with my Yaris (ICE) from the district town (18 km on a non congested highway).

Measured 4.6 l/100 km (21.7 km/l).

At higher speeds on motorway I needed about 5.5 l/100 km (18 km/l).

A minor limitation I found with the YARIS ICE on some occasions was its lack of power, which is expected from an engine with only 1200 cc.

In contrast, the Yaris Cross HEV features a 1500 CC engine which under acceleration is complemented by an initial hybrid boost from electric motors.

[AndreasHG]

1 hour ago, Lazybones said:

it no longer uses the hilux train but has its own unique chassis

 

It is surprising how many people still believe the unscrupulous Toyota dealers' claim that the Fortuner has nothing to do with the humbler Hilux.

 

Actually, the Fortuner is still based on the Hilux chassis (see the Fortuner wikipedia page Toyota Fortuner - Wikipedia).

According to Toyota the two vehicles share also the very same engine (2GD-FTV (High) / 4 cyl 16 valve DOHC VN Turbo Intercooler), the same transmission (4WD with Differential Lock,6 speed Automatic with Sequential Shift & Paddle Shift), same front suspension geometry (Double wishbone with coil spring and torsion bar), etc. 

 

Does this mean the Fortuner is a bad vehicle? Not at all. It is designed to meet a set of specific needs, and it is good at that. 

 

Edited August 27 by AndreasHG

[LosLobo]

Looks like the Toyota Yaris Cross is number 1 in B-SUV Crossovers.

 

[Madgee]

2 hours ago, AndreasHG said:

The Toyota Fortuner and the Corolla Cross are two very different vehicles.

 

The Fortuner is built on the Hilux pick-up truck chassis. It's a body-on-frame design which makes it suitable for heavy duty use (off-roading, carrying heavy loads, towing, etc.). This comes at the expenses of fuel efficiency, road handling, comfort and safety. Average mileage per liter of (diesel) fuel is approximately 8 to 9 km/l in urban cycle and 10 to 11 km/l on expressway (13 km/l the estimated fuel consumption by Toyota Australia Specs & Dimensions | Fortuner GX, GXL, Crusade | Toyota Australia).

 

The Corolla Cross is a unibody vehicle and is more suitable for an urban environment such as the one found in Bangkok. 

It is a nimbler, more efficient vehicle with a mileage of approximately 19 km/l in urban cycle and 16 km/l on expressway, for the Hybrid HEV models, the drivetrain of which is optimized for urban use (24 km/l the estimated fuel consumption by Toyota Australia Specs & Dimensions | Corolla Cross GX, GXL & More | Toyota Australia). 

The Corolla Cross in Aussie is a different beast than that in Thailand .... 2.0L V 1.8L so it has different fuel consumption. Also, I'm not sure if the Aussie version is a hybrid.
Average fuel economy of 23.3km/l for the 1.8 Hev.
I've got the Corolla Cross GR which benefits from superior suspension and more positive steering. 

[AndreasHG]

3 hours ago, Madgee said:

The Corolla Cross in Aussie is a different beast than that in Thailand .... 2.0L V 1.8L so it has different fuel consumption. Also, I'm not sure if the Aussie version is a hybrid.
Average fuel economy of 23.3km/l for the 1.8 Hev.
I've got the Corolla Cross GR which benefits from superior suspension and more positive steering. 

You're correct. But I couldn't find a satisfactory product description in the Thai Toyota webpages (at least not in the English ones). 

 

[scorecard]

On 8/26/2024 at 6:46 PM, LosLobo said:

I recently purchased a Yaris Cross and would recommend either the Yaris or the Corolla as they meet all the criteria. Sometimes, it's hard to distinguish between the two.

 

The Yaris can comfortably fit two adults and three children in the back, but for longer journeys, the Corolla offers more comfort, space and a larger trunk.

 

However, the smaller size of the Yaris makes it more suitable for navigating Bangkok's narrow streets.

 

Having driven a Fortuner before, it felt like driving a truck, I can't comment on the Corolla Cross.

 

I suggest test driving all the models.

 

I personally wouldn't purchase a used car in Thailand due to concerns about maintenance and flooding.

 

A fully-optioned, top-of-the-line Yaris costs approximately 1 million, while the Corolla is around 1.4 million.

 

Bigger models (perhaps fortuner) consume a lot more gasoline (which is not cheap), perhaps that's worth checking. 

 

Farang friend (with wife and 3 kids) bought a new Toyota Yaris (bigger model) six months ago (hybrid electric  / gasoline) .

 

Very happy with his choice of car and with the service.

 

Good luck. 

Edited August 27 by scorecard

[DavisH]

On 8/26/2024 at 8:32 PM, jayboy said:

 

But that's exactly what's important to me.

 

In Thailand nobody comes close to Toyota's servicing capability.(At least that's what everybody tells me)

Honda is pretty good too and I've never had a problem with them in 20 years. If you're not against hybrids, look at the base model crv hybrid (1.5M+ ). Or the petrol turbo version (less HP and fuel economy though). Whatever you choose, you should test drive it first anyway. 

[jayboy]

Thanks for all the very useful information which is sincerely appreciated.

 

One final question.I've read several reports that the motor sales industry is having problems and that as a consequence discounts may be available on new cars,

 

Is this actually true and if so does it apply to all major brands? What would a discount amount to on say a Baht 1.4m vehicle? Last time I purchased a new car in Bangkok (quite a few years ago) discounts weren't available.