Car recommendations

[LosLobo]

3 hours ago, Yodarapper said:

We have two child seats back should fit right. How is the sound driving on highway heard it’s loud?

is the premium luxury worth it what extra do you get?

Accommodating two child seats in the back poses no problem. Two adults and a 10-year-old can comfortably sit in the rear, with ample legroom for all passengers.

 

On the topic of noise, while highway driving is mostly quiet, the road noise from the Yokohama Blue Earth tires can be noticeable but not overly problematic. At lower speeds, especially after being in EV mode, the engine noise can be quite pronounced as it works to recharge a depleted battery, revving from a standstill rather than idling.

 

This has happened on a couple of occasions with me, particularly after driving at a slow pace on a training circuit with a learner driver for around 20 minutes. Following this, merging onto a main road and accelerating to highway speeds with a drained battery prompts the engine to engage at higher revolutions.

 

I chose the Premium over the Premium Luxury model without the sunroof and low-profile tires to avoid additional sun exposure to my bald spot and to mitigate the potentially stiffer ride associated with SUVs, which usually have higher ground clearance. Low-profile tires might exacerbate the firmness of the ride.

 

Looking back, I sometimes wish I had opted for the Luxury Premium, accepting the sunroof and the possibly firmer ride.

 

The manual gas-lifted rear door is cumbersome, and manually checking the tires weekly is quite bothersome. With all the other features the Luxury's value is justified, and for an extra 50,000 baht, the upgrade would have been cost-effective.

 

Below is a list of exclusive features for the Toyota Yaris Cross HEV Premium Luxury variant, distinguishing it from the standard Premium:

 

- 18-inch polished dual-tone alloy wheels

- Low-profile tires

- Hands-free powered tailgate

- 360-degree camera system

- Synthetic leather-accented seats

- Qi wireless charging pad

- Pioneer sound system with 6 speakers

- Panoramic sunroof with blind.

- Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)

- Special windscreen heat glass

- Panoramic view monitor

- Rear-facing dashcam

[BKKBike09]

6 hours ago, Yodarapper said:

Also, does anyone know if I finance a car on 48 months and then need to cancel the finance early.....is it a matter of just paying the remaining amount in a lump sum or are there penalties etc? Is it simple to do?

You just pay off what is outstanding. Sometimes there may be a lock-in period of say 12 months, during which you'll have to pay a penalty.

[richard_smith237]

7 minutes ago, BKKBike09 said:

7 hours ago, Yodarapper said:

Also, does anyone know if I finance a car on 48 months and then need to cancel the finance early.....is it a matter of just paying the remaining amount in a lump sum or are there penalties etc? Is it simple to do?

You just pay off what is outstanding. Sometimes there may be a lock-in period of say 12 months, during which you'll have to pay a penalty.

 

ITs a good question as they used to lock you in for the full duration - i.e. if you wanted to pay off early, you'd still have to pay the same amount. 

 

There was a recent law / regulation change regarding this - I'm not quite sure what it is... BUT, from what I recall, its something like the above.

If after taking out 48 month finance on car

a) You want to pay it off early (before 12 months)

- You pay xx % on the first 12 months, and the outstanding amount without interest.

 

b) You want to pay it off early (after the first 12 months)

- You pay the remainder at a reduced rate for the next xx months, then outstanding amount without interest (or it could be a smaller rate)

 

 

Thats a pretty poor explanation - however, my point is that the finance 'situation' with regards to paying off early has improved - before you were locked in at the agreed interest. Now, there are laws to protect you from paying the full amount, .. but there is still some form of 'early pay off penalty' depending on the agreement signed. 

[vinny41]

24 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

ITs a good question as they used to lock you in for the full duration - i.e. if you wanted to pay off early, you'd still have to pay the same amount. 

 

There was a recent law / regulation change regarding this - I'm not quite sure what it is... BUT, from what I recall, its something like the above.

If after taking out 48 month finance on car

a) You want to pay it off early (before 12 months)

- You pay xx % on the first 12 months, and the outstanding amount without interest.

 

b) You want to pay it off early (after the first 12 months)

- You pay the remainder at a reduced rate for the next xx months, then outstanding amount without interest (or it could be a smaller rate)

 

 

Thats a pretty poor explanation - however, my point is that the finance 'situation' with regards to paying off early has improved - before you were locked in at the agreed interest. Now, there are laws to protect you from paying the full amount, .. but there is still some form of 'early pay off penalty' depending on the agreement signed. 

Law was changed from 10th January 2023

The announcement of the Contract Committee on the matter of the car and motorcycle leasing business being a contract-controlled business B.E. 2565, which will be applicable only to leasing contracts made from January 10, 2566 onwards.

As for the hire-purchase contracts made before January 10, 2023, they will remain in effect until the contract ends. If the lessee’s rights are violated by the business operator, they can seek advice via the 1166 hotline or file a complaint via the OCPB Connect application or via the website www.ocpb.go.th 24 hours a day.

https://justicechannel.org/read/newlaw51-1?fbclid=

 

Bottom part of the website is in English

[Yodarapper]

Thank you, everyone has been very helpful! There is a lot to take in! Some of it is pretty crazy, I had one lady offer a 30K discount on the xpander cross and the toyota dealer was like 2k on the yaris cross - such different discounts!

[RethairedJarhead]

On 10/7/2024 at 1:55 PM, Luuk Chaai said:

The Beast

Highly recommended for some roads😆

[DragonQuest]

https://www.lamborghini.com/en-en/models/urus

[JBChiangRai]

6 minutes ago, DragonQuest said:

https://www.lamborghini.com/en-en/models/urus

Lamborghini and Ferrari literally shout “Look at me, I’m a spiv with new money”.

 

The educated or professional money goes on a 911.

[RethairedJarhead]

We went with a Ford Titanium (4X4) PPV. My sister-in-law drives a Toyota Fortuner (Commander) SUV. Both are seven passenger with a folding third row. The driving/riding experience is much different between PPV (pickup platform) and SUV… PPV has a superior suspension and is excellent on and off road… more of a luxury experience regarding noise, handling, and comfort features- which are too many to list.
 

Both are diesel and get excellent mileage- however, the Titanium has a 2L w/ bi-turbos and delivers more power as needed. The interior cubic space also seems much roomier. 
 

After adding a few cosmetic options, ฿1.7 million… I know you had a 1M budget but if you’re going to break it, the Titanium is definitely worth it! (Fortuner was 1.5M in 2022)

 

https://www.ford.co.th/en/showroom/ppvs/ford-everest/titanium-plus/
 

[KannikaP]

On 10/7/2024 at 11:40 PM, Hanuman2547 said:

I personally like the hybrid models more than the fully EV's.  I lean more towards Toyotas than other brands.  I'm not a fan of the Chinese made EV's.  

Why, have you driven one?

[Hanuman2547]

10 hours ago, KannikaP said:

Why, have you driven one?

Yes, I have!  

[SAFETY FIRST]

11 hours ago, JBChiangRai said:

Lamborghini and Ferrari literally shout “Look at me, I’m a spiv with new money”.

 

Nothing wrong with that, are you jealous? There's no need for that attitude. 

 

They're a chick magnet, a real guys car, the EXHAUST sound.......... Awesome. 

 

You've probably never experienced, watching the tacho redline, the screaming engine noise, the thrill, the feeling, it's outstanding. 

 

Something you'll never get driving an EV. 

 

 

[SAFETY FIRST]

1 hour ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

They're a chick magnet, a real guys car, the EXHAUST sound.......... Awesome. 

OUTSTANDING 

[NickyLouie]

12 hours ago, RethairedJarhead said:

We went with a Ford Titanium (4X4) PPV. My sister-in-law drives a Toyota Fortuner (Commander) SUV. Both are seven passenger with a folding third row. The driving/riding experience is much different between PPV (pickup platform) and SUV… PPV has a superior suspension and is excellent on and off road… more of a luxury experience regarding noise, handling, and comfort features- which are too many to list.
 

Both are diesel and get excellent mileage- however, the Titanium has a 2L w/ bi-turbos and delivers more power as needed. The interior cubic space also seems much roomier. 
 

After adding a few cosmetic options, ฿1.7 million… I know you had a 1M budget but if you’re going to break it, the Titanium is definitely worth it! (Fortuner was 1.5M in 2022)

 

https://www.ford.co.th/en/showroom/ppvs/ford-everest/titanium-plus/
 

 

Ford = Trash 

[KannikaP]

3 hours ago, Hanuman2547 said:

Yes, I have!  

And?

[RethairedJarhead]

1 hour ago, NickyLouie said:

 

Ford = Trash 

Well aren’t you cute… kma

[JBChiangRai]

2 hours ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

Nothing wrong with that, are you jealous? There's no need for that attitude. 

 

They're a chick magnet, a real guys car, the EXHAUST sound.......... Awesome. 

 

You've probably never experienced, watching the tacho redline, the screaming engine noise, the thrill, the feeling, it's outstanding. 

 

Something you'll never get driving an EV. 

 

 

 

Definitely no jealousy here, I could have had one at any time in the last 30 years.  They are bad for business too, your customers think you're making too much money and that you make questionable decisions.

 

They are also uncomfortable, impractical and until recently, unreliable, maybe they still are.

 

I would take a Porsche over Italian exotica every time (and I did in Thailand 3 years ago).

 

My style is more comfort, though I do like performance, but preferably in silence.

 

[Gweiloman]

2 hours ago, NickyLouie said:

 

Ford = Trash 

F = Fix

O = Or

R = Repair

D = Daily

Was told this by my BIL, a service manager at Ford 45 years ago.

[KhunLA]

2 hours ago, Gweiloman said:

F = Fix

O = Or

R = Repair

D = Daily

Was told this by my BIL, a service manager at Ford 45 years ago.

My last car in the USA was a very dependable Ford Escort.  OK, it was the last model year, that it was completely made by Mazda  

 

Did have an F-150 that served me well, before all the anti pollution crap was mandatory on vehicles.  So easy to self maintain.

 

On Topic (as always) .... dependability should be a simple decision when realizing an ICE has ~2000 parts, and a BEV motor has ~20 parts, and seem to run forever.

 

You have choices  ...  just choose wisely 

[vinny41]

1 hour ago, KhunLA said:

My last car in the USA was a very dependable Ford Escort.  OK, it was the last model year, that it was completely made by Mazda  

 

Did have an F-150 that served me well, before all the anti pollution crap was mandatory on vehicles.  So easy to self maintain.

 

On Topic (as always) .... dependability should be a simple decision when realizing an ICE has ~2000 parts, and a BEV motor has ~20 parts, and seem to run forever.

 

You have choices  ...  just choose wisely 

BEV doesn't run the ever if water/humidity enters the battery compartment

[KhunLA]

2 minutes ago, vinny41 said:

BEV doesn't run the ever if water/humidity enters the battery compartment

Neither does ICEV if water gets into engine.  I know from experience after someone drive my car into a lake.  Didn't last long after that.

 

Take care of your vehicles, and they usually take care of you.  Yea, and a little research goes a long way to avoiding known issues.

 

But from AN postings, it's pretty obviously most haven't a clue when it comes to vehicles.  They seem to buy and recommend some real crap products.

 

Their bias/stupidity in choices explains a lot of their unhappy vehicle experiences.   You'd think at our ages, they would have learned a bit more at this stage.

 

~2000 vs ~20 parts, and shouldn't take a statistician to figure those odds.  Aside using a fuel that degrades every part of the vehicle it touches.

 

Oh well 

[vinny41]

7 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Neither does ICEV if water gets into engine.  I know from experience after someone drive my car into a lake.  Didn't last long after that.

 

Take care of your vehicles, and they usually take care of you.  Yea, and a little research goes a long way to avoiding known issues.

 

But from AN postings, it's pretty obviously most haven't a clue when it comes to vehicles.  They seem to buy and recommend some real crap products.

 

Their bias/stupidity in choices explains a lot of their unhappy vehicle experiences.   You'd think at our ages, they would have learned a bit more at this stage.

 

~2000 vs ~20 parts, and shouldn't take a statistician to figure those odds.  Aside using a fuel that degrades every part of the vehicle it touches.

 

Oh well 

MG ZS EV strands me after driving through water: Spends 4 months at ASC

On the mentioned date, adverse weather conditions, including heavy rainfall and water clogging on the roads (water levels up to 1-1.5 feet), posed a serious challenge to driving conditions. While navigating near Richmond Road, our vehicle was unexpectedly impacted by a surge of water from the opposite lane, caused by a passing BMTC bus. Consequently, upon reaching our destination near my residence, the car abruptly came to a halt. Despite our efforts to restart the vehicle, it failed to respond (Transmission fault showed up on the dash).

There have been several previous cases discussed on MG ZS EV forums where MG India has refused to honour warranty on the battery in the event of water damage. They seemed to have an unofficial policy where they made the customer claim insurance coverage even when it should have been covered under MG warranty. Several customers were frustrated and eventually forced to go along with this suggestion while some took MG to court. Was your insurance purchased via MG?

https://www.team-bhp.com/news/mg-zs-ev-strands-me-after-driving-through-water-spends-4-months-asc

It would be interesting to see if insurance companies published the number of ev's written off due to water ingress verus the number of ICEV written off due to water ingress

hence huge increase on EV insurance premiums

[KhunLA]

1 hour ago, vinny41 said:

MG ZS EV strands me after driving through water: 

...  water clogging on the roads (water levels up to 1-1.5 feet), posed a serious challenge to driving...our vehicle was unexpectedly impacted by a surge of water from the opposite lane, caused by a passing BMTC bus. Consequently, upon reaching our destination near my residence, the car abruptly came to a halt. Despite our efforts to restart the vehicle, it failed to respond (Transmission fault showed up on the dash).

There have been several previous cases discussed on MG ZS EV forums where MG India has refused to honour warranty on the battery in the event of water damage. They seemed to have an unofficial policy where they made the customer claim insurance coverage even when it should have been covered under MG warranty. Several customers were frustrated and eventually forced to go along with this suggestion while some took MG to court. Was your insurance purchased via MG?

https://www.team-bhp.com/news/mg-zs-ev-strands-me-after-driving-through-water-spends-4-months-asc

It would be interesting to see if insurance companies published the number of ev's written off due to water ingress verus the number of ICEV written off due to water ingress

hence huge increase on EV insurance premiums

 

You can't fix stupid 

 

1 hour ago, KhunLA said:

Take care of your vehicles, and they usually take care of you.  Yea, and a little research goes a long way to avoiding known issues.

 

But from AN postings, it's pretty obviously most haven't a clue when it comes to vehicles.  They seem to buy and recommend some real crap products.

 

Their bias/stupidity in choices explains a lot of their unhappy vehicle experiences.   You'd think at our ages, they would have learned a bit more at this stage.

 

~2000 vs ~20 parts, and shouldn't take a statistician to figure those odds.  Aside using a fuel that degrades every part of the vehicle it touches.

 

Oh well 

" IP67 dust and water-resistant rating "

 

Water resistant ... not 'waterproof'.  I don't and won't drive our EV through deep water, or even water higher than the lowest all rubber part of the wheel, and guessing ~15 cm.

 

 

From the 'owner's manual ' ...

If you plan on driving in / through water, then a BEV may not be a wise choice.

[richard_smith237]

23 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

 

You can't fix stupid 

 

" IP67 dust and water-resistant rating "

 

Water resistant ... not 'waterproof'.  I don't and won't drive our EV through deep water, or even water higher than the lowest all rubber part of the wheel, and guessing ~15 cm.

 

 

From the 'owner's manual ' ...

If you plan on driving in / through water, then a BEV may not be a wise choice.

 

Won't each individual vehicle have a 'wading height' ???

 

 

The wading height of the MG ZS EV is 450 mm. This means the vehicle can safely drive through water levels up to 450 mm without risking engine or electrical damage.

 

This is the same wading heigh as the petrol variant.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[KhunLA]

12 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Won't each individual vehicle have a 'wading height' ???

 

The wading height of the MG ZS EV is 450 mm. This means the vehicle can safely drive through water levels up to 450 mm without risking engine or electrical damage.

 

This is the same wading heigh as the petrol variant.

I would class that as 'Marketing for the Brain Dead'.  

 

Why would anyone drive any vehicle in water above the floor level.  Unless you have a snorkel exhaust system, not recommended in an ICEV.   I think the MG's clearance is ~160mm ... nuff said

 

I won't even drive a car through water enough to cover the wheel bearings.  Learned that lesson as had to replace them on one of my POS cars here / TH, Vios or Mazda 2.  Obviously not sealed.

 

You get what you pay for 

 

 

[vinny41]

1 hour ago, KhunLA said:

 

You can't fix stupid 

 

" IP67 dust and water-resistant rating "

 

Water resistant ... not 'waterproof'.  I don't and won't drive our EV through deep water, or even water higher than the lowest all rubber part of the wheel, and guessing ~15 cm.

 

From the 'owner's manual ' ...

If you plan on driving in / through water, then a BEV may not be a wise choice.

 

42 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Won't each individual vehicle have a 'wading height' ???

 

 

The wading height of the MG ZS EV is 450 mm. This means the vehicle can safely drive through water levels up to 450 mm without risking engine or electrical damage.

 

This is the same wading heigh as the petrol variant.

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you plan on driving in / through water, then a BEV may not be a wise choice.

Flash-flood warning for 48 provinces, including Bangkok

Flash flooding is a regular occurence in Thailand just going for a weekly shop in Makro or Big C you can come out and find the roads flooded

MG produced a video of ZS driving through water

Like all other videos it doesn't show real life of a large truck or bus coming in the other direction and the amount of wash that vehicle will produce especially as some drivers believe the faster you go in flooded water the safer your vehicle will be

 

[KhunLA]

22 minutes ago, vinny41 said:

If you plan on driving in / through water, then a BEV may not be a wise choice.

Flash-flood warning for 48 provinces, including Bangkok  ...  Flash flooding is a regular occurence in Thailand just going for a weekly shop in Makro or Big C you can come out and find the roads flooded

MG produced a video of ZS driving through water

Like all other videos it doesn't show real life of a large truck or bus coming in the other direction and the amount of wash that vehicle will produce especially as some drivers believe the faster you go in flooded water the safer your vehicle will be

 

Common sense should kick in, and unless an emergency situation, I simply would never drive through deep water, and to me, as stated earlier, that's over the lowest rubber section of tire.

 

Your Makro example is spot on, as happened to me while at Rangsit Future Park area.  Was in one of the malls, and there was a downpour.  I went out for a peek with the car, while wife & kid waited inside.   Was amazed how deep it was in such a short time, and more amazed, people were driving their sedans through.  

 

More amazed, none stalled in the water.  I simply went back in the mall, after a nice chuckle, and we waited about an hour or so, till rush hour and the water had subsided, to a drive through level.   Actually must gone except lower curbside.

 

This was with the ICE ZS, and if the BEV, probably would have waited a bit longer at the mall.

 

Adds to one's choices in life, where to live & work, and how you are getting back & forth.   It's TH, and flooding is a reality in many places.   Also why we don't live there.

 

OP, if hasn't already, needs to assess where he'll be driving to & parking during rainy season, before deciding on any vehicle, especially a BEV.

 

If I lived & worked in some areas of TH, especially Krung Thep, then I'd want to be able to walk to work, or have public trans available, if & when needed.

 

All my houses have been on high ground, and a learning lesson with first house, as town (Udon Thani) was inaccessible in 2000-2003 during heavy rains.  So made sure frig/freezer was stocked up with week's worth of food.  There were a couple times, when stuck in the village for a short week.  The kid didn't mind a few days off school, nor myself, and not needing to do the 70 km daily commute.

[RethairedJarhead]

10 hours ago, Gweiloman said:

F = Fix

O = Or

R = Repair

D = Daily

Was told this by my BIL, a service manager at Ford 45 years ago.

45 years ago, Ford was trash… I challenge you to drive a new Titanium and give an educated, up-to-date opinion. Otherwise put a lid on the cookies.

[Gweiloman]

2 minutes ago, RethairedJarhead said:

45 years ago, Ford was trash… I challenge you to drive a new Titanium and give an educated, up-to-date opinion. Otherwise put a lid on the cookies.

Wasn’t there recently a class suit against Ford in Thailand, apparently problems with the Fiesta?

[RethairedJarhead]

6 minutes ago, Gweiloman said:

Wasn’t there recently a class suit against Ford in Thailand, apparently problems with the Fiesta?

No idea… Either way that doesn’t take away from all said about the Titanium. 
 

What I do you know is over the last 40 years I’ve driven luxury German cars and SUVs… I wasn’t going to pay the prices they want for them over here because out in the countryside there isn’t a lot of support- however anywhere I go in Thailand, I can find a Ford dealer.

 

But hey, you stick to your guns.

 

Cheers