Family Vehicle

[Neeranam]

I think I'll have to change my Mazda Astina soon for some kind of bigger, more spacious family vehicle - two daughters and a big dog.

I'm not a window cleaner so no pick-ups. I live in a city, so no need for jeeps or 4x4s.

What's a good one around 500,000 baht. Second hand.

[Lickey]

Neeranam, a very good post, but with no replies!! you want a vehicle to run your kids about and go shopping ect, you are not a farmer or a builder or a window cleaner so you dont need a gas guzzler pick-up, no doubt youve looked in the motoring forum and have read about members moaning about fuel economy ect, its all this forum consists of!!

I cant help you find a car, but i do congradulate you on looking for a vehicle for what its intended for!!

Good Luck, Lickey.

[madjbs]

Toyota Avanza? Its a little ugly though.

[Crossy]

Kids plus big dog = estate car (station wagon), or (god forbid) a 4 door pickup with a carryboy.

There seem to be quite a few Volvos (the ultimate family vehicle) around on the second hand market, rugged and reliable.

BTW. I have a 'gas guzzling' 4x4 pickup which uses less (30% less) of a cheaper fuel than my old 'sensible' 325i. Absolutely no complaints on that front from this direction, and it can get into our drive which the Beemer struggled with

Edited September 13, 2007 by Crossy

[taxexile]

have a look at the chevrolet zafira.

you should be able to find one of these veratile compact 5 - 7 seater for under half a mill.

[keemapoot]

I know you don't need 4WD, but you might consider a used Ford Everest. They can seat 7, and are quite comfortable. The resale is not so good because Thais prefer Toyotas, etc., but you could probably find one for your price range.

[taxexile]

neeranam would rather chew his own arm off than drive a 4wd.

[dominique355]

How about a used Toyota Camry?

Now that the new model is out and quite successful, judging from the number of new models on the street, I would believe you could get a good deal for an used old model, perhaps the 2.0 liter.

It's roomy, reliable and not a 4WD

[Neeranam]

How about a used Toyota Camry?

Now that the new model is out and quite successful, judging from the number of new models on the street, I would believe you could get a good deal for an used old model, perhaps the 2.0 liter.

It's roomy, reliable and not a 4WD

I think I'll go for an estate car - I like the BMW estate, but maybe out of my price range.

I wish they made some of those vehicle for the vertically challenged a bit lower.

Edited September 14, 2007 by Neeranam

[Thanyaburi Mac]

I think I'll have to change my Mazda Astina soon for some kind of bigger, more spacious family vehicle - two daughters and a big dog.

I'm not a window cleaner so no pick-ups. I live in a city, so no need for jeeps or 4x4s.

What's a good one around 500,000 baht. Second hand.

Me?  I opted for a Toyota Hiace Van, it's a '96, a diesel.  Lots of room inside, sit above the traffic when downtown, great visibility just makes me feel safer on the highways and byways of Thailand.

Mac

[Pushit]

I think I'll have to change my Mazda Astina soon for some kind of bigger, more spacious family vehicle - two daughters and a big dog.

I'm not a window cleaner so no pick-ups. I live in a city, so no need for jeeps or 4x4s.

What's a good one around 500,000 baht. Second hand.

Chevrolet Optra Estate, the best family car I have ever purchased. Loads of room and rides like a Benz thanks to the "Euro suspension" 12km per liter and almost silent ride, a true family compact vehicle. Already had it 2 years with no problems, and is ideal for commuting to our day spa.

[teejay]

Another estate option would be the Audi A6 wagon.... Re-sale prices are low low low.

[percy2]

Another estate option would be the Audi A6 wagon.... Re-sale prices are low low low.

I thought that was a great idea.

A6 Avant for B500,000.

But after checking

www.thaicar.com

www.one2car.com

www.unseencar.com

This all I could find.

24. AUDI A6 AVANT 2.4 AT ปี 2001

สีเงิน(ตะกั่ว) เกียร์ออโต้ อ.ว.ท.ม. CD ABS AIRBAG พ.พาวเวอร์ ก.ไฟฟ้า ซ. ล็อก เบาะหนังแท้ รีโมท,ลายไม้,ไฟขาว,กระจกมองข้างปรับไฟฟ้า,แอร์ดิจิตอล,เบาะไฟฟ้า,แอร์หลัง,ม่านบังแดดหลัง,FULL OPTION

ราคา 1,100,000

Cheers

[taxexile]

Re-sale prices are low low low.

because the upkeep costs are high high high.

[tutsiwarrior]

I think I'll have to change my Mazda Astina soon for some kind of bigger, more spacious family vehicle - two daughters and a big dog.

I'm not a window cleaner so no pick-ups. I live in a city, so no need for jeeps or 4x4s.

What's a good one around 500,000 baht. Second hand.

Me? I opted for a Toyota Hiace Van, it's a '96, a diesel. Lots of room inside, sit above the traffic when downtown, great visibility just makes me feel safer on the highways and byways of Thailand.

Mac

we got a Nissan Urvan, around '95 vintage...I never drive it as I usually lounge in the back (first rear seat removed) with a drink and let one of the BiLs drive...with a large extended family it suits all our purposes; can even fit a small scooter in the back with the seat removed...

[Clipped]

volvo station wagon...and they are pretty quick too...

[wilko]

It is worth remembering that pick-ups and their close relatives G-wagon, Fortuner, Everest etc have in general much lower active and passive safety features than a modern saloon or stationwagon etc.

In the event of an accident the damage to the occupants of a pick-up can be a lot more than in a "normal" sedan/saloon. largely due to the nature of their construction....

for instance - as yet I'm not aware that any of the current Thai models have ESC (swerve control) which is built in to many cars nowadays.

[Maigo6]

It is worth remembering that pick-ups and their close relatives G-wagon, Fortuner, Everest etc have in general much lower active and passive safety features than a modern saloon or stationwagon etc.

In the event of an accident the damage to the occupants of a pick-up can be a lot more than in a "normal" sedan/saloon. largely due to the nature of their construction....

for instance - as yet I'm not aware that any of the current Thai models have ESC (swerve control) which is built in to many cars nowadays.

I would rather be in a 2 Ton Fortuner than a Honda Jazz should those 2 be in an accident together.

It's OK doing Crash Tests into immovable solid Blocks of concrete as in a crash test, but how many solid lumps of concrete do you see driving on the road?

A Jazz rear ending a Fortuner at speed would probably effect no Passengers in the Fortuner, a Fortuner rear ending a Jazz would be a whole different scenario, don't get me wrong, I like Honda Jazz, I'm even thinking of buying one for my little sis when she graduates.

I really think that the weight of The Fortuner would be a great advantage in many scenarios, if you believe otherwise, have a head on with a Ten Ton Truck, that truck is also built on an industrial workhorse chassis, Honda Jazz v 10 Wheeler... would you rather be in the Truck or the car ?

Edited September 19, 2007 by Maigo6

[bino]

I think that the Toyota Wish would suit your purpose perfectly. Not sure if it will fall in your price bracket or not though. they have been selling for a few years now, so maybe?

[wilko]

It is worth remembering that pick-ups and their close relatives G-wagon, Fortuner, Everest etc have in general much lower active and passive safety features than a modern saloon or stationwagon etc.

In the event of an accident the damage to the occupants of a pick-up can be a lot more than in a "normal" sedan/saloon. largely due to the nature of their construction....

for instance - as yet I'm not aware that any of the current Thai models have ESC (swerve control) which is built in to many cars nowadays.

I would rather be in a 2 Ton Fortuner than a Honda Jazz should those 2 be in an accident together.

It's OK doing Crash Tests into immovable solid Blocks of concrete as in a crash test, but how many solid lumps of concrete do you see driving on the road?

A Jazz rear ending a Fortuner at speed would probably effect no Passengers in the Fortuner, a Fortuner rear ending a Jazz would be a whole different scenario, don't get me wrong, I like Honda Jazz, I'm even thinking of buying one for my little sis when she graduates.

I really think that the weight of The Fortuner would be a great advantage in many scenarios, if you believe otherwise, have a head on with a Ten Ton Truck, that truck is also built on an industrial workhorse chassis, Honda Jazz v 10 Wheeler... would you rather be in the Truck or the car ?

Unfortunately that is the kind of ignorance that will result in many unnecessary injuries - your science isn't science you are completely wrong

[Farma]

I found these Australian statistics interesting, especially paragraphs 3 and 4.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau Monograph No. 11, of September 2003, included the following key findings.

1. Four-wheel-drives involved in fatal accidents increased by 85% between 1990 and 1998, while the overall number of fatal road accidents decreased by a quarter over the same period. This is likely to be because of the increased distances driven by 4-wheel-drives on Australian roads, as an overall percentage.

2. In accidents where 4-wheel-drives contributed to the cause of the crash, fatigue, alcohol or other drugs were a major factor. Four-wheel-drivers were more likely to be affected by alcohol than drivers of any other class of vehicle.

3. Four-wheel-drives were far more likely to roll over in a crash than a standard passenger car (35% compared with 13%).

4. Occupants of passenger cars accounted for 64% of the fatalities in accidents involving 4-wheel-drives. The fatality rate for 4-wheel-drives was only 18%.

I've been driving 4wd's for over 20 years in countries where the local drivers make Thai drivers look like little angels in comparison. The preferred expat car is a 4wd purely for the safety they provide in accidents. During that time i've had 3 cars rear end me. My 4wd recieved minimal damage (slight dents to the rear door and bumper damage). The same can't be said for the other cars which all had to be towed away.

[bkkmick]

I've got a 2001 Kia Carnival. Two kids + nanny + wife + me. Loads of room and much more comfortable than the Fortuner. Middle row seats turn around for long journeys so that they can all chat while I do the driving. For a family car it's the best I've driven. I know that it's not a sexy thing - actually looks querky, but it's really comfortable.

[Heng]

Toyota Granvia all the way if you're going used (at 500 will be beat up a bit, but as long as it's not in terms of car wrecks, it's a winner even if you have to drop in a new 25-30k aftermarket engine). Toyota Alphard is the newer version if you're going new. The double automatic side doors mean everything fits. Low enough to the ground for easy child or elderly access. Big enough to fit a family of 7 comfortably and small enough to go into any shopping center without worrying about roof height access (otherwise that new Toyota commuter tank/van would be my choice... still might get one if my kids look like they might try to go competitive in golf or tennis... road trip city). V-6 power should you need it, have only driven it a few times myself but it handles more like a car than a minivan.

You don't even have to service with SEC or whatever importer brings it in, since just about all the parts have plants in Thailand. Just about any Toyota dealership can access the parts you need.

[wilko]

I found these Australian statistics interesting, especially paragraphs 3 and 4.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau Monograph No. 11, of September 2003, included the following key findings.

1. Four-wheel-drives involved in fatal accidents increased by 85% between 1990 and 1998, while the overall number of fatal road accidents decreased by a quarter over the same period. This is likely to be because of the increased distances driven by 4-wheel-drives on Australian roads, as an overall percentage.

2. In accidents where 4-wheel-drives contributed to the cause of the crash, fatigue, alcohol or other drugs were a major factor. Four-wheel-drivers were more likely to be affected by alcohol than drivers of any other class of vehicle.

3. Four-wheel-drives were far more likely to roll over in a crash than a standard passenger car (35% compared with 13%).

4. Occupants of passenger cars accounted for 64% of the fatalities in accidents involving 4-wheel-drives. The fatality rate for 4-wheel-drives was only 18%.

I've been driving 4wd's for over 20 years in countries where the local drivers make Thai drivers look like little angels in comparison. The preferred expat car is a 4wd purely for the safety they provide in accidents. During that time i've had 3 cars rear end m

e. My 4wd recieved minimal damage (slight dents to the rear door and bumper damage). The same can't be said for the other cars which all had to be towed away.

Although similar 4wds and pick-ups are not the same and manufacturing safety regs vary from place to place but basically the amount of damage to the car is part of the safety crumple zones that are designed to collpse gradully and absorb impact - remember you are travelling at the same spedd as you car and have to stop too - many injuries occur at this point - a lot depends on shock absorption and the movement of the ocupants around the interior of the vehicle.

This is discussed at length all over the place - and contrary to popular (male orientated) belief - size does not matter - much

[Sanpatong]

I think you can forget about the truly exotic (for Thailand) suggestions like the Audi or BMW station wagon; there's simply not enough of them around to have a shot at finding a good one for a good price. Then there's maintenance costs which will be sky high.

Of all the suggestions so far I liked the Zafira suggestion: There's enough of them around, and they're the right age to be available for reasonable money.

Other suggestions: Older Camry or Nissan Cefiro; big and reliable.

Or get a pick-up based station wagon, like that Thairung job.. Noisy beasts though.

[Maigo6]

Unfortunately that is the kind of ignorance that will result in many unnecessary injuries - your science isn't science you are completely wrong

OK Einstien,

Honda Jazz rear ends a Fortuner at speed you would rather be in the Jazz ?

Ummmm....ok.

I'll stick to the Fortuner in that case.

[Maigo6]

4. Occupants of passenger cars accounted for 64% of the fatalities in accidents involving 4-wheel-drives. The fatality rate for 4-wheel-drives was only 18%.[/i]

I've been driving 4wd's for over 20 years in countries where the local drivers make Thai drivers look like little angels in comparison. The preferred expat car is a 4wd purely for the safety they provide in accidents. During that time i've had 3 cars rear end me. My 4wd recieved minimal damage (slight dents to the rear door and bumper damage). The same can't be said for the other cars which all had to be towed away.

Such ignorance according to Wilko leads to unnecessary deaths.

Friend on mine had a Toyota Sport Rider, he was crashed into by a Diahatsu Mira, my friend and his passengers were unharmed, unfortunately the guy and his passenger in The Mira never survived, it was a rear end collision, the Mira crashed into The Sport Rider.

I can't help but feel that if the now deceased had been in a Sport Rider crashing into a Diahatsu Mira, they may still be alive.

I'm probably wrong though, cos Wilko says so.

Edited September 20, 2007 by Maigo6

[Lormaak]

These days, predicting which car will come off better in an accident involves more than just looking at the size and weight of each. With modern safety advances, even the smallest of vehicles can be incredibly safe. Unfortunately, most of these safety features (for small cars) are optional extras or simply not available here.

A good example of big versus small can be seen in this crash test of a large Volvo 940 estate (mid-nineties) with a supermini Renault Modus (mid-naughties). Probably not what you'd expect.

[lazeeboy]

4. Occupants of passenger cars accounted for 64% of the fatalities in accidents involving 4-wheel-drives. The fatality rate for 4-wheel-drives was only 18%.[/i]

I've been driving 4wd's for over 20 years in countries where the local drivers make Thai drivers look like little angels in comparison. The preferred expat car is a 4wd purely for the safety they provide in accidents. During that time i've had 3 cars rear end me. My 4wd recieved minimal damage (slight dents to the rear door and bumper damage). The same can't be said for the other cars which all had to be towed away.

Such ignorance according to Wilko leads to unnecessary deaths.

Friend on mine had a Toyota Sport Rider, he was crashed into by a Diahatsu Mira, my friend and his passengers were unharmed, unfortunately the guy and his passenger in The Mira never survived, it was a rear end collision, the Mira crashed into The Sport Rider.

I can't help but feel that if the now deceased had been in a Sport Rider crashing into a Diahatsu Mira, they may still be alive.

I'm probably wrong though, cos Wilko says so.

had a 3 series bmw hit the front of my sportrider in the front ,31000b to fix the sportrider minimal damage ,2 hours 2 scrape the bmw off the road and put it in a skip ,give me a sportrider /fortuner that i now drive any day thanks .

[Maigo6]

I do appreciate that small car safety has come on leaps and bounds, but the case I have given, small car rear ending my Fortuner, I know I would rather be in my Fortuner than the small car, and if I was in the small car, I would rather be in the Fortuner if the Fortuner rear ended me.

Of course if a 10 wheel truck is head on with either, I think the laws of physics take over and we would both be toast.

Besides The Fortuner has GOA safety features, 2 airbags, collapsable steering etc. Even pick ups have come a long way in safety standards.

Drive safely chaps.

Edited September 20, 2007 by Maigo6