New Or Used?

[jeffer]

Sold my old car, got sick of the maintenance. Looking at getting a replacement in the next few months.

Budget is around 500/600,000 baht. Only need a small to medium sized automatic sedan with good fuel economy and a/c. Used mainly for short distances in and around Bangkok with the occasional weekend upcountry return trip of 400k on mostly okay roads so probably 15,000km a year at most.

One thing I'm having trouble deciding is whether to buy a base model of a new car such as a Honda City (521,000 or 563,000 baht), Honda Jazz, Toyota Vios or Toyota Yaris, or instead buying a 2 or 3 year old Honda Civic or Mitsubishi Lancer for a similar price. Are the differences between the basic and pricier models of these cars mainly cosmetic and comfort or would I really notice the difference in engine size and handling. I plan on renting some of these cars so I can get a better idea of handling but in Bangkok where I do most of my driving it's not like you can use the extra power much as most of my time is spent in heavy traffic anyway.

What do you think, buy basic new or a better model used?

I have NO interest in buying a van or pickup of any kind.