Which Suv To Choose

[hendy7508]

can recommendation of which suv to choose,currently driving a honda city zx and would like to upgrade to a bigger car.

[GayGordon]

can recommendation of which suv to choose,currently driving a honda city zx and would like to upgrade to a bigger car.

Hello, well Peter and i looked at most models available in Thailand and in the end the Toyota Fortuner was our choice,. its very nice and i like being up high !, Good luck, Gordon,

[Farma]

I found the diesel fortuner suited my needs. I'm pleased with my choice.

Fuel economy with my lead foot has averaged 9.8 km per litre.

My only gripe is it's tendency to feel loose and skip on rough dirt roads.

Apart from that it's a very comfortable car to drive with plenty of get up and go.

[hendy7508]

well farma n gaygordon,heard many not good advise from people that this fortuner has many bad points.morever,is a diesel engine,seems like more noisy than petrol cars.what about the captiva chevy,need more information for those driving it.trying to get 1 in chiangmai and times go back and go for some rough terrain drive.

[CroBiker]

Chevy after sale service sucks + resell value adds to almost nothing. I agree with 2 previous posters on Fortuner. Had one of those myself back in 2005, sold it pretty easily.

[Vato]

i like the suzuki grand vitara...very nice, plus uses petro so a cng system can be installed later too...very nice interior and 100,00km warranty...and truly built for offroad use.

[EvilDrSomkid]

can recommendation of which suv to choose,currently driving a honda city zx and would like to upgrade to a bigger car.

Instead of getting a useless so-called 'SportsUtilityVehicle', why dont you just buy a bigger sedan? Camry or Accord? Plonk some mgoodlooking rims on it and your car looks cool you're good to go. SUVs give people a false sense of security and as a consequence pay less attention to the road. Handling is not exactly optimal with a top heavy vehicle.

OK, hypocritical mode off: Get a normal car. I can understand you want something other that the tiny city zx. Feel threatened by pick-ups trucks and SUVs?

[Rimmer]

Hasn't this thread been done to death at least a dozen times already?

For the record I own two Honda CRV.

*Good after sales service,

*Holds their value,

*Quite petrol engine giving 10km to a ltr.

*Comfortable.

*go anywhere including the river that passes as a road outside my gate.

[jkinbkk]

If you don't need heaps of extra space then the Honda CRV is a great move up from your City

However, if optimum space is the prime requirement then the Toyota Fortuna is better suited.

I have a Fortuna due to family size, but if it was just me and the Mrs only I would go for the Honda CRV.

The upsides to buying a Honda or Toyota:

1. Low cost of ownership (servicing/parts) even after the warranty period has passed.

2. Massive network of service centres nationwide.

3. Low depreciation

If go for European or US brands then the direct opposite applies to the 3 points mentioned above with the addition of poor build quality!

[CroBiker]

If you don't need heaps of extra space then the Honda CRV is a great move up from your City

However, if optimum space is the prime requirement then the Toyota Fortuna is better suited.

I have a Fortuna due to family size, but if it was just me and the Mrs only I would go for the Honda CRV.

The upsides to buying a Honda or Toyota:

1. Low cost of ownership (servicing/parts) even after the warranty period has passed.

2. Massive network of service centres nationwide.

3. Low depreciation

If go for European or US brands then the direct opposite applies to the 3 points mentioned above with the addition of poor build quality!

Poor build quality of European or US brands? Are you referring to models such as Range Rover, Benz ML, BMW X3 & 5, Audi Q7 and Porsche Cayenne too? All these brands are seen on streets of Phuket, hardly built poorly. Not to mention low depreciation value except BMW to some extent.

[quiksilva]

I weighed up the Fortuner, CRV, Mitusbishi Pajero Sport vs Captiva and went with the Capitiva.

I drive the diesel version and am very happy with it . I will say that its only been two weeks since purchase, but I have already done over 2000 kms with no complaints.

Its been a comfortable ride so far, its got some reasonable power under the hood, and its bristling with extras (auto headlights, and auto windscreen wipers, auxiliary audio input for ipods etc, 7 seats), and so far its been very fuel efficient (10ls/100km or 23.5 mpg my driving is a mix of around Bangkok, expressways during rush hour and a few trips to Eastern Seaboard, Pattaya and Hua Hin, these trips include visiting factories and driving around boundaries and at times negotiating very poor access or flooded roads hence the need for a SUV) plus it only costs about THB 1,300 to fill up the tank!

I guess the standards of after sales service will greatly depend on where you actually get serviced. I can comment on this as I purchased the Captiva at Auto Technic on Petchburi, the same place as I brought my Saab 900 5 years ago which they serviced from day one, and I never had cause for complaint.

I will agree that depreciation is a factor though, but I purchased the Capitiva anyway, because I like the car that much. Its so much more stylish (in my opinion) than the other options.

I liked the slower depreciation of a CRV but hate the new styling the really messed that bonnet up, plus I don't intend to sell early.

I should also add that the true extent of depreciation can not really be known by anyone at this stage as its still a relatively new model. But to give you a gauge look at the secondhand prices on somewhere like taladrod.com which also provides a section at the bottom with average secondhand values by year. (very useful)

So far The Capitiva during the the initial years is holding up better than the Zafira which tends to end up at about 50% depreciation after one year and then hovers around that level for the next 5-6 years. The Captiva so far is depreciating inline with the CRV.

I personally think that the diesel version will fair better than the petrol during resale too (given fuel economy, and that diesel is so much cheaper to run) but that is pure speculation on my part.

I budgeted for 50% loss in depreciation over 5 years, which despite what Honda will tell you, is the same as a CRV over the same period, although CRV's depreciate at a slower rate models that sold 5 years ago for 1.2m are now selling for 600K on the secondhand market, see link here for evidence:

http://www.taladrod.com/Search/TbRst.aspx?...p;p1=0&p2=0

[VocalNeal]

I'll Add my 2c.

Take into account all the above opinions. Then at least have a look at Suzuki Grand Vitara. 1,050,000 Baht not 4x4

If you do lots of travelling then economy will not be the same as a diesel vehicle but.. I'm not sure about the LPG thing as I didn't see much room for the tank. I have a Suzuki not Vitara I am happy with the vehicle and the dealer.

[snowflake]

My mate just bought the new Mitsu Pajero Sport. Looks nice and shifts as well.

I think that for a SUV that might be the best option if you want more than 5 seats. I would not buy one, I would get the CRV, but that is just because I like it.