Have You Bought A Pick Up Truck In Chiang Mai?

[up-country_sinclair]

I'm looking to buy either a Toyota or Isuzu pick up, and was wondering if anyone could recommend a dealership that has English speaking staff.

Thanks in advance.

[Ajarn]

I can recommend the Isuzu dealership located on the Super Hiway, just a bit south of the Mahidol Rd flyover. I bought my truck from them two years ago, and have been extremely happy with their service since then. They have at least a few English-speaking staff on hand to help you.

Phone: 053-249-712

Edited September 26, 2005 by Ajarn

[p1p]

You would do better to take a Thai speaking friend along and visit several dealers. If you will only buy from those who speak English, you are severely restricting your choices.

[stateman]

I'm looking to buy either a Toyota or Isuzu pick up, and was wondering if anyone could recommend a dealership that has English speaking staff. 

Thanks in advance.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

------

I hope you won't be sold a dried-out flooded truck!

Good luck!

[up-country_sinclair]

thanks for your replies.

i went out and looked at the basic version of the toyota, nissan and isuzu pick up, and was really surprised at how big these trucks are--5 meters in length! imagining the parking nightmares, i'm now looking for something smaller....

does anyone have experience with the suzuki sporty caribbean?

i am a little concerned about their reliability, and down the road i don't think it will be as easy to get parts for it as it would for an isuzu or toyota.

any insight would be appreciated.

[Steve2UK]

thanks for your replies. 

i went out and looked at  the basic version of the toyota, nissan and isuzu pick up, and was really surprised at how big these trucks are--5 meters in length!  imagining the parking nightmares, i'm now looking for something smaller....

does anyone have experience with the suzuki sporty caribbean?

i am a little concerned about their reliability, and down the road i don't think it will be as easy to get parts for it as it would for an isuzu or toyota.

any insight would be appreciated.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The Caribbean is woefully under-powered - and/or the gear ratios are crazy. You can find yourself dropping to first gear on even a relatively gentle slope - that's without having a load in the back or even a passenger.

I'm also keen to identify something smaller than the usual pick-up but still with a high driving position. I remember the Suzuki Vitara being much better a few years back, but I think they're pretty much at the end of their life in LOS?

[Guest endure]

thanks for your replies. 

i went out and looked at  the basic version of the toyota, nissan and isuzu pick up, and was really surprised at how big these trucks are--5 meters in length!  imagining the parking nightmares, i'm now looking for something smaller....

does anyone have experience with the suzuki sporty caribbean?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

All the Caribbeans I've driven don't seem to have any connection between the steering wheel and the front wheels

[seeker108]

I believe most pick-ups in Thailand are deisel, but my suggestion is be sure that what you buy is deisel.

After I get back and check out the local situation, I will write more on the subject, but you could save lots on fuel, if things are favorable there, by doing a simple conversion to a deisel vehicle.

[jackr]

thanks for your replies. 

i went out and looked at  the basic version of the toyota, nissan and isuzu pick up, and was really surprised at how big these trucks are--5 meters in length!  imagining the parking nightmares, i'm now looking for something smaller....

does anyone have experience with the suzuki sporty caribbean?

All the Caribbeans I've driven don't seem to have any connection between the steering wheel and the front wheels

The Suzuki Carriban is a bag of &lt;deleted&gt; full stop, but I think sinclair is talking about the Suzuki Sporty - similar front end as the Carribian but has a cut-off back not unlike a pick-up. Sturdier and better looking than the Carribian all round.

[JuniorExPat]

I'm looking to buy either a Toyota or Isuzu pick up, and was wondering if anyone could recommend a dealership that has English speaking staff. 

Thanks in advance.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I know that this is not directly relevent to your question but . . . Mrs JxP just won the battle between my choice of Toyota Vigo and hers of the Mitsubishi Triton.

We have ended up ordering from a dealer in Chiang Rai because we could get a better price plus more freebies.

It may be worth widening the area that you shop around in.

JxP

[chanchao]

Toyota in Northern Thailand means Niyom <curses> Phanich. I bet that's why you see relatively fewer Toyotas here than in other parts of the country.

For Isuzu on the other hand, there are loads of different dealers. You can buy from one that gives you the most freebies, then get it serviced under warranty at any other dealer. We currently use the one on Kaew Nawarat Road before Mc Cormick.

Suzuki Jeep: I will admit a weak spot for this car, it really does come into its own once you take it off-road. Also Service is easy as technically its a VERY simple car. Any mechanic and his dog can fix it, and parts are everywhere, given that it hasnt changed in 15 years or so. HOWEVER, it is indeed crap to drive on the road, AND it has a petrol engine.. You'd want diesel.

As for difficult parking not at all. Thank God for living in CHiang Mai. And you can easily see the back side on pickups, it's not as hard as parking an SUV of the same length.

Currently Isuzu, Toyota and Mitsubishi all have good, recent offerings.. I like the Toyota best, but wiht Niyom <curses> Phanich giving diddly zit in return for the car I would be turning in, that's just not going to happen unless I buy in Bangkok. Mind you, many Chiang Mai locals do. I guess they do speak English at Niyom tho.. With so many staff, the odds are overwhelming. (Then again, if I wanted people speaking English to me then I'd just go to the Sheraton hotel lobby, CM University or Foxy Beaver Bar or whatever its called on Loi Kroh. )

Cheers,

Chanchao

[nokia]

Hi CM folks,

i had ordered a Toyota Vigo 4WD G manual at the showroom near Airport PLaza in Jul 05, and i'm still waiting for its collection. No freebies was given because it was supposed to very popular and given a pathetic discount of 5K from the sale price of 820K and had to pay another 30K for the insurance and road tax. I heard that those who ordered before June had free insurance! SIgh....

[sabaijai]

I've owned three pickups here in CM over the last 8 years, a Toyota 4-dr Hi-Ace, a Mitsubishi 2-dr Strada and a Ford 4-dr Ranger. The Ford has been, by far, the best of the three. Both the Toyota and the Mitsu were under-powered and belched black smoke when accelerating up steep hills. Toyota and Mitsu service centres inspected the engines a few times, were able to reduce the smoke a bit but both said it was 'normal'. I quit worrying about the smoke but wasn't that happy with power or handling.

The Ranger emits no smoke at all, and has better torque and acceleration on hills. I drive to Pai frequently and am always passing late-model Toyotas and Mitsus (my Ranger is a 2000 model). It handles better as well, for my money.

I bought the Toyota from Niyom Panich (good service), the Mitsu from the dealer at Klang Wiang (middle of the old city, also good service) and the Ford from a dealership in Bangkok.

Haven't tried the Isuzu. The Mazda is basically the same as the Ranger, from what I understand, might be cheaper.

[sinkorswim]

I have a Toyota Vigo Double Cab 3ltr diesel auto and can recommend it any day of the week. You have very good line of sight and it is easy to park. Also dont forget that Toyotas for the majority are build to a very high standard. From what i have been told they are the car of choice in the Australian outback wher reliability can be a matter of life or death.

Getting discount can be difficult. I went to every dealer in the area and to some in Bangkok and the most I could get discounted was either 5000baht cash or 10000baht worth of accessories and that was for a cash sale.

Not sure about now with diesel fuel prices rising it may be possible to squeeze a few more baht from them. As someone said make sure you go for a diesel.

I have heard somewhere that you can run diesel engines on vegatable oil with a simple additive. Not sure about the legalities of this but if you really want to save money that is something to look into.

That my sales pitch over with but you can also try Bangkok Insurance as they where cheaper for my "first class" insurance than the dealer by approx 4000baht.

Edited September 30, 2005 by sinkorswim

[chanchao]

> The Ford has been, by far, the best of the three. Both the Toyota and the

> Mitsu were under-powered

Well.... there's more to that story. The Ford (and Mazda) 2.5 liter turbo-diesel have GREAT power for highway driving, including not overly steep hills such as driving up Doi Suthep or Doi Inthanon. Indeed you'll be passing most other pickups. HOWEVER, if you take it off-road and you go *very* steep up hills, then you will find that it lacks low-end torque to the point of it being rediculous. It just dies, even in first gear, low. And because of the turbo, power kicks in very suddenly at 1900 rpm or so.. So that means lots of wheelspin if you managed not to let it die by slipping the clutch. This car is a DISASTER off-road. I know, I own one.

This is simply not an off-road engine. (They also offer a 2.9 liter non-turbo and chances are that one is better off-road, but underpowered for highway driving).

Fortunatley we also own an Isuzu 3.0 liter turbo-diesel and that engine is everything the Ford engine is not, AND the other way around. Gosh I wish I could merge the Ford and the Isuzu engine into one! Then it'd be quiet (Ford), clean (Ford), hi powered highway driving (Ford), fuel efficient (Isuzu) and have oodles of low-end torque (Isuzu). Both I find extremely reliable.

Note that I get the Ford serviced at the Mazda dealer which is a lot cheaper and the Mazda is bolt for bolt identical to the Ford, aside from the name plate and lights.

Oh yes.. You wouldn't buy one new at this moment of course, the Ford/Mazda have been on the market for years and years now and were seriously due for a new model even 2 years ago. (when all they got was a minor facelift)

Cheers,

Chanchao

[jaideeguy]

And..... don't forget Chevrolet!! i just made the rounds in CM and considered the big 3....Toyota, Isuzu, and Nissan, but decided on Chev as they are simply an Isuzu, but in a different dress. both come from the same factory in Rayong, same frame, motor, etc. but Chev is made for the export market and has a few more features, like safety, suspension, interior dress etc. and i would recomend their excellent english speaking sales lady 'Pel' . so far......good service and preformance from both the truck and the dealership.

[sabaijai]

> The Ford has been, by far, the best of the three. Both the Toyota and the

> Mitsu were under-powered

Well.... there's more to that story.  The Ford (and Mazda) 2.5 liter turbo-diesel have GREAT power for highway driving, including not overly steep hills such as driving up Doi Suthep or Doi Inthanon. Indeed you'll be passing most other pickups.   HOWEVER, if you take it off-road and you go *very* steep up hills, then you will find that it lacks low-end torque to the point of it being rediculous.  It just dies, even in first gear, low.  And because of the turbo, power kicks in very suddenly at 1900 rpm or so.. So that means lots of wheelspin if you managed not to let it die by slipping the clutch.   This car is a DISASTER off-road.  I know, I own one.   

This is simply not an off-road engine. (They also offer a 2.9 liter non-turbo and chances are that one is better off-road, but underpowered for highway driving).  

Fortunatley we also own an Isuzu 3.0 liter turbo-diesel and that engine is everything the Ford engine is not, AND the other way around.   Gosh I wish I could merge the Ford and the Isuzu engine into one!  Then it'd be quiet (Ford), clean (Ford), hi powered highway driving (Ford), fuel efficient (Isuzu) and have oodles of low-end torque (Isuzu).     Both I find extremely reliable.

Note that I get the Ford serviced at the Mazda dealer which is a lot cheaper and the Mazda is bolt for bolt identical to the Ford, aside from the name plate and lights.

Oh yes.. You wouldn't buy one new at this moment of course, the Ford/Mazda have been on the market for years and years now and were seriously due for a new model even 2 years ago.  (when all they got was a minor facelift)

Cheers,

Chanchao

Your description of the Ford performance is spot on. However I use my Ford off-road a lot and have only found lack of low-speed torque to be a problem on really steep grades. So it's quite an exaggeration to say it's not an off-road vehicle. I've driven it through streams and along unpaved tracks of all kinds in Laos and Thailand, never once got stuck. When I can't get torque in 1st gear 4H I can always get it in 1st or 2nd gear 4L. Driving steep, unsealed grades in 4L I've never once not been able to move forward.

[sabaijai]

Not sure about now with diesel fuel prices rising it may be possible to squeeze a few more baht from them. As someone said make sure you go for a diesel.

I have heard somewhere that you can run diesel engines on vegatable oil with a simple additive. Not sure about the legalities of this but if you really want to save money that is something to look into.

Not sure what you meant by "make sure you go for diesel" but all pickups assembled and sold in Thailand run on diesel, as far as I can tell.

[seeker108]

Not sure about now with diesel fuel prices rising it may be possible to squeeze a few more baht from them. As someone said make sure you go for a diesel.

I have heard somewhere that you can run diesel engines on vegatable oil with a simple additive. Not sure about the legalities of this but if you really want to save money that is something to look into.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Not sure what you meant by "make sure you go for diesel" but all pickups assembled and sold in Thailand run on diesel, as far as I can tell.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Apparently some new petrol pickups now (but don't buy them ). Also there are some imports.

Anyone reading this might also find the following interesting:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=45583

Then there is more in:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showforum=59

[Johpa]

The Caribbean is woefully under-powered - and/or the gear ratios are crazy. You can find yourself dropping to first gear on even a relatively gentle slope - that's without having a load in the back or even a passenger.

I agree that the Caribbean is a very poor choice, especially if you live outside the city. It is best left for the tourist market.

[nokia]

Suzuki Carribbean is supposed to be unstable at high speeds around corners. For a 1.3l, it's quite thirsty for gasoline, and when you push the sides of the jeep, the whole vehicle shakes. i used to rent it, but Thai friends all said "Mai Dee". An underpowered, bouncy 'fun' lite 4WD vehicle for tourists?

thanks sinkorswim for the info, where is Bangkok Insurance located at CM? Perhaps i could cancel the insurance since the vehicle hasnt arrived yet....

[up-country_sinclair]

thanks for your input everybody.

well, you've convinced me that the suzuki is not a good choice, but i'm still hesitant to drive a vehicle that is over five meters long (toyota, isuzu, nissan). perhaps i'll have to spend a little bit more and get a car.

[seeker108]

thanks for your input everybody.

well, you've convinced me that the suzuki is not a good choice, but i'm still hesitant to drive a vehicle that is over five meters long (toyota, isuzu, nissan).  perhaps i'll have to spend a little bit more and get a car.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Maybe a good second hand car. I bought a decent one from a neighbor when I was there and it always ran well and (important for me) had an aircon that could produce arctic temps on demand. I sold it after 5 months of use for about B5,000 less than I paid for it. Shop around.

Anyway, be sure to buy something that runs on diesel.

[nokia]

Cars are more suitable if you are averse to wider turning radius during parking.

And if you want a car with a flat-bed cargo area, you can consider 1.6 Nissan NV (400K). Diesel cars are quite rare though...

[up-country_sinclair]

diesel cars are rare.

seeker108---because of the cost, many have warned me off buying a second hand car here in thailand. and to be honest i'd rather be the first owner.

[pichai]

Buying second hand cars can be a nightmare, if you don't know who is the first owner, and whether the car had any accidents. Surely everyone would like to be the first owner, if they can afford.

[chang35baht]

In reply to Up Country Sincere: No I,ve never bought a pick up in Chang Mai.

And Sinkorswim is right. I`ve been running my pick up on olive oil for some years now without any additives and I`ve had great fuel efficiency to boot.

[p1p]

In reply to Up Country Sincere: No I,ve never bought a pick up in Chang Mai.

And Sinkorswim is right. I`ve been running my pick up on olive oil for some years now without any additives and I`ve had great fuel efficiency to boot.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This idoes not deserve further comment.....

I have bought several second-hand cars in the last ten years or so. Furthermore, I have never failed to get my money back when seling them. The only @new@ car I might consider would be the new Isuzu commonrail 2.5 Litre diesel, because of the superlative fuel efficiency.

I am probably cutting my own throat here, but the dealer I have found who provides the best service is an Indian guy who's dealership is directly beside the Isuzu garage on the right hand side of the road just before you get to Sanpatong on the CM-Hod road. He has never failed to give good advice regarding which of his cars is worth purchasing, and which has problems. The only dealer ever to say "Don't buy that car!"

I also presume he speaks English, although I have only ever spoken Thai with him. If he doesn't, his son does.

Over the years, I have sent several non-Thai speakers to him and all have been happy with his service.

Why buy second hand? I find I can get a better car, for less money by doing so. You only need to take great care during the purchase and never allow yourself to be taken in by the sales pitch, or the desire to own a particular make or model. BI always shop with an open mind and buy a good car that will fulfill the purpose I have in mind. When I got my current car, I needed something to carry a load. A pickup would seem to be ideal, however I ended up purchasing a 1962 Wilys station wagon with a trailer. It does the job far better and is far more versatile than any pickup could ever be.

[seeker108]

In reply to Up Country Sincere: No I,ve never bought a pick up in Chang Mai.

And Sinkorswim is right. I`ve been running my pick up on olive oil for some years now without any additives and I`ve had great fuel efficiency to boot.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This idoes not deserve further comment.....

I have bought several second-hand cars in the last ten years or so. Furthermore, I have never failed to get my money back when seling them. The only @new@ car I might consider would be the new Isuzu commonrail 2.5 Litre diesel, because of the superlative fuel efficiency.

I am probably cutting my own throat here, but the dealer I have found who provides the best service is an Indian guy who's dealership is directly beside the Isuzu garage on the right hand side of the road just before you get to Sanpatong on the CM-Hod road. He has never failed to give good advice regarding which of his cars is worth purchasing, and which has problems. The only dealer ever to say "Don't buy that car!"

I also presume he speaks English, although I have only ever spoken Thai with him. If he doesn't, his son does.

Over the years, I have sent several non-Thai speakers to him and all have been happy with his service.

Why buy second hand? I find I can get a better car, for less money by doing so. You only need to take great care during the purchase and never allow yourself to be taken in by the sales pitch, or the desire to own a particular make or model. BI always shop with an open mind and buy a good car that will fulfill the purpose I have in mind. When I got my current car, I needed something to carry a load. A pickup would seem to be ideal, however I ended up purchasing a 1962 Wilys station wagon with a trailer. It does the job far better and is far more versatile than any pickup could ever be.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

A few points:

First, I agree with Pichai in that if you have plenty of money to spare and really want a new car then by all means, be the first owner. But do remember that as soon as you drive the car or truck out of the lot, its value drops suddenly by something like 20% or more.

Second, actually P1P, chang35baht may not be blowing smoke on this. Though the olive oil does make me wonder (it being considerably more expensive than diesel fuel). I am waiting for a reply to a PM to see if this was tongue-in-cheek or not.

It is actually possible to run a diesel engine on straight veggie oil (SVO) once you have made some slight modifications (though, in a climate that is hot enough, you may be able to run it with no or little modification). I am getting ready to do some posts about this as soon as I get some info from a friend in CM. There could be many benefits to doing just this (both financial and environmental).

There is also a way to convert the veggie oil to being usuable, without conversion of your vehicle, but the simple additive method is cost prohibitive. There is another way that is cheaper but it involves setting up a mini processing plant in your back yard. Not advisable for any but those who are real comfortable working with volatile, poisonous chemicals.

In any case the better method is using the SVO as it may prolong the life of your engine compared with diesel or biodiesel and it definitely burns cleaner than either type of diesel. Look for a future post once I get all of the facts on what is doable locally in CM and have the time for the posts. (This is why I have been advising the purchase of a diesel vehicle as when (if possible) I make these posts the owners of diesel vehicles will soon start realizing some significant fuel savings.

Finally, I want to endorse what P1P has said about buying used cars. I have not had a new car since I was 17 and had partial rights on driving my mom's car (though at 18 I did but a new Yamaha motorcycle in CA for something like $500). Anyway for 35 years I have always bought second hand cars, but always nice ones, after some serious looking. Like P1P I have usually either made a small profit or taken a very small loss when finally selling the vehicle.

The car I bought in CM was a twenty year old Toyota Crown. I was the 4th owner and the two previous owners had owned it for 16 of the twenty years and had absolutely babied it. Inside and out you would swear it was less than 5 years old (except for the body style). It had been a moderate luxury car in its day and was a dream to drive. It was more solid than a modern volvo, I would guess, and so I never worried about safety. The only downside was that, with its powerful engine, it was not what you would call fuel efficient. Anyway, I made a fairly quick decision to move out of Thailand and had to sell the car somewhat quickly at only a 5,000 Baht loss.

If you are not a good judge of cars, either buy from a dealer you can trust like P1P does (I never did find a good dealer with anything I wanted when I was looking, so I suspect that P1P has a fairly rare find), or have anything you are thinking about buying inspected by a mechanic you trust. And absolutely, as P1P says, do not rush or be rushed into buying anything. No impulse buying when it comes to used vehicles (or new for that matter).

Phew! Ok, now that I've run on forever here, go out and buy whatever makes you happy!

(with these epic post, I guess I'll never catch up to Dr. PP in total posts

I think it might be more fair to count lines rather than posts )

[chang35baht]

In reply to Up Country Sincere: No I,ve never bought a pick up in Chang Mai.

And Sinkorswim is right. I`ve been running my pick up on olive oil for some years now without any additives and I`ve had great fuel efficiency to boot.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This idoes not deserve further comment.....

I have bought several second-hand cars in the last ten years or so. Furthermore, I have never failed to get my money back when seling them. The only @new@ car I might consider would be the new Isuzu commonrail 2.5 Litre diesel, because of the superlative fuel efficiency.

I am probably cutting my own throat here, but the dealer I have found who provides the best service is an Indian guy who's dealership is directly beside the Isuzu garage on the right hand side of the road just before you get to Sanpatong on the CM-Hod road. He has never failed to give good advice regarding which of his cars is worth purchasing, and which has problems. The only dealer ever to say "Don't buy that car!"

I also presume he speaks English, although I have only ever spoken Thai with him. If he doesn't, his son does.

Over the years, I have sent several non-Thai speakers to him and all have been happy with his service.

Why buy second hand? I find I can get a better car, for less money by doing so. You only need to take great care during the purchase and never allow yourself to be taken in by the sales pitch, or the desire to own a particular make or model. BI always shop with an open mind and buy a good car that will fulfill the purpose I have in mind. When I got my current car, I needed something to carry a load. A pickup would seem to be ideal, however I ended up purchasing a 1962 Wilys station wagon with a trailer. It does the job far better and is far more versatile than any pickup could ever be.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The cheque will be whizzing its way to you in the post if you can: and I quote;" Why buy second hand? I find I can get a better car for less money by doing so.

What? Better than a new car for less money. Second hand car sales men don`t die. They retire to Thailand