City Car

[brommers]

We are thinking of adding a small city car to our household & have three on our list, the Honda Brio, Kia Picanto - new model, & Nissan March.

I am a Honda fan but notice that the Brio does not have a rear screen wash-wiper which seems to me to be a bad safety point, & the car seems rather squashed in the back. The Kia gets good reviews in the UK press but their Thai website is awful which makes me question the technical & service capability of Yontrakit, even though there is a 7 year warranty. There seem to be a lot of March's around but I am a bit wary of Nissan build quality.

Any advice from owners out there? We live in Chiang Mai & need to do lots of city driving down narrow sois, but also take trips into the mountains so do not want to be embarrassingly slow on the inclines!!! Our choice would be the top spec variant of any of these makes. Toyota is not an option as they have an ageing model line up, not to mention those quality issues.

Any comments are welcome. Thanks.

[MoonRiverOasis]

Seeing as you're up North, you can exclude the Kia from your shopping list IMHO - the last time I saw the dealership up there they had practically no stock, and I've seen pig pens that look better than their service department...

Your fears with the Nissan are unfounded - it's a great little car, and no problems (well, outside of the ordinary) with service.

The Brio is also a good choice, but you'll have to decide whether or not it's big enough for the use you'll be giving it.

If you can afford to move up to the ~550K range, a base model VIOS/Yaris, City/jazz, Fiesta or Mazda2 is a much more substantial car though.

PS. You don't need a micro car for Chiangmai Soi's - both of my SUV's make it through them all, albeit perhaps with the side mirrors folded in

Edited September 8, 2011 by MoonRiverOasis

[thaiIand]

what about the new little suzuki

[culicine]

Exclude the kia picanto, no airbags or abs even on their "sport model" - looks great but at 550K its just not worth it. I have driven the brio; its not too bad. I'd be concerned about the size and cost cutting is quite evident. Also throw in hardly any freebies or insurance, which you could get with the march. At this price point I'm be inclined to get the march top model version.

As MRO mentioned, pay a 40-50K more and get the mazda 2 groove auto model. I'm considering the 545K mazda 2 manual, with twin airbags now its great value and should be fun to drive.

[thaicbr]

And with the Brio you need to add the cost of the sick bags for every time you get in and see the horrible trim

[PattayaParent]

What about the Proton?

Or Suzuki Swift?

[br12stol]

Exclude the kia picanto, no airbags or abs even on their "sport model" - looks great but at 550K its just not worth it. I have driven the brio; its not too bad. I'd be concerned about the size and cost cutting is quite evident. Also throw in hardly any freebies or insurance, which you could get with the march. At this price point I'm be inclined to get the march top model version.

As MRO mentioned, pay a 40-50K more and get the mazda 2 groove auto model. I'm considering the 545K mazda 2 manual, with twin airbags now its great value and should be fun to drive.

Yes can recommend the Mazda 2 manual bought one last month, loads of freebies inc insurance, leather etc, great sporty little car in manual form

[stingray]

To me, it looks like Honda really try to win the competition of producing the ugliest car in the world. That's what the Brio look to me, no mention how much the rear oversized window (limilar what Volvo built in the 60ties with the "Snowwhite gasked") gonna cost when a small motorbike hit it a little bit.

BTW we bought the new Suzuki Swift 1 week ago, the funniest City Car available in LOS. It have something similar with the Mini Cooper. For 650'k you can't get more options, than Suzuki offers. The engine is a 15' liter 16 valve VVTI and produces a 100 hp. Car has key less entry and key less start options, 2 air bags, ABS, theft system, etc.

Very happy with that car, like all of them, just for the City of corse.

[brommers]

Thanks for your comments. I agree the Brio is a very strange thing in some guises. It is now off my list. And the Kia dealer has a showroom worse than most second-hand tent dealers, so that is also gone.Pity as it seems that the new model Picanto is a really good car.

I had not considered the Mazda or the Suzuki as they are larger than we were thinking of but maybe a review is worth considering.

But it seems to me that the March is the best package for city life, including avoiding those oversize Fortuners & the like that so many here drive straight down the middle of narrow soi's, scattering all before them !!!!

Off to do a test drive tomorrow.

Thanks again.

[thaicbr]

also have a look at the Proton Savvy and the Saga (if the Proton dealer is ok up there)

[mallyrd]

To me, it looks like Honda really try to win the competition of producing the ugliest car in the world. That's what the Brio look to me, no mention how much the rear oversized window (limilar what Volvo built in the 60ties with the "Snowwhite gasked") gonna cost when a small motorbike hit it a little bit.

BTW we bought the new Suzuki Swift 1 week ago, the funniest City Car available in LOS. It have something similar with the Mini Cooper. For 650'k you can't get more options, than Suzuki offers. The engine is a 15' liter 16 valve VVTI and produces a 100 hp. Car has key less entry and key less start options, 2 air bags, ABS, theft system, etc.

Very happy with that car, like all of them, just for the City of corse.

15' litre engine? me thinks you mean 1.5

[Hssl]

Just got a Mazda 2 for the wife - her choice as she wanted a 'green' car, colour nothing to do with tree hugging, its bloody great for the money. not much more than the march but feels more suited to city and motorway driving, If it was for me i'd most likely get a fiesta, but she who needed wheels wanted green TIT

[JeffreyMcCollum]

I have a March CVT and have had no problems with it. Roomy enough for 5 I have many trips to Pattaya or BKK in it. Pleanty of get up and go. Yet in town it is easy to park and has a very tight turning radious

best tank I got was 24 km/l usually around 19.2. I use the A/C and have fat little tires on my car

Service is good and so far everything has been free

I had ordered a brio but when I noticed how cheep the interior was got my money back

I HAVE A SECOND MARCH ON ORDER

Mitusubishi will have their new COLT ready in a few months and I think it may be better than my march

[thaiIand]

I have a March CVT and have had no problems with it. Roomy enough for 5 I have many trips to Pattaya or BKK in it. Pleanty of get up and go. Yet in town it is easy to park and has a very tight turning radious

best tank I got was 24 km/l usually around 19.2. I use the A/C and have fat little tires on my car

Service is good and so far everything has been free

I had ordered a brio but when I noticed how cheep the interior was got my money back

I HAVE A SECOND MARCH ON ORDER

Mitusubishi will have their new COLT ready in a few months and I think it may be better than my march

Isnt a 125cc bike about 28-29km/l?

insane.

surprised no one has tried the swift, i see them everywhere.

Edited September 11, 2011 by thaiIand

[teflonjon]

I have a March CVT and have had no problems with it. Roomy enough for 5 I have many trips to Pattaya or BKK in it. Pleanty of get up and go. Yet in town it is easy to park and has a very tight turning radious

best tank I got was 24 km/l usually around 19.2. I use the A/C and have fat little tires on my car

Service is good and so far everything has been free

I had ordered a brio but when I noticed how cheep the interior was got my money back

I HAVE A SECOND MARCH ON ORDER

Mitusubishi will have their new COLT ready in a few months and I think it may be better than my march

Isnt a 125cc bike about 28-29km/l?

insane.

surprised no one has tried the swift, i see them everywhere.

My 125 pcx and 135 nouvo are both 40km/l or over.

[thaiIand]

I have a March CVT and have had no problems with it. Roomy enough for 5 I have many trips to Pattaya or BKK in it. Pleanty of get up and go. Yet in town it is easy to park and has a very tight turning radious

best tank I got was 24 km/l usually around 19.2. I use the A/C and have fat little tires on my car

Service is good and so far everything has been free

I had ordered a brio but when I noticed how cheep the interior was got my money back

I HAVE A SECOND MARCH ON ORDER

Mitusubishi will have their new COLT ready in a few months and I think it may be better than my march

Isnt a 125cc bike about 28-29km/l?

insane.

surprised no one has tried the swift, i see them everywhere.

My 125 pcx and 135 nouvo are both 40km/l or over.

i meant if you drive at 50-75

[muratremix]

I'm also considering to buy an ECO car mainly due to pricing but after I look at the specs, I'm about to change my mind.

It amazed me 2 Airbags is not standard in thailand. Most cars come with only one Airbag (driver) in base model. However, the base model of March is way beyond disappointment (its like empty shell) and E model still lacks many things.

Brio has more compared to March but its uglier. I also can't find how good / bad is the average km per liter for brio.

Thailand auto prices are in same level in Turkey, but second hand car prices are insanely high in Thailand. I sold my peugeot 407 executive (2007) for 425.000 baht in Turkey which had many options (9 airbags, abd+ebd + esp, 1.6 hdi etc) but in here for this price I don't think I can find a similar vehicle with high-end options in 2nd hand.

[indothai]

I'd stick with local made cars, Brio or March.

I own a March and love it top of the line with push-start, took a look at the Brio a few weeks back and wasn't too impressed. Though I did not get to test drive the Brio. I'm guessing the Brio's engine would be smoother, being it's a 4 cylinder. The March is a 3 cylinder and it can get quite noisy if you rev the engine a lot. It's an eco car and if you rev the engine a lot then you bought the wrong type of car... I did scare the living shit out of a Porsche owner when I tried to race him from the red light... of course I won the race.

My last oil change and check up costed around 900 baht, every 10k or 6 months. I'm getting double the fuel economy compared to my CRV, which I drive on rare occasions. I live in Bangkok, so I really like how nimble it is.

[thaicruze]

[thaicruze]

I'd stick with local made cars, Brio or March.

I own a March and love it top of the line with push-start, took a look at the Brio a few weeks back and wasn't too impressed. Though I did not get to test drive the Brio. I'm guessing the Brio's engine would be smoother, being it's a 4 cylinder. The March is a 3 cylinder and it can get quite noisy if you rev the engine a lot. It's an eco car and if you rev the engine a lot then you bought the wrong type of car... I did scare the living shit out of a Porsche owner when I tried to race him from the red light... of course I won the race.

My last oil change and check up costed around 900 baht, every 10k or 6 months. I'm getting double the fuel economy compared to my CRV, which I drive on rare occasions. I live in Bangkok, so I really like how nimble it is.

I voted for the March too. Brio is crap.

[thaiIand]

i just saw a moded march ( skirts and such) it looked awesome.. it wasnt ricer. It was just elegant. Made it look longer. You can definitely put 20-30k baht extra and have a pretty cool city car.

[JimShortz]

I've had my March for nearly a year now and don't regret buying it one little bit. I had considered waiting to see what the Brio would turn out to be before I bought one, but I am glad i didn't - I really can't cope with the ugly rear end of the Brio, and it is just too small for what I need.

I bought the maunual "E" model for 425,000 and 8,000km later have had no problems at all - in fact I really like driving it. It's pretty nippy with 80hp in a small car, and actually a lot of fun to drive around the city. It swallows speed bumps with ease (surprisingly!), is easy to park, and very light on fuel. If you don't need anything bigger then it's a pretty good choice for a city car and would be my choice again if buying tomorrow...