Thinking About A New Pickup

[Darrel]

I'm thinking about buying a pickup in or near Pattaya. I dont want a used one as owners here dont seem to be very careful with them and used prices are absurdly high. (OK, new prices are absurdly high also.)

I want a diesel engine (economy, longevity) and automatic transmission (comfort).

I dont need 4WD.

I dont intend becoming a pineapple farmer or a builder so I dont need a large engine (2.5lt should be fine).

I will rarely if ever have more than 1 passenger (if that) so I have no real need of more than 2 doors with an extra half cab, but I might consider a 4 door model at the right price due to the much higher spec that they often seem to have. I suspect that 4 door models are easier to resell also, though I am likely to keep the vehicle until I die so this isn't a very important issue.

I have a very flexible budget (ie no budget) but I want it to be reasonably priced to buy (I'm thinking around 700-800K list price, plus perhaps 50-75K if 4-door), reliable, long-lived, not a dog to drive and reasonably cheap to run (fuel, repairs, servicing). I dont care what it looks like or how fast it goes.

Desirable interior features would be a comfortable seat, decent CD/MP3 player with SatNav and USB, electric windows, proximity sensors at the back. I suppose most could be fitted as an option or later. Cant say I'm very bothered about the rest. I would rather have fabric seats than leather (ethical reasons) but it's not a deal-breaker. Whatever seats if comes with will get slip-on covers immediately anyway. Outside I would like a pop-up cover for the back but it seems that's always an extra anyway.

Toyota dont seem to do a suitable model at all.

Dmax have the 2-door 2.5 Z-Prestige Navi Auto Highlander for about 780K. Chevy seem to do something that looks identical on the inside for about the same price (dont ask me whether the outsides are identical as it's not the sort of thing I notice). Waiting times seem to be several months, though when I went into Isuzu Pattaya today the 6 girls eating somtam just smiled and said "car mai mee", which was true enough as the showroom didnt have a single car or brochure or buyer in it! Hell of a way to run a shop.

Nissan have a 2-door Navara Calibre for 750K. The Pattaya showroom didnt have one for me to look at and didnt seem to know if they would ever have one. But waiting times are short (2 weeks). This vehicle seems (on paper) to be better built than the Isuzu and to come with more features. Shame they couldnt show me one.

I'm inclined to go with brands that Thais like (more service outlets, probably cheaper repairs) but I'm also prepared to consider any make or model, if suitable.

Just wondering what comments/ideas/suggestions people might have?

[LennyW]

D max without doubt in my opinion. Did you go to Isuzu on 2nd road or did you go up to the one at the north end of Sukhumvit, it is a very professional operation for servicing etc, i have dealt with them for years, cant fault them. Isuzu is the market leader for pickups in Thailand with good reason, strong and reliable, you go to any of the farming areas of Thailand you will hardly see anything other than Isuzu - speaks volumes!

Yes the Chevy is the same as an Isuzu, same engines/gearboxes/drivetrains, just different bodywork and badges.

Avoid Toyota - too much horror stories about their service and warranty departments.

[dezy1801]

I dont think that the price of a new truck here in Thailand are expensive I would say they are quite reasonable for what you get for your coin.

I had a triton 3.2 (I know your looking for a 2.5) and I really liked it good solid motor and very reliable and I would imagine the new triton 2.5 would be a good option as they have fabric seats and decent Alpine head unit and they also have 7" tv which I'm sure you could get sat nav installed on there. I did look at one and wanted it over the Toyota but there is no service centre where I stay so went for a Toyota.

II have a Toyota SmartCab 2.5 VNTurbo which I can get anything from 900-1000km with a full tank of fuel but this is the model before they took out the Champ edition and I have never been inside one of them but I would imagine its the same engine. I'm sure someone will clarifiy this. I was surprised at the drive in the car I find it quite a good drive and so far (10km) I have had no issues with the truck.

At the end of the day IMO they are all very similar and it will really come down to what you like in each truck. I don't think you will go wrong with any of them.

[dezy1801]

D max without doubt in my opinion. Did you go to Isuzu on 2nd road or did you go up to the one at the north end of Sukhumvit, it is a very professional operation for servicing etc, i have dealt with them for years, cant fault them. Isuzu is the market leader for pickups in Thailand with good reason, strong and reliable, you go to any of the farming areas of Thailand you will hardly see anything other than Isuzu - speaks volumes!

Yes the Chevy is the same as an Isuzu, same engines/gearboxes/drivetrains, just different bodywork and badges.

Avoid Toyota - too much horror stories about their service and warranty departments.

Have you ever owned a Toyota and had first hand experiance with the service centre?

I really can't agree with your comment on farming areas seeing anything other than Isuzu that is total nonsense plus OP is not interested in using it for farming.

[LennyW]

D max without doubt in my opinion. Did you go to Isuzu on 2nd road or did you go up to the one at the north end of Sukhumvit, it is a very professional operation for servicing etc, i have dealt with them for years, cant fault them. Isuzu is the market leader for pickups in Thailand with good reason, strong and reliable, you go to any of the farming areas of Thailand you will hardly see anything other than Isuzu - speaks volumes!

Yes the Chevy is the same as an Isuzu, same engines/gearboxes/drivetrains, just different bodywork and badges.

Avoid Toyota - too much horror stories about their service and warranty departments.

Have you ever owned a Toyota and had first hand experiance with the service centre?

I really can't agree with your comment on farming areas seeing anything other than Isuzu that is total nonsense plus OP is not interested in using it for farming.

I should of said the Pattaya Toyota service centre - an awful lot of complaints about that place, relevant since to OP is in Pattaya.

I did not say "anything other than Isuzu" i said "hardly see anything other than Isuzu", i know the OP does not intend farming, but since he said "I'm inclined to go with brands that Thais like" then the dominance of the Isuzu among Thai farmers is surely relevant.

But just my opinion.

[Darrel]

I had a triton 3.2 (I know your looking for a 2.5) and I really liked it good solid motor and very reliable and I would imagine the new triton 2.5 would be a good option as they have fabric seats and decent Alpine head unit and they also have 7" tv which I'm sure you could get sat nav installed on there.

Thanks. I just had a look at this online. I only found one model with A/T and it was a 4 door at 825K. That all seemed reasonable enough until I looked at the spec. This model has hardly anything included so by the time one has added on even a few basic extras it would be quite expensive.

[transam]

Without any doubt ''I'' would opt for a Toyota SmartCab with auto. Forget about the difference between a 2.5 and a 3.0 in the picture. The low end grunt will whizz you past ma & pa and keep you out of trouble.

[Darrel]

D max without doubt in my opinion. Did you go to Isuzu on 2nd road or did you go up to the one at the north end of Sukhumvit, it is a very professional operation for servicing etc, i have dealt with them for years, cant fault them. Isuzu is the market leader for pickups in Thailand with good reason, strong and reliable, you go to any of the farming areas of Thailand you will hardly see anything other than Isuzu - speaks volumes!

Yes, 2nd Rd. Much easier to get to than Sukumvit for window shopping. Though windows were all they had today! Of course I would go to Sukumvit before actually buying anything.

I suppose that farmers in the sticks and bahtbus drivers in Pattaya probably both buy Isuzu because they are pretty robust and cheap to fix.

Good to have confirmation that the two brands are basically the same but does anyone know about the relative merits of Chevy/Isuzu servicing and warranties?

[dezy1801]

D max without doubt in my opinion. Did you go to Isuzu on 2nd road or did you go up to the one at the north end of Sukhumvit, it is a very professional operation for servicing etc, i have dealt with them for years, cant fault them. Isuzu is the market leader for pickups in Thailand with good reason, strong and reliable, you go to any of the farming areas of Thailand you will hardly see anything other than Isuzu - speaks volumes!

Yes the Chevy is the same as an Isuzu, same engines/gearboxes/drivetrains, just different bodywork and badges.

Avoid Toyota - too much horror stories about their service and warranty departments.

Have you ever owned a Toyota and had first hand experiance with the service centre?

I really can't agree with your comment on farming areas seeing anything other than Isuzu that is total nonsense plus OP is not interested in using it for farming.

I should of said the Pattaya Toyota service centre - an awful lot of complaints about that place, relevant since to OP is in Pattaya.

I did not say "anything other than Isuzu" i said "hardly see anything other than Isuzu", i know the OP does not intend farming, but since he said "I'm inclined to go with brands that Thais like" then the dominance of the Isuzu among Thai farmers is surely relevant.

But just my opinion.

So you have had first hand experiance with Pattaya Toyota then?

You live in the farming community then and please show me the data that backs up your quote "hardly see anything other than Isuzu" I'm interested to know where you got your info from.

[Darrel]

Without any doubt ''I'' would opt for a Toyota SmartCab with auto. Forget about the difference between a 2.5 and a 3.0 in the picture. The low end grunt will whizz you past ma & pa and keep you out of trouble.

I just find it hard to justify buying a 3ltr vehicle for my minimal needs. The purchase price is higher plus I would expect fuel consumption to be higher (I may be wrong). OK, if I was carting around wife, kids, extended family, dogs, cats, kitchen sink, refrigerator etc then things would probably be different, but I doubt I will ever have more than a set of golf clubs for luggage, and I dont drive fast anyway.

[dezy1801]

I had a triton 3.2 (I know your looking for a 2.5) and I really liked it good solid motor and very reliable and I would imagine the new triton 2.5 would be a good option as they have fabric seats and decent Alpine head unit and they also have 7" tv which I'm sure you could get sat nav installed on there.

Thanks. I just had a look at this online. I only found one model with A/T and it was a 4 door at 825K. That all seemed reasonable enough until I looked at the spec. This model has hardly anything included so by the time one has added on even a few basic extras it would be quite expensive.

Just had a look and found this http://www.mitsubishi-motors.co.th/en/model-lineup/triton-plus/triton-mega-cab-plus/price.php for you as you also mentioned rarely more than one passenger plus MT. Definatly worth having a look at this car but worth knowing that Toyota sold most units last year followed by Isuzu then Mitsu was 3rd.

[Darrel]

Just had a look and found this http://www.mitsubish...-plus/price.php for you as you also mentioned rarely more than one passenger plus MT. Definatly worth having a look at this car but worth knowing that Toyota sold most units last year followed by Isuzu then Mitsu was 3rd.

Thanks for that. Those ones aren't automatic transmission, unfortunately. It looks like you have to go 4-door for A/T and that's when the spec drops.

I think A/T is worth having for times when I might have to drive around town in traffic.

I will make a trip up to the showroom though.

Edited May 5, 2012 by Darrel

[dezy1801]

Just had a look and found this http://www.mitsubish...-plus/price.php for you as you also mentioned rarely more than one passenger plus MT. Definatly worth having a look at this car but worth knowing that Toyota sold most units last year followed by Isuzu then Mitsu was 3rd.

Thanks for that. Those ones aren't automatic transmission, unfortunately. It looks like you have to go 4-door for A/T and that's when the spec drops.

I think A/T is worth having for times when I might have to drive around town in traffic.

I will make a trip up to the showroom though.

No problem your welcome, I'm sure you will not go wrong with any of these pick-ups as they are all good in there own ways and reliable which is the main thing.

[JeffreyMcCollum]

I am very happy with my Mitsubushi Triton NGV Hands down the lowest cost to operate per km I pay 70 - 90 stang per km

in the first 5 months I have saved 75,000 Baht in fuel cost. I think in 4 years the cost of my truck will be free in what I have saved in fuel cost.

[Darrel]

I'm wondering whether the spec given on the MItsubishi website is actually correct, or if I'm reading it correctly. The A/T model seems to have hardly anything included, yet the manual model seems to have a shed-load of fancy extras all included in the price, and that price is much lower than that of the A/T model. Doesn't make much sense to me and is the opposite of what one generally finds with other brands.

Maybe a showroom visit is called for.

[apetley]

I had a triton 3.2 (I know your looking for a 2.5) and I really liked it good solid motor and very reliable and I would imagine the new triton 2.5 would be a good option as they have fabric seats and decent Alpine head unit and they also have 7" tv which I'm sure you could get sat nav installed on there.

Thanks. I just had a look at this online. I only found one model with A/T and it was a 4 door at 825K. That all seemed reasonable enough until I looked at the spec. This model has hardly anything included so by the time one has added on even a few basic extras it would be quite expensive.

When I bought my Triton initially all the addons cost extra. With a little negotiation they got included and the price came down 20k bht too.

Never hurts to haggle and play one dealer against another.

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[BlackArtemis]

Honest question, You want a truck for personal use, have no intention of hauling anything other than a set of golf clubs and groceries. You are interested in longevity and fuel efficiency.

So why not consider one of the many new "eco" cars out there?

Suzuki Swift, Honda Brio, Mitu Mirage to name a few.

They all get great gas mileage, a properly maintained gasoline engine will last 300k KM, maybe not as easy as a diesel, and they are a few 100k cheaper, loaded, than the pick ups you are looking at.

Plus, I would think if you chose cloth over leather for ethical reasons, these would be an even greener option.

Now, if you considered these but still want to pick up, good luck finding one that you want I just wanted to suggest another option for you.

[gudtymchuk]

I was under the impression that Automatic Transmissions are only available in 4 door model pickups with the exception of Ford but automatic only available in 2 door 4 wheel drive. Can anyone verify or clarify which pickup 2 door models offer automatics?

[Big Guns]

I was under the impression that Automatic Transmissions are only available in 4 door model pickups with the exception of Ford but automatic only available in 2 door 4 wheel drive. Can anyone verify or clarify which pickup 2 door models offer automatics?

Isuzu offer 2 door auto pickups check out there website. Toyota doesn't offer 2 door auto pickups at all. Do a web search and check the websites of Isuzu,Toyota, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Ford and mzda.

[gudtymchuk]

I was under the impression that Automatic Transmissions are only available in 4 door model pickups with the exception of Ford but automatic only available in 2 door 4 wheel drive. Can anyone verify or clarify which pickup 2 door models offer automatics?

Isuzu offer 2 door auto pickups check out there website. Toyota doesn't offer 2 door auto pickups at all. Do a web search and check the websites of Isuzu,Toyota, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Ford and mzda.

Thanks Big Guns. Can't make heads nor tails of the Izuzu website. In the next weeks will be shopping all the dealers in the area for a chat and a test drive. Much prefer an Auto trans but don't need 4 doors.

[Spoonman]

The new Colorado is a decent rig and if I was in the market for a new pickup it would be my choice.

[transam]

I was under the impression that Automatic Transmissions are only available in 4 door model pickups with the exception of Ford but automatic only available in 2 door 4 wheel drive. Can anyone verify or clarify which pickup 2 door models offer automatics?

Isuzu offer 2 door auto pickups check out there website. Toyota doesn't offer 2 door auto pickups at all. Do a web search and check the websites of Isuzu,Toyota, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Ford and mzda.

Apologies, your right, 4 door only from Toyota.

[Darrel]

Honest question, You want a truck for personal use, have no intention of hauling anything other than a set of golf clubs and groceries. You are interested in longevity and fuel efficiency.

So why not consider one of the many new "eco" cars out there?

I did originally start thinking about a car, but they are a bit low on the ground (thinking of the view of the countryside, flooding and future knee problems) and here I prefer to have a bit more metal around me in case of accidents. Also pickups apparently attract less tax so you get should get more for your money.

[Darrel]

Can't make heads nor tails of the Izuzu website.

The Isuzu site is a nightmare. It seems to be intended solely for Thai boy racers and apart from flashy videos and evil music it contains nothing at all of any use.

[Darrel]

I was under the impression that Automatic Transmissions are only available in 4 door model pickups with the exception of Ford but automatic only available in 2 door 4 wheel drive. Can anyone verify or clarify which pickup 2 door models offer automatics?

Most of the brands I looked at (apart from Toyota which is the big exception) do an A/T model in 2-door as I mentioned in my first post. There is certainly a much bigger choice in the 4-door models though. This doesnt make a lot of sense to me.

[tom21]

I was under the impression that Automatic Transmissions are only available in 4 door model pickups with the exception of Ford but automatic only available in 2 door 4 wheel drive. Can anyone verify or clarify which pickup 2 door models offer automatics?

Most of the brands I looked at (apart from Toyota which is the big exception) do an A/T model in 2-door as I mentioned in my first post. There is certainly a much bigger choice in the 4-door models though. This doesnt make a lot of sense to me.

most pickups are bought by thais and auto's are not that popular with them, that is why there is a small selection of models available in auto

[Darrel]

most pickups are bought by thais and auto's are not that popular with them, that is why there is a small selection of models available in auto

Yes, but does it explain why there is a much larger choice of A/T in 4-door than in 2-door, which was my point? I dont think it does.

Toyota dont even do a 2-door A/T model at all.

[pipo1000]

most pickups are bought by thais and auto's are not that popular with them, that is why there is a small selection of models available in auto

Yes, but does it explain why there is a much larger choice of A/T in 4-door than in 2-door, which was my point? I dont think it does.

Toyota dont even do a 2-door A/T model at all.

As Tom said already,the ordinary Thais go for the cheapest model available ( 2 doors - lower road tax- - manual trans ).Those who prefer a 4 doors are the Thais with money and foreigners and those want the luxury auto trans.Since I guess you will mostly use your car in and around Pattaya,I would like to advise you to go for auto as manual will be a hassle especially as you probably are not used to drive in Pattaya traffic yet.

[Darrel]

Since I guess you will mostly use your car in and around Pattaya,I would like to advise you to go for auto as manual will be a hassle especially as you probably are not used to drive in Pattaya traffic yet.

Good points. However I'm a very experienced driver and have driven in worse places than Pattaya! That said, I doubt that I will be using it around town much if at all; I'm currently living on a main bahtbus route that gets me most places I want to go to for just 10B, with no parking problems.

I'm buying this vehicle mostly for trips out of town (local day-trips or longer trips to the North etc), and with a thought for possible future requirements if I move to the outskirts of town (I'm thinking perhaps about Na-Jomtien) or if I find walking/public transport difficult at some point for whatever reason.

Edited May 6, 2012 by Darrel

[flying]

Darrel did you consider the new Mazda BT-50 or Ford Ranger?

The high end Mazda with leather/ABS/ 6sp AT etc goes for 874

a bit higher than your range but if you went without the AT you could drop

150k off the price too.

4 door

Doublecab 2.2L 150PS/375Nm V ABS CRUISE LEATHER 6AT 2WD 874000 THB

Manual trans models

2 door

Freestyle 2.2L 150PS/375Nm Hi-Racer ABS 6MT 2WD 715000 THB

4 door no ABS

Doublecab 2.2L 150PS/375Nm V 6MT 2WD 724000 THB

4 door with ABS

Doublecab 2.2L 150PS/375Nm V ABS 6MT 2WD 764000

Edited May 6, 2012 by flying