A S/h German Car For 2M Baht, What Can I Get?

[ignis]

what about the VW Scirocco 2011 model is under 2 million..

[ignis]

Not German, but what about the new Honda CR-Z sport Coupe ? just under 2 million brand new..

[fish fingers]

what about the VW Scirocco 2011 model is under 2 million..

Not sure she wd like ithe understated looks, I like them alot tho!

Edited September 23, 2012 by fish fingers

[WarpSpeed]

what about the VW Scirocco 2011 model is under 2 million..

Not sure she wd like ithe understated looks, I like them alot tho!

The last thing I'd call that is understated??

This understated?

Admittedly this is dolled up a bit but still!

[Jitar]

The BMW X1 in basic trim is under 2m baht; I imagine a dealer might have an ex demo and a bit of haggling cd get a good deal on the Highline version. She wants german for the design, resale and image. Think she wd rather walk than drive a Camry

I can understand your GF thinking German cars have good design and image but she may be mistaken on the resale value. Have a look at the Thai used car web sites and look at the difference between the asking prices for 5 year old BMWs compared to Camrys or Civics. I would not want a Camry either so sometimes you just have to accept the depreciation.

[steveromagnino]

I went through similar decisions earlier in the year, basically it depends on whether you want a nice exec type car or one that is enjoyable to drive.

BMW X1 is a huge waiting list, and anyhow is a pretty average car in the spec sold in Thailand. But ok for image. I have heard up to 12 months wait. 320 is 2.49m (I think ) so a bit higher in price, and still a bit of a slug really.

For pricing alone, the C200 is very hard to go past, it is a substantially better car than the X1 in performance and is around 2.1m with a 2-3 month wait. Really if you want a driver's car then the Beemer and C you need to be spending around 3m. The A class is coming out at the motor show supposedly this Nov, but will be next year when you can actually get one...and it will probably be like the X1 (i.e. a very basic version).

New the Scirocco or the Golf GTI are both around 2.25m direct from the dealer (Thai Yarnyon) which is around 350,000b cheaper than 6 months ago. It is unlikely we will see the new Golf GTI 7 until at the earliest, end of 2013 and more likely early 2014. So for this reason alone, I would almost lean towards a Scirocco (since it will be facelifted maybe but not replaced) however they are both great cars; the Golf is marginally higher spec for the same money. Ex demos can be bought for both of these around 2m with very low kms. The Mark 6 Golf is a VERY good car and generally considered the leading hot hatch in most parts of the world; Scirocco is a bit more stylish in some way and a bit more of a compromise (the backseats are comfortable enough but rear visibility isn't so good; the passengers in the back have to climb in and have relatively poor visiblity, the trunk is huge but has a lip on it)...however all that said it is a ROCKING car and both of these for around 100 baht you can get a dealer approved ABT or APR tune which would smoke most of the Beemers and C classes even around the 3m price.

Not sure if a Mini Cooper S is on the list; they hold their value pretty well (and is what I ended up with). Not exactly german reliability but a real hoot to drive.

B class? Really? Yuck. but of course beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Audi A1 and A3 a few grey market ones floating around, but mostly a bit higher in price than this for the decent 185HP ones (the 122HP worked is right around 2m).

SPend some time on taladrod.com and one2car.com and you will get a good idea of what is out there.

I would buy a legit (not grey market one) if possible, unless the price is vastly different in which case check the paperwork that tax was paid correctly. Some brands it is ok to buy grey, others less good. Grey tends to cost less upfront, then sell for less later on, so you come out much the same.

[transam]

You bought a BMW Mini . I really don't understand folk buying a small girly ride for that sort of money.

[fish fingers]

Steve, thats great info for me and anyone looking to buy. Thanks for this.

She likes the Scirocco! So this looks the way to go, if I can find a black one with Zenon lights. And she was also talking about the C class merc, so a C200 perhaps, thats great value. I'll forget the X-1 then, and its ugly anyway.

[steveromagnino]

@Transam 185HP in a car as small as a Mini is not so bad (slightly modified and HP has been checked)....became a toss up between a VW and a Mini...this time the Mini won out, next time I think VW will. I paid a fair bit less than this also (as it is the supercharged one, not the newer turbo one). Would like to say it is a piece of german engineering with a UK flag...seems more like english engineering with a German price tag! LOL.

@fish Fingers well it depends if you want to buy brand new or ex demo; certainly the dealership at Wipawadee if you ask for an ex demonstrator or push for a deal has some room to move. They all come with Xenon lights I think in highline spec (which is almost all of them). Now VW also offer a similar deal to BMW BSI which means all maintenance servicing etc up to a certain km is included (50,000km I think) which is worth something and maybe a reason to go with a dealer car rather than a 2nd hand one.

http://taladrod.com/w20/Search/TbRst3.aspx#mk:26+md:364

http://www.one2car.com/search/search_result.aspx?Brand=B0055&Model=S1074&

The dudes at Carmax have a Scirocco R but that's still a fwd and only slightly more power than the TSI, so maybe TSI plus an ABT or APR tune would be the way to go.

I really like the look of the scirocco, still think many times about one.....

[WarpSpeed]

^He's buying it for his GF no need to pump it up, it already has more then enough to get her into trouble and anything more is just waste of money IMO.

[anon210]

^He's buying it for his GF no need to pump it up, it already has more then enough to get her into trouble and anything more is just waste of money IMO.

Sent from my GT-N7000 using Thaivisa Connect App

I thought she was buying with her own money and only needed some advice?

[transam]

^He's buying it for his GF no need to pump it up, it already has more then enough to get her into trouble and anything more is just waste of money IMO.

Sent from my GT-N7000 using Thaivisa Connect App

I thought she was buying with her own money and only needed some advice?

They all say that.

[pauljones]

Once in a while I see a VW Bug.

Pretty nice.

[frankphuket]

^He's buying it for his GF no need to pump it up, it already has more then enough to get her into trouble and anything more is just waste of money IMO.

Sent from my GT-N7000 using Thaivisa Connect App

I thought she was buying with her own money and only needed some advice?

....that's a good one!!! LOL

[fish fingers]

^He's buying it for his GF no need to pump it up, it already has more then enough to get her into trouble and anything more is just waste of money IMO.

Just to say that she comes from a family of racing drivers- very instinctive with amazing reactions, much better than me

Edited September 25, 2012 by fish fingers

[fish fingers]

^He's buying it for his GF no need to pump it up, it already has more then enough to get her into trouble and anything more is just waste of money IMO.

Sent from my GT-N7000 using Thaivisa Connect App

I thought she was buying with her own money and only needed some advice?

Yes its her own money

[kartman]

Could always go for MB quality sure you could get brand new Mercedes Benz Citan under 2 Mil.

[fish fingers]

What's a Citan? I noticed the C class will be replaced relatively soon, plus I just think its a bit ostentatious, a VW is more understated.

[pistachios]

A woman... Thai... driving a golf V6... in Thailand

[pauljones]

The Citan. Now that is one ugly vehicle.

[WarpSpeed]

^He's buying it for his GF no need to pump it up, it already has more then enough to get her into trouble and anything more is just waste of money IMO.

Just to say that she comes from a family of racing drivers- very instinctive with amazing reactions, much better than me

Would that be a Thai racing family? If so I stand by my post ..

[anon210]

The Citan. Now that is one ugly vehicle.

The name sound pretty much like "Sheitan", which means "devil" in arabic.

[funcat]

Citan- short from City Van...design for the working folk...

"The new Citan from Mercedes-Benz:

a truly professional urban delivery van

• Robust and reliable: the Citan completes the Mercedes-Benz family of vans

• Versatile choice of three lengths and three model variants

• Comprehensive safety equipment

• Characteristic brand look with prominent radiator grille

• Equipped to a high standard for ergonomic and comfortable working

• A range of BlueEFFICIENCY engines: economical thanks to low fuel consumption

• Safe, smooth handling as expected of the brand

• Options allow the Citan to be adapted fully to customer requirements"...

[steveromagnino]

If going for the Golf, then the way to go is probably a slightly used one; they are available for around 1.7 - 1.8m for the mark VI GTI with low kms; the golf mark VII GTI will not reach Thailand until 2013/14 but as soon as it comes out will dent resale prices. That said, Golf shapes don't change that much.

You can PM Frankphuket who got a complete bargain on a Golf....to get an idea of what they can cost if you bargain hard.

As others have said, it really doesn't need fiddling, as it goes VERY well as is (although with a slight tune it has a lot more grunt). While 2nd hand isn't ideal for a few reasons (financing rates aren't as good, servicing agreements often expired), the type of person that buys VW is often buying (here in in Thailand) as a 2nd or 3rd car, so almost all of the ones I have ever looked at are low mileage and pretty well looked after.

C class came out facelifted beginning this year, so would likely to be replaced by the new C in end of 2013 at the earliest or maybe mid 2014. For this reason, the BMW new 3 series is probably a better 'wankmobile' than the Benz, although the benz is cheaper, by quite a bit, and better performance for the money....so both these are the safe choice...

Worth taking one for a test drive; I thought that it drove better (by a lot) than the equivalent BMW and C class, and build quality in the VW is really pretty nice; much better seats than the Beemers or C class. Safe vs. enjoyable to drive is where it comes down to.

Scirocco and Golf drive similarly, although ride position of the driver isn't the same (nor is visibility).

As I looked around you are welcome to PM me to talk further about the cars I saw and how long they have been on the market; that will influence how much you can lean on the dealers etc.

[frankphuket]

My 2 cents on the GOLF GTI, i have now owned for 6 months and have about 6,000 km on it (it is my daily driver, except for weekends when my MIni GP comes out from time to time)....yeah, i know it is quite little in km, but i have only 10km to work.

It is a car which i think really grows on you. it is not really exciting to look at in and out, but you can easily feel it is excellent quality.

After living with it for a while, you appreciate things: excellent seats and driving position, very solid and quality interior, the allround solidity is what stands out in this car. of course engine and driving behaviour - mine is tuned, but as i did not drive it before the tuning, I can't say how much more this in real world terms. You can easily drive this car just at 1,500-2,000 rpm and it won't complain one bit, but when you need it goes very fast in the rev range and does give a solid kick in your back.

Of course till now it never missed a beat, had any strange noises or otherwise, which of course you would expect, but than again i had different cars which has issues from the beginning.

The adaptive suspension (sport, normal, comfort) works quite well and you do actually feel differences.

I needed to get used to the DSG auto box, it did not always was where i wanted it and it does definitely shift up very fast, but you have the manual gear for that or the paddle shift. (It is not a manual gear and my personal believe is that however great those boxes are, they will never be as much fun or driver oriented to drive as a proper slick manual).

What is my verdict on the car: 8/10...i deducted 2 points for: DSG (i would give it in manual form 9/10, but is not available) and the maybe a little to 'understated' look.

All in all very happy with it and if i would be in the market again for a 2m car, i would most proably opt for the same....

....Oh, not sure if this was mentioned before, but how about a Peugeot RCZ, 2nd hand with very little km you can get them for just about 2m. Would be the opposite of the GTI in terms of understatement-showcar. maybe not so practical, but has a decent size boot....looks certainly cool, chic and as it is not a guy driving you won't be mistaken for a 'hairdresser'....(just kidding...if the RCZ manual would be a bit lower in price with the 200hp engine) that could be something very interesting.

cheers,

[Payboy]

^He's buying it for his GF no need to pump it up, it already has more then enough to get her into trouble and anything more is just waste of money IMO.

Just to say that she comes from a family of racing drivers- very instinctive with amazing reactions, much better than me

Would that be a Thai racing family? If so I stand by my post ..

Racing drivers - about 60 million of those in LOS.

[frankphuket]

oops forgot, it was to be German car! the RCZ of course is not.

my Top list for 2m car would be:

1. VW Golf GTI or Scirocco

2. Peugeot RCZ (if i could stretch the budget for 200hp manual version, which i have yet to see 2nd hand), might go top spot if I would decide with heart not brain

3. Skoda vRS (if i want it a bit cheaper, still fun factor and would not care too much about 'chicness' or the lack of....

4. Citroen DS3 (again only in manual form)

5. Mini Cooper S (coupe or hatch), although pricey.

6. Volvo S60 (i like the look, drives quite nice, has ok punch, test drove it and the C200 and liked the Volvo much more) New around 1.9m with 5 years warranty and free maintenance.) - Plus of course the value added (or not) that you can keep your gf for long, even in an accident - saftey matters! Again, not German...

Wanted to like the C-Class, but without any mods, it is a pretty dull looking car and it did drive like one as well. BMW 320d would be nice, although i had a rental in Germany this year of a 318d or was is 316d, the lowest hp engine and found the car rather lacking of power. Had the S60 1.6d before and liked it more. the 320d might of course be quite a bit better.

[Samedeepwaterasyou]

Talking about new cars now .

For less than 2 Million THB you can get a brand new 2.5 Hybrid Camry with all the trimmings ., and frankly they have them all .

If you want a Benz or a Beemer with the same trimmings, and it will only be a C class or 3 series you will need to pay at least 1.5 million more.

Ridiculous, when you compare the respective performances and resell prices of these cars.

[WarpSpeed]

^He's buying it for his GF no need to pump it up, it already has more then enough to get her into trouble and anything more is just waste of money IMO.

Just to say that she comes from a family of racing drivers- very instinctive with amazing reactions, much better than me

Would that be a Thai racing family? If so I stand by my post ..

Racing drivers - about 60 million of those in LOS.

Kind of my point, it's really an insult to a REAL racing driver to consider any one of them in that context let alone 60 million , even their top drivers Vuttikorn and Nattavude are seldom better then 3rd or 4th best at most venues outside of Thailand with just as much money as their competition and even sometimes more to invest. Both have even raced in the Porsche Cup Asia series which is equal equipment and comes down more to driver and still no Championships to speak of.

[WarpSpeed]

oops forgot, it was to be German car! the RCZ of course is not.

my Top list for 2m car would be:

1. VW Golf GTI or Scirocco

2. Peugeot RCZ (if i could stretch the budget for 200hp manual version, which i have yet to see 2nd hand), might go top spot if I would decide with heart not brain

3. Skoda vRS (if i want it a bit cheaper, still fun factor and would not care too much about 'chicness' or the lack of....

4. Citroen DS3 (again only in manual form)

5. Mini Cooper S (coupe or hatch), although pricey.

6. Volvo S60 (i like the look, drives quite nice, has ok punch, test drove it and the C200 and liked the Volvo much more) New around 1.9m with 5 years warranty and free maintenance.) - Plus of course the value added (or not) that you can keep your gf for long, even in an accident - saftey matters! Again, not German...

Wanted to like the C-Class, but without any mods, it is a pretty dull looking car and it did drive like one as well. BMW 320d would be nice, although i had a rental in Germany this year of a 318d or was is 316d, the lowest hp engine and found the car rather lacking of power. Had the S60 1.6d before and liked it more. the 320d might of course be quite a bit better.

Well 2 out of 7 of your choices are German with at least 1 hybrid German/Chech and at least 1 hybrid German with a British name ..