To Buy A Car Vs. A Truck In Los In Thailand

[watcharacters]

I'm trying to decide which would be best for me to have in LOS. I find advantages in both a car as well as a truck.

I know some of us like vanilla and some like strawberry Ice cream but what are your thoughts?

I don't have involvement with any business and don't really do any transporting other than groceries and the very occasional furniture I may buy .

Starting off with a truck, I see it having some advantage during a flood here which is not out of the ordinary. Ford offers a truck that can withstand 800mm of water. I think there's also a periscope which helps improve this.

I like the idea of following along with the concept of bigger is better in terms of road respect. I'm a defensive and polite driver but I like the idea of others on the road not trying to "bully" a larger vehicle. I actually plan to have my TGF do the driving and she is for sure a polite driver which is an extension of her personality. She's finished a few courses of driving school and has her Thai driver license for both a motor bike and car.

I like the idea of riding a bit higher in a truck but there's also a downside.

A car is lower which means there will never be a problem in a parking garage. Something tells me in Thailand I shouldn't expect adequate warning signs in parking garages and etc about minimum heights permitted. Any struck too low object would be the fault of a driver I'm sure.

I owned a truck once but it was an older truck as in built 4 decades ago. I suspect trucks are much more comfortable now but I'm not sure they match the comfort of a car.

I really don't want to exceed ฿1.1mil. no matter which I buy.

Do you see an advantage of a car over a truck?

thoughts??

[mogandave]

Traffic and parking

Were I living (and driving) in Bangkok, I'd buy a small car, particularly for an inexperienced driver.

Outside of Bangkok I would buy a pickup.

[culicine]

Where do you plan to live and do most of your driving? If you live in bkk and do most of your driving around town, get a good sedan, such as a ford focus - not too small and plenty of power. If you often travel up country, need to carry loads (which you don't), or live in a regional area, then a pickup/suv is a good choice. Flooding is an issue in some areas - last years flooding should not be a consideration; no pickup could travel through the waters around my village, anyway, and you would have needed to evacuate. So if you like in a an area that badly floods in the wet season, perhaps an SUV is a good choice - still has a good ride height for flooded roads but car-like ride. They are not as large as a pickup too. I live in Nonthaburi and a sedan is fine, though flooded Chaengwattana road is a worry at times, but not so often I'd go out to buy an SUV/pickup. Larger vehicles are harder to drive around town - the margin of error is smaller, and bikes are more likely to run into you, as you are taking up most of the lane. In 12 years I've never had a bike run into me on the road, touch wood:)

sedan - around bkk.good roads, not too much flooding

SUV - around town/up country, good for flooded roads (but more than 600 mm) - might exceed your budget

pickup - up country, bad roads, often badly flooded roads...

[guzzi850m2]

I have a sedan car for app 4 years and 2-3 times I almost "drowned" it when driving flooded roads around Pattaya.

No more sedan cars for me in LOS, I ordered a Ford Ranger 2.2 WT in June last year and hopefully I will get it soon.

If you sits in a sedan and gets T-boned by a pick-up truck you are done for.

The prices for pick-ups are pretty low in Thailand (local made that is), so you get a lot of metal for your money.

[transam]

I have a sedan car for app 4 years and 2-3 times I almost "drowned" it when driving flooded roads around Pattaya.

No more sedan cars for me in LOS, I ordered a Ford Ranger 2.2 WT in June last year and hopefully I will get it soon.

If you sits in a sedan and gets T-boned by a pick-up truck you are done for.

The prices for pick-ups are pretty low in Thailand (local made that is), so you get a lot of metal for your money.

Yes l agree.

If you go the truck route buy with auto trans, it transforms the ride. We have a Vigo 4x4 auto and my mrs loves it.

[fatfather]

Why not get two in one? Fortuner, MU7 etc.... Comfortable and like a truck as well. Trucks are below two meters so parking in a garage is no issue

Fatfather

Sent from my HTC Desire HD A9191 using Thaivisa Connect App

[ignis]

and the very occasional furniture I may buy .

almost everywhere delivery is in the price and free.. so any other reason ?

So Gf has just got here licence and will do most of the driving........ has she driven a Manual gearbox ?

Automatic pickups start at around 800,000 baht and up + 30 k + for a canopy....... automatic cars start at a little over 400,000 baht.

A Hatch back would be the best of both worlds, Auto, comfortable, and can use to put large items in with seats folded down... As already said the Ford Focus, even cheaper top model Jazz, would still be a lot cheaper than a Auto pickup...

Depends on your budget but a bit bigger SUV = also higher driving position...

I bought a Honda Jazz when they 1st came to Thailand, was fine and very easy in a City, 4 years on sold it, I rarely drive in a City, as I live out in the sticks, so a 2nd hand Audi A6 fitted me better, also have a Pickup...

If you go for a pickup, put some load in the back they ride a lot better.

[Pikey]

You mention the Ford pickup. A month ago I took delivery of a 6 speed auto Wildtrak as a replacement for my 7 year old Isuzu D-Max and things have really moved on when comparing the two trucks. The Ford drives as well as a car, the engine noise (2.2 diesel) is not intrusive, it has great power for quick overtakes and the interior is spacious and nicely designed. It may not be your cup of tea but I'd definitely recommend a test drive.

Cheers,

Pikey.

[funcat]

Pajero 2WD is just over 1.1 M....maybe in this situation mention by OP, that's the best option...

[VocalNeal]

If living and driving in BKK avoid a truck like the plague, they take four lanes to do a U turn and two lanes to turn into traffic.This also applies to Fortuner/Pajero to a ,very slightly, lesser extent.

I like the idea of others on the road not trying to "bully" a larger vehicle

This is a mindset you cannot be bullied unless you give permission.

Edited January 5, 2013 by VocalNeal

[Digitalbanana]

Unless you want your bum to suffer all of Thailand's potholed roads, get a larger SUV. Most common to see are Fortuners, until you get to farming regions where the pick up rules.

[sirchai]

It really depends on WHERE you'll use your new car. That your TGF just received her driver's license doesn't mean a lot.

I'd recommend to buy a Mitsubishi Pajero. If you really want a Pick Up, look at Mitsubishi Triton. Mitsubishi produces better quality than Toyota..

http://www.mitsubishi-motors.co.th/th/Promotion

[funcat]

I agree on Pajero,but if it comes to pick-ups the New Ranger is my choice...

[Farma]

A few years ago my missus faced the same dilema. It was time to get rid of her tired manual corrola as she needed to upgrade to a larger enclosed vehicle.

At the time it came down to a chioce between a Toyota Wish or a Fortuner. Both were priced the same. She was leaning towards the Wish. The wish was closer to the size she was used to driving plus she thought the fortuner was too big.

The saleman came up with some good points and a fortuner was bought. We live up country and the roads have wells instead of potholes. The truck was more sturdy and more likely to survive the poor roads better.

100k later on roads from BKK to Nong Kai and all points east she is glad she went for the truck. There are better choices on the market now but if she went for another vehicle it would be along the lines of a pajero.

[IMHO]

Why take the compromised ride quality and manoeuvrability of a pickup if you don't need a pickup? Yes, they have improved, but still not at passenger car or even PPV standards.

At your budget, given you criteria (ride height, size, mainly city driving, wading ability) the clear choice is an SUV/PPV - here's some that fall into budget:

Pajero Sport 2.5L 5AT GLS - 1,021,000

Toyota Fortuner 2.5L G 5MT - 1,095,000

Chevy Trailblazer 2.5L LT 5MT - 1,059,000

Suzuki Grand Vitara 2.0L JLX 5AT - 1,050,000

Isuzu MU-7 3.0L Primo 4AT - 1,063,000 *

If you can stretch the budget an extra 50-100K, it opens up more choice:

Pajero Sport 2.5L GT 5AT - 1,209,000

Toyota Fortuner 2.5L G 5AT - 1,189,000

Chevy Captiva 2.4L LS 6AT - 1,198,000

Honda CRV 2.0L S 5AT - 1,164,000

Nissan X-Trail 2.0L V 5AT - 1,153,000

Ford Everest 2.5L LTD 5AT - 1,169,000

* MU-7 does not have a shortened chassis like the other pickup-based SUV's so does not have a manoeuvrability advantage over pickups.

Note: Listing order is intentional

[noob7]

Why not get two in one? Fortuner, MU7 etc.... Comfortable and like a truck as well. Trucks are below two meters so parking in a garage is no issue

Fatfather

Sent from my HTC Desire HD A9191 using Thaivisa Connect App

They are trucks.

Hidden in a different design, for the 'prestige'!

back to topic:

You have a gf/wife? Thai? Truck!

[IMHO]

Why not get two in one? Fortuner, MU7 etc.... Comfortable and like a truck as well. Trucks are below two meters so parking in a garage is no issue

Fatfather

Sent from my HTC Desire HD A9191 using Thaivisa Connect App

They are trucks.

Hidden in a different design, for the 'prestige'!

back to topic:

You have a gf/wife? Thai? Truck!

While the MU-7 is just a wagon body on a pickup with slightly softer rear leaf springs, the Fortuner/PJS/Trailblazer have shorter chassis (better turning radius/easier parking), coil sprung rear ends (better handling/ride) and in the upper models of each, better sound proofing, trim and equipment levels.

Saying that these PPV's are 'just trucks hidden in a different design' would be similar to saying that the CR-V is just a Civic hidden in a different design

Side note: I've never met a single Thai person that thinks a pickup has more street cred than a PPV

Edited January 6, 2013 by IMHO

[noob7]

Why not get two in one? Fortuner, MU7 etc.... Comfortable and like a truck as well. Trucks are below two meters so parking in a garage is no issue

Fatfather

Sent from my HTC Desire HD A9191 using Thaivisa Connect App

They are trucks.

Hidden in a different design, for the 'prestige'!

back to topic:

You have a gf/wife? Thai? Truck!

While the MU-7 is just a wagon body on a pickup with slightly softer rear leaf springs, the Fortuner/PJS/Trailblazer have shorter chassis (better turning radius/easier parking), coil sprung rear ends (better handling/ride) and in the upper models of each, better sound proofing, trim and equipment levels.

Saying that these PPV's are 'just trucks hidden in a different design' would be similar to saying that the CR-V is just a Civic hidden in a different design

Side note: I've never met a single Thai person that thinks a pickup has more street cred than a PPV

You are right, the closest 'relative' to the Honda CRV is the Civic. But the degree of relationship is a bit looser, as that from the Fortuner or the MU-7.

Also the development, over the last 17 years, went more to a 'own' line.

The Fortuner has got, like you wrote, a shortened chassis, and a different back axle. But that is, besides the body as a 'SUV', all, it got improved.

Take a look into a dark garage, where 10 Fortuner and 10 Hilux Vigo in black paint are parked, nose by nose. You can see, from 50m, which is yours? Without using the remote?

And the actual models are really different, in lights and spoiler. But still....!

Edited January 6, 2013 by noob7

[watcharacters]

Where do you plan to live and do most of your driving? If you live in bkk and do most of your driving around town, get a good sedan, such as a ford focus - not too small and plenty of power. If you often travel up country, need to carry loads (which you don't), or live in a regional area, then a pickup/suv is a good choice. Flooding is an issue in some areas - last years flooding should not be a consideration; no pickup could travel through the waters around my village, anyway, and you would have needed to evacuate. So if you like in a an area that badly floods in the wet season, perhaps an SUV is a good choice - still has a good ride height for flooded roads but car-like ride. They are not as large as a pickup too. I live in Nonthaburi and a sedan is fine, though flooded Chaengwattana road is a worry at times, but not so often I'd go out to buy an SUV/pickup. Larger vehicles are harder to drive around town - the margin of error is smaller, and bikes are more likely to run into you, as you are taking up most of the lane. In 12 years I've never had a bike run into me on the road, touch wood:)

sedan - around bkk.good roads, not too much flooding

SUV - around town/up country, good for flooded roads (but more than 600 mm) - might exceed your budget

pickup - up country, bad roads, often badly flooded roads...

Thanks for the reply.

I live in the city in Issan. I highly doubt I'll ever be living in the village anywhere. When I consider flooding, I recall when living in Jomtien last year I thought the water could be high enough at times to be a serious problem for driving.

Yes, the larger vehicle having a smaller margin of error is a consideration I feel is important. At times I find it a bit hairy when driving in a taxi flying down a narrow road.

[watcharacters]

I have a sedan car for app 4 years and 2-3 times I almost "drowned" it when driving flooded roads around Pattaya.

No more sedan cars for me in LOS, I ordered a Ford Ranger 2.2 WT in June last year and hopefully I will get it soon.

If you sits in a sedan and gets T-boned by a pick-up truck you are done for.

The prices for pick-ups are pretty low in Thailand (local made that is), so you get a lot of metal for your money.

Water can be scary. I saw in Jomtien last year how quickly it can get out of control.

I do like the idea of having a degree of safety. I know a truck may be safer in a flooded area but in a crash I'm really not sure what tests results show. I'm not altogether sure how much more a truck actually offers in terms of safety.

I think it does make sense to get value for ones money.

Edited January 6, 2013 by watcharacters

[watcharacters]

I have a sedan car for app 4 years and 2-3 times I almost "drowned" it when driving flooded roads around Pattaya.

No more sedan cars for me in LOS, I ordered a Ford Ranger 2.2 WT in June last year and hopefully I will get it soon.

If you sits in a sedan and gets T-boned by a pick-up truck you are done for.

The prices for pick-ups are pretty low in Thailand (local made that is), so you get a lot of metal for your money.

Yes l agree.

If you go the truck route buy with auto trans, it transforms the ride. We have a Vigo 4x4 auto and my mrs loves it.

Absolutely. NO more manual trans. for me again. I am definitely past that part of my life.

[noob7]

I have a sedan car for app 4 years and 2-3 times I almost "drowned" it when driving flooded roads around Pattaya.

No more sedan cars for me in LOS, I ordered a Ford Ranger 2.2 WT in June last year and hopefully I will get it soon.

If you sits in a sedan and gets T-boned by a pick-up truck you are done for.

The prices for pick-ups are pretty low in Thailand (local made that is), so you get a lot of metal for your money.

Water can be scary. I saw in Jomtien last year how quickly it can get out of control.

I do like the idea of having a degree of safety. I know a truck may be safer in a flooded area but in a crash I'm really not sure what tests results show. I'm not altogether sure how much more a truck actually offers in terms of safety.

I think it does make sense to get value for ones money.

As long your 'target' in an accident is a sedan: safety is not bad. But still a lot of energy inside the truck noticeable

In case, you crash another truck: Trucks are more stiff. That means, the energy of the accident is not degraded that much, in the deformation of the chassis, like with the 'soft' deformation area of sedans. You body gets shaken a lot!

[culicine]

Overall, I'd agree with IMHO that a SUV/PPV would be a good choice, as you can travel out of town on longer drives in relative comfort. My brother-in-law has a pajero sport and it goes well and is comfortable - I find the seats a bit hard though:) There is an abundance of larger vehicles in regional towns. In a small car, you are at more risk of injury due to weight difference between the two, in the event of a high speed accident.

[culicine]

I have a sedan car for app 4 years and 2-3 times I almost "drowned" it when driving flooded roads around Pattaya.

No more sedan cars for me in LOS, I ordered a Ford Ranger 2.2 WT in June last year and hopefully I will get it soon.

If you sits in a sedan and gets T-boned by a pick-up truck you are done for.

The prices for pick-ups are pretty low in Thailand (local made that is), so you get a lot of metal for your money.

Water can be scary. I saw in Jomtien last year how quickly it can get out of control.

I do like the idea of having a degree of safety. I know a truck may be safer in a flooded area but in a crash I'm really not sure what tests results show. I'm not altogether sure how much more a truck actually offers in terms of safety.

I think it does make sense to get value for ones money.

As long your 'target' in an accident is a sedan: safety is not bad. But still a lot of energy inside the truck noticeable

In case, you crash another truck: Trucks are more stiff. That means, the energy of the accident is not degraded that much, in the deformation of the chassis, like with the 'soft' deformation area of sedans. You body gets shaken a lot!

Yes, sedan vs sedan, occupants would be relatively safer; but truck vs truck, the human body would absorb more of the impact, Unfortunately we don't get to choose who we collide with. I usually rate 'risk of accident' quite low, when selecting a vehicle. Most accidents can be avoided if you drive safely. I've covered nearly 300K kms in Thailand and have never had a problem, touch wood:)

[Phronesis]

You guys are adding a lot of complexity to a very simple issue.

Will your Thai girl have light skin or dark skin?

If light, buy a car.

If dark, buy a truck.

Edited January 6, 2013 by Phronesis

[NeverSure]

I have a sedan car for app 4 years and 2-3 times I almost "drowned" it when driving flooded roads around Pattaya.

No more sedan cars for me in LOS, I ordered a Ford Ranger 2.2 WT in June last year and hopefully I will get it soon.

If you sits in a sedan and gets T-boned by a pick-up truck you are done for.

The prices for pick-ups are pretty low in Thailand (local made that is), so you get a lot of metal for your money.

Water can be scary. I saw in Jomtien last year how quickly it can get out of control.

I do like the idea of having a degree of safety. I know a truck may be safer in a flooded area but in a crash I'm really not sure what tests results show. I'm not altogether sure how much more a truck actually offers in terms of safety.

I think it does make sense to get value for ones money.

As long your 'target' in an accident is a sedan: safety is not bad. But still a lot of energy inside the truck noticeable

In case, you crash another truck: Trucks are more stiff. That means, the energy of the accident is not degraded that much, in the deformation of the chassis, like with the 'soft' deformation area of sedans. You body gets shaken a lot!

Yes agreed. That was a fairly low speed though. Lets get that up to speed and see what happens. As it was, the collapsible nose on the small gray sedan was mostly used up and the pickup not damaged that much. The pickup had a bunch of crumple zone left to use. The additional kinetic energy in that pickup would drive right through that sedan at speed.

The pickup is also going over the sedan while the sedan goes under the pickup, even if the sedan tears the whole front axle assembly out from under the pickup. I don't even want to think about a side impact by either at speed. If the pickup hits the sedan, it goes right through it. If the sedan T-bones the pickup the sedan goes under the pickup. The pickup has a very real and separate strong frame and the sedan is uni-body.

It's no-win for that little sedan. I've seen it. I drive an F 150 4x4 every day and for a reason. The reason is that they won't let me drive a Sherman Tank.

Edited January 6, 2013 by NeverSure

[ignis]

or be above the rest and get the VW new to Thailand 4x4 Pickup. 8 speed Auto @ 1.9 million

[naboo]

I had the same choice a couple of years ago. Went for the truck. So much better value and now when I sit in a friend's Vios it is so low I feellike I'm bouncing my backside along the road.

The latest commonrail diesel engines are incredibly fuel efficient, then the government basically caps diesel at 30B a litre. The price of diesel will always be affordable here compared to benzene/gasahol.

[aussiebebe]

I had the same choice a couple of years ago. Went for the truck. So much better value and now when I sit in a friend's Vios it is so low I feellike I'm bouncing my backside along the road.

The latest commonrail diesel engines are incredibly fuel efficient, then the government basically caps diesel at 30B a litre. The price of diesel will always be affordable here compared to benzene/gasahol.

I agree with you about the fuel; diesel pickups cost the same or less to run than sedans, I think the tax revenues from gasohol sales are used to subsidize diesel; the only way round this is to use NGV or LPG. I disagree with you about sedans necessarily being less comfortable than pickups, the Vios you tried could have been fitted with aftermarket low profile tires, many Thais like to do that, plus mess around with the suspension.

[culicine]

I had the same choice a couple of years ago. Went for the truck. So much better value and now when I sit in a friend's Vios it is so low I feellike I'm bouncing my backside along the road.

The latest commonrail diesel engines are incredibly fuel efficient, then the government basically caps diesel at 30B a litre. The price of diesel will always be affordable here compared to benzene/gasahol.

I agree with you about the fuel; diesel pickups cost the same or less to run than sedans, I think the tax revenues from gasohol sales are used to subsidize diesel; the only way round this is to use NGV or LPG. I disagree with you about sedans necessarily being less comfortable than pickups, the Vios you tried could have been fitted with aftermarket low profile tires, many Thais like to do that, plus mess around with the suspension.

If a car is bouncing too much, the shocks could be bad, or the springs are softer than what you find in a truck. If I wanted to drive 1000 km over bouncy roads (not potholed) I'd rather be in a teana than a pickup. Trucks have stiff suspension for a reason - to carry heavy loads. Their priority is not the comfort of people, though some are starting to approach a car like ride. The BIL's pajero sport rides OK, but you can certainly feel the firm suspension....not sure if his OME shocks spirings helped there:)