Advice For Buying Used Car

[USNret]

Hi all. My wife & I are thinking of buying a decent used car for her parents. Keeping their old beater running is no longer cost-effective. We have in mind a compact or mid-sized, probably Japanese car, budget around 400k (somewhat flexible).

I've never bought or owned a car in Thailand, so I'm fresh off the boat, ready to be taken advantage of. I don't know the scams in Thailand. I'm pretty good at buying & negotiating in the States, but I don't think that will help me much here.

So, my 2 questions... What are the common scams I need to watch out for?

And, more to the point, what can I do to buy a quality used car? Are there any dealers who are noted for their honest dealings (ok, get off the floor and wipe the tears from your eyes, but I can only ask).

I should mention... I will not be in Thailand for this transaction, and in the entire family there is no one really knowledgeable of cars. No nephew who is a mechanic, or anyone who does body work, so nobody knows what to look for such as body work, flooding damage, etc. These are all of my fears.

Also, we're seeing lots of fuels that I'm not used to. What is "normal" here for a family car? LPG, NGV, gasoline, etc?

Thank you for any possible suggestions on where to start...

[aussiebebe]

Buying second-hand in Thailand is difficult unless you know cars. If you want Japanese, look online at Toyota Sure - they sell certified used cars with a 1-year warranty. You can search online and advise your family.

The problem with second-hand as I see it is that the car market has changed in the past few years and modern 'eco-cars' are a lot cheaper and fuel efficient. For example, just looking at Toyota Sure right now, a 2008 Toyota Vios with 131,000km on the clock has just been sold for 430,000baht. To my mind, that seems crazy in terms of the age and expected maintenance and running costs. For 455,000baht you could buy a brand new Nissan Almera (base model, E MT) with three-year warranty and far higher fuel efficiency. The Almera is the same size as the Vios and I can't see why your inlaws would demand anything more; I think they'd get more peace of mind from a new car.

Fuel: Regular gasoline is no longer sold in Thailand; there is E10 (10% enthanol) which is Gasohol 91 and Gasohol 95 and E20 (20% ethanol) that newer cars will run on. NGV is compressed natural gas; some sedans are sold new with these systems fitted (Chevrolet Aveo, Honda City, Proton Persona) or some owners pay for them to be fitted - Liquid petroleum gas (LPG) systems are all fitted by owners. These gas systems can save money but it depends whether there are any convenient pumps where your in-laws live.

[funcat]

Good post above...for your budget get a new Almera for little over 400K.It is actually a little bigger car than Vios and smaller more eco engine....and with a larger downpayment,they can get an easy financing,which should give you more peace of mind as to the future 'wits' of the car....

[JohanBKK]

If you add a little more i can sell you my Accord 2005 with only 115 000 km on it.

[BSJ]

Advice For Buying Used Car

Don't! Sounds like your setting yourself up for a fall. Buy new.

[USNret]

All great advice. Thank you; I am definitely checking out the new Almera & and also the Toyota Corolla Altis.

Next big question... How negotiable are dealers on price? I've been reading on this forum and it seems like many times, buyers have to wait several months for delivery of the car. I'm ok with that, but if they will strike a deal for a car already on the lot, so much the better? Are there any "freebies" I should be expecting? Free insurance, mats, etc?

Thank you again.

[funcat]

You realize that Altis is twice as much as Almera here?.....the prices are mostly fixed,but you can negotiate the freebies,free1 year insurance etc....and normally they don't have cars 'on the lot'...

[USNret]

You realize that Altis is twice as much as Almera here?.....the prices are mostly fixed,but you can negotiate the freebies,free1 year insurance etc....and normally they don't have cars 'on the lot'...

Thanks. I noticed the Altis price after my previous post. Amazing price disparity between the two cars. I wonder if it is due to place of manufacture and excise tax. Also, thank you for the negotiating tips. I'll give this a try but not quite yet. We'll probably undertake a purchase in a month or two.

[Thailaw]

You realize that Altis is twice as much as Almera here?.....the prices are mostly fixed,but you can negotiate the freebies,free1 year insurance etc....and normally they don't have cars 'on the lot'...

Thanks. I noticed the Altis price after my previous post. Amazing price disparity between the two cars. I wonder if it is due to place of manufacture and excise tax. Also, thank you for the negotiating tips. I'll give this a try but not quite yet. We'll probably undertake a purchase in a month or two.

You might also consider the Nissan March (around B375k) and the Honda Brio (around B399k). Nissan looks to be offering more car for the money than the other manufacturers at the present time, but you'll never make a mistake buying a Toyota in Thailand. The best value (i.e., lowest tax) is on pick-up trucks. A brand new Mitsubishi pick-up can be had for B433k. All of these are, I think, manual transmission prices. There is a new Vios (cheapest, around B520k) coming out in a few months. So, if you decide on a Vios, I would suggest waiting for the new model. The "freebies" will be less when the new model comes out (definitely no free insurance), but you will likely gain 10% in resale value when you sell it (which will more than offset the fewer freebies if the car is sold in the first 5 years), and you will have the pleasure of driving the latest model for a few years.

[giddyup]

On 2/3/2013 at 7:57 AM, JohanBKK said:

If you add a little more i can sell you my Accord 2005 with only 115 000 km on it.

Only 115,000 km?

[BestB]

Do not buy through a car tent. Usually some kind of scam or problem . Buy privately . Make sure seller has blue book and make sure in his/her name .

 

if seller only has s copy , it means car is still under finance.

 

400 000 can get you new or almost new Nissan micra/March. Mazda 2 great car but do not hold value , so again can get as new for that.

 

check log books, it will show service history . Avoid high mileage for newish cars. 

Edited September 6, 2019 by BestB

[Henryford]

Don't. For 500k or a bit more buy a new car.

[metisdead]

As this is a 6 year old and out of date, this topic is closed.