Is it prudent to purchase a Ford Everest now and what incentives are there typically?

[wailee]

I've been considering a Ford Everest 2.5 for a while and went to chat to the dealer up-country today. I'm aware that there is a new model Everest to be released but frankly, from the pictures I've seen, it doesn't appeal to me and I flatly do not want one, despite the fact that the front looks good (viz-a-viz the new Ford Ranger pick-up, presumably from which it's based). I do not want a pick-up either. It's Ford Everest, current model, or nothing, essentially.

The basic Everest is 989,000 and the colour that I really like, Blue (which has very recently started appearing on the web site and in the new brochure), is, according to the dealer, discontinued.

I have been looking for my old Everest catalogue from 2011 and although I can't find it, I swear that there wasn't a blue option back in 2011, and yet in the current brochure and Ford's web page, there is a "gunmetal blue". I do not know if the dealer is telling me the truth therefore.

So, what I'm asking is this: does anyone know if the blue is indeed available and not discontinued as he claims?

I'm also asking, what is the standard list of free options thrown in, as is usually customary with Thai cars...

a) Mats?

Slight tinted windows?

c) Minor Wood trim option?

d) Cargo bay net?

e) Cargo luggage tray?

f) And most importantly, free insurance, because I know that's generally normal?

Frankly the dealer (Phetchburi) was very helpful in other respects but I could detect that they see a Western man on his own, with no wife or Thai friend to guide him. I have no desire to be short-changed in terms of what they offer me. I speak Thai with them, but I don't understand all of it.

Therefore, similar experiences with Fords in general and what is normal to be expected from them, I would be most grateful indeed to you. Thanks.

P.S., As can be seen on Ford's web site, the gunmetal blue is still in evidence... http://www.ford.co.th/en/suvs/everest/colours-trims

[IMHO]

Sales volumes for the Everest, while never high, have really plummeted in the past 12 months - down from around 300-400 units/month to just 80'ish. Given such low production volumes (indeed it probably only has a production run every 3-4 months now), it would make sense they might have discontinued some colors, or that certain colors might not be available for several months.

O% interest (25% down) and free insurance are being offered as a factory campaign ATM, and seeing as these incentives are not funded by the dealer, I say go for the entire accessories list At just 1 unit per province per month in sales, you'd expect them to be pretty generous, just to move another one..

Before you buy, you might want to consider reading some of the more recent Ford service horror stories. And also ask yourself the question: As the longest established car manufacturer in Thailand, why do they sell only a mere fraction of the other majors here?

That said, the one saving grace for the Everest is that it's a 15 year old Mazda B2200 underneath - so not too much Ford DNA in it

OK, that's as politically correct as I'm going to be now.. time to answer the question posed in your topic title: NO

[ignis]

More or less the same but far more up-to-date and in that blue you want ?? http://en.chevrolet.co.th/cars/trailblazer/model-overview.html 60 months O% interest (25% down) and free insurance are being offered.

Also don't like the look in pictures of the all new Everest,..... have you test driven the present Everest ?

I drove a 2007 model of a friends, all I can say is my Pickup [Mazda BT50] is far more comfortable and better to drive, but then it is not the under pinnings of a 15+ year old model..

You could buy a few months old one ? save 200 k http://showroom.one2car.com/carDetail.aspx?car_id=l17120314

[wailee]

Sales volumes for the Everest, while never high, have really plummeted in the past 12 months - down from around 300-400 units/month to just 80'ish. Given such low production volumes (indeed it probably only has a production run every 3-4 months now), it would make sense they might have discontinued some colors, or that certain colors might not be available for several months.

O% interest (25% down) and free insurance are being offered as a factory campaign ATM, and seeing as these incentives are not funded by the dealer, I say go for the entire accessories list At just 1 unit per province per month in sales, you'd expect them to be pretty generous, just to move another one..

Before you buy, you might want to consider reading some of the more recent Ford service horror stories. And also ask yourself the question: As the longest established car manufacturer in Thailand, why do they sell only a mere fraction of the other majors here?

That said, the one saving grace for the Everest is that it's a 15 year old Mazda B2200 underneath - so not too much Ford DNA in it

OK, that's as politically correct as I'm going to be now.. time to answer the question posed in your topic title: NO

IMHO That's interesting, and certainly very kind of you to provide that level of information. Is there any way that I can verify the sales figures that you mention, viz-a-ziz the 80 units, not wishing to doubt you in any way, but by way of support for the arguments I intend to put forward to the dealer (or dealers).

When you mention the 0% interest, is that for work-permit holders and not retirees? Without wishing to go into my personal arrangements, I would not have anticipated under normal circumstances, being elligible for that, but your comment makes me wonder.

What, may I ask is "ATM"? Also, what do you mean by going for the "entire accessories list"? Surely that would represent a major cost? My plan was for the basic XLT Manual-gearbox model, for 989,000. Sadly, the vehicle they took me to see today was the LTD with NAVI and leather seats. I was not entirely happy with the fact that I could not see the vehicle in which I was interested, but she did say she would try, so I'm not necessarily complaining in that regard.

Just for the record, and in response to ignis's post also, the Chevvy looks ok, but my wish is for a long-format SUV, as one might expect to compare with a Land Rover Long-Wheel-Base Station Wagon. Frankly, I do not like this newer style of vehicle (i.e. Fortuna, Chevvy, Honda CRV and many others). Please don't be offended because it's just a matter of personal preference, but I dislike intensely, the style of the Toyota Fortuna and the typical way owners drive them and the reckless use of them. Therefore, any vehicle which looks in the slightest akin to a Fortuna, I would normally avoid, both whilst on the road, and whilst in the dealer's showroom! No offence please, if you're one of those owners - I'm just voicing my preference. I also prefer to purchase products which Thais typically do not purchase. The Ford Everest fitted that category to a certain degree.

You also refer to horror stories of Ford service? I have been reading of some of those about Ford Hua Hin, which is a separate company from Ford Phetchburi, and frankly, after seeing their level of assistance, I would no longer consider them. This was primarily my reason for visiting Ford Phetchburi yesterday and arranging the test drive. Would you be able to point me in the direction of those said problems?

Phetchburi's branch is not without its problems however. I asked if they had often sold to foreigners and issued the tabian rot in the foreigner's name, but she said that they always issue it in the Thai spouse's name. In my case, I am a lone Westerner and wish not to marry in order to obtain a tabian rot ;-) I did not have to marry the Honda dealership sales lady in order to purchase my Scoppy scooter last year, although I dare say, had she have suggested it, I would have considered it.

[wailee]

More or less the same but far more up-to-date and in that blue you want ?? http://en.chevrolet.co.th/cars/trailblazer/model-overview.html 60 months O% interest (25% down) and free insurance are being offered.

Also don't like the look in pictures of the all new Everest,..... have you test driven the present Everest ?

I drove a 2007 model of a friends, all I can say is my Pickup [Mazda BT50] is far more comfortable and better to drive, but then it is not the under pinnings of a 15+ year old model..

You could buy a few months old one ? save 200 k http://showroom.one2car.com/carDetail.aspx?car_id=l17120314

Thanks Ignis, I've answered some questions in the above to IMHO, so my apologies for not addressing you directly in doing that. Yes, I did test drive the current Everest today, although it was the LTD NAVI version, whereas I am interested in the standard manual-gearbox XLT version.

The Phetchburi dealer did not have access to this XLT vehicle so I'm left slightly at a disadvantage not knowing, should I purchase the XLT, what exactly I'm going to get on arrival at the showroom to collect it and what dreadful disappointments with which I might be met.

Again, as I've suggested to IMHO, I do not understand if the finance deal is available to me without a work-permit. I do not need finance anyway, but it would be a consideration to me, given that I might find it easier to sell it back to the fianance company when I leave Thailand in the foreseeable years.

Sorry, I do not like the style of the Chevvy, as I've mentioned in the earlier post regarding SUVs. Like you, I think from the pictures I've seen of the new Everest, it looks like a copy of the Toyota Fortuna, but with the Ford Ranger pick-up's grille. I like a long Land-Rover-style SUV. Anything that is Fortuna-like, I will immediately avoid, hence the appeal of the Ford Everest.

Frankly I think motors in Thailand especially, are becoming more boring by the minute. The manufacturers not only are resorting to copying other brands' models, taking advantage of their successes, but also basing their models on existing platforms. The choice is frankly quite awful.

Even the Mercedes A-Class that I went to see last weekend was a boring front-wheel-drive car and I'm doubly shocked to hear that it shares its engine with Britain's cleapest car - the Dacia, or some such name.

[CTO]

We bought a Everest about 10 months back. Very happy, no issues with service, though the Toyota is the best so far.

Good car to drive, gets good mileage for it's size, very comfortable,

The Ford web site verifies all the freebies you get, about to have our 4th new car in Thailand after many years and never have gotten the discounts you can get in Australia.

Good truck, great in the country, wouldn't want it for the city, and like you I don't want a pick up.

[wailee]

Can I confirm with you, CTO, where you purchased your Everest, as it is Phetchburi Province in which I was specifcally interested, as it's my nearest dealer. And Hua Hin, some 60km away, has developed a somewhat bad reputation on the local Hua Hin web site, such to the extent that I think they are best avoided.

I'm also needing the vehicle registered to me, as I have done previously with Honda motorcycles? Are motorcycles any different? I doubt it.

Do you have the XLT, Manual, or some other?

How about resale values -- Ignis's post above sites an example (with link) which is a 2013 (so no more than six or seven months in age), at 799,000. Although as Ignis has pointed out, this potentially represents a 200,000 saving to me, in actual fact on reading the advertisement the model for sale is a LTD Edition NAVI, so it's second-only from top of range and therefore the depreciation is far more than just 200,000. The price of this vehicle when new this year would have been 1,169,000, so it has lost 370,000, disregarding the fact that the seller will probably reduce it further in order to sell.

That's a staggering depreciation for vehicle in Thailand - it's at least 61,666 THB per month, or £1,312 per month, for those coming from UK. That is shocking and comparable to huge loss-making vehicles like Ranger Rovers and the like.

It seems to me that Ford in Thailand, although someone said earlier, was the first manufacturer here, rather lost its position in the market, perhaps due to the efficiency of the Japanese introduction into the domestic market. Perhaps Ford's placement has dropped because it rested on its laurels. Someone said many months ago that he had difficulty getting spare parts for his ford ten years ago. However, things have changed now. People are looking for alternatives to the dreadfully boring and characterless Japanese cars, in spite of their reliability and service level.

Ford then stepped-in with the Fiesta, which has been selling well and represents a great and fun additional choice, at a good price too, a range of attractive colours rather than the Japanese black, white, silver, and so one can perhaps see Ford's position improving, on the Fiesta at least. However, the Everest is a bit of a dinosaur from the Mazda 2200-age, that they're still attempting to sell at a premium price.

So, my dilimma is that I like the motor a lot, but I'm paying dearly for three things: horrendous depreciation, possibly difficulty selling it, and an old outdated 1990s technology. Would you agree?

[IMHO]

Ford's overall market share did improve with the introduction of the Fiesta, but that's only because prior to that, they didn't have anything to offer in the 2nd biggest segment in the country ( lower-B ), hehe. The Fiesta averages around 2300 units/mth vs Honda's ~12,000 (City/Jazz), Toyota's ~10,000 (VIOS/Yaris) and even (the much older) Mazda 2's ~3,000 units to help put that into perspective though.

Everest and Escape excluded, their products are great on paper (but sometimes not as impressive in reality), but all are hindered by a poor reputation for service quality, and corp policies like heavy discounts on long-running (I have seen 12 months+) end-of-model runout sales, and poor parts availability for discontinued (and indeed sometimes, current) models.

The other American brand appears to conduct themselves in a similar way...

Have you had a look at the Isuzu MU-7? It's also near end of life, but it's the only other almost-full-length truck-to-SUV conversion...

Edited July 7, 2013 by IMHO

[CTO]

Wife bought this one,

Everest 2.5L 4x2 LTD NAVI AT In-line 4-cylinder DOHC 16V TDCi
(Turbo Diesel Commonrail Injection) 5 Speed Automatic Retail price at THB 1,169,000

What I like is it has far more room than the Mitsuibishi which we considered, the sideways opening door I thought was a negative, but it turns out the wife couldn't reach up to close the back door of the Mitsu.

Down side while I think is a seat that doesn't go up and down, as you may guess the wife is short! So she sits on a pillow.

What really sold us was it's significantly roomier in the back than the Mitsu. The curved roof of the Mitsu my head hits the roof when I am in the back, plus the Mitsu has an artifically higher floor, which is odd.

We bought in Sawang Daen Din

[anon210]

Wailee, judging by Ford's reputation and low product quality (see the story of the Ford Ranger that got grounded driving in a flooded street), I would advise to steer away and go for the more commonly used Japanese brands. Despite some issues with service or follow-up, I am sure that the product itself should be mostly trouble-free, with parts and service readily available throughout Thailand. I cannot be sure of this for Ford.

Some of their marketing stunts are also pretty much confusing... I was about to buy a Ford Escape one year ago... One month exactly after I opted for the Mitsubishi instead, they slashed the price by 200 k THB. I was thinking then (and still think now!) that I would have had a very bitter taste in my mouth had I bought that car.

IMHO suggested the MU-7 of Isuzu (guaranteed to have a very long life re. motor), but you could also take a look at the Mitsu Pajero Sport. Worth considering even if I share and understand your issues with Fortuner-style cars.

The Everest has a few reviews on the Indian forum (it is called "Endeavour" in India)... I would advise reading them if you are still focused on the Everest:

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-drives-initial-ownership-reports/25411-test-drive-new-ford-endeavour.html

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-drives-initial-ownership-reports/32350-hyundai-tucson-vs-ford-endeavour-vs-tata-safari-2-2-performance-comparo.html

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/official-new-car-reviews/90036-ford-endeavour-test-drive-review-road-off-road.html

[Jitar]

Wailee, lots of good points raised in the above posts but in the end, if you like the Everest, negotiate the best deal you can with the best dealer you can find and keep it. I have had Escapes and Rangers and both have been fine. The Everest and the previous Ranger are a bit ponderous but they are reliable. Our Ford dealer has been good and we have had no parts problems. Ford dealers seem to have a reputation for inconsistency so you need to find a good one. The resale value will not be good but that goes with an unpopular vehicle, you did say you wanted a vehicle that Thais typically do not buy. Poor resale just means you need to keep the Everest for a long time.

[NanLaew]

If the OP has been waiting since 2011 to buy this car (why else keep the 2011 brochure?), I can't help thinking that he will still be sitting on the fence in 2015 when the current Everest is a thing of the past. There's not much to debate about it really if you have the money. I mean, is the gunmetal blue colour a major issue or an excuse to ponder for longer? Thinking about resale value doesn't feature highly on most car purchases IMHO. They tend to be, "Hmm... I like that" or, "Oh! I got to have that!" It's only a million baht after all.

For what it's worth, I bought a new gunmetal blue Ranger XLT a year past in April and have done over 35,000 km through the heat and more recently, heavy rain. Never missed a beat, gets great mileage IMHO and still has it's good looks (after I wash it). I never got an special discounts beyond the well publicized 799,000 baht + 1 year of first class insurance which was the deal at the time. The two dealership services have been good in that I was in and out in a couple of hours both times. A friend of mine wanting to pay cash has asked at two other Ford dealerships for discounts on Rangers and the staff invariably yawn and walk away. There's 2-3 months waiting regardless of what colour and how you want to pay, such is the state of most all car sales in LOS.

[guzzi850m2]

A non Ford owner is posting that Ford is low quality because Spoonman's Ranger "drowned", nonsense to base your conclusion on one vehicle.

If I am not mistaken Toyota are the biggest car maker but also the biggest re-caller.

My Ranger don't have any problems at all and I still think it's the best truck on the Thai market now.

As for dealers I only have experience with Honda Pattaya and Ford Pattaya.

Honda Pattaya didn't like expats at all, no hello's, no smiles, <deleted>. So NEVER Honda for me again as I live in Pattaya.

Ford Pattaya: the lady that sold us the Ranger always comes and say hello with a polite Wai and the mechanics are also polite.

The is a very funny topic in the UK Ford Ranger forum about the Ford Hua Hin dealer, boy did the poster set them straight, LOL.

Some dealers are good some are bad, any brand.

[IMHO]

A non Ford owner is posting that Ford is low quality because Spoonman's Ranger "drowned", nonsense to base your conclusion on one vehicle.

If I am not mistaken Toyota are the biggest car maker but also the biggest re-caller.

My Ranger don't have any problems at all and I still think it's the best truck on the Thai market now.

As for dealers I only have experience with Honda Pattaya and Ford Pattaya.

Honda Pattaya didn't like expats at all, no hello's, no smiles, <deleted>. So NEVER Honda for me again as I live in Pattaya.

Ford Pattaya: the lady that sold us the Ranger always comes and say hello with a polite Wai and the mechanics are also polite.

The is a very funny topic in the UK Ford Ranger forum about the Ford Hua Hin dealer, boy did the poster set them straight, LOL.

Some dealers are good some are bad, any brand.

Just Googled and read that topic your referred to - when the poster accepted a price of 20K Baht for a rear bumper, they knew they were dealing with fool there and then I guess.

[wailee]

I'd like to thank all of you for your input on the Ford and some other suggestions. Freemindxs's post has some excellent links to an Indian site which comments on the various factors in comparison with other models, perhaps some of which are peculiar to the Indian market, nevertheless, the report on the Everest is helpful indeed. It's approximately the vehicle I was expecting. A bit like a Land Rover, with harsh ride and less refinement - but frankly that suits me, so all in all, the Everest is ok.

So thanks to you all for your efforts in replying and enlightening me. For the record, I do not normally rush into purchases here, as I find often when I do so, it results in grave disappointments (partly because of culture and partly because of my Thai language skills, which aren't perfect). An example in point is that when the Phetchburi Ford lady showed me around the car on Saturday, I asked her if it was the XLT (the base model) that she's pulled out of the owner's garage at Kubota. She replied that it was. I then asked why the brochure showed the front fog lights as a cost-option, if the basic XLT had them already, as this one clearly did. It also had a wooden interior trim. I then went around to the tailgate door and saw "LIMITED" written. I said, "hang on", this is the LTD edition, not the XLT.

She'd been withholding the truth, allowing me to think it was the basic XLT model with all the extras like fog lamps and wooden trip. She even told me that the owner had ordered this car with lots of extras - a complete falsehoold, since the LTD edition comes with them all as standard. This (potentially) would have meant, had I gone ahead with the deal, that I'd have taken delivery of a basic XLT with cloth seats, no fog lights, no wooden door trip. As it happened, I'd read every line of the brochure already, but looking at a vehicle, one can easily forget the specifics in the brochure.

Plainly, she's mislead me. I know this is Thailand and after being here a few years, I expect it anyway. And I still love them. But that's the answer why I take my take and consider the facts, because not to do so, is foolhardy.

In answer to NanLaew's comment in which he suggests I've been sitting on the fence and failing to make a decision since 2011, the reason is because I've been ill since shortly after October 2011 and that's the reason nothing has been done further. Keeping the brochure since then seems reasonable to me and having the occasional look and a reappraisal. I still keep brochures from the 1970s. Why not? Apart from that, NanLaew, I thank you for your other useful contribution, which is helpful.

[NanLaew]

Good luck on your chosen purchase. You do sound like a thorough and knowledgeable consumer which will be all a bit of shock for any sales person you deal with in LOS.

Fords are lovely!