Reccomendation For 4x4 Suvs

[Pepe']

I like the Nissan Exterras, or Toyota Forunner. Any experience?

Of course I also like the BMW and Benz models but probably a little to pricy for my budget.

Also I like to buy cars two years old but my wife advises against it in Bangkok?

[ajahnlau]

The Toyota will hold it's resale value more than the Nissan. The Toyota also claims better gas mileage.

[the gentleman]

Ive got a Strada turbo,4 door, lovely 4wd, parts cheap - basically the same as a G wagon but with the utility back - Have been looking a the BMW, but the prices here are ridiculous for all cars, especially luxury.

Ford Escape is nice though, that might be my next I think.

I hear the toyota sportsriders and the like arent very good handling wise, so not sure on that pepe - I suppose it depends on what brand you like - in Aus a few years ago, you either liked Ford or Holden and you stay with it for your life - the Aussies here will know what I mean.

Buy second hand mate - I am on my fifth car here and you loose maybe 10 to 15 grand a year on a second hand -they really hold there value.

Also the roads are not good enough for anything flash - get up high - big wheels = safety.

[Basher]

Fords have been in my home town for over a 1000 years you know...

[Pepe']

Hi Guys,

Here in San Diego I've got a sweet 1997 M3 sedan auto trans, somewhat rare. The thing flys. I'd love to ship it to Thailand but I'm sure it would get trashed on the roads there.

As you said think big wheels. I've also got a 2001 Nissan Frontier Desert Runner.

Both are mint, I'm a recovering gear head, I still do most of my own work outside of warranty work. I've decided to sell them both, it's very emotional for me.

What is a Strada or G wagon? is that Subaru?

Gentleman,

Also need clarification you say;

"Buy second hand mate - I am on my fifth car here and you loose maybe 10 to 15 grand a year on a second hand -they really hold there value. "

What do you mean ?

[taxexile]

Ive got a Strada turbo,4 door, lovely 4wd, parts cheap - basically the same as a G wagon but with the

not exactly a bad choice but they have a gearbox problem that can manifest itself after 80000km.

the ones they ship abroad have a pajero gearbox fitted, the ones that they sell here have a weaker g'box fitted for economy reasons and it is known to give problems later on if the vehicle has had harsh treatment.

so take care buying this model second hand.

toyota is the one to go for. if they are looked after they are pretty well indestructable.

[Guest chingy]

do not get anything that is pricey, parts are a bittch, take 2-3 month for any part. I use to own a Grand Cherokee.

[the gentleman]

Hi Guys,

Here in San Diego I've got a sweet 1997 M3 sedan auto trans, somewhat rare. The thing flys. I'd love to ship it to Thailand but I'm sure it would get trashed on the roads there.

As you said think big wheels. I've also got a 2001 Nissan Frontier Desert Runner.

Both are mint, I'm a recovering gear head, I still do most of my own work outside of warranty work. I've decided to sell them both, it's very emotional for me.

What is a Strada or G wagon? is that Subaru?

Gentleman,

Also need clarification you say;

"Buy second hand mate - I am on my fifth car here and you loose maybe 10 to 15 grand a year on a second hand -they really hold there value. "

What do you mean ?

Mitsubishi Strada and Mitsubishi G Wagon.

I didnt realise you were not in Thailand mate - second hand cars in Thailand really hold their price - You buy a new car, you loose about 10-30% when you drive away (yes we all know that). The last car I owned I had for 18 months and lost only 15,000 BAHT over that time, of what I originally paid for it - traded it in on this one. It ends up being a cheap rental over that time

taxexile - no trouble yet mate. I like the interior better in the Strada - the dash is much nicer to my way of thinking.

[Pepe']

I will be in Thailand as soon as July. Worst case senario the end of the year. So I'm just trying to do as much prep work as I can.

Chingy you mentioned having a Cherokee. How was it to own one there?

Aren't there cars that are manufactured in Thailand? Are they less expensive.

I remember seeing lots of Isuzus around. I will probably still do alot of my own work, atleast for a while.

Someone was saying on another thread that at the car show the pickups were the only reasonabaly priced item?

Recovering gear head,

[taxexile]

been tempted by the mitsubishi pick up myself, but gotta build the house first, then see how much folding i'm holding before treating myself.

[Pepe']

taxexile,

What's the cost? How would you compare it to the toyota?

[taxexile]

toyota 4 door 3 litre auto 4wd pick up......878000

2 door " " " " " " " " " " ......773000

mitsu 4 door 2.8 litre auto 4wd pick up 838000

2 door 731000

was told that both toyota and mitsu have new models coming out later in the year, thats when the present models will probably be sold off discounted.

at the moment hard to get a discount from toyota but mitsu would drop a bit. didnt get as far as actual numbers. toyo more expensive to service but they have more dealerships and a great reputation for reliability. ive run a toyo 4wd for a few years here, done 150,000 km in it and it has never let us down, never even dripped a drop of oil, its taken us all over thailand, regular roads and dirt tracks and up most of the hills here too. apart from tyres, brake pads, cambelts , regular servicing and a new aircon evaporator nothing has fallen off or caused a problem (yet) and thats why i'm sold on toyotas.

a couple of friends have got mitsubishis and they have had some problems, nothing major, maybe thats because they are cheapskates and take them to oily backstreet dives for servicing.

i believe in dealer servicing. its usually cheaper in the long run.

[Phil Conners]

I was looking at the Toyota Tiger 4WD last year. Top of the line in the Pickup version was about 850k. The SUV version, i.e only difference that I was able to find was that the bed was closed, was about 1.350k, i.e. 500k more. Reason for this is - according to the sales rep - that Pickups are taxed as utility vehicles whereas SUV's are luxury.

You can buy a Carryboy top for your Pickup for 50-100k, but I understand having the "real" SUV has more "face value".

Here in Pattaya they seem to rank:

1 - Isuzu

2 - Toyota

3 - Mitsubishi

99 - Ford

At one point I went to Isuzu to have a look at their cars. Their showroom was almost empty. When I asked the rep he admitted "Yes, the market is very good to us".

[OldAsiaHand]

Chingy you mentioned having a Cherokee. How was it to own one there?

Aren't there cars that are manufactured in Thailand? Are they less expensive.

I've owned a Cherokee here for several years. They are assembled in Thailand for export and you can buy a locally assembled model here as well, but you can also buy a fully imported version. It's a couple of hundred thousand more expensive for the improted version, but that's what I would recommend to anyone.

The Cherokee been a good vehicle on the whole, solid and reliable, although I'd describe the service history as pretty average. Still, it comes with a four year warrenty, so other than the nuisance of putting it in for service occasionaly, it doesn't cost you anything to keep it in good shape.

[the gentleman]

toyota 4 door 3 litre auto 4wd pick up......878000

2 door " " " " " " " " " " ......773000

mitsu 4 door 2.8 litre auto 4wd pick up 838000

2 door 731000

was told that both toyota and mitsu have new models coming out later in the year, thats when the present models will probably be sold off discounted.

at the moment hard to get a discount from toyota but mitsu would drop a bit. didnt get as far as actual numbers. toyo more expensive to service but they have more dealerships and a great reputation for reliability. ive run a toyo 4wd for a few years here, done 150,000 km in it and it has never let us down, never even dripped a drop of oil, its taken us all over thailand, regular roads and dirt tracks and up most of the hills here too. apart from tyres, brake pads, cambelts , regular servicing and a new aircon evaporator nothing has fallen off or caused a problem (yet) and thats why i'm sold on toyotas.

a couple of friends have got mitsubishis and they have had some problems, nothing major, maybe thats because they are cheapskates and take them to oily backstreet dives for servicing.

i believe in dealer servicing. its usually cheaper in the long run.

I do agree that the Tojo has a great track record for reliablility - An aussies best friend in the outback and the land drover.

[the gentleman]

I was looking at the Toyota Tiger 4WD last year. Top of the line in the Pickup version was about 850k. The SUV version, i.e only difference that I was able to find was that the bed was closed, was about 1.350k, i.e. 500k more. Reason for this is - according to the sales rep - that Pickups are taxed as utility vehicles whereas SUV's are luxury.

You can buy a Carryboy top for your Pickup for 50-100k, but I understand having the "real" SUV has more "face value".

Here in Pattaya they seem to rank:

1 - Isuzu

2 - Toyota

3 - Mitsubishi

99 - Ford

At one point I went to Isuzu to have a look at their cars. Their showroom was almost empty. When I asked the rep he admitted "Yes, the market is very good to us".

I heard the new Dmax has a "split" chasis - no good for loading?

[Pepe']

Thanks this is very helpful guys.

madsere,

You say,

"I was looking at the Toyota Tiger 4WD last year. Top of the line in the Pickup version was about 850k. The SUV version, i.e only difference that I was able to find was that the bed was closed, was about 1.350k, i.e. 500k more. Reason for this is - according to the sales rep - that Pickups are taxed as utility vehicles whereas SUV's are luxury."

I'm not sure what you mean. Does it mean that the only difference is the tax is less on a pick up?

I a little confused, you say, " . The SUV version, i.e only difference that I was able to find was that the bed was closed."

Isn"t the interior comepletly different design with additional seats and compartment trim and linings?

[Phil Conners]

I heard the new Dmax has a "split" chasis - no good for loading?

What do you mean? Like the Mazda/Ford "open cap" ?

Isn"t the interior comepletly different design with additional seats and compartment trim and linings?

Of course the bed that is closed on the SUV version has carpets etc, but otherwise the seats and trim was the same for the prices I listed.

Yes, that's what the man said, the tax is much lesser on a pickup as it is taxed as a tool whereas the SUV is taxed as a luxury car.

[Guest chingy]

im from SD myself pepe (script Ranch) let me put it this way pepe, the car and truck are the same as in the state, just with diferent name, for example a nissan sentra in the state, here it call nissan sunny (now a new model call neo something like that) most of the car and truck that you didn't get the name, trust me you seen it before. as for the jeep just as what OldAsiaHand said, i use to own the full version one 4.0 full option sunroof and all, but never get to use the sunroof, comfy ride, the thing really suck gas.

[Pepe']

Scripps ranch is just rebuilding after the worst wild fires in history here last October.

I do know that jeeps suck gas. I was considering getting a 4 banger in Thailand.

I really won't be hauling much and economy is an issue these days.

[KevinN]

PEPE, most everything here is a 4 banger,and most pickups are now 4 banger turbo/diesel, and for the life of me I can not see why everyone wants a 4X4,this sure ain't like the country that you got there,How the ###### ya gonna 4 wheel in the forest and brush,There is no open country,,In BAJA I owned a Toyota 4X4 and it was a very useful rig,but here all they are is more expense, ride a lot rougher and more cost per mile, and the oversize tires make them harder to drive and repairs more frequent.

We had a pickup [2X4] til a couple of weeks ago and I bought a Honda civic for my wife and sold the pickup,car is much nicer to drive,has more power on the hills and is a lot easier to park and turn around,and runs at cruising speeds a lot easier.

But in Thailand image is everything,so you gotta be more macho if ya drive a 4X4,and most Thai drive like idiots,so they get a 4X4,put on a roof rack and really show their ass on the roads, you see a lot of stupid shit,but the worst is done by 4X4 pickups,and SUVs.

I have a friend and his Thai wife insisted,when they moved here from Pataya to sell the Toyota sedan and buy a pickup,and it turned out she wanted a 4X4,so he did it,now a year later he gonna sell it and get a Honda or Toyota car for their frequent trips to Pataya and BKK.

[Pepe']

KevinN,

Probably the most important piece ofinformation yet. Actually I was thinking along the same lines. You are pushing me back to a bimmer. maybe

[Crash999]

Of course I also like the BMW and Benz models but probably a little to pricy for my budget.

The new BMWs and Benzes are very expensive... I had my eye on the new 'C Class' but the used cars haven't depreciated much over the past couple of years. I eventually bought a 2001 3-series. The car was 2.2m new and I bought it last year for 1.4m including a lot of extras like mags, leather, SE body kit, etc. Have had absolutely no problems with it aside from some squeaky brakes.

Buying used here isn't much different than buying used anywhere else- if you have a basic mechanical background you can check a lot on your own, then if you're serious about the car take it into a garage and have the mechanics give it a check up.

The roads here are crap, so buying a 4x4 makes some sense. Not much prestige attached to driving a truck, though....

My company is transferring me to HK at the end of the year, so my car may be on the market soon. =)

Cheers!

[the gentleman]

PEPE, most everything here is a 4 banger,and most pickups are now 4 banger turbo/diesel, and for the life of me I can not see why everyone wants a 4X4,this sure ain't like the country that you got there,How the ###### ya gonna 4 wheel in the forest and brush,There is no open country,,In BAJA I owned a Toyota 4X4 and it was a very useful rig,but here all they are is more expense, ride a lot rougher and more cost per mile, and the oversize tires make them harder to drive and repairs more frequent.

We had a pickup [2X4] til a couple of weeks ago and I bought a Honda civic for my wife and sold the pickup,car is much nicer to drive,has more power on the hills and is a lot easier to park and turn around,and runs at cruising speeds a lot easier.

But in Thailand image is everything,so you gotta be more macho if ya drive a 4X4,and most Thai drive like idiots,so they get a 4X4,put on a roof rack and really show their ass on the roads, you see a lot of stupid shit,but the worst is done by 4X4 pickups,and SUVs.

I have a friend and his Thai wife insisted,when they moved here from Pataya to sell the Toyota sedan and buy a pickup,and it turned out she wanted a 4X4,so he did it,now a year later he gonna sell it and get a Honda or Toyota car for their frequent trips to Pataya and BKK.

I think with regard to the Thai drivers, it is better to be in a bigger vehicle, I agree that 4by4s are a bit of an image thing, especially in cities, but here in Phuket, with the road conditions and the drivers, I would be scared in a civic Kev.

[KevinN]

GENT, We are not talking about the late 70 or 80s Dodge ramchargers or Plymouth Trail Dusters or Blazers here,with full frames and everything bolted down solid, we are talking GOA body jap SUVs, really mini's compared to the SUV's of the states,so if you are hit head on by a rig traveling at 130+kph,then your jap 4X4 will disintegrate.

You must drive very defensively and never take your eyes off the oncoming traffic nor think that the Thai drivers in the other cars will do the predictable thing, You know that they will not do that which a normal driver anywhere else in the world would do, but the direct opposite.

[Guest chingy]

Scripps ranch is just rebuilding after the worst wild fires in history here last October.

its scare the shitt outta me, i call home every hour 24 hr a day for 2 to3 day straight, lucky we live toward the lake, near the 15 free way, so the fire never reach there, we never have fire like that before in my life.

road in thailand are very suck, because the ground are soft, all they do is lay the concrete over soil no foundation, you can actually see the damage within year. it really work hard on the suspension, the best car to own is the one that everybody have, cheaper on parts and everything else.

[chokrai]

I bought a mazda fighter 3 years ago,good truck no problems. Not a macho thing either as my wife does the driving I just dont feel safe in a small car here maybe just fooling myself but ...also need a truck for dogs and working at the land we own. The madza was quite a bit cheaper then the toyota.