Which car to buy?

[Ace of Pop]

Perhaps another German Car then.

[VocalNeal]

OK firstly. One baby takes up the same space as two adults.

If considering an Avanza, have a look at Suzuki Ertiga.

AC in the back is important in Asia!

OT: In September I bought a Diesel VW, now i am fuming!

Edited October 21, 2015 by VocalNeal

[giddyup]

Perhaps another German Car then.unnamed (3).jpg

Right on!

[frankphuket]

Mazda 2 Diesel as 4 door, as the boot is more spacious, otherwise a Honda Jazz has probably the biggest boot in the small 5 door car segment.

Or as suggested wait the CX-3 whenever that will come....still pretty quiet and pricing might be a bit of a bummer.

[phutoie2]

Suzuki Swift, good little 4 door car, drives and handles well.

yes, but buy two, one for each foot.

stay away from these mess tin size boxes, Toyota Altis 1.6 or 1.8, a zillion taxi drivers cannot be wrong.

[Fairynuff]

Are you sure to really want a cheap loser car ? BMW are so cheap and maintenance is free 5 years !

Yes the maintenance is "free" and all you have to do pay the 300% tax on the car. I test drove a 320 recently thinking about changing my Accord. The 320 was nice but I preffered my Accord and the current price was less than half the 320. I don't need the " kudos" of being able to say I've got more money than sense. I think the losers are the once that don't mind being fleeced.

[xylophone]

Suzuki Swift, good little 4 door car, drives and handles well.

Agree with you on that, and roomier than it looks (although boot space is fairly limited).

Bought mine 3.5 yrs ago and have been extremely happy with it but did read that this model was due to be upgraded/replaced soon.

[denby45]

Mazda 2 Diesel as 4 door, as the boot is more spacious, otherwise a Honda Jazz has probably the biggest boot in the small 5 door car segment.

Or as suggested wait the CX-3 whenever that will come....still pretty quiet and pricing might be a bit of a bummer.

I think you will have to wait quite a while for the CX-3 because you need to factor in the delivery time. Also I don't believe the CX comes with the skyactive engine. Although you are sitting a bit higher It is 6 inches shorter than the 3. That means the rear seats are a bit tight. Big enough for a baby maybe but with the child seat it would probably be a bit awkward. I just bought the 3 and like it a lot. Early days but If it proves to be as good as my previous three Mazda cars I will be well pleased. For that reason I am probably a bit biased towards the Mazda 3. Anyway I know the manufacturer's build quality has changed over the years and I have driven Toyota, Honda and Nissan over the last few years as company cars and I can tell you that their build quality did not match the Mazda. Because the Manufacturers have got lazy I was suspecting Mazda to be the same so before I purchased I did a test drive. I was immediately convinced what to do. I suggest you pop along to Mazda and do the test drive.

As I said before it's early days but so far so good.

Den

[denby45]

Wonder why that posted twice.

ps I am wrong about the CX not having the skyactive engine.

OOPS

Edited October 21, 2015 by denby45

[hkt83100]

OK firstly. One baby takes up the same space as two adults.

If considering an Avanza, have a look at Suzuki Ertiga.

AC in the back is important in Asia!

OT: In September I bought a Diesel VW, now i am fuming!

I tried the Ertiga, but it has only a fan for the rear seats, the Avanza got true aircon. That's one reason why I took it.

[frankphuket]

Wonder why that posted twice.

ps I am wrong about the CX not having the skyactive engine.

OOPS

I personnally also think that Mazda is by far the most active of the Japanese manufacturers and have in my opinion Top models in every category:

SUV: CX-5 is Best in class

Mid Size: Mazda 3 is Best in class

Smaller Size: Mazda 2 (at least with the diesel) is Best in class

Cabrio: MX5 (best as only in class........)

Anyway, just my opinion. Mazda 3 is a great choice as well, in 4 door form i believe it has a decent size trunk too.

[ronaldo0]

Mazda 3.

I have spent hours looking at reviews off it and it is rated by everyone as a great car.

Good looking, good mileage,good space ,good performance and well kitted out.

I looked at a H-rv for wife but it didnt seem as good for the money.

[JaseTheBass]

The Fiesta and the Mazda 2 have the same body and many of the same parts. I own the Mazda 2.

Not any more, hence I would recommend the Fiesta over the new Mazda 2 if 'sportiness/handling' is your thing.

[bazza40]

The choice that makes the most sense for your pocket is to buy a 2-3 year old car with low mileage, say 40K - 60K on the odometer. Even with the artificial price inflation of second-hand cars in Thailand, you will save yourself 100- 200K baht for a vehicle with the engine barely run in.

My pick would be the Nissan Almera, the roomiest in its class but still small enough for negotiating the sois. And the Nissan engines seem to be as durable as Toyotas, if not more.

IMHO, people who buy new cars are mugs. Drive it out of the showroom, and drop 50 - 100K baht out the window as you go.

[KKr]

Before coming to Thailand I drove Subaru for about 12 years, the same car that is.
Did not have any issues, only followed the scheduled maintenance.
It always started, was quite reliable, permanent 4x4 and well made.
Getting one here as well, might be worth a look if there is a dealer in your area.

[username1]

Are you sure to really want a cheap loser car ? BMW are so cheap and maintenance is free 5 years !

Really? I don't really get why someone should spend 2x-4x more just to get a BMW/Benz? If there's something else in it other than making yourself feel important please by all means enlighten me - if not, I think I'll stick with the loser cars

Mazda 3.

I have spent hours looking at reviews off it and it is rated by everyone as a great car.

Good looking, good mileage,good space ,good performance and well kitted out.

I looked at a H-rv for wife but it didnt seem as good for the money.

Have you, or someone else, found Mazda 2/3 asian safety ratings? Or are these cars exactly the same as in Europe for example?

I actually started thinking about Avanza/Mobilio/Ertiga/Other smaller 7 seaters(?) since the extra passenger seats might come handy at times. At least Avanza COP (Child Occupant Protection) was very low (38%), but I can't seem to find anything about safety of Mobilio/Ertiga. If anyone have any info, please share.

[bazza40]

Are you sure to really want a cheap loser car ? BMW are so cheap and maintenance is free 5 years !

Really? I don't really get why someone should spend 2x-4x more just to get a BMW/Benz? If there's something else in it other than making yourself feel important please by all means enlighten me - if not, I think I'll stick with the loser cars

There are aspects such as comfort, handling and performance which are superior in Benz's and Beemers, although 2X - 4X is on the mark.

I drive a 1989 Benz 300CE coupe, which I bought for a fraction of new price. Like driving an armchair, sits like a rock on the road.

Perhaps it's difficult to explain; however, the feel is entirely different to the mass-produced Japanese cars. They are good too, just in a different way.

Don't know if it makes me feel important. It is getting close to 30 years old. However, it doesn't do my ego any harm to see people admiring it in car parks - it's a modern classic.

[username1]

Are you sure to really want a cheap loser car ? BMW are so cheap and maintenance is free 5 years !

Really? I don't really get why someone should spend 2x-4x more just to get a BMW/Benz? If there's something else in it other than making yourself feel important please by all means enlighten me - if not, I think I'll stick with the loser cars

There are aspects such as comfort, handling and performance which are superior in Benz's and Beemers, although 2X - 4X is on the mark.

I drive a 1989 Benz 300CE coupe, which I bought for a fraction of new price. Like driving an armchair, sits like a rock on the road.

Perhaps it's difficult to explain; however, the feel is entirely different to the mass-produced Japanese cars. They are good too, just in a different way.

Don't know if it makes me feel important. It is getting close to 30 years old. However, it doesn't do my ego any harm to see people admiring it in car parks - it's a modern classic.

Decent answer, I have never owned and I don't remember even test driving Benz/BMW so maybe the price tag is not the only thing different compared to Asian cars. I just found out that Mazda 2/3 have stripped some of the safety features seen in Europe (for example side airbags). Only the top model of Mazda 3 got those, but it comes only as 5 door version and my wife hates the 5dr model. Also, with the price tag 1094k there's plenty of other options. Heck, your post makes me even consider spending money on some more expensive options. At least those wouldn't be stripped down versions and the safety ratings for almost all the Benz models are among the highest.

[JaseTheBass]

In my experience a lot of these German saloon cars are overrated and in Thailand stupidly overpriced either new or secondhand. Until recently Thai built cars were usually lesser models - that may be starting to change. The Ford Everest at around 1.6m baht is as good as any German car up to 4 times the price. Even the new Ranger has a quieter cabin than a BMW 3 or C class Merc. Hopefully another manufacturer based here will make a family sized saloon to shake up the mediocrity that is Camry/Teana/Honda thingy.

[JaseTheBass]

If you are considering a Nissan Almera, please yes drive it first. I thought I'd gone back to 1977. Utter cack. Even worse than a Camry which I though was horrendous for a modern car (no brakes, no go but comfy).

[username1]

In my experience a lot of these German saloon cars are overrated and in Thailand stupidly overpriced either new or secondhand. Until recently Thai built cars were usually lesser models - that may be starting to change. The Ford Everest at around 1.6m baht is as good as any German car up to 4 times the price. Even the new Ranger has a quieter cabin than a BMW 3 or C class Merc. Hopefully another manufacturer based here will make a family sized saloon to shake up the mediocrity that is Camry/Teana/Honda thingy.

I'm bit confused about the comment on this website: http://ford.pissedconsumer.com/shame-on-you-ford-thailand-20130210383114.html

"I'm having a problem with warranty service on a Ford Escape here in Thailand and I did contact Ford America. I was told they don't have anything to do with Ford Thailand as they sold the name."

Is that true? If so, I wouldn't trust the quality of Ford here that much.

Any other top safety rated cars you could recommend?

[JaseTheBass]

Not sure why you quoted me on the post above. I've never mentioned a Ford Escape.

[bazza40]

In my experience a lot of these German saloon cars are overrated and in Thailand stupidly overpriced either new or secondhand. Until recently Thai built cars were usually lesser models - that may be starting to change. The Ford Everest at around 1.6m baht is as good as any German car up to 4 times the price. Even the new Ranger has a quieter cabin than a BMW 3 or C class Merc. Hopefully another manufacturer based here will make a family sized saloon to shake up the mediocrity that is Camry/Teana/Honda thingy.

In the words of John McEnroe, you cannot be serious. There are numerous threads on Thai Visa lamenting the lousy after sales service provided by Ford dealers here. As for comparing a Ford with a BMW M5 or Merc AMG C63 - you are comparing crap and cream.

Don't know about the Everest, have never driven one. Test drove a 1 year old Ford Ranger and IMHO it's a thirsty, overweight slab of metal with all the handling of a bull on roller skates. Grunt vs. Grip. Put it on a wet road and it becomes a lethal weapon.

[username1]

Not sure why you quoted me on the post above. I've never mentioned a Ford Escape.

The question was generally about Ford in Thailand, not about specific model. And just quoted you since you mentioned it on your post.

[JaseTheBass]

In my experience a lot of these German saloon cars are overrated and in Thailand stupidly overpriced either new or secondhand. Until recently Thai built cars were usually lesser models - that may be starting to change. The Ford Everest at around 1.6m baht is as good as any German car up to 4 times the price. Even the new Ranger has a quieter cabin than a BMW 3 or C class Merc. Hopefully another manufacturer based here will make a family sized saloon to shake up the mediocrity that is Camry/Teana/Honda thingy.

In the words of John McEnroe, you cannot be serious. There are numerous threads on Thai Visa lamenting the lousy after sales service provided by Ford dealers here. As for comparing a Ford with a BMW M5 or Merc AMG C63 - you are comparing crap and cream.

Don't know about the Everest, have never driven one. Test drove a 1 year old Ford Ranger and IMHO it's a thirsty, overweight slab of metal with all the handling of a bull on roller skates. Grunt vs. Grip. Put it on a wet road and it becomes a lethal weapon.

As there are about BMW dealers being crap. Anyone who pays Thai prices for one of these cars is really fortunate to have enough money to be able to waste a sizeable lump of it. I am envious.

I had a 525 back in the day. I found it cramped, bloated and sluggish (it was an automatic unfortunately) and soon got shot of it. Wouldn't mind an old 3 convertible but I wouldn't want to park it outside as my Ford gets the driveway.

But enough waffle; I would take the Everest over any of the big Germans in Thailand.

[misterphil]

Mazda and Ford are the same just with different badges.

You are prepared to spend nearly 1 mil on a Ford Focus but only 500,000 on a Toyota.

Do a lot of research on vehicles built in Thailand before you commit.

[JaseTheBass]

Mazda and Ford are the same just with different badges.

You are prepared to spend nearly 1 mil on a Ford Focus but only 500,000 on a Toyota.

Do a lot of research on vehicles built in Thailand before you commit.

He's not looking for a truck. No current Mazda saloon car made here is based on a Ford.

[misterphil]

Mazda and Ford are the same just with different badges.

You are prepared to spend nearly 1 mil on a Ford Focus but only 500,000 on a Toyota.

Do a lot of research on vehicles built in Thailand before you commit.

He's not looking for a truck. No current Mazda saloon car made here is based on a Ford.

You must be a Ford owner. Sorry to hear that.

Hows the after sales care? Ford looking after you?

Didnt think so.

[misterphil]

Buy this.

http://www.toyota.co.th/en/index.php/app/product/model/altis

[misterphil]

Mazda and Ford are the same just with different badges.

You are prepared to spend nearly 1 mil on a Ford Focus but only 500,000 on a Toyota.

Do a lot of research on vehicles built in Thailand before you commit.

He's not looking for a truck. No current Mazda saloon car made here is based on a Ford.

Still both Ford and Mazda are built with the same low quality parts.