Best car for under half a million Baht?

[Gutenberg]

I can recommend Vios, it is a really good start and if something happens, everybody knows how to repair it .

The guy is 25 and has a good job but cannot afford a car? Try to get some money for the car from him, so he will also treat the car with respect, e.g. 20%.

[bearpolar]

He asked about safety but is there any car under 500 000 that has any safety feature? I wouldnt want to hit a motorbike with a brio, you'd probably get more hurt than the biker.

[Henricus]

ferrari f155 wen you can find

[joeboxer]

Nissan stopped making the Almera, in the UK, in 2006, so not sure what you would be getting here.

Seems the Almera name is being used for other versions of the car

The Nissan Almera was a small family car produced by the Japanese manufacturer Nissan from 1995 to 2006. It was essentially the European export-market version of the contemporary Nissan Pulsar, the first generation, and of the Nissan Bluebird Sylphy, the second generation.

The name is currently also being used for several other versions of the car: the South Korean-manufactured Samsung SM3, in various export markets worldwide; the Nissan Latio, throughout the Southeast Asian markets; the second generation Nissan Bluebird Sylphy in Russia.

[JaseTheBass]

I love my family and refuse to let anyone travel in the bed. If you're not alarmed by bodies flying through the air, then knock yourselves out.

[Ace of Pop]

Nissan stopped making the Almera, in the UK, in 2006, so not sure what you would be getting here.

Seems the Almera name is being used for other versions of the car

The Nissan Almera was a small family car produced by the Japanese manufacturer Nissan from 1995 to 2006. It was essentially the European export-market version of the contemporary Nissan Pulsar, the first generation, and of the Nissan Bluebird Sylphy, the second generation.

The name is currently also being used for several other versions of the car: the South Korean-manufactured Samsung SM3, in various export markets worldwide; the Nissan Latio, throughout the Southeast Asian markets; the second generation Nissan Bluebird Sylphy in Russia.

Perhaps you could let Nissan Renault Thailand know their 2015 websites wrong. At least they have removed the Datsun 280 of it.

[Don Mega]

Nissan stopped making the Almera, in the UK, in 2006, so not sure what you would be getting here.

Seems the Almera name is being used for other versions of the car

The Nissan Almera was a small family car produced by the Japanese manufacturer Nissan from 1995 to 2006. It was essentially the European export-market version of the contemporary Nissan Pulsar, the first generation, and of the Nissan Bluebird Sylphy, the second generation.

The name is currently also being used for several other versions of the car: the South Korean-manufactured Samsung SM3, in various export markets worldwide; the Nissan Latio, throughout the Southeast Asian markets; the second generation Nissan Bluebird Sylphy in Russia.

Whilst you are quoting from wikipedia you should scroll to the bottom of the page.

"In October 2011, Nissan launched a new model as the economical saloon car for the Eco-Car project in Thailand, which was named Nissan Almera. The car is a rebadged version of the Nissan Latio (N17), which is based on the company's global V platform. It is equipped with the same 1.2-litre petrol engine (HR12DE) as the Nissan March and has either a five-speed manual or a CVT transmission. The name is also used for the car in Malaysia, Australia, Thailand, Singapore, Mauritius and Nigeria."

[IMHO]

Nissan stopped making the Almera, in the UK, in 2006, so not sure what you would be getting here.

Seems the Almera name is being used for other versions of the car

The Nissan Almera was a small family car produced by the Japanese manufacturer Nissan from 1995 to 2006. It was essentially the European export-market version of the contemporary Nissan Pulsar, the first generation, and of the Nissan Bluebird Sylphy, the second generation.

The name is currently also being used for several other versions of the car: the South Korean-manufactured Samsung SM3, in various export markets worldwide; the Nissan Latio, throughout the Southeast Asian markets; the second generation Nissan Bluebird Sylphy in Russia.

Whilst you are quoting from wikipedia you should scroll to the bottom of the page.

"In October 2011, Nissan launched a new model as the economical saloon car for the Eco-Car project in Thailand, which was named Nissan Almera. The car is a rebadged version of the Nissan Latio (N17), which is based on the company's global V platform. It is equipped with the same 1.2-litre petrol engine (HR12DE) as the Nissan March and has either a five-speed manual or a CVT transmission. The name is also used for the car in Malaysia, Australia, Thailand, Singapore, Mauritius and Nigeria."

Or alternatively, if they don't understand Thai models, just don't try - it's not helping the OP at all

[ozyjon]

Having a sedan is a waste of time in Thailand,,

a pickup can carry anything including people

only thing is everyone will be asking for your help.

They are tough, high off the ground and built to last

so don't be tempted to buy a Korean car,, in Thailand

outside the city they will fall apart in a few years,,

you have been told. toy a yota is the betta

[Andster 68]

New Honda City, bottom of the range, manual for out of town, automatic if you live in a big city. Last you 20 years, easy. Massive boot, loads of room for all the family. Quite nippy and very comfortable. Looks tidy. Test drive one and see.

[IMHO]

New Honda City, bottom of the range, manual for out of town, automatic if you live in a big city. Last you 20 years, easy. Massive boot, loads of room for all the family. Quite nippy and very comfortable. Looks tidy. Test drive one and see.

Agree, out of all these little tin cans, the City stands above the rest. But it's pricey compared to what's being discussed here.

[swissbie]

I can recommend Vios, it is a really good start and if something happens, everybody knows how to repair it .

The guy is 25 and has a good job but cannot afford a car? Try to get some money for the car from him, so he will also treat the car with respect, e.g. 20%.

Try to get some money or at least the maintenance coast ist a good idea, otherwise, a car has to be used, to park it for 7 months a year would not be the best option for the engine.

[mercman24]

what you want is a nice smart car, police are looking for squirrel, ??

[ardokano]

Having a sedan is a waste of time in Thailand,,

a pickup can carry anything including people

only thing is everyone will be asking for your help.

They are tough, high off the ground and built to last

so don't be tempted to buy a Korean car,, in Thailand

outside the city they will fall apart in a few years,,

you have been told. toy a yota is the betta

Safety is a waste of time?

Comfort is west time?

In Thailand pickup is cheap becouse suport from government.

In Thailan dificult get 500-1000k car.

not big choice.

The thai quality car is not the best thing and the expensive imported cars.

I bought Fortuner almost 3 years of use on the highway and 60k km. The whole car creaks, twitch at the start.

A nightmare . I remember a mercedes 124, irritated me creaking back left door. this after 300k km.

Now I look at the cars made in Germany 7 -10yaer old , 600-1500k.

Better second hand German car than Japanese misunderstanding produced in Thailand.

[bazza40]

Secondhand, low mileage. That way you don't throw away 100-200K baht on depreciation. Vios, City, Almera, Swift. All good cars, easy to park, economical on fuel. Vios is probably the best on reputation for reliability. As another poster has said, every mechanic in Thailand knows how to work on a Vios.

[gandalf12]

Is 25 year-old married or looking? Can he afford to put fuel in it? How well can he drive?

If I was 25 didn't have a car and was getting one for free. Probably a Swift or Brio.

For you? Brio Amaze is OK.

Brio Amaze is a nice little car, I bought one for my daughter.

[Pinot]

Between 500k and 600k there are a lot of good choices.

Often you'll see the low level trim cars don't have the safety equipment higher level cars do. No passenger airbag sort of things. Don't scrimp on the safety equipment because Thailand is the most dangerous place to drive in the world.

Suzuki Swift is low priced, not much to recommend it. The cars with the 3 cylinder engines don't measure up. The Mitsubishi Mirage has my vote as the cheapest looking POS in the world.

Ford Focus, Mazda 2 are good choices. Top of the class is the Honda Jazz. Nothing close to the new Honda Jazz 2016. Built here, it's competitively priced and technology wise, a big step ahead.

[Raaraab]

[quote name="JaseTheBass" post="10194139" timestamp="

ECO cars with motors under 1200cc will be reduced by ฿80 000.- from 1 January. I may swap in my three year old Almera for a new one, nicest family car I ever had and drove (CVT transmission) and one of the sturdier ECO cars around.

Otherwise as noted above, a two wheel drive truck is a good deal especially if you have a large family/ material to haul around.

It's in my wife's name, purely because the paper work was easier.

Why would a pickup be good for a large family? They're not that much roomier than a normal small sedan.

[IMHO]

Why would a pickup be good for a large family? They're not that much roomier than a normal small sedan.

Because that's what he drives - and like almost everyone else here, he's just recommending his own car

[watcharacters]

ECO cars with motors under 1200cc will be reduced by ฿80 000.- from 1 January. I may swap in my three year old Almera for a new one, nicest family car I ever had and drove (CVT transmission) and one of the sturdier ECO cars around.

Otherwise as noted above, a two wheel drive truck is a good deal especially if you have a large family/ material to haul around.

It's in my wife's name, purely because the paper work was easier.

Why would a pickup be good for a large family? They're not that much roomier than a normal small sedan.

Cos a dozen or more can cram in the back on the flat bed.

I know, it's done all the time LOL

I'd still prefer to sit in the cab.

https://youtu.be/fpJQmuyuhwg

[laislica]

ECO cars with motors under 1200cc will be reduced by ฿80 000.- from 1 January. I may swap in my three year old Almera for a new one, nicest family car I ever had and drove (CVT transmission) and one of the sturdier ECO cars around.

Otherwise as noted above, a two wheel drive truck is a good deal especially if you have a large family/ material to haul around.

It's in my wife's name, purely because the paper work was easier.

Why would a pickup be good for a large family? They're not that much roomier than a normal small sedan.

Cos a dozen or more can cram in the back on the flat bed.

I know, it's done all the time LOL

I'd still prefer to sit in the cab.

https://youtu.be/fpJQmuyuhwg

Always prefer the cab!

I guess that accident was caused because the driver braked and was heavily overloaded?

[mogo51]

I drive a Nissan Almera auto, very good and servicable car with good fule economy. You can buy a new auto for just over 500k.

I got a 6 months old repo with 8000km and in pristine condition for 359k.

Check farang car markets on web and also classified here etc.

[xylophone]

Good morning Laislica, I hope you are well and still enjoying a drop of red wine!!

Just over three years ago I bought a Suzuki Swift and it is an absolute gem of a car, with a four-cylinder engine and automatic transmission (CVT) along with a sports mode for that extra little bit of oomph when needed.

I tried the Nissan Almera, Mitsubishi Mirage, Honda Brio, Mazda 2 and settled for the Suzuki because it had the feeling of more space inside, superb roadholding and in the words of a motor critics review, "Suzuki has again done what it does so well, in producing a great little car with a superb engine and the reliability one comes to expect of this marque".

The only problem here is that I believe the Suzuki Swift will be coming to the end of its current model life, although I suppose in one respect it could well mean that the "run out" models could be much cheaper? They do have a new saloon on the market and I think it's called the "Ciaz" (or similar name) and it could well be worth a visit to a Suzuki showroom to have a look.

Finally, a friend of mine just recently bought a one-year-old eco car with less than 3000 km on the clock and in perfect condition, for 350,000 baht from a farang who was going home, and I believe now is the time to be looking for cars being sold privately, rather than through dealers, because you could get a good deal.

[laislica]

Good morning Laislica, I hope you are well and still enjoying a drop of red wine!!

Just over three years ago I bought a Suzuki Swift and it is an absolute gem of a car, with a four-cylinder engine and automatic transmission (CVT) along with a sports mode for that extra little bit of oomph when needed.

I tried the Nissan Almera, Mitsubishi Mirage, Honda Brio, Mazda 2 and settled for the Suzuki because it had the feeling of more space inside, superb roadholding and in the words of a motor critics review, "Suzuki has again done what it does so well, in producing a great little car with a superb engine and the reliability one comes to expect of this marque".

The only problem here is that I believe the Suzuki Swift will be coming to the end of its current model life, although I suppose in one respect it could well mean that the "run out" models could be much cheaper? They do have a new saloon on the market and I think it's called the "Ciaz" (or similar name) and it could well be worth a visit to a Suzuki showroom to have a look.

Finally, a friend of mine just recently bought a one-year-old eco car with less than 3000 km on the clock and in perfect condition, for 350,000 baht from a farang who was going home, and I believe now is the time to be looking for cars being sold privately, rather than through dealers, because you could get a good deal.

Nice to hear from you.

The red will have to wait until we return to Spain, far too expensive here.

Not to mention that all that lovely red helped expand my waist line LOL

I didn't even bring a couple of bottles because they don't travel well.

Thanks for the heads up on cars. Is that within my budget?

What about a 3 year old White Toyota Corolla Altis, 1800cc engine with E85, automatic transmission, leather interior, and 32000 KM on the clock. Its in very good condition, and is a safe and efficient car.

What price would you say for that and what's the new price?

Cheers

[steve187]

There is a Suzuki swift for sale on Thaivisa classifieds that looks nice.

[xylophone]

Good morning Laislica, I hope you are well and still enjoying a drop of red wine!!

Just over three years ago I bought a Suzuki Swift and it is an absolute gem of a car, with a four-cylinder engine and automatic transmission (CVT) along with a sports mode for that extra little bit of oomph when needed.

I tried the Nissan Almera, Mitsubishi Mirage, Honda Brio, Mazda 2 and settled for the Suzuki because it had the feeling of more space inside, superb roadholding and in the words of a motor critics review, "Suzuki has again done what it does so well, in producing a great little car with a superb engine and the reliability one comes to expect of this marque".

The only problem here is that I believe the Suzuki Swift will be coming to the end of its current model life, although I suppose in one respect it could well mean that the "run out" models could be much cheaper? They do have a new saloon on the market and I think it's called the "Ciaz" (or similar name) and it could well be worth a visit to a Suzuki showroom to have a look.

Finally, a friend of mine just recently bought a one-year-old eco car with less than 3000 km on the clock and in perfect condition, for 350,000 baht from a farang who was going home, and I believe now is the time to be looking for cars being sold privately, rather than through dealers, because you could get a good deal.

Nice to hear from you.

The red will have to wait until we return to Spain, far too expensive here.

Not to mention that all that lovely red helped expand my waist line LOL

I didn't even bring a couple of bottles because they don't travel well.

Thanks for the heads up on cars. Is that within my budget?

What about a 3 year old White Toyota Corolla Altis, 1800cc engine with E85, automatic transmission, leather interior, and 32000 KM on the clock. Its in very good condition, and is a safe and efficient car.

What price would you say for that and what's the new price?

Cheers

At my age I stopped worrying too much about my waistline, although having said that a couple of kilos shed would be good.

Anyway back on topic..........as I recall, the new base model Suzuki is around 500,000 baht so it is within your original budget and I have just noticed that "Steve187" has posted about a Swift for sale on ThaiVisa classifieds.

Personally, I do like Toyotas as I believe they make a good reliable car and the Corolla Altis is a very solid car and with leather seats it sounds like it's one of the top models.

Not an expert on second-hand car prices, however I would think at around 450,000 baht it would be a good buy? Anyway you can search the Internet to look at typical second-hand prices so you know what you can expect to pay.

Good luck with your search.

[canthai55]

One nice thing about the Altis - you will never live long enuf to see the spare parts run out. Just look at the number of taxis in BKK that run them. For well over 300,000 km

[DavisH]

One nice thing about the Altis - you will never live long enuf to see the spare parts run out. Just look at the number of taxis in BKK that run them. For well over 300,000 km

If one, like most Thais, treat a car like an appliance, a toyota is fine. They are everywhere, cheap, reliable and good resale. Toyota don't see much need to keep up with the pack in terms of technology, as they sell like hotcakes regardless. They tend to be relatively more expensive to buy, but that is made up in cheap parts and resale. Personally I find them a little bland and like something a bit different - but not proton or kia different I still like some semblance of quality and aftersales service.

[Gary A]

A friend of mine bought a Suzuki about a month ago. It was under 500,000. He and his wife love it. I have to say that it is a good looking vehicle and appears very practical. I don't know what model it is but it is bigger than I thought it would be.

[DavisH]

A friend of mine bought a Suzuki about a month ago. It was under 500,000. He and his wife love it. I have to say that it is a good looking vehicle and appears very practical. I don't know what model it is but it is bigger than I thought it would be.

My main reason for getting the swift was that I felt the design was nicer than the competition, had a 4 cyl engine (not 3 cyl), and was not originally designed for the ecocar program (it had been in the UK for a couple of years prior to its introduction here). There is lots of space in the front but not too much in the rear if the seat is right back. Good for kids though. The brakes, suspension and steering is very good in stock form. Plenty of aftermarket parts available too. The ciaz is much larger and a better choice for 4 adults, compared to the swift. The boot is not huge but much bigger than that of a honda brio. The mazda 2 petrol has slightly more power an also worth a look.