Sawan Chan 7 Posted May 31, 2016 Share Posted May 31, 2016 Hi Are there any available and if so, would you recommend them. Which ones are good value? Thanks for your expertise, advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pgrahmm Posted May 31, 2016 Share Posted May 31, 2016 I see Toyota's & Honda's.... I believe the Prius is no longer sold here...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oceaneyes Posted May 31, 2016 Share Posted May 31, 2016 The new Nissan Trail has a hybrid version. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gandalf12 Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 For now I would not buy a hybrid and the reason is the technology is still in its infancy. I would let it mature a few more years then think of buying one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pgrahmm Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 For now I would not buy a hybrid and the reason is the technology is still in its infancy. I would let it mature a few more years then think of buying one. Not so sure about that..... The Prius came out in 1997 so the Toyota hybrid technology is in it's 20th model year.....It was the first successful mass production & acceptable hybrid.....The Honda Insight has been around for a while too but it was more like 1/2 a car with little utility other than a 2 person commuter so it never caught on strong..... I believe it was Ford that paid Toyota for rights to copy their hybrid technology...... The technology is quite solid & has gone/been proven through it's evolutionary & development - platforms & stages...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
williamgeorgeallen Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 think the honda CRV was supposed to be very good with engine front wheel drive and electric engines driving the rear. not sure on the availability in thailand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bazza40 Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 Hybrids work quite well.The catch to them is the batteries need replacing at about the ten year mark, which is an expensive exercise. Meantime, engine efficiency for petrol models is accelerating to the point where they almost match diesels for fuel economy, and aren't that far away from the bigger hybrids. One has to remember when hybrids are using their petrol engine component at higher speeds they are lugging dead weight around. IMHO hybrids are much more suited to stop-start city traffic. Be that as it may, vehicles consuming 10 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres are dinosaurs now. However, I still drive one and love it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike324 Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 Prius and Camry are the two most reliable I feel, like pgrahmm said, prius has been out around 20 years. Toyota hybrid is consider as a mature and proven technology. Toyota stop making the Prius last year due to the low demand and no continue government incentive that makes it worth producing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DTL2014 Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 depends what you want it for- small and nippy ,big and capable of carrying cargo or just for passengers i like the BMW 330e -good power and finish for the value but the i3 may also be available -pricey mitsubishi outlander (not sure if available here or whether the pajero has a hybrid option yet ) then nissan x trail super luxury - new volvo t8? golf e ? limited servicing outlets a toyota camry might offer good value there is no good value in cars in thailand i am aware of - the tax law favours small engines with lower power - but even then you'll be paying double the prices of europe(why do the thai people allow this..?why doesn't europe tax thai car exports in the same manner? despite having solar and wind turbines for my home - for which i had hopes of charging a hybrid car- i decided to get a small ,efficient petrol engine.. runs E20(because i already have a diesel suv). would like to know what you consider best value - as environmental concerns might outweigh economical concerns Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
augustwest Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 I like the Honda CRZ but in the USA they are $20000 here nearly 2 million. Have seen a few here though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mansell Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 For now I would not buy a hybrid and the reason is the technology is still in its infancy. I would let it mature a few more years then think of buying one. This is total nonsense. I have had three Toyota Prius and one electric car. The hybrid Prius are at the front edge of this technology. I wonder if the writer above has even owned a hybrid car. The Prius has the ability to switch off the engine while going downhill and not use any electric power either. In fact it is harvesting electricity at this point. I was going down the Grapevine in California at night with the lights, a/c, cruise control, and music on, and there wasn't any power being used at all as it was making the electricity. Being as it was my first hybrid I was shocked as I had no idea it could do this. On one journey from CA to Montana I was getting 60 mpg doing 80 mph with a/c on. I think the later ones I had were not as thrifty with the gas. As for you buying one. It all comes down to the warranty on the batteries....in CA it was ten years. Prius have been used as taxis for nearly a decade and getting 200,000 mile plus with no problems. These cars do cost more, and you have to educate yourself on how to drive it efficiently. But I loved mine. My ex-wife just leased a 2016 in CA for $200 a month....that is a great deal. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gandalf12 Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 For now I would not buy a hybrid and the reason is the technology is still in its infancy. I would let it mature a few more years then think of buying one. Not so sure about that..... The Prius came out in 1997 so the Toyota hybrid technology is in it's 20th model year.....It was the first successful mass production & acceptable hybrid.....The Honda Insight has been around for a while too but it was more like 1/2 a car with little utility other than a 2 person commuter so it never caught on strong..... I believe it was Ford that paid Toyota for rights to copy their hybrid technology...... The technology is quite solid & has gone/been proven through it's evolutionary & development - platforms & stages...... A hybrid is always going to be a compromise. Be good when they have a fully electric car that can rival the normal fuel fed system we have now. But getting back to hybrids, you pay a lot more to buy one and as calculations have shown it takes many years just to break even. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bazza40 Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 Prius and Camry are the two most reliable I feel, like pgrahmm said, prius has been out around 20 years. Toyota hybrid is consider as a mature and proven technology. Toyota stop making the Prius last year due to the low demand and no continue government incentive that makes it worth producing. Not surprising the Prius was in low demand. Has all the style of a pregnant cowpat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iggie Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 Surprisingly noone has mention about Lexus Hybrid cars. Although the Prius has been rated the Best Efficient Car in the Hybrid category, Lexus is not far behind. I own a Lexus Hybrid and have been driving for the past 3 years +. Never regretted the Purchase. Hybrid Cars from Toyota Camry and Honda Accord are making their way in Thailand Roads. Honda CRZ, Sporty 2-Door Hybrid Car, but very few on the Road. Hybrid Cars in Thailand are a growing market. Pricier but worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bearpolar Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 I would wait for the Honda Accord Hybrid. Has tons of safety features with more power and lower fuel consumption. It should be out by September this year. by that time surely there will be some electric options coming? The volt from chevvy should get here some day, its a really nice car and all the wannabe hisos would get it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike324 Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 Surprisingly noone has mention about Lexus Hybrid cars. Although the Prius has been rated the Best Efficient Car in the Hybrid category, Lexus is not far behind. I own a Lexus Hybrid and have been driving for the past 3 years +. Never regretted the Purchase. Hybrid Cars from Toyota Camry and Honda Accord are making their way in Thailand Roads. Honda CRZ, Sporty 2-Door Hybrid Car, but very few on the Road. Hybrid Cars in Thailand are a growing market. Pricier but worth it. well the lexus isn't exactly consider as "good value" what the OP wanted if you compare it with the camry or other similarly priced hybrids We can also list Porsche Cayenne and Panamera hybrids if the OP has the budget for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HidyHo Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 Are you guys talking about cars that are available in Thailand? I see very little Thailand-specific information in the thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mortenaa Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 (edited) There is only a few plugin-hybrids in the Thai Market that I know of.. Benz c350e, BMW330e and X5 http://www.bmw.co.th/th/th/newvehicles/3series/sedan/2016/showroom/bmw_edrive.html Normal hybrids doesn't really help much. But a PHEV can help you save a lot of gas in Bangkok Traffic, as with a full battery all that waiting on red lights will be on battery power alone. Edited June 1, 2016 by mortenaa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sawan Chan 7 Posted June 1, 2016 Author Share Posted June 1, 2016 Thank all. The BMW330e looks like the car for me or the X5 if I can the finance for it, which is unlikely. I like the Prius and would buy that if it were still available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pgrahmm Posted June 2, 2016 Share Posted June 2, 2016 There is only a few plugin-hybrids in the Thai Market that I know of.. Benz c350e, BMW330e and X5 http://www.bmw.co.th/th/th/newvehicles/3series/sedan/2016/showroom/bmw_edrive.html Normal hybrids doesn't really help much. But a PHEV can help you save a lot of gas in Bangkok Traffic, as with a full battery all that waiting on red lights will be on battery power alone. Which is exactly what the Prius has always done..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
williamgeorgeallen Posted June 2, 2016 Share Posted June 2, 2016 think hot weather can have an adverse effect on battery performance. probably need to get one with good cooling measures to get the best mileage. i am interested in getting an electric plug in car but it seems limited range would be prohibitive. not so many hybrid plug ins around. bmw has one but the back up petrol tank in only 1.9L i just signed up to in interesting newsletter from plugincars.com which you may find interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikebike Posted June 2, 2016 Share Posted June 2, 2016 For now I would not buy a hybrid and the reason is the technology is still in its infancy. I would let it mature a few more years then think of buying one. 20 years of retail hybrids and you think the technology is in its infancy? The first Model T rolled off the line in 1908 making the entire auto industry only 108 yrs old ... Electric cars were around before the Model T... Infancy my arse! You would have still been riding a horse in 1928 'cause the auto industry was 'still in its infancy'... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikebike Posted June 2, 2016 Share Posted June 2, 2016 Be good when they have a fully electric car that can rival the normal fuel fed system we have now. But getting back to hybrids, you pay a lot more to buy one and as calculations have shown it takes many years just to break even. There is a vehicle called a Tesla which is in many ways a better car than most 'fuel fed system' vehicles. the problem is not electric tech, or even batteries at this point it is overcoming the fossil fuel industry's lobbyists and getting investment into charging stations to support an electric fleet of retail vehicles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikebike Posted June 2, 2016 Share Posted June 2, 2016 think hot weather can have an adverse effect on battery performance. probably need to get one with good cooling measures to get the best mileage. i am interested in getting an electric plug in car but it seems limited range would be prohibitive. not so many hybrid plug ins around. bmw has one but the back up petrol tank in only 1.9L i just signed up to in interesting newsletter from plugincars.com which you may find interesting. Prius power capability increases with higher temperatures and decreases at lower temperatures. The Prius has a computer that’s solely dedicated to keeping the Prius battery at the optimum temperature and optimum charge level. The Prius supplies conditioned air from the cabin as thermal management for cooling the batteries. I assume the offerings from Honda, Nissan and the rest do the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luk AJ Posted June 2, 2016 Share Posted June 2, 2016 Thank all. The BMW330e looks like the car for me or the X5 if I can the finance for it, which is unlikely. I like the Prius and would buy that if it were still available. What I understood from BMW dealer is that their hybrids are already replaced with E cars. Difference; hybrids recharge their batteries with their engine while E car batteries have to be charged from the grid. The combustion engine remains part of the concept. Actually same as Volvo. I don't undetstand very well the reason for this technology change. For me I would prefer hydrogen fueled cars with combustion. Exhaust is water and we can keep the roaring engine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
williamgeorgeallen Posted June 2, 2016 Share Posted June 2, 2016 main problem with current E cars is lack of range and re charging time. also governments will give better subsidies to cars that dont run directly on fossil fuels (possibly a bit mis guided where the electricity is produced by coal fired electricity generating power stations) think hybrids are a good compromise for now especially if they can be plugged into the grid to charge the batteries. downside is having to add weight to electric cars with a small internal combustion engine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HidyHo Posted June 2, 2016 Share Posted June 2, 2016 also governments will give better subsidies to cars that dont run directly on fossil fuels ... What subsidies is Thai government giving on hybrid cars? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mortenaa Posted June 2, 2016 Share Posted June 2, 2016 Thank all. The BMW330e looks like the car for me or the X5 if I can the finance for it, which is unlikely. I like the Prius and would buy that if it were still available. What I understood from BMW dealer is that their hybrids are already replaced with E cars. Difference; hybrids recharge their batteries with their engine while E car batteries have to be charged from the grid. The combustion engine remains part of the concept. Actually same as Volvo. I don't undetstand very well the reason for this technology change. For me I would prefer hydrogen fueled cars with combustion. Exhaust is water and we can keep the roaring engine. The correct term is PHEV - Plug-In Hybrid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mortenaa Posted June 2, 2016 Share Posted June 2, 2016 also governments will give better subsidies to cars that dont run directly on fossil fuels ... What subsidies is Thai government giving on hybrid cars? Its a lower excise tax on Hybrids, but all in all there are so many different taxes on cars here, so hard to calculate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gandalf12 Posted June 4, 2016 Share Posted June 4, 2016 For now I would not buy a hybrid and the reason is the technology is still in its infancy. I would let it mature a few more years then think of buying one. 20 years of retail hybrids and you think the technology is in its infancy? The first Model T rolled off the line in 1908 making the entire auto industry only 108 yrs old ... Electric cars were around before the Model T... Infancy my arse! You would have still been riding a horse in 1928 'cause the auto industry was 'still in its infancy'... Yes it is in its infancy. Sure it has been around quite a while but it has still got limited range and you have to rely on the fuel section to get you anywhere. when they overcome the range and the higher price they will be worth seriously looking at but until then they are still in development stage and that by any standard is the infancy stage Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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