spacious + safe + around ฿1M, Honda HR-V alternatives?

[andreww]

Folks, 
Total car noob here, need a little help with a new car choice... 
Requirements are simple:
1) safety (i.e. 6 airbags is a must)
2) room (to pack a surfboard, kiddo's bike/scooter and missus' weekly ration from Makro)
3) priced around ฿1M
4) New car preferred (unless there's a way to get financing with 20% downpayment on a used one?)

 

So far, Honda HR-V seems like the best choice, but many people complain about user-unfriendly infotainment and too much noise. These are not deal breakers, but maybe there are other options on the market that I overlooked?

Your constructive advice is greatly appreciated, thanks in advance!
 

Edited August 7, 2016 by andreww

[frankphuket]

ok, let's get the ball rolling...

 

Broaden the range a little...., as the HR-V isn't really that spacious to start with, not even sure you can fit a surfboard?

1) in the compact car segment the Ford Focus is a nice and quite spacious drive.

2) For road safety: Subaru XV under 1m with 4wd or the Subaru Forester staring at 1.2 with 4wd and lots of space

3) Nissan Xtrail entry level model....a little over budget (1.2-1.3m) but long term a good choice with lots of space.

4) Mazda Cx-5 at around 1.2-1.3m entry level model

5) Ford Everest....around 1.3m to start with, huge...but based on a pick up and might be too big for some.

6) a bit of an outsider: Hyundai Tucson...not sure what kind of price/promotion they have, sometimes quite good discounts or one lightly used one would be a good deal as they do depreciate a lot quickly being Hyundai. Good warranty on them.

 

.....sorry haven't checked the airbag situation on any....

 

[DavisH]

For the airbags, perhaps the subaru forester, starts at 1.2M, or the subaru xv, starts at less than 1M (but only front and a driver knee airbag. Personally I like the cx-5 2wd diesel - fast and fuel efficient, but over 1.5M. 

[chopin2]

Pajero Sport start 1.164 m. Lots of room, but not sure about airbags.

 

https://www.mitsubishi-motors.co.th/en/car/all-new-pajero-sport/

 

(Sorry, think that only GT premium has 6 airbags, 1.474m)

Edited August 8, 2016 by chopin2

[chopin2]

I bought a HR-V last year, perfect for 2 adults and a car seat in the back for our 4 year old. With one more child on the way, its getting to small. So we are looking at Honda CR-V,  starts 1.25m, all grade levels has 6 airbags. Don't know it has 7 seats (a 3rd passenger seat row)?

 

 

Edited August 8, 2016 by chopin2

[DavisH]

39 minutes ago, chopin2 said:

I bought a HR-V last year, perfect for 2 adults and a car seat in the back for our 4 year old. With one more child on the way, its getting to small. So we are looking at Honda CR-V,  starts 1.25m, all grade levels has 6 airbags. Don't know it has 7 seats (a 3rd passenger seat row)?

 

 

I think the cr-v may be updated next year, so you may want to hold out on that (not sure of the time line though). If lucky enough, it will get the 1.5 turbo from the civic, or a new 2.0. The current cr-v is relatively heavy on petrol. 

[JaseTheBass]

I was looking for something along the same lines and bought a Ranger Wildtrak.

Lots of space. Check.
6 airbags. Check.
Isofix points for child seat. Check.
Drives better than anything Toyota can muster. Check.

[chopin2]

5 minutes ago, JaseTheBass said:

I was looking for something along the same lines and bought a Ranger Wildtrak.

Lots of space. Check.
6 airbags. Check.
Isofix points for child seat. Check.
Drives better than anything Toyota can muster. Check.

And price around 1 M,

http://www.ford.co.th/en/buying/price-list/

Edited August 8, 2016 by chopin2

[JaseTheBass]

And price aroud 1 M,

http://www.ford.co.th/en/buying/price-list/

Check!

[Big Guns]

A Ford Everest fits the bill its got 6 airbags, great infotainment system, very spacious and the seats fold completely flat and with the active noising its really quiet. The 2.2 is super quiet. I've got the 3.2 for the 4wd and its noisier than the 2.2 but not bad. You could have a lightly used 2.2 for around 1m THB. Look at the URL below for one2car.

http://www.one2car.com/for-sale/ford-everest-titanium-bangkok-metropolitan-kanchanaphisek/2967988/

[andreww]

16 minutes ago, Big Guns said:

A Ford Everest fits the bill its got 6 airbags, great infotainment system, very spacious and the seats fold completely flat and with the active noising its really quiet. The 2.2 is super quiet. I've got the 3.2 for the 4wd and its noisier than the 2.2 but not bad. You could have a lightly used 2.2 for around 1m THB. Look at the URL below for one2car.

http://www.one2car.com/for-sale/ford-everest-titanium-bangkok-metropolitan-kanchanaphisek/2967988/

 

Thanks for all your input, people, 

Is there any way to arrange financing with 20% downpayment and conditions, comparable to ones for the new cars at dealerships? 

[fstarbkk]

The Mazda CX 3 is the only direct competitor to the HR-V in terms of price and specs.

 

I tested both and, for my money, the CX 3 is definitely more fun to drive, but the HR-V seemed more practical in terms of use for cargo. The hatch is a bit larger on the latter, for example.

Edited August 8, 2016 by fstarbkk

[Muzarella]

SUBARU XV ALL WHEEL DRIVE 998K

Edited August 8, 2016 by Muzarella

[Muzarella]

http://www.caradvice.com.au/subaru/xv/

[bearpolar]

I have a HRV and for your needs: Top model Wildtrack.

 

 

[andreww]

Thanks, guys. Wildtrak is not an option for me, as we're not into pickup trucks in general, never had a need to use one. 

 Currently we drive wife's old Isuzu Trooper, and it fits our needs, but the car is literally falling apart now and a bit thirsty on petrol. I was after a 7-seater initially, but then realized that we used 7 seats once or twice in last 2 years, and they only take extra room in the boot for us. 

 

So far Pajero Sport looks interesting, will test drive tomorrow. Also 2nd hand Ford Everest deserves attention, but financing part... will call 'em tomorrow too. Cheers. 

Edited August 8, 2016 by andreww

[chopin2]

On 2016-08-08 at 11:56 AM, DavisH said:

I think the cr-v may be updated next year, so you may want to hold out on that (not sure of the time line though). If lucky enough, it will get the 1.5 turbo from the civic, or a new 2.0. The current cr-v is relatively heavy on petrol. 

Yes, an update will be public late 2016 or early 2017, according to this article. Increased  length to fit a 3rd row.

http://auto.ndtv.com/news/next-generation-honda-cr-v-spotted-testing-again-ahead-of-official-debut-1250968

[ballpoint]

Or think outside the mainstream.  I saw one of these last week and looked it up.  I don't have a clue about build or ride quality, and the looks are quirky, but the on board kit is impressive:

 

"The kit list is generous, and standard equipment includes LED DRLs and tail lamps, cruise control, automatic air con with rear air vents, keyless entry with push-start ignition, electronic parking brake, six-way power-adjustable driver’s seat and 18-inch two-tone alloys wrapped with 235/50 series tyres.

The GS also features an eight-speaker entertainment system with an eight-inch touchscreen, navigation and 16GB of built-in storage. There’s also an InkaNet app that displays a variety of information and status of the GS on owners’ smartphones. The range topping AWD adds on extra bits such as HID headlamps with washers, steering wheel paddle shifters and a four-way power-adjustable front passenger seat, plus roof rails and an electric sunroof

...

As for safety equipment, the GS comes with front and side airbags, ABS with EBD, electronic stability control as well as traction control. Also in are Isofix mounts and a hill-start assist system. The GS is priced at 1.21 million baht (RM138,317) for the 2WD and 1.31 million baht (RM149,748) for the AWD"

 

http://paultan.org/2016/03/25/gallery-mg-gs-suv-makes-debut-at-bangkok-2016/

[DavisH]

The MG GS is very heavy on fuel and doesn't have the performance that one would expect from 219 hp.  I asked someone about it not long ago - he reviews cars for an online magazine. He just said not to buy it. According to him the gearbox has the intelligence of a water bug. I think that says it all lol

 

Stick with the mainstream brands. Boring but reliable. 

[chopin2]

10 minutes ago, DavisH said:

The MG GS is very heavy on fuel and doesn't have the performance that one would expect from 219 hp.  I asked someone about it not long ago - he reviews cars for an online magazine. He just said not to buy it. According to him the gearbox has the intelligence of a water bug. I think that says it all lol

 

Stick with the mainstream brands. Boring but reliable. 

Look like a water bug too....

[andreww]

okay, after trying Everest and Pajero Sport, i'm a bit confused. Both cars are decent and feel like good value, but only PJS GT Premium offers full set of 7 airbags. It's already 40% over my budget... but interesting part is, I personally liked Everest more, and the base model includes 6 airbags and it's cheaper than PJS GT Premium... 

What really bugs me though: none of these two includes Apple Car Play (but then we have a DVD player in PJS... in 2016... WТF really), and built-in infotainment in both cars looks and feels like it's 2001 all over again: I had a better system in my BMW 10 years ago. I actually managed to hang Everest's infotainment system while trying to simply connect my iPhone to it, so had to pull over and hook it up via bluetooth. Not impressed. PJS is better on this account, but still  — dealing with this piece of outdated UX with no prospects of updates  — a bit frustrating.

 

In addition, ma missus prefers PJS as "I always wanted it".. so will try to get a good deal from the dealer. 

 

On the same note, is there an up-to-date comparison of top PJS (GT Premium) vs. base Everest (2.2L Titanium)? I could find some seemingly outdated table (attached), and was wondering is there a newer version somewhere.. 

 

Thanks everyone for being constructive!

 

Edited August 10, 2016 by andreww

[eTiMaGo]

My buddy just got an Everest, and wow, I'm impressed, it's really comfortable, has a really high level of gadgets and equipment for a "budget" car. I would not buy one though, i'd be too busy fiddling with the information display instead of paying attention to the road

[JaseTheBass]

At least when you are inside the Pajero you don't have to look at it. My eyes are still sore after the last one I glanced at.

[andreww]

 

A question to happy Everest owners: does its audio system allow rear-front speaker re-balancing, i.e. mute front speakers so parents can talk,  and jack up rear speakers so kids can enjoy Thomas the Tank engine audiobooks? 

 

Cheers. 

Edited August 13, 2016 by andreww