Trying again. New small car.

[Gonsalviz]

What is the best cheap small new car at the moment. Anyone been shopping lately?

[manfredtillmann]

i wrote a big story about the pros and cons of my nissan almera only to loose it during another 'lock up' of the tv website!

third time now, pretty sick of it.

anyway, condensed version, good car, recommended. pm me for more detail.

cheers

mft

[Bung]

Almera is fine if you don't mind driving the ugliest car in history. Huge back seat legroom though if that's your thing.  I was using a Suzuki swift for a while and loved it. Great car,  handles sweet and goes well.  Seemed as fast as my 2 litre car embarrassingly. 

[Kinnock]

Depends on your priorities - best for resale value and running costs is probably the Toyota Vios or Honda City or perhaps Nissan March.

 

If you want best space and load capacity in a low cost car - Honda BR-V (or Almera if you wear a bag on head when driving)

 

If you want best to drive - Ford Fiesta (latest models seem to have sorted the gearbox issues - and dual clutch drives better than a CVT any day)

 

Bangkok Motorsale show at BITEC towards end of this month - often good deals on the less popular models.

 

But the answer to your question about cost/value (although not the most interesting or best to drive) is probably the Yaris.

[giddyup]

2 hours ago, Bung said:

Almera is fine if you don't mind driving the ugliest car in history. Huge back seat legroom though if that's your thing.  I was using a Suzuki swift for a while and loved it. Great car,  handles sweet and goes well.  Seemed as fast as my 2 litre car embarrassingly. 

3 cylinder 1.2 litre, I'd hate to drive it with 4 people and luggage. Strike a head wind and you'd be going backwards.

[properperson]

Honda Brio:

 

http://www.honda.co.th/brio/

 

4 cyl, 90bhp iVETEC engine...

 

 

[manfredtillmann]

9 hours ago, giddyup said:

3 cylinder 1.2 litre, I'd hate to drive it with 4 people and luggage. Strike a head wind and you'd be going backwards.

i do not share this view. while the little engines performance certainly does not make the sweat boil in your bum-crack it seems incredibly good for such a small volume engine. super responsive and paired to this miracle of a transmission, that effortlessly changes gears in fractions of seconds many times in the blink of the eye. we frequently do the mukdahan - kalasin - khon kaen trip with a full car and i have no problems or complaints about neither performance nor fuel consumption.

and the boot space!!! the attached photo shows two standard bales of rices straw, and i could have fitted a box of heineken either side...

[wwest5829]

13 hours ago, manfredtillmann said:

i wrote a big story about the pros and cons of my nissan almera only to loose it during another 'lock up' of the tv website!

third time now, pretty sick of it.

anyway, condensed version, good car, recommended. pm me for more detail.

cheers

mft

 

Regarding the ThaiVisa "lock up". I have had the same happen. Now, if a lengthy entry, I write off the website, then copy and paste when ready. Who needs the stress?

[Zendo]

It depends a lot on your point of view...

Also what kind of gearbox would you like ? Manual, Automatic, or CVT ?

Also the type of vehicule that you like, sedan or hatchback ?

[umbanda]

All the small Honda....new or under 3 years old from first owner.

[manfredtillmann]

19 minutes ago, wwest5829 said:

 

Regarding the ThaiVisa "lock up". I have had the same happen. Now, if a lengthy entry, I write off the website, then copy and paste when ready. Who needs the stress?

same here. it just seemed to be a lot simpler before the latest website 'improvements'.

i'm sure the people in charge will sort it out soon.

[MANFROMBOCA]

HONDA BRIO

[ubeturazz]

Nissan Almeira, Suzuki Swift, Mitsubishi Atrage and Mirage all have the same 3 cyl engine..

and they are all under 500K - with automatic for our lazy Thai wives. (just joking tee rak)! 

if ur talking toyota or honda, prepare to splash out the BIG bucks!!

you can get info for all the new cars @ siamnewcar.com compare to ur heart's content!

[ubeturazz]

10 hours ago, giddyup said:

3 cylinder 1.2 litre, I'd hate to drive it with 4 people and luggage. Strike a head wind and you'd be going backwards.

 

I'll bet giddy has a big bike too? 

[Krataiboy]

My missus loves her Mitsubishi Atrrage. But she is Thai - and a woman. Nuff said.

[rixalex]

14 hours ago, Bung said:

Almera is fine if you don't mind driving the ugliest car in history. Huge back seat legroom though if that's your thing.  I was using a Suzuki swift for a while and loved it. Great car,  handles sweet and goes well.  Seemed as fast as my 2 litre car embarrassingly. 

Almera would never win a beauty contest but how much time do you spend looking at the outside of your car? Sure looks are a factor when buying a car but when buying a cheap compact budget, pretty low down on the list i'd say.

 

Regarding performance, i think any 1.2 powered car is little to be a bit sluggish if paired with an automatic gearbox. Go for manual if it's a concern. I've driven up some of the steepest inclines you are ever likely to find, on Koh Chang. 4 adults and luggage. No problem.

 

80,000km and it hasn't missed a beat.

[patyh]

If you don't mind the lack of a boot space, the Mirage is one of the better Small car. It drives really well in a city..but a bit too light for highway. The 1200 cc, 3 Cyl Engine is good enough for the city and some highway if you're patient enough.. Mitsubishi tend to be great with their option. If your missy will be driving from time to time, I recommend the Anti-Collision option.. That will save your bumper repair cost.. 

 

If you need a boot space, the Mitsubishi Attrage is pretty good.. Pretty cheap and has loads of options as well.. Same engine as the Mirage so do except slower acceleration. Big space in the rear and the boot. Though not as much leg room as the Almera of course. 

 

I am not a fan of CVT gearbox.. but the CVT would be a better option for better fuel economy and Bangkok Traffic. The CVT should not have a problem handling 4 passenger and carry on. Though I had the Manual Attrage.. It was just more fun to drive.  

[petermik]

13 hours ago, giddyup said:

3 cylinder 1.2 litre, I'd hate to drive it with 4 people and luggage. Strike a head wind and you'd be going backwards.

I drove my Almera from Pattaya down to Krabi with 4 adults plus luggage absolutely fine AND fuel for the journey average was 20.6 litres/kilometre almost 60 mpg...........I,ve done almost 50k in the past 18 months in it and its done everything I,ve asked of it,in my opinion its the best value budget car on the market.....

[lemonjelly]

Anyone have thoughts on the Yaris? I'm also looking to buy a small car in the next few months 

[Kinnock]

3 minutes ago, lemonjelly said:

Anyone have thoughts on the Yaris? I'm also looking to buy a small car in the next few months 

 

Used a rental Yaris (new eco-car version, base model) for a Bangkok, Kanchanaburi trip - it was comfortable, quite and has a lot of space inside, but a bit sluggish.  Engine sounds strained when overtaking.  But for the money it's a good deal. 

 

All the lower cost 'eco-cars' cars have compromises - but if space and cost are priorities then the Yaris and Almera must be near the top of your list. 

 

Price of non 'eco-cars' jumps up a bit due to increased tax (and they are generally better equipped) - but if not paying cash, then the monthly cost of a 'proper' car vs one in the 'eco-car' category is minimal.  That's why if I was buying a smaller car now - I'd go for the BR-V (if space was my priority) or Fiesta (if driver enjoyment was my priority).  

 

[alien365]

For information the Honda Brio Amaze is a 4 cylinder 1.2. Its just like the Brio but it has a bigger boot. I like the style of mine and there's ample space inside (not as much as the Almera though). Easily fits two full size luggage's in if you frequently drive to the airport. It's nippy, but acceleration can be a bit sluggish at times depending on the number of passengers. 4 or 5 westerners inside really slows the acceleration down but 1 westerner and 4 Thais, no problem. It can easily cruise along at 120-130 on the highways at 2-2.5k revs.

 

I think choosing a car is a personal choice though;you have to pick what feels right for you. I would never buy a car just because someone told me it's the best. If I did that, then at this price range I'd have gone for the Suzuki swift.

[Coota]

14 hours ago, giddyup said:

3 cylinder 1.2 litre, I'd hate to drive it with 4 people and luggage. Strike a head wind and you'd be going backwards.

 

I own a Nissan March and love it.  Plenty of power, sometimes it amazes me how fast it can go from a standing start.  The best fuel economy and lots of room.  I travel regularly from Surin to Chantaburi with wife and 2 kids plus luggage and it does it with ease.  I overtake anything with ease and sit on about 110 klm.  It is auto as well. Prior to this car I had a Mitsu Triton and I preferred to drive the Nissan which was my wife's car.  Pickups are very overrated.  Before that I had a Mazda 2 with a boot and I did not like it very much. 

[Roota]

I rent cars at various airports around Thailand once or twice a month and make it a point to try a variety of cars. My current favourites are the Swift and the Fiesta, though I'd never buy a Ford again after my experiences with the dealerships in this country.

[DavisH]

4 hours ago, ubeturazz said:

Nissan Almeira, Suzuki Swift, Mitsubishi Atrage and Mirage all have the same 3 cyl engine..

and they are all under 500K - with automatic for our lazy Thai wives. (just joking tee rak)! 

if ur talking toyota or honda, prepare to splash out the BIG bucks!!

you can get info for all the new cars @ siamnewcar.com compare to ur heart's content!

The suzuki swift is 1.2 4 cylinder, 91hp. It's easy to drive and just returned from Kanchanaburi. Lots of heavy traffic and 530 km round trip. Still plenty of fuel left. It's great around town, but up country driving really needs a larger vehicle. The short wheelbase makes it uncomfortable on poor and bumpy roads. I normally get around 14-15km/l on e10 gasohol. 

[louse1953]

5 hours ago, wwest5829 said:

 

Regarding the ThaiVisa "lock up". I have had the same happen. Now, if a lengthy entry, I write off the website, then copy and paste when ready. Who needs the stress?

If it wasn't broken why are they trying to "fix" it.

[bazza40]

All the models with Japanese origins are good. The combination of a small engine and CVT means the transmission fluid gets quite hot when travelling in the mountains. Almera for room, Suzuki Swift for performance.

Personally, a secondhand Toyota Vios with low mileage is my choice. 1.5 L engine is bulletproof, and there are very few mechanics in Thailand that don't know how to service them.

[Mansell]

I was looking at the Vios, but was quite surprised to find out the 2016 only comes in CVT. I drove one in traffic for around thirty minutes, (I thought I was on a test drive, but we were going to another showroom to see a red one) I wasn't thrilled by the delay whenever I wanted to accelerate, it just didn't feel right. When I got home  I Googled CVT to see what the story was....I was shocked to read about numerous catastrophic failures that ended up costing the owners anywhere from $4,000 to $8,000 to replace the system. Now this was all in America, but it was many different manufacturers, and all out of warranty, and sometimes with low mileage. Definitely turned me off CVT systems. It seems the manufactures like CVT because it is lighter and cheaper.....but not for the car owners.

[SunsetT]

7 hours ago, manfredtillmann said:

i do not share this view. while the little engines performance certainly does not make the sweat boil in your bum-crack it seems incredibly good for such a small volume engine. super responsive and paired to this miracle of a transmission, that effortlessly changes gears in fractions of seconds many times in the blink of the eye. we frequently do the mukdahan - kalasin - khon kaen trip with a full car and i have no problems or complaints about neither performance nor fuel consumption.

and the boot space!!! the attached photo shows two standard bales of rices straw, and i could have fitted a box of heineken either side...

What are you trafficking behind there.............illegal immigrants? ......or dumping mother-in-law's body?....555........!

[lickard]

Suzuki Swift, without a doubt one of the best cars I've ever bought.

 

Did a 4000km round trip from Pattaya to Chiang Rai spending up to 12 hours a day driving. No backache! And that's unheard of for me.

 

Drives like a go-kart round town and as smooth as silk on the motorway. Economical and sporty.

 

Go for a test drive. You'll be hooked

 

If you can afford it go for the higher end model with the bells and whistles...

[dotpoom]

My wife had a Nissan March.....reliable and good on fuel,  she called it a "Cartoon Car". She has just reminded me that I said I didn't like it. I was interested to know why so I asked her why I didn't like it....seemingly I said it was a car for a baby to drive?