Best small car for around 2 million baht

[mortenaa]

On 3/13/2017 at 5:44 PM, Dagnabbit said:

 

Might be cheaper - but the car cost me $130,000 - I would much rather pay $2k for a Hartge chip knowing that I am buying from a company that works with BMW.... 

 

Hartge offers a piggyback (Been there done that). Autowerks BKK uses proper ECU maps from a reputable German tuner (Mcchip-DKR), which tunes ALL parameters in your engine. Can't even compare. 

Edited March 16, 2017 by mortenaa

[frankphuket]

hmmh, new not easy at all.

Second hand: I have a VW GOLF GTI, actually just sold it to our daughters hubby. 4 years 1m Baht....a great deal. Those are really powerful and fun cars to drive, very practical too and nicely finished. I also have a Mini Cooper GP which is even more fun, but not as practical...and then I also have a Citroen DS 3 which kind of sits in between, as it is a manual it is fun, but not as hardcore. It is the THP, meaning Turbo version, has 4 seats and i got it for 750K, with 30,000km on it. new it was 1.69m but they don't sell it anymore.

 

So, coming back to new I think the only decent choice is:

Benz CLA 250 at around 2.49m

Benz GLA 250 at around 2.39m (I think better choice for Thai roads)

Volvo V40 at around 1.7m

Volvo V40 Cross Country (no 4WD though) at 2m

 

At least those two brands have wide representation and won't run out of spare parts etc easily....an issue with VW.

 

 

 

[sotsira]

I don't know, maybe i'm missing something here, but buying a Mercedes Benz 

and it being FWD just doesn't seem right to me.

How can the CLA or GLA even be considered by the OP as fun cars to drive?

It would make me feel that i've been cheated by the famous Merc badge in some way or 

another.

 

If i were the OP i'd consider that as a step down to the 528i that he currently has.

[Dagnabbit]

16 hours ago, sotsira said:

I don't know, maybe i'm missing something here, but buying a Mercedes Benz 

and it being FWD just doesn't seem right to me.

How can the CLA or GLA even be considered by the OP as fun cars to drive?

It would make me feel that i've been cheated by the famous Merc badge in some way or 

another.

 

If i were the OP i'd consider that as a step down to the 528i that he currently has.

Well - anything for 2M THB (or around that) is going to be a step down from the 528i in some respects.  

 

Plus I'm still keeping that car - this is just a little runaround I want. My thoughts were - if I'm gonna buy another car - might as well be a fun one.

 

I was under some bizarre illusion that a small car with a half decent engine would blow my 528i away - seeing as the 5 series weighs as much as a house. 

 

But nope - seems the 6.7 seconds 0-100 km/h of the Sherman tank I drive is too much for a hot hatch to beat unless it costs more than the 5 series. 

 

Who would have thought the 5 series was a hot hatch...

 

 

[JAS21]

3 hours ago, Dagnabbit said:

Well - anything for 2M THB (or around that) is going to be a step down from the 528i in some respects.  

 

Plus I'm still keeping that car - this is just a little runaround I want. My thoughts were - if I'm gonna buy another car - might as well be a fun one.

 

I was under some bizarre illusion that a small car with a half decent engine would blow my 528i away - seeing as the 5 series weighs as much as a house. 

 

But nope - seems the 6.7 seconds 0-100 km/h of the Sherman tank I drive is too much for a hot hatch to beat unless it costs more than the 5 series. 

 

Who would have thought the 5 series was a hot hatch...

 

 

If you are only after a toy to play with, buy anything with a turbo and spend 20,000thb at ECU Thailand. Then you should be able to see of your 528

[Pdaz]

The fault in your plan was "half decent engine" If prepared to buy used there cars that can produce decent hp. But with a budget of 2 mil ( or even 3 mil ) there is just about nothing to choose from in the new car market.

 

BRZ with HKS supercharger kit

Mini with a remap

Honda civic RS with a remap ( sorry couldn't help chuckling as I wrote that )

BMW 1 or 2 series with a remap

Merc A series with a remap

 

Compare the above with the usual hot hatches available in the West and it becomes obvious what pathetic choices there are here.

Edited March 17, 2017 by Pdaz

[Dagnabbit]

Pdaz - interesting you mention the A series. The only A on the Benz price list is the AMG at 4.6M -you seen any other A series for sale here?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Dagnabbit]

Test drove the CLA 250 AMG on Sunday.

 

It's pretty & fairly fast, although a very different feel from the rear wheel drive I'm used to. The speedo was showing speeds way in excess of how fast I thought I was going. 

 

It's quiet inside the cabin and a lot more comfortable than the 1 series, which is totally gutless in comparison. I'd compare the 250AMG with a 3 series and it is certainly giving the beemers a run for their money in terms of price/performance.

 

The ride is nice too - it did iron out the bumps very well for a sporty model. 

 

Minds not made up though - I'll give the GLA AMG 250 a spin - performance is about the same, it's not as pretty - but it's a bit more practical for a cyclist.

 

I'm half sold on Merc - but it's not what I was setting out to buy.

[BKKBike09]

@Dagnabbit - I think Autowerks on New Phetchburi Road have both BRZ and WRX in their showroom since they're now an official Subaru dealer. If you don't mind dumping 2M+ on something new then BRZ might be a good choice. For me, it's the best looking of the various models discussed in this thread and it should tune up nicely. However I don't know if the looks extend to the interior ... I looked at one a year or so ago and the interior was dismal. You can see why it's a 25K USD car in the US (same with the WRX).

 

I bought a 2nd hand Scirocco a year or so ago (1.2M / 3 y o). Had Autowerks do the basic remap and I think it's now around 240hp/330nm (stock is 210/280, I think). It's certainly quite quick. It's also really solidly built. But you don't want 2nd hand, which is fair enough, so ...

 

[BKKBike09]

^ Meant to say that I've heard some radio ads with a 4-year interest free offer on the Audi TT. But I suspect the list price will be pushing 4M.

 

[mortenaa]

They had the WRX on the motorshow, and they sold quite fast, even the show model was sold. Next week a new motorshow is on so.. 

[madhav]

Could check out an Audi A1, they are small, turbocharged, sell 2nd hand for less than a million, new for less than 2 million. Engine can make over 200hp with a tune or 300hp with a F21TC turbo upgrade.

 

I would second the golf GTI. Just picked up a mk 6 over the weekend. Price was 1,000,000 baht, immaculate condition, stage one tune already on it, 240hp. Will soon install the F23T turbo kit with stratified automotive tuning package,  50k baht for the kit plus 25k for the custom tuning. With Ethanol fueling or water meth injection gives 370whp. This is over 400hp at the engine, which is enough power for most people.

 

 

[richard_smith237]

2nd Hand Nissan 370Z ???
Very quick... 350hp 3.7l V6
Lots of fun...

However, a quick search suggests they hold their value fairly well...(2-3 MB for 4 yrs old)



Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[coops]

On 20/03/2017 at 5:36 PM, Dagnabbit said:

..... but it's a bit more practical for a cyclist........

 

 

Just get a tow bar ball hitch fitted and buy a Thule hitch mounted rack. Thule can fit a ball hitch also, but best to ask manufacturer to install official one if possible.

 

Change car later on - no problem. The Thule rack will last decades... easy on / easy off and access to boot when mounted as it can tip forward. No arseing about takeing wheels off and on your bike or any other faff.

[Dagnabbit]

Ordered the GLA 250 AMG at the motor show today. Had a good look round and at 2.3m thb seemed like the best for us. 0-100 in 6.6 before any mods is a good base to build from. Noice.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Jitar]

On ‎18‎/‎03‎/‎2017 at 6:19 PM, Dagnabbit said:

Pdaz - interesting you mention the A series. The only A on the Benz price list is the AMG at 4.6M -you seen any other A series for sale here?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Benz were selling A and B class models in LOS about 18 moths ago but these models have been dropped. 

 

1 hour ago, Dagnabbit said:

Ordered the GLA 250 AMG at the motor show today. Had a good look round and at 2.3m thb seemed like the best for us. 0-100 in 6.6 before any mods is a good base to build from. Noice.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The GLA is a nice car.

I suspect 6.6 sec may be for the AWD version outside Thailand, not the FWD version sold here.  

The engine is good but the dual clutch trans less so - a bit sluggish in E but goes well in S.

I thought the Run flat tyres were a bit noisy but YMMV.

Hope you enjoy your new car.

[Dagnabbit]

The GLA is a nice car.
I suspect 6.6 sec may be for the AWD version outside Thailand, not the FWD version sold here.  
The engine is good but the dual clutch trans less so - a bit sluggish in E but goes well in S.
I thought the Run flat tyres were a bit noisy but YMMV.
Hope you enjoy your new car.

6.6 0-100 is for the Thai model. My 528i is 6.7 and it feels the same.

[DavisH]

3 hours ago, Dagnabbit said:

Ordered the GLA 250 AMG at the motor show today. Had a good look round and at 2.3m thb seemed like the best for us. 0-100 in 6.6 before any mods is a good base to build from. Noice.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I hope the suspension of the GLA is more comfortable than the CLA....which is nothing like a regular C class. 

[madhav]

Stage 3 GTI 

6 hours ago, Dagnabbit said:

Ordered the GLA 250 AMG at the motor show today. Had a good look round and at 2.3m thb seemed like the best for us. 0-100 in 6.6 before any mods is a good base to build from. Noice.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Nice! Appears to have quite a few features, interior looks great. Pretty decent 0-100 for stock.

 

Is there much aftermarket support in terms of tuning?

 

Stage 3 DSG GTI with sticky tyres did a 3.3 sec 0-100, pretty amazing really.

[Dagnabbit]

15 hours ago, DavisH said:

I hope the suspension of the GLA is more comfortable than the CLA....which is nothing like a regular C class. 

 

I recently took a test drive in the CLA 250 AMG - which has harder suspension that the CLA regular.

 

Ride quality was fine. Not up to the 5 series but certainly much better than the 1 series. 

[DavisH]

17 hours ago, Jitar said:

Benz were selling A and B class models in LOS about 18 moths ago but these models have been dropped. 

 

The GLA is a nice car.

I suspect 6.6 sec may be for the AWD version outside Thailand, not the FWD version sold here.  

The engine is good but the dual clutch trans less so - a bit sluggish in E but goes well in S.

I thought the Run flat tyres were a bit noisy but YMMV.

Hope you enjoy your new car.

0-100 is 6.7 sec for the Thai version of the CLA. source: www.headlightmag.com. I'll see if i can find numbers for the gla. 

[namlakhorn]

On 27/3/2017 at 11:13 AM, Dagnabbit said:

Ordered the GLA 250 AMG at the motor show today. Had a good look round and at 2.3m thb seemed like the best for us. 0-100 in 6.6 before any mods is a good base to build from. Noice.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hello Dagnabbit

 

Congrats on your purchase.

 

I'm myself considering the MB GLA 200 Urban - it is for my wife to take kid to school every day and don't need the additional motor power that comes with 250AMG.

We are living abroad, but will move to Bangkok in June'17 - so we haven't had the chance yet to visit a dealer and get a test drive and ask questions.
I was initially looking at second hand MB GLA, but prefer to buy new as the price difference is not that far - and I think also that models before 2016 does not have all features as standard as you get with a 2017 model.
 

I have a few questions that I would really appreciate if you can answer:

1. Which dealer did you purchase the car from - can you recommend a Bangkok MB dealer ?

2. Did you get included 1st class insurance - or how much did you have to pay for the first year?

3. Do you know the cost of a service plan for a GLA250AMG?

4. What is the delivery time on a MB GLA?

5. How much is the annual road tax for the MB GLA?

6. Is there a price list of optional extras?

 

Kind Regards

Namlakhorn

 

[wprime]

On 12/03/2017 at 9:43 PM, Dagnabbit said:

Funny that - I was looking at the price of the Scirocco and Golf GTi and thinking I could get the CLA 250 AMG or GLA 250 AMG for the same price.

 

But then again - neither of those are small cars. 

 

I drove the 118i and it was slower than my 528i - which does 0-100 in 6,7 seconds. I do want a smaller car but bottom line is it's gotta be faster than the behemoth I currently drive.  For some reason BMW don't sell the 2.0 1 series here. So it's a bit of a disappointment.

 

BMW 118i M Sport is 1.9M and does 0-100 in 8.7 seconds.... uuuggggggggggh

The Subaru BRZ is 2.2M - and does 0-100 in 6.2 seconds

The Subaru WRX STI is 3.4M and does 0-100 in 4.7 seconds - but really 3.4 million - I could buy another 5 series near enough...

CLA 250 AMG Dynamic is 2.5M and does 0-100 in 6.5 seconds 

GLA 250 AMG Dynamic is 2.4M and does about the same

The Scirocco I think is about 2.4M and about 7.4 for 0-100

 

The more you move away from the CLA 250 in price but not performance, the more it looks like the sensible choice.

 

Seems to me that if BMW got off their <deleted> and sold the 125i here, they'd make a killing given the competition. 

 

I guess I better hope something inspiring comes up at the motor show - otherwise it's a test drive of the BRZ and CLA/GLA.

 

Might as well buy a Vios with this line up...

 

 

 

The CLA is small. The A/CLA/GLA are the smallest branded offerings of Mercedes in the hatchback/sedan/suv categories. If you want a small car these are for you, they are uncomfortably small on the inside - you'll love them.

[Dagnabbit]

13 hours ago, namlakhorn said:

Hello Dagnabbit

 

Congrats on your purchase.

 

I'm myself considering the MB GLA 200 Urban - it is for my wife to take kid to school every day and don't need the additional motor power that comes with 250AMG.

We are living abroad, but will move to Bangkok in June'17 - so we haven't had the chance yet to visit a dealer and get a test drive and ask questions.
I was initially looking at second hand MB GLA, but prefer to buy new as the price difference is not that far - and I think also that models before 2016 does not have all features as standard as you get with a 2017 model.
 

I have a few questions that I would really appreciate if you can answer:

1. Which dealer did you purchase the car from - can you recommend a Bangkok MB dealer ?

2. Did you get included 1st class insurance - or how much did you have to pay for the first year?

3. Do you know the cost of a service plan for a GLA250AMG?

4. What is the delivery time on a MB GLA?

5. How much is the annual road tax for the MB GLA?

6. Is there a price list of optional extras?

 

Kind Regards

Namlakhorn

 

 

1 - I got it from the motor show, the way it works there is there's reps from all dealers. The one I got it from is in Bang Na. I've also been to Thong Lo and Pattanakarn MB dealers and they seem fine

2 - First years insurance as included, they said it was a 'motor show special' - but I've always got that with new cars here

3 - To keep the warranty, you need to service every 10k km, cost is approx 6-8k per service

4 - I pick mine up on Friday after ordering on Monday

5 - No idea, that's the wife's dept 

6 - Yes - GPS is another 20k - but it's quite well stocked, so I took it 'as is'

[Dagnabbit]

13 hours ago, wprime said:

The CLA is small. The A/CLA/GLA are the smallest branded offerings of Mercedes in the hatchback/sedan/suv categories. If you want a small car these are for you, they are uncomfortably small on the inside - you'll love them.

Hilarious. 

[Scotssing]

Congrats on getting the GLA

 

I have had the "Urban" for a little over 2 years and am more than happy with it

 

For what its worth mine was one of the last made in Germany before they started producing them here but basically they are the same except there was a 300000 Baht price drop. Checked the latest specs today and apart from rear air vents and the sat nav option seems not to have changed much

 

I find the dual clutch gear box excellent, and the ride very smooth and quiet. It is not huge inside but the driver's seat v comfortable and I have driven around with 5 without complaint

 

Now considering a replacement: I would love the GLC but it costs a million more. My Thai friend wants the Ford Escape as it has 7 seats. The Titanium version has pretty much the same spec is the GLA/GLC, maybe not the quality? Also looking at the X1/X3 but the design is quite tired. Will probably procrastinate and stick with my GLA

 

Only peeve are the run flat tyres, not for any noise or discomfort, but I prefer to have a spare. There are lots of sharp objects and nails lying around on the roads and I have had 2 punctures so far. You get a warning when this happens. I have bought a spare and it goes in the boot when I go up country but it takes up a lot of space

 

 

[frankphuket]

Nice one on the GLA 250. Nice engine. To complement my rather not so family car (Mini and Citroen DS3) recently bought the GLC 250d. Must admit very comfy and classy interior...although I prefer the recaro seats of the Mini and am not a fan at all on the gear shifter in the Benz at the steering column. Especially when you drive other Japanese cars regularly you sometimes mistake and shift instead of signal left or right when needing quick moving.

First tank of fuel lasted well over 700 km...averaging 7.9 l/100km.

 

[Jitar]

4 hours ago, frankphuket said:

Nice one on the GLA 250. Nice engine. To complement my rather not so family car (Mini and Citroen DS3) recently bought the GLC 250d. Must admit very comfy and classy interior...although I prefer the recaro seats of the Mini and am not a fan at all on the gear shifter in the Benz at the steering column. Especially when you drive other Japanese cars regularly you sometimes mistake and shift instead of signal left or right when needing quick moving.

First tank of fuel lasted well over 700 km...averaging 7.9 l/100km.

 

I am with you the Benz shift control Frank.  Seem like a really stupid bit design making the transmission lever so similar to the stalks controlling wiper and cruise control.  Probably OK if only driving Benz but for anyone not familiar, a nasty surprise can result when the Trans goes to N after indicating left with the wrong stalk.  

[Scotssing]

2 hours ago, Jitar said:

I am with you the Benz shift control Frank.  Seem like a really stupid bit design making the transmission lever so similar to the stalks controlling wiper and cruise control.  Probably OK if only driving Benz but for anyone not familiar, a nasty surprise can result when the Trans goes to N after indicating left with the wrong stalk.  

We are all different. Really like the stalk control for transmission. With a flick of the finger can go into reverse. drive  or neutral. As I regularly drive my partners Ford Ranger with the traditional auto selector as well as the Mercedes I don't get confused  except the indicator stalks are on different sides and that always floors me.

 

I really like the look of the GLC except would prefer a petrol engine but I am afraid it may be a bit beyond me pricewise

[BKKBike09]

On 31/03/2017 at 5:17 PM, Scotssing said:

Congrats on getting the GLA

 

I have had the "Urban" for a little over 2 years and am more than happy with it

 

For what its worth mine was one of the last made in Germany before they started producing them here but basically they are the same except there was a 300000 Baht price drop.

 

 

Actually, the imported version was made in Hungary (thanks to Googun I can state confidently at MB's Kecskemét plant). I looked at a CLA just before they started manufacturing it here, and the dealer was trying to tell me that it was worth the extra 300K because it was made in Germany. When I said that it was made in Hungary, they changed tack and said it was, "but to German standards".