Two pickup questions

[Gary A]

26 minutes ago, transam said:

And mount a .50 Caliber with ammo in the back without rolling.........

 

Obama used to allow ISIS convoys a mile long to travel the roads. He wouldn't allow the military to attack them because they may have civilian drivers. THEN, Russia got involved and had no problem taking out the convoys. The Toyota pickups didn't hold up very well after getting hit with rocket and cannon fire. Actually the Hummers that were taken from the Iraqi army didn't hold up either. 

[Gary A]

7 minutes ago, transam said:

They all use advertising in different ways, some I suppose with basic stuff and others with sponsoring which involves mega dosh.

When I first came to LOS my Thai friends told me (my interpretation) that Toyota  pickups were the RR with Isuzu a close second, Nissan and Ford were deemed....

 

But that didn't influence my Vigo choice because I had already bought one. I had never owned a Toyota back home but the finest motor engineer guy l have ever known always used Toyota's in his daily life because they were so reliable, he didn't want to mess around fixing his work horse. That is why I bought the Vigo. Ten years on he was right, still drives like new with no rattles, knocks, squeaks, nothing. Of course nothing is 100% trouble free but my decision was the right one so far...

As for the Revo, well I reckon Toyota will only go down the road of improving stuff which incorporates it's reliability trade mark..

 

Up until the present, the best most reliable vehicle I ever owned was a 3.0 liter Nissan Frontier. Hopefully my V-Cross will be at least close to that good. Times do change. When I first moved up to the boonies, Nissan trucks were number one in this area. Then Toyota took over. Now Isuzu has taken over. Ford had a really bad reputation here, but now I see a surprising number of them on the roads. Very few Chevrolets. Mazda and Mitsubishi are more popular than the Chevrolets but not so many here. Most surprising, at least to me, is that four doors outnumber two doors.

[Robert24]

Hi there
 
I have a Isuzu 4 door 4x4 auto which is now around 8 or 10 years old and I'm thinking about upgrading to a newer pickup.  My pickup does some farm work, not a lot but enough to need the 4x4, I also need 4 doors and automatic.  So the questions are, new or near new (second hand) and would you go for Isuzu, Toyota, Mitsubishi or Ford?
 
Thanks
 
Craighj

Just a few thoughts based on my experience:
1)8-10 years for an Isuzu pick up is not old. Just keep it for the farm. Don't use a new pick up for the farm. You should be able to use it at least another 10+ years.
2) 4 door is not useful for the farm. 2 door or king cabs allow you bigger loads.
3) 4x4 is rarely needed. Just get a 2x4.

So all in all why don't you just keep the old one for the farm and buy a new one for your other needs?

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[Kwasaki]

3 hours ago, transam said:

Toyota  pickups were the RR with Isuzu a close second, Nissan and Ford

Where l settled in 2005 the Thais thought the same but they couldn't except that l had bought an auto model although it was the top of the range Vigo it had been condemned.  

 

Frankly l test drove all the pick-ups available at the time and chose because l liked the looks.

 

If l was to buy a pick-up in the 2017 range now l would buy top of range Ford 3.2 .   

[Kwasaki]

21 minutes ago, Robert24 said:

So all in all why don't you just keep the old one for the farm and buy a new one for your other needs?

Or borrow a truck from the family as l do, l own a motorbike and scoot. 

[transam]

1 hour ago, Kwasaki said:

Where l settled in 2005 the Thais thought the same but they couldn't except that l had bought an auto model although it was the top of the range Vigo it had been condemned.  

 

Frankly l test drove all the pick-ups available at the time and chose because l liked the looks.

 

If l was to buy a pick-up in the 2017 range now l would buy top of range Ford 3.2 .   

Hmmmmm, a fix dealer near bye eh.....

[Pdaz]

22 hours ago, Gary A said:

 

Are you saying that the choice is limited?  What brand of vehicle would you consider as better? As for cost, some people pay through the nose for a status symbol like a BMW or Mercedes.

Yes the choice of vehicles in Thailand is very limited when compared to Europe, the US and other regions. Not only in the brands available. But the options you are able to choose ( ie Gearbox, engine cc, colour and interior finish ) are also severely limited.

 

BMW, Porsche, Lexus, Mercedes, Audi etc are called "quality manufacturers" for a reason. 

The vehicles simply drive better and and are assembled and finished to a higher specification. They are a status symbol because they are better not simply just more expensive.

 

The difference between a Ford, Mazda, Toyota or any other run of the mill SUV simply can't be compared to a Porsche Cayenne, Audi Q7 or BMW X5. 

 

Yes a good old Isuzu or Toyota pick-up is a robust reliable piece of kit. But in reality it is just a ulitarian agricultural vehicle that has had it's interior upgraded just enough for it to serve as a family car too. 

 

My in-laws used to shout the praises of Isuzu, Toyota and Honda. And wonder why I "wasted" my money on German cars . Thisc

 was of course until they they had travelled in my various BMW's, Audi and Merc a few times. 

They have changed their tune now, but still can only afford their Thai built jap cars.

 

There is no denying Jap cars and trucks are popular aroubd the World but it is more about price point than desire.

 

 

[Pdaz]

On 17/05/2017 at 5:40 PM, transam said:

Really.............Perhaps they know what breaks down and what rarely does...

They only choose between Isuzu or Toyota.. Or maybe Nissan or Mazda if adventurous. Pretty much any will do what they need and they have little to compare it to anyhow.

In 37 years of car ownership I can honestly say that apart from a crappy secondhand Ford Capri and a Mini 1000 back early 80's I've never had a car breakdown on me. Maybe because most of the cars after the two above were pretty new or that I maintained them well ? Or maybe just because cars are generally all more reliable these days.

Most  average working Thais really have very little experience of cars. Many are the first generation to even own one. Others knowledge only comes from old wives tales and hand me down gossip. As I said before they live in a bubble and have little experience of anything beyond their village or province. 

The younger generation of well educated, well travelled monied middle class is something different but they are a very small minority. Funny enough many of them drive German imports.

[transam]

14 minutes ago, Pdaz said:

They only choose between Isuzu or Toyota.. Or maybe Nissan or Mazda if adventurous. Pretty much any will do what they need and they have little to compare it to anyhow.

In 37 years of car ownership I can honestly say that apart from a crappy secondhand Ford Capri and a Mini 1000 back early 80's I've never had a car breakdown on me. Maybe because most of the cars after the two above were pretty new or that I maintained them well ? Or maybe just because cars are generally all more reliable these days.

Most  average working Thais really have very little experience of cars. Many are the first generation to even own one. Others knowledge only comes from old wives tales and hand me down gossip. As I said before they live in a bubble and have little experience of anything beyond their village or province. 

The younger generation of well educated, well travelled monied middle class is something different but they are a very small minority. Funny enough many of them drive German imports.

Complete and utter crap.........My UK mum drove until the age of 85, never understood what she was driving and didn't care what she was driving as long as it got from A to B....

 

You ever driven a ride with a CRASH gearbox.....?......Doubt it....

[HemskaSven]

Today I tried three different pickups just to feel I will order the right one. ISUZU 1,9 was OK, but strange gear shifting from the automatic gearbox. And where shall I keep my left foot, to little place. Then I tried a Ranger 2,2 and find I ok too. Little bumpy maybe. At last I tried a Revo 2,4 and that will be my choice. Much more nice to drive on the road, power at once you puch the trottel. Wonderful gearbox if you compare with the other two.



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[Pdaz]

25 minutes ago, transam said:

Complete and utter crap.........My UK mum drove until the age of 85, never understood what she was driving and didn't care what she was driving as long as it got from A to B....

 

You ever driven a ride with a CRASH gearbox.....?......Doubt it....

That's it precisely.. " Didn't care as long as it got from A to B "

 

Run of the mill cars are for people who just don't care.. Or are you now gonna tell me she drove a Merc her whole life ?

 

Maybe up in your part if the jungle all the Thais have been driving since the 1920's ? A huge selection of road vehicles from Wartburgs to Bentleys ?

 

Gimme a break ! They are lucky if their 10 yr old Isuzu is the families second ever car. They buy trucks because they are cheap, practical and dual use. If they had the money they would buy a nice Mercedes sedan or Camry as well ( like every other newly monied or upwardly mobile Thai wants ) 

Thailand is a developing country. Auto ownership is still comparatively new here. Even more so in the countryside. 

 

Crash gearbox ? Yes I've had a car that didn't have syncros. Just square cut gears.

 

Now back to reliving your past. Maybe you should change your profile pic to your current truck ?

 

 

[craighj]

6 hours ago, Robert24 said:

Just a few thoughts based on my experience:
1)8-10 years for an Isuzu pick up is not old. Just keep it for the farm. Don't use a new pick up for the farm. You should be able to use it at least another 10+ years.
2) 4 door is not useful for the farm. 2 door or king cabs allow you bigger loads.
3) 4x4 is rarely needed. Just get a 2x4.

So all in all why don't you just keep the old one for the farm and buy a new one for your other needs?

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Yes it's not old in reality, but it has done a bit of work over the last couple of years and it's requiring more maintenance these days.

 

4 doors has worked well and my wife insists on any new pickup having 4 doors (happy wife happy life).

 

Dry season generally no need for 4x4, wet season is another matter.  Used it many a time to get out of trouble.

 

Certainly agree with the comments that have been made on second hand Vs new, better off buying new given no huge benefit from buying second hand.

 

Now it's what brand to look at buying.

 

Thanks

 

Craighj

[Robert24]

Yes it's not old in reality, but it has done a bit of work over the last couple of years and it's requiring more maintenance these days.
 
4 doors has worked well and my wife insists on any new pickup having 4 doors (happy wife happy life).
 
Dry season generally no need for 4x4, wet season is another matter.  Used it many a time to get out of trouble.
 
Certainly agree with the comments that have been made on second hand Vs new, better off buying new given no huge benefit from buying second hand.
 
Now it's what brand to look at buying.
 
Thanks
 
Craighj

Thanks for your response. If I had to buy a new pick up, it would be an Isuzu or Toyota. Maybe a Nissan but I would stay away from Ford and Chevy. Main reason is that I would worry about maintenance cost/quality issues of those brands when the vehicle gets older and resale value is rubbish should you ever have to sell it again.

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[Robert24]

That's it precisely.. " Didn't care as long as it got from A to B "
 
Run of the mill cars are for people who just don't care.. Or are you now gonna tell me she drove a Merc her whole life ?
 
Maybe up in your part if the jungle all the Thais have been driving since the 1920's ? A huge selection of road vehicles from Wartburgs to Bentleys ?
 
Gimme a break ! They are lucky if their 10 yr old Isuzu is the families second ever car. They buy trucks because they are cheap, practical and dual use. If they had the money they would buy a nice Mercedes sedan or Camry as well ( like every other newly monied or upwardly mobile Thai wants ) 
Thailand is a developing country. Auto ownership is still comparatively new here. Even more so in the countryside. 
 
Crash gearbox ? Yes I've had a car that didn't have syncros. Just square cut gears.
 
Now back to reliving your past. Maybe you should change your profile pic to your current truck ?
 
 

I had 2 different German cars before and a Lexus when I stayed in Hong Kong and Singapore respectively. Now they were great cars and expensive there too but all brands are pretty much equally more expensive. In Thailand it's different. So you have to think twice here whether you want to pay 7.6m for a Lexus SUV or 1.8m for a Fortuner or equivalent. I'm sure you find similar examples for Sedan cars. Is it worthwhile to pay an extra 5m for a good quality import vs driving a locally assembled car.

And if anyone has a farm or a business they need to transport something, I fully understand why they buy an Isuzu pick up.

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[Gary A]

37 minutes ago, Pdaz said:

That's it precisely.. " Didn't care as long as it got from A to B "

 

Run of the mill cars are for people who just don't care.. Or are you now gonna tell me she drove a Merc her whole life ?

 

Maybe up in your part if the jungle all the Thais have been driving since the 1920's ? A huge selection of road vehicles from Wartburgs to Bentleys ?

 

Gimme a break ! They are lucky if their 10 yr old Isuzu is the families second ever car. They buy trucks because they are cheap, practical and dual use. If they had the money they would buy a nice Mercedes sedan or Camry as well ( like every other newly monied or upwardly mobile Thai wants ) 

Thailand is a developing country. Auto ownership is still comparatively new here. Even more so in the countryside. 

 

Crash gearbox ? Yes I've had a car that didn't have syncros. Just square cut gears.

 

Now back to reliving your past. Maybe you should change your profile pic to your current truck ?

 

 

 

Just put me in the practical old man category. If I had money to throw away, no way would I spend it on a German import. I would rather drive my 4X4 pickup than any car. Before I retired, my Thai boss had a BMW, new of course. I certainly wasn't impressed with that car. Apparently he wasn't that impressed either. It didn't take him long to trade for a new Mercedes. IMHO, the Mercedes was quieter and rode much better. It was a very nice car but no way was it worth the money he paid for it. I think his status symbol was very important to him. As for myself, I don't have to impress anyone.

 

And yes. My purpose is to get from point A to point B, sometimes through the mud. Different strokes for different folks.

[Kwasaki]

5 hours ago, transam said:

Hmmmmm, a fix dealer near bye eh.....

Nah !!  come on buddy l like the look of the ford big wheel truck,  and l can fix a ford from front to back, Ford made me a competent DIY mechanic, engine whatever.  

[Pdaz]

54 minutes ago, Gary A said:

 

Just put me in the practical old man category. If I had money to throw away, no way would I spend it on a German import. I would rather drive my 4X4 pickup than any car. Before I retired, my Thai boss had a BMW, new of course. I certainly wasn't impressed with that car. Apparently he wasn't that impressed either. It didn't take him long to trade for a new Mercedes. IMHO, the Mercedes was quieter and rode much better. It was a very nice car but no way was it worth the money he paid for it. I think his status symbol was very important to him. As for myself, I don't have to impress anyone.

 

And yes. My purpose is to get from point A to point B, sometimes through the mud. Different strokes for different folks.

Yes I can understand that point of view.  I too had a pick-up when it was useful to me. But as I seldom need to haul stuff about these days and don't live in rural Thailand, it was wasn't worth putting up with the poor handling, poor comfort and it's size.  Worth is something hard to quantify.  Someone willing to buy a Porsche in the UK for 50k may not think it worth buying for 100k in Thailand. 

Likewise someone who can afford one in Thailand and has no wish to live in the UK may think the Thai price is acceptable.

I wouldn't spend 10p on a football season ticket as I hate football. Like wise a millionaire with no interest in cars wouldn't "waste" money on an expensive car.

But the thought that people who can afford to buy something they perceive as better are mad or only interested in status is a bit silly. People, as you say have different interests and needs and different financial limits.

Getting back to my original point. That was , choice is limited here and vehicles are expensive. Those are the two main points that factor most in average Thais decision making when it comes to cars. They are limited to 4 or 5 brands and within those brands there is little room for substitution or personalisation. Eg Ford Ranger 3.2 is only available with an auto box. Or there are only 4 exterior colours and few interior options.  Posters make a lot of fuss deciding between Ford or Isuzu but in real terms all of them are modern reliable trucks and more often it comes down to price, apperance and which dealer is convenient.

You find one you like, one that appeals and has a price that suits. 

[JaseTheBass]

 
Just put me in the practical old man category. If I had money to throw away, no way would I spend it on a German import. I would rather drive my 4X4 pickup than any car. Before I retired, my Thai boss had a BMW, new of course. I certainly wasn't impressed with that car. Apparently he wasn't that impressed either. It didn't take him long to trade for a new Mercedes. IMHO, the Mercedes was quieter and rode much better. It was a very nice car but no way was it worth the money he paid for it. I think his status symbol was very important to him. As for myself, I don't have to impress anyone.
 
And yes. My purpose is to get from point A to point B, sometimes through the mud. Different strokes for different folks.

Agreed. Beemers are totally overrated. Not impressed with the ones I've used. Even the missus was glad to get the Wildtrak back after having a 3 Series loaner for a few days.

Sent from my Cray II supercomputer

[transam]

15 hours ago, Pdaz said:

That's it precisely.. " Didn't care as long as it got from A to B "

 

Run of the mill cars are for people who just don't care.. Or are you now gonna tell me she drove a Merc her whole life ?

 

Maybe up in your part if the jungle all the Thais have been driving since the 1920's ? A huge selection of road vehicles from Wartburgs to Bentleys ?

 

Gimme a break ! They are lucky if their 10 yr old Isuzu is the families second ever car. They buy trucks because they are cheap, practical and dual use. If they had the money they would buy a nice Mercedes sedan or Camry as well ( like every other newly monied or upwardly mobile Thai wants ) 

Thailand is a developing country. Auto ownership is still comparatively new here. Even more so in the countryside. 

 

Crash gearbox ? Yes I've had a car that didn't have syncros. Just square cut gears.

 

Now back to reliving your past. Maybe you should change your profile pic to your current truck ?

 

 

Just before I moved to LOS I had 3 rides all auto's...V6 Volvo estate, Merc E220CDi and a Pontiac fun ride. I would not want any of those rides here considering the type of roads we have dealt with. My Vigo 4x4 with auto trans for me was the perfect choice for trouble free driving on anything l have had to deal with, same as the locals regarding a vehicle to deal with stuff....

[Gary A]

I really shouldn't say it, but my former boss was the son of the factory owner. Face meant everything to him. If he had been born to a common family, he would likely have starved to death. As it was, i resented him because he treated the workers who made the factory money like dirt. I once asked him to give a particularly talented poor Thai worker a raise because I was afraid the talented guy would find a better paying job. He immediately told me that if that guy wanted to leave, no big deal, he could find someone else to take his place.

 

Maybe it's a bit like flying cattle class or first class. I don't fly first class either.

[Pdaz]

You only live once.  May as well enjoy it.

[transam]

2 minutes ago, Pdaz said:

You only live once.  May as well enjoy it.

Sure, that's why folk who live in LOS buy a ride that will get them home day after day....

[Pdaz]

13 minutes ago, transam said:

Sure, that's why folk who live in LOS buy a ride that will get them home day after day....

As I don't live in Bahn Nork and I'm not a hayseed I really don't need a truck.

If you think they are safer than a five star NCAP rated car with 11 airbags, 4WD, high performance brakes, ESP and traction control plus active and passive safety devices you are fooling yourself. 

I've seen plenty of them upside down in the hedge rows. Live rear axle, rear drums and a high center of gravity.. No thanks.

 

 

[transam]

4 minutes ago, Pdaz said:

As I don't live in Bahn Nork and I'm not a hayseed I really don't need a truck.

If you think they are safer than a five star NCAP rated car with 11 airbags, 4WD, high performance brakes, ESP and traction control plus active and passive safety devices you are fooling yourself. 

I've seen plenty of them upside down in the hedge rows. Live rear axle, rear drums and a high center of gravity.. No thanks.

 

 

Do you live in Essex...?......

[giddyup]

43 minutes ago, Pdaz said:

As I don't live in Bahn Nork and I'm not a hayseed I really don't need a truck.

If you think they are safer than a five star NCAP rated car with 11 airbags, 4WD, high performance brakes, ESP and traction control plus active and passive safety devices you are fooling yourself. 

I've seen plenty of them upside down in the hedge rows. Live rear axle, rear drums and a high center of gravity.. No thanks.

 

 

.. and I've seen them handle roads and offer better visibility than your  five star NCAP rated car with 11 airbags, 4WD, high performance brakes, ESP and traction control plus active and passive safety devices could.

[JaseTheBass]

As I don't live in Bahn Nork and I'm not a hayseed I really don't need a truck.
If you think they are safer than a five star NCAP rated car with 11 airbags, 4WD, high performance brakes, ESP and traction control plus active and passive safety devices you are fooling yourself. 
I've seen plenty of them upside down in the hedge rows. Live rear axle, rear drums and a high center of gravity.. No thanks.
 
 

The Wildtrak only has 6 airbags but everything else seems correct...

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