I was at Nova the other day and Ford had some cars on display there. I talked with a salesperson and he gave me a price listing. I was very shocked to see that you can buy a small van for about the same price as my bike. And it seemed like plenty of cars were only about 400k.
If I do get another car…I’ll only be using it 3 or 4 times a month. I said to someone that it would be stupid for me to get a car and use it so little…and they responded with “If you can afford it…why not get it?” , and I kind of agree with them.
So anyway…was wondering what a little March or a Suzuki Swift…or whatever is cheap and ok…costs nowadays?
[quote=“Mordeth”]I was at Nova the other day and Ford had some cars on display there. I talked with a salesperson and he gave me a price listing. I was very shocked to see that you can buy a small van for about the same price as my bike. And it seemed like plenty of cars were only about 400k.
If I do get another car…I’ll only be using it 3 or 4 times a month. I said to someone that it would be stupid for me to get a car and use it so little…and they responded with “If you can afford it…why not get it?” , and I kind of agree with them.
So anyway…was wondering what a little March or a Suzuki Swift…or whatever is cheap and ok…costs nowadays?[/quote]
I think the cheapest car in Taiwan is the formosa Matiz… a TW made Daewoo. We’ve had one for 3yrs and it has not missed a beat… Cheap to run too, it costs me NTD800 to fill it up and I get 380KM on a tank (which lasts me about 10 days).
If I remember the cost for the high end vesion (electric windows, central locking, sun roof, alloy wheels, CD changer, etc) was something like NTD380K then, now i think considerable cheaper.
[quote=“Connel”]I think the cheapest car in Taiwan is the formosa Matiz… a TW made Daewoo. We’ve had one for 3yrs and it has not missed a beat… Cheap to run too, it costs me NTD800 to fill it up and I get 380KM on a tank (which lasts me about 10 days).
If I remember the cost for the high end vesion (electric windows, central locking, sun roof, alloy wheels, CD changer, etc) was something like NTD380K then, now I think considerable cheaper.[/quote]
That sounds good. 3 years and no problems? Might be time to sell it before things start needing replacing. I remember being told that cars need major things replaced every 4 years…so not to buy a car that is coming up on a 4th year birthday ( 4, 8, 12…etc).
Personally, if I were you Mordeth, I’d just buy a cheap second hand car. If you only use it a couple times a week, why not just drive an old beater? Myself, I have an old car I bought off another expat. It suits my purpose fine as I usually scooter most places in town. The car looks like death, but runs fine, is real cheap to run and comes with zero risk of theft. I can’t think of any reasons to buy new except money that was burning a hole in my pocket or “face.” I’d sooner put the purchase price of a new car in the bank.
I hear you. And one of my secondary bikes is a beat up pink scooter…that I’m almost proud riding around on…because it’s so damn ugly and poor looking.
Problem is that buying a beater is always a gamble…how do I know I don’t have to put more than the price of the car into repairs in the first month? My roommate has spent over 40,000nt in repairs on his VW in the last couple of months alone…and it’s a newish car…'98 maybe.
March all the way. It’s only 300k or so, they have a finance deal right now (zero or very low interest). The design is good but hasn’t changed much in years so parts are dirt cheap and available everywhere. It has more interior space than a Matiz and a much better engine. The Daewoo’s little 3-cyl thing is weak, even on gentle hills it falls flat.
Oh, best of all the March really holds it’s value in the used market. Easy to sell on, especially the hatchback.
The Suzuki Swift is nice, but I think it’s a bit overpriced. The Mini-clone looks push the price tag up I think.
If you buy something locally built (read, not a VW), then spares and repairs are dirt cheap. I’ve probably put just over a tenth of your friend’s repair expense into my car over the same period (and that includes oil changes and replacing a windshield).
I hear you. And one of my secondary bikes is a beat up pink scooter…that I’m almost proud riding around on…because it’s so damn ugly and poor looking.
Problem is that buying a beater is always a gamble…how do I know I don’t have to put more than the price of the car into repairs in the first month? My roommate has spent over 40,000nt in repairs on his VW in the last couple of months alone…and it’s a newish car…'98 maybe.[/quote]
Well, my Sierra was 5K and, apart from an ant infestation, (its a jungle out there) has been perfectly OK for a couple of months now, touch wood. Heavy on fuel (automatics suck) but for your use level that wouldn’t matter.
The Lazer before was 19K and (probably) a dead loss so it IS a gamble, but the stakes need not be very high.
If I’d bought new I’d have guarantees, including, I’d guess, being guaranteed to lose more than the above on depreciation before leaving the showroom.
I’m new to Taiwan, have no contacts, and speak no Chinese. You “know the ropes” so the odds are more in your favour. For such light usage new seems a waste of money, but if “shiny for a while” does it for you, why not?
the only reason that i wanted to switch from an old beater to a newer car is because of the arrival of the boy last year. i don’t want him on a scooter, and i wanted something more reliable so that the chance of a breakdown was less. i didn’t mind a breakdown so much on my own, but with an infant in the car … i wanted peace of mind.
there are lots of 2nd hand cars for 50 k or so. or look at one year old vehicles, where at least you will save some depreciation compared to new.
Well, my Sierra was 5K and, apart from an ant infestation, (its a jungle out there) has been perfectly OK for a couple of months now, touch wood. Heavy on fuel (automatics suck) but for your use level that wouldn’t matter.
The Lazer before was 19K and (probably) a dead loss so it IS a gamble, but the stakes need not be very high.
If I’d bought new I’d have guarantees, including, I’d guess, being guaranteed to lose more than the above on depreciation before leaving the showroom.
I’m new to Taiwan, have no contacts, and speak no Chinese. You “know the ropes” so the odds are more in your favour. For such light usage new seems a waste of money, but if “shiny for a while” does it for you, why not?
Things do jump out at you here, though.[/quote]
I hear you (does anyone other than me start their posts this way??). If a new car lasts normal people 3 years before needing to replace anything. Then I’m guessing with me using much less than most…I should be able to get 6 or more. And it would be nice knowing that for the next 6 years of my life if I ever need a car…I have one…and it will be hassel free. I don’t really care if it gets scratched…or if it looks new. I’m not “into” cars in that way. A car is just a tool to me. A bike is a piece of art.
<edit: just read the 1 year old suggestion…good idea.>