this forum has helped me a great deal in discussing the merits of NT$700K SUVs in Taiwan, notebly the Escape and CR-V.
being aware that the year 2005 models will hit the market in October (hope this is correct?!!?!!!?) I’m interested in picking up a temporary car for a few months, budget of NT$200-300K. I will need to drive the car from Taipei to Hsinchu once a week (during Friday’s rush hour) and then from home to work, 20 minutes each way, daily.
WHERE TO GET A USED CAR AT A GOOD PRICE?
I have tried:
1- car dealers – very stiff prices
2- the 2nd hand car magazines sold at 7-11, etc.
which are basically dealers again
3- auctions on yahoo.com.tw and ebay.com.tw,
lots of dealers, but I was specifically looking at used
CR-Vs at the time and those were again, stiff
4- free for all car auctions held at all-day saturday events.
this was most confusing, as the audience of 400-500 people appeared to be used car dealers, but the prices for which the cars were sold, again, I felt were high. (I can provide the contact details for these auctions if anyone wants.
so again, should I slog back into the auction websites and the auction events? are those my best bets?
-APM2004
oh yea, I also tried, www.eauto.com.tw
I can read the Chinese so it’s no problem to search the used car listings…just seems like some of the cars have been posted for months…and not available…is this the best place?
Those magazines in 7-11 also have a section of “For sale by owner” cars. Take a look at those. If only for a few months, I’m sure you can find a real beater that just goes from point a to point b for less than NT$100,000. It may not be reliable in the long term, but for a few months, who cares?
The monkbucket’s rustbucket is for sale and she ain’t pretty but she will get you where you need to go! Plus - she is CHEAP! I drove at least once a week to Taoyuan (often in rush hour traffic) and back and forth from Xizhi to Shilin three days a week. Never had a problem…
see http://forumosa.com/taiwan/viewtopic.php?t=19764
If you find something interesting, send me a PM, I’ll tell you how badly you are getting fleeced.
Why the high budget for temporary wheels?..There are plenty of 50K cars out there that will fill your requirements and be far easier to sell into the foreign community when you upgrade.
Stay away from dealers or the car mags…The auction here is not anything like back home. Often prices are well above wholesale.
When I was doing my SUV search, I also bought a beater (1990 Ford Telstar) for 30k…What a sweet little clunker it was. Took it to Kenting 4 times, to Hualien twice and never had a problem…Put a new A/C compressor in it, tires,valve job and sold it for nearly 50K…Still running like a champ 3 years later. Private owners are the ONLY way to go in Taiwan.
The story is always the same…Family looking to upgrade. The clunker goes to the dealer for trade. Family is shocked at the pittance offered and puts the car up privately for a few thousand more than the dealer quote. This is how you pay wholesale in Taiwan…
If you spend 200-300k now you are going to get reamed on the trade-in…Find a friend of a friend and start looking…
^^^ Werd. Always work your connections for the car they or some friend is looking to upgrade from. Maybe buy a company car from a foreign firm that sells the fleet on at 3 years… Used car salesmen here make the guys back home look suitable for elected office.
ya where do you look up bluebook value in taiwan? I like to konw too…
so best way in taiwan to buy car is throug private owner? is that true…I heard there are a lot of dealer that gets flooded car and clean them up then sell it…or car had major accident before and they fixed it up cheaply then sell it then people drive it gets into minor accident and it splits into halves lol…does taiwan have carfax.com kinda sites…
I bought a Zace of this guy for 70,000nt … mint condition + much after care service. He has plenty of motors. If you are interested you will phone him and work something out.
