Interested in Ford Everest & standard of service at Hua Hin

[huahincharlie]

I'm interested to know if any other members have the Ford Everest, how you find the vehicle in terms of reliability and economy and also if the level of customer attention at Ford in Hua Hin is ok.

For a multitude of reasons, I don't like the competitors very much and having owned a Toyota Camry for the past couple of years I'm fed up with the mediocre way they drive, the brakes and the handling. Also I like the Honda CRV but it's only a petrol and its ride-height is too low for what it pretends to be. Thanks.

[usual suspect]

I have a mate who lives in HH, he had an Everest about 5+ years ago..lovely machine..till the gearbox packed-up! Seemingly it is a known fault with them, what I do not know is if this fault applies to the manual box or to the auto..??
I myself have just got a Ranger..so I also would like to know of any experiences with Hua Hin Ford..good, bad,
or indifferent..??
(When I was in the process of buying my Ranger I trawled many other Thai forums for info on my intended
purchase..Teak Door.com's motoring section was helpful).

[huahincharlie]

'till the gearbox packed-up! Seemingly it is a known fault with them

Thanks usualsuspect. It seems that the auto gearbox is made by Borg Warner, so if there is a problem, presumably the problem exists with other marques also? Unless perhaps it suffers undue wear-and-tear in the Ford Everest?

I have been to look at the Everest in Hua Hin today. The attention of the staff seemed great. I often read about Westerners going to dealerships and not receiving much help but the two guys there today were helpful.

I'm still really hoping to get some feedback from an Everest owner however. I liked the car a lot when I looked at it, but nothing beats recommendations from others etc.

Thanks again.

[usual suspect]

I was on the 'Thai visa' forum last night and in the motoring section there was some mention of Everests..take a look there HHC..? Cheers now..U.S.

[VincentD]

HHC, a lot depends on what use you intend for the vehicle.

The Everest is a pretty large vehicle, so it will suffer from less than optimal performance if you choose the smaller engine. With the larger engine you pay for it at the gas station.
It also seems to be the only one still in the market where they are using leaf springs for the rear suspension.

I have owned a Ford before, but not the Everest, and though you *may* get decent attention from the sales staff, I was less than enthused with the availability of spares. This is something the dealerships have absolutely no control over (read some gnashing of teeth here) and was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back to make me sell the car.

Also consider a fairly high depreciation in second-hand value.

Don't like Camrys either, they drive like a boat. However a friend who just got the latest hybrid Camry is quite happy with his purchase, says it's head and shoulders better than the standard Camry. (he looked at the Lexus too)

I considered the CRV also but the latest model is quite ugly IMO and the earlier models have the spare mounted on the rear door (Everest does too).

[Dannie Boy]

Before I relocated to HH just over 2 months ago, my two previous cars which I had for 2 years each, were a Honda Accord and a Toyota Camry, both 2.4 petrol with Auto and for me the Accord was by far the better of the two. Having said that, I have bought a Pajero Sport here in HH and am very happy with it.

[huahincharlie]

I was less than enthused with the availability of spares. This is something the [Ford] dealerships have absolutely no control over (read some gnashing of teeth here) and was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back to make me sell the car.

Also consider a fairly high depreciation in second-hand value.

Don't like Camrys either, they drive like a boat.

Thanks for the information วินเชนท์, that does not sound very good if spares are difficult to obtain, even of course during the warranty period.

I've really got to the point though, where I can't bear to drive the Camry any longer. In spite of the difficulties that you mention with Ford's spares I sincerely hope that I do not have to stay with Toyota. I appreciate that there are rugged models like the Fortuna, but I just can't bear the prospect of driving a ubiquitous car that the Thais like to buy. One of the appeals with the Ford is that they are not so common on the road.

After owing a Toyota now (first time in my life), I feel that they fit very well with many Thai buyers: they tend to know nothing about driving, they need lots of safety features like warning sounds when reversing (which is annoying because most of us know when we're reversing), they don't care about the way the car works and they appreciate lots of childish gadgets instead of being discerning of design quality. In these respects the Toyota is ideal because it's obviously aimed at motorists who aren't interested in motors. The handling is terrible and flat, beneath the rear wheel arch is a plastic bracket that breaks off every time I run over litter in the road, and the brakes (on the larger cars) are useless and dead unless you stamp down hard on them. The Camry came fitted with hard Bridgestone tyres. They lasted for 120,000km but gave a horrible ride. Urghh, time has come for a change.

May I ask, how long ago was it that you experienced the Ford parts problems?

[huahincharlie]

Before I relocated to HH just over 2 months ago, my two previous cars which I had for 2 years each, were a Honda Accord and a Toyota Camry, both 2.4 petrol with Auto and for me the Accord was by far the better of the two. Having said that, I have bought a Pajero Sport here in HH and am very happy with it.

Yes, unfortunately the current Honda Accord was not available when I bought the Camry from new. A Thai Mercedes owner I was talking to at the time, said that Japanese cars have undeveloped and unsophisticated suspension, with the possible exception of Honda.

Forgive me for asking this, but do you find that owning a Pajero (which looks like the pickup equivalent from the front) that police stop you often because they think your motor is a pick-up as you're approaching? I notice on my journeys between here and Bangkok that whenever there is a police roadblock, they stop all pickups and not systematically any saloon cars. Clearly they go for the most vulnerable and seemingly less well-connected of society. I never get stopped in the Camry.

I ask this because from the front, most of these SUVs look like their pick-up equivalent - the Pajero and the Triton look identical, the Fortuna and the ugly Hilux, et al.

[usual suspect]

HHC..Funny you should mention the scenario about Thais kinda sticking to Toyotas (& Isuzu)...My Ranger has got alot of attention from the men down our street..many coming for a nosey & a sit inside it..somehow their heads always seem to be swayed to the 2 marques..??

[VincentD]

HHC

I sold the car about seven years ago after owning it for seven. It was my brother-in-law who bought it, and he kept it till just a year or so ago. When spare parts became almost impossible to get he'd be over at the local import shops down in Charoen Krung scrounging and ordering even things like bearings.
Mind you, it was a standard Escort and I'm sure there're loads of spares over in the U.K., but the local industry will not support any of the marques that are not mainstream.

I, too, like unusual marques and until recently had a slightly modified Saab 900 turbo. I find the Euro makes have better support but eventually relied on the race shop for maintenance and spares. Totally agree about the MIB being selective as to the make and type of vehicle targetted.

The aforementioned friend has had fast Alfas and Imprezas outside of Thailand; here it's just a waste of money, which is why he capitulated and got the Camry.
He fancies that Toyota made a much better and stiffer suspension to handle the additional weight of the hybrid's batteries and the fuel consumption is extremely good. He also makes regular runs down to HH for the weekend and is quite pleased with the performance.

I was looking for a small 4wd at the time that wasn't too common and was tempted by the Landrover Freelander, but after reading about the poor reliability and lack of local support I looked elsewhere. The Subaru Forester was high on the list but not too many around and they're a lot more expensive for what they're worth IMO. Nice motor, though. Isuzu MU7 and the Pajero Sport not quite what I had in mind, and I won't touch the Fortuner with a ten-foot pole ( I place the drivers of these things are in the same category as those wankers driving Bimmers and Mercs across the pond. P.S. No offence meant to other board members who actually own one ).

Finally got a Nissan(!) X-trail, they're not too common and don't share the same front profile as their utility cousins. It has part-time 4wd, leather upholstery, drives pretty well and has been extremely good at doing flood preparation hauling - I'm actually starting to like it. Yes, it's benzine, but then again I've never been too fond of diesels.

My tuppence worth.

[Dannie Boy]

[quote="huahincharlie

Forgive me for asking this, but do you find that owning a Pajero (which looks like the pickup equivalent from the front) that police stop you often because they think your motor is a pick-up as you're approaching? I notice on my journeys between here and Bangkok that whenever there is a police roadblock, they stop all pickups and not systematically any saloon cars. Clearly they go for the most vulnerable and seemingly less well-connected of society. I never get stopped in the Camry.

I ask this because from the front, most of these SUVs look like their pick-up equivalent - the Pajero and the Triton look identical, the Fortuna and the ugly Hilux, et al.[/quote]

Well I have only had the Pajero for 2 months and no trips to BKK as yet, but not been stopped so far, so will have to see whether or not this is an issue?

[huahincharlie]

HHC
I sold the car about seven years ago after owning it for seven.

Thanks for the reply again. I suppose to some extent one might expect Ford's parts delivery to have improved in the time that you mention.

I notice that the Fiesta is selling reasonably well and that might further reinforce Ford's place in Thailand. When compared with the time you mention, Vincent, over seven years ago, Ford presumably around that time, had few models to offer and also had little market presence in Thailand?

Certainly I feel that it deserves to increase its market share, currently dominated by some of the most awful Japanese models. I mean, look at the Vios from Toyota. It's just an insignificant piece of rubbish with a speedometer in the middle of the dashboard, zero class and styling and won't protect its occupants in an accident. I hope the Fiesta does well here, although I'm not in the market for one.

[huahincharlie]

I have only had the Pajero for 2 months and no trips to BKK as yet, but not been stopped so far, so will have to see whether or not this is an issue?

Well, I wish you luck. The other consideration of course is the dark tinted window film. If you have that, the police can't tell your a foreigner until you stop.

Thankfully I have a barely noticeable film in the Camry and they don't have to look twice to see that I'm not a native. I refuse to give them any eye contact and just press onwards slowly!

So, time will tell if I get the Ford Everest and find that it has been a mistake.

[usual suspect]

HHC..go on..jump in with both feet (or rip open ya wallet with both hands).. & buy the Everest..555!
I reckon when you start to drive it around, and you realise you are unique cos there's not many others you'll
feel way above any of the Fontera-owners.. :-)

[VincentD]

Thanks for the reply again. I suppose to some extent one might expect Ford's parts delivery to have improved in the time that you mention.

I would certainly hope so, but the pessimist in me leads me to think otherwise. Things, company structures and supply lines change very slowly in this country. Ford Sales controls the supply of spare parts, and is not part of any dealership. They work a five day week. Dealerships have to bow and scrape for attention, let alone preference. The fact that the Everest is made in Thailand does little to convince me otherwise.

I notice that the Fiesta is selling reasonably well and that might further reinforce Ford's place in Thailand. When compared with the time you mention, Vincent, over seven years ago, Ford presumably around that time, had few models to offer and also had little market presence in Thailand?

Yes, the (new) Fiesta is a cute small car and would probably interest those city dwellers looking for their first affordable car. I'm not in the market for one.
When I bought the Ford, I almost bought a VW Vento instead but liked the better package and overall cost. In some ways, no regrets as it was a nice car to drive. Just the maintenance and spare parts issue. (The mag wheels were very expensive and you couldn't use off-the-shelf mags as the PCD - pitch circle diameter - of the locking nuts meant you couldn't use any other wheel except a Ford one. This I found out when making an insurance claim. )
At the time, the model lineup was:
Ford Europe (under Yontrakit group) - Mondeo, Escort and Sierra.
Ford New Era - Laser (Japanese model) and the Fiesta and Aspire (Korean-built under licence by Kia)

You couldn't get a service from New Era if you bought from Yontrakit. When Yontrakit had a falling out with Ford Sales, you couldn't get spare parts full stop and I had to use the only dealership out near Rangsit which wasn't New Era (I think they sold tractors). All this left a sour taste in my mouth. Right. Rant over.

Certainly I feel that it deserves to increase its market share, currently dominated by some of the most awful Japanese models. I mean, look at the Vios from Toyota. It's just an insignificant piece of rubbish with a speedometer in the middle of the dashboard, zero class and styling and won't protect its occupants in an accident. I hope the Fiesta does well here, although I'm not in the market for one.

I certainly wish them luck. The Vios is also a small car.To me, not something I'd drive.

---
Back to the Everest.
Do note that you'll be buying a big truck masquerading as a SUV. It'll probably drive worse than your Camry (do an extended test drive if you can, I could be proven wrong but trucks and cars do not have the same driving characteristics based on design).

When moving from a stiffly sprung turbo car to the X-trail I knew there'd be differences. I miss the turbo spool and the raw power(ECU reflash), and good cornering (many suspension mods). However, the ability to see over the car in front of you when in the X-trail, the long suspension travel (which is great when approaching speed bumps or coming down a high bridge reasonably quickly), almost car-like feel (it's quite precise and doesn't roll a lot; of course I wouldn't take corners at the same speed and abandon as in the Saab) and 4WD capability (sometimes needed) have led me to appreciate the qualities it is designed for.

So if you have your heart set on it, go for it. Just know what you're letting yourself in for.