T&T OFFICIAL New Vehicle Prices & Discussion Thread

[adnj]

Observe the Kia's on the road and you would notice many have blown bulbs/LEDs. Now blown bulbs/LEDs is not just a Kia thing I admit, but I'm seeing a trend with late model vehicles with blown bulbs and they're mostly Kia's. Apart from the bulb issue, they just don't age well.

Admittedly, the Tucson and Sportage are quite attractive when sitting in a showroom but as you buy it and begin to own it, you would want to bail out sooner rather than later. Now a CX5 is no RAV4 but this one especially these modern Mazdas, they're well-built precision engineered (still made in good ole Japan) vehicles and it is on this note, between the 3 you mentioned, it goes without saying any further what my pick would be.

Mazda exports CX-5s from Malaysia and China. I have no idea of whether TTO vehicles are all Japanese manufactured or not.

[ProtonPowder]

Observe the Kia's on the road and you would notice many have blown bulbs/LEDs. Now blown bulbs/LEDs is not just a Kia thing I admit, but I'm seeing a trend with late model vehicles with blown bulbs and they're mostly Kia's. Apart from the bulb issue, they just don't age well.

Admittedly, the Tucson and Sportage are quite attractive when sitting in a showroom but as you buy it and begin to own it, you would want to bail out sooner rather than later. Now a CX5 is no RAV4 but this one especially these modern Mazdas, they're well-built precision engineered (still made in good ole Japan) vehicles and it is on this note, between the 3 you mentioned, it goes without saying any further what my pick would be.

Nearly every kia rio from PDR onward with the vertical striped taillights have flickering issues, stands out like a sore thumb

[mtec]

It doesn't say anything good for a model or manufacturer on the whole if their lighting components are substandard. It makes me question the quality of major mechanical components. I too have seen a lot of Hyundai and Kia vehicles with one side of daytime running lights completely blown, new and older models. I feel for these drivers. My brother bought an elantra and within months the rear tint was bumbling then I realized a lot of vehicles from that dealership had the same issues also. When I bought my XV I told them not to tint even though they tried to use complimentary tint to sway my purchase. I don't want free ($hit) tint. And I can't say its drivers leaving their rear defroster on, it's just too common with that dealership.

[Gladiator]

Observe the Kia's on the road and you would notice many have blown bulbs/LEDs. Now blown bulbs/LEDs is not just a Kia thing I admit, but I'm seeing a trend with late model vehicles with blown bulbs and they're mostly Kia's. Apart from the bulb issue, they just don't age well.

Admittedly, the Tucson and Sportage are quite attractive when sitting in a showroom but as you buy it and begin to own it, you would want to bail out sooner rather than later. Now a CX5 is no RAV4 but this one especially these modern Mazdas, they're well-built precision engineered (still made in good ole Japan) vehicles and it is on this note, between the 3 you mentioned, it goes without saying any further what my pick would be.

As a past owner of 2 Rav 4s I would say that the CX5 beats it in interior, exterior quality, performance, features and style.

The only thing the Rav 4 has is the local fan base and that enhances the resale value.

[zando]

Scotty kilmer says Mazda good, Nissan bad, Honda good and Toyota is best lmaoo let's not mention euros and american brands even though I have a Chevy lol

[Gladiator]

Scotty kilmer says Mazda good, Nissan bad, Honda good and Toyota is best lmaoo let's not mention euros and american brands even though I have a Chevy lol

Yeah I know a guy that purchased a Prado from the firm, boasted that Toyota is the best an there is nothing that could compare. Under warranty had to pull down the entire dash and change out leaking AC evaporator and change one shock. As soon as warranty finish AC evaporator gone again, all shocks gone, he catch Toyota putting used brake pads instead of new. Now there is a crashing sound coming from the transmission whenever he mash brakes.

[MaxPower]

As a past owner of 2 Rav 4s I would say that the CX5 beats it in interior, exterior quality, performance, features and style.

The only thing the Rav 4 has is the local fan base and that enhances the resale value.

Gladz,

What model Rav 4s you had?

[agent007]

Scotty kilmer says Mazda good, Nissan bad, Honda good and Toyota is best lmaoo let's not mention euros and american brands even though I have a Chevy lol

Yeah I know a guy that purchased a Prado from the firm, boasted that Toyota is the best an there is nothing that could compare. Under warranty had to pull down the entire dash and change out leaking AC evaporator and change one shock. As soon as warranty finish AC evaporator gone again, all shocks gone, he catch Toyota putting used brake pads instead of new. Now there is a crashing sound coming from the transmission whenever he mash brakes.

I used to think that all Prados came from Japan until I saw Mikhail from HSM explaining in a video that the VX are from Thailand and the TX is from Japan. Those Thailand sourced diesel Prados aren’t as reliable as the Japan sourced petrol versions. From a general reliability perspective, I just have a feeling the top 3 in T&T would still be the RAV4, Fortuner and Prado. We have a RAV4 that is 7+ years old and the only things done to it within that time frame is fluids, filters, wiper blades, battery, tyres and front disc pads. In fact, not even a bulb was changed. Believe it! No Kia or Hyundai could beat that. Scotty Kilmer’s approval of Toyota and Mazda is not surprising. Mazda and Toyota are partnering on several projects so it appears they’re courting. If this results in a marriage, then I could only imagine Mazda’s climb to excellence would continue. John Cadogan from AutoExpert Australia even mentioned that Mazda is on top of their game right now and reminds him of Honda in the 1990’s.

[Gladiator]

As a past owner of 2 Rav 4s I would say that the CX5 beats it in interior, exterior quality, performance, features and style.

The only thing the Rav 4 has is the local fan base and that enhances the resale value.

Gladz,

What model Rav 4s you had?

2008 and 2015 Was so disappointed in the 2015 model I sold it after 3 years. The build quality was quite poor, it was not nice to drive, underpowered for a 2.0NA and very groany transmission. The engine light also came on for no reason, no codes came up with scan. Sent it for service and they said the harness damage, When asked how, no answer. They repaired the wires and the light came off.

They left the bonnet open and my wife had to stop on the Beetham when it almost fly open. I had to stop behind her in my car (2 week old MB) to close the bonnet, Almera with 2 guntas pull up behind my car and start to walk toward me as I was going toward my car. Luckily police patrol saw what was going on. They stop behind Almera and wee woo they siren. Guntas turn round and walk back to almera and open bonnet to pretend they shut down.

Sold it to sister in law. Two years later one coil pack gone, engine missing and all 4 coil packs had to be changed. I mean these are not traits of a highly reliable car.

[scotty_buttons]

Observe the Kia's on the road and you would notice many have blown bulbs/LEDs. Now blown bulbs/LEDs is not just a Kia thing I admit, but I'm seeing a trend with late model vehicles with blown bulbs and they're mostly Kia's. Apart from the bulb issue, they just don't age well.

Admittedly, the Tucson and Sportage are quite attractive when sitting in a showroom but as you buy it and begin to own it, you would want to bail out sooner rather than later. Now a CX5 is no RAV4 but this one especially these modern Mazdas, they're well-built precision engineered (still made in good ole Japan) vehicles and it is on this note, between the 3 you mentioned, it goes without saying any further what my pick would be.

As a past owner of 2 Rav 4s I would say that the CX5 beats it in interior, exterior quality, performance, features and style.

The only thing the Rav 4 has is the local fan base and that enhances the resale value.

Same. Only reliable Toyota we’ve had is a 1981 KE70 Corolla from new.
Had an 06 Rav4 from new- many problems but was eventually sorted (outside of firm because the ppl in the firm were spinning top in mud)
2010 Camry from new- largely reliable tbh. But also had to change evaporator and fan. Minor electrical issue. Leather cracking before 40,000kms.

More reliable brands from my experience has been
Subaru (RORO STi, RORO Legacy GT, local WRX)
BMW (UK import F30 LCI)
Nissan (local B14, new RORO Xtrail)

[demented]

[carluva]

It will be interesting to know what market research was done prior to introducing MG on the market.

Didn't Massy learn a hard lesson with the failure of the VW brand here? And what about Fiat's "success" by Sterling (??? I'm not sure here but correct me if I am wrong). As someone mentioned earlier, surely Massy should have introduced something more "known" to our market. Or perhaps expand their portfolio into more models from Nissan or Subaru.

There are enough CUVs and SUVs on our market... Someone needs to be a trendsetter, step outside of the box and put a minivan out there (think Honda Odyssey or Nissan Elgrand). I am sure that persons would bite. I would for an Odyssey.

PS: the MG vehicles do look quite attractive on the exterior.

[ProtonPowder]

It will be interesting to know what market research was done prior to introducing MG on the market.

Didn't Massy learn a hard lesson with the failure of the VW brand here? And what about Fiat's "success" by Sterling (??? I'm not sure here but correct me if I am wrong). As someone mentioned earlier, surely Massy should have introduced something more "known" to our market. Or perhaps expand their portfolio into more models from Nissan or Subaru.

There are enough CUVs and SUVs on our market... Someone needs to be a trendsetter, step outside of the box and put a minivan out there (think Honda Odyssey or Nissan Elgrand). I am sure that persons would bite. I would for an Odyssey.

PS: the MG vehicles do look quite attractive on the exterior.

What happened with VW here? I am out of the loop

[agent007]

VW in T&T is almost a non existent brand. They flopped big time. The odd Tiguan or Amarok sale is not sufficient enough imo. They probably make more money servicing the vehicles than actual vehicle sales. Being a VW, you all know that repairs is a common thing associated with that brand. It's like chip board that got water soaked...problems for so.

Jaguar/Land Rover (JLR) probably makes more money servicing vehicles than actual sales (see VW comments above).

Ford hanging on with the odd Ranger sale. Someone has to be mentally insane to look at an EcoSport and say, yep that's my next ride.

Chevrolet may be exiting RHD markets on a whole (they already pulled out many RHD nations).

Jeep is on a high right now for the first time ever in our market. Good for them! You can get a mud loving Wrangler for over $300k less than a Prado and $200k less than a Fortuner. No wonder why you see a lot now on the roads.

Volvo, like JLR is a niche brand with the odd sale here and there. Not to be taken seriously.

BAIC is selling 1 model here and even that is a struggle. Like JAC, Foton, Go Now, Yuejin and DFM vehicles sold here....the original owners will have to keep them for life because they not resaleable. Buy, drive and then tow to scrap iron dealer.

Fiat, Seat, Skoda, Peugeot, Renault, Citroen, Opel/Vauxhall, Ssang Yong, Mahindra and Tata downright failed locally.

MG being reintroduced into T&T is not the true MG once from the UK (not like this means anything anyway cause original MG's were garbage. Even Brits think so too hence the failure just like Rover).

MG the Marque is owned by the Chinese. The basis of these vehicles are based on other Chinese engineered and built vehicles. That MG ZS crossover is better suited against the BAIC x25. A disposable garbage Kia Seltos is a far superior vehicle over those 2 I just mentioned (if a 3rd world Seltos could actually be better than something, tell yuhself how inferior that ZS and x25 really is).

There is a possibility these MG vehicles will end up just like a Datsun Cross. Enter the market, flopped and will dissappear for good. People into back road agriculture are ideal candidates for these disposable vehicles. When they fail in a couple of years, simply cut out the entire roof section and use it to transport tools and produce with a Nissan implanted engine/transmission of course.

[A172]

add any kia/hyundai to that list too

[agent007]

Lol @ A172
Except this, what u think?
3.3 twin turbo V6 365HP and 8AT transmission. Proper rwd layout with longitudinally mounted engine.

[A172]

nobody coming outside to see your brand new hyundai

[kamakazi]

I'm am if there is a fancy letter N attached to the name

[agent007]

Talking about N…Look how times have changed. When the X came out, that boring looking Elantra was Hyundai’s representation in the segment.

Today, Hyundai has moved on and Mitsubishi called it quits. Who is the real winner here?

[Habit7]

VW in T&T is almost a non existent brand. They flopped big time. The odd Tiguan or Amarok sale is not sufficient enough imo. They probably make more money servicing the vehicles than actual vehicle sales. Being a VW, you all know that repairs is a common thing associated with that brand. It's like chip board that got water soaked...problems for so.

Jaguar/Land Rover (JLR) probably makes more money servicing vehicles than actual sales (see VW comments above).

Ford hanging on with the odd Ranger sale. Someone has to be mentally insane to look at an EcoSport and say, yep that's my next ride.

Chevrolet may be exiting RHD markets on a whole (they already pulled out many RHD nations).

Jeep is on a high right now for the first time ever in our market. Good for them! You can get a mud loving Wrangler for over $300k less than a Prado and $200k less than a Fortuner. No wonder why you see a lot now on the roads.

Volvo, like JLR is a niche brand with the odd sale here and there. Not to be taken seriously.

BAIC is selling 1 model here and even that is a struggle. Like JAC, Foton, Go Now, Yuejin and DFM vehicles sold here....the original owners will have to keep them for life because they not resaleable. Buy, drive and then tow to scrap iron dealer.

Fiat, Seat, Skoda, Peugeot, Renault, Citroen, Opel/Vauxhall, Ssang Yong, Mahindra and Tata downright failed locally.

MG being reintroduced into T&T is not the true MG once from the UK (not like this means anything anyway cause original MG's were garbage. Even Brits think so too hence the failure just like Rover).

MG the Marque is owned by the Chinese. The basis of these vehicles are based on other Chinese engineered and built vehicles. That MG ZS crossover is better suited against the BAIC x25. A disposable garbage Kia Seltos is a far superior vehicle over those 2 I just mentioned (if a 3rd world Seltos could actually be better than something, tell yuhself how inferior that ZS and x25 really is).

There is a possibility these MG vehicles will end up just like a Datsun Cross. Enter the market, flopped and will dissappear for good. People into back road agriculture are ideal candidates for these disposable vehicles. When they fail in a couple of years, simply cut out the entire roof section and use it to transport tools and produce with a Nissan implanted engine/transmission of course.

I don't understand why ppl are buying so much Jeeps, they will regret it soon.

Skoda didn't necessarily fail, the source of the manufactured cars changed and it became more expensive to import it from a different location. Ppl have been begging SSBB to bring them but they can't and SSBB only wants to focus on MB.

[worksux101]

I don't understand why ppl are buying so much Jeeps, they will regret it soon.

Been saying this for awhile. They look great but have a very poor reliability record for long term ownership.

[carluva]

Really? Does that comment apply to the Wranglers and the Rubicons or the SUVs like the Compass and the Cherokees or all the Jeeps on the whole?

I don't understand why ppl are buying so much Jeeps, they will regret it soon.

Been saying this for awhile. They look great but have a very poor reliability record for long term ownership.

[worksux101]

Really? Does that comment apply to the Wranglers and the Rubicons or the SUVs like the Compass and the Cherokees or all the Jeeps on the whole?

I don't understand why ppl are buying so much Jeeps, they will regret it soon.

Can't speak for the 2020 model come forward, but in '19 when I was on the market, there were an endless list of issues (mainly electronic) as well as half a dozen recalls.
Only person I knew with one sold after 2 years because of said frustration.

[Joshie23]

I don't understand why ppl are buying so much Jeeps, they will regret it soon.

Been saying this for awhile. They look great but have a very poor reliability record for long term ownership.

That and the pretty poor safety rating.

[agent007]

Jeep may not be a Toyota when it comes to reliability or a Volvo when it comes to safety but let's not paint the entire brand based on their crossover lineup with Fiat platforms and drivetrains etc...those have bad reps, I agree.

The Wrangler/Gladiator is good ole full frame American engineering, especially with that Pentastar 3.6 V6 and the HEMI V8's not so? Will take a 3.6 petrol V6 Jeep over any of those new EURO6 rated diesel pickups in our market. I don't trust those 2.8 Hiluxes and 2.4 Sporteros at all. The NP300's tried and tested YD25 is what I feel comfortable with.

Even a grey market imported Prado TXL with the 2.7 petrol is more expensive than a Wrangler lol. Might as well take the gamble with the Jeep where you can source parts easily in Miami vs that Prado which is another story by itself.

Food for thought.

[carluva]

Curious agent... What specifically don't you trust with the 2.8 Hilux?

[Gladiator]

VW in T&T is almost a non existent brand. They flopped big time. The odd Tiguan or Amarok sale is not sufficient enough imo. They probably make more money servicing the vehicles than actual vehicle sales. Being a VW, you all know that repairs is a common thing associated with that brand. It's like chip board that got water soaked...problems for so.

Jaguar/Land Rover (JLR) probably makes more money servicing vehicles than actual sales (see VW comments above).

Ford hanging on with the odd Ranger sale. Someone has to be mentally insane to look at an EcoSport and say, yep that's my next ride.

Chevrolet may be exiting RHD markets on a whole (they already pulled out many RHD nations).

Jeep is on a high right now for the first time ever in our market. Good for them! You can get a mud loving Wrangler for over $300k less than a Prado and $200k less than a Fortuner. No wonder why you see a lot now on the roads.

Volvo, like JLR is a niche brand with the odd sale here and there. Not to be taken seriously.

BAIC is selling 1 model here and even that is a struggle. Like JAC, Foton, Go Now, Yuejin and DFM vehicles sold here....the original owners will have to keep them for life because they not resaleable. Buy, drive and then tow to scrap iron dealer.

Fiat, Seat, Skoda, Peugeot, Renault, Citroen, Opel/Vauxhall, Ssang Yong, Mahindra and Tata downright failed locally.

MG being reintroduced into T&T is not the true MG once from the UK (not like this means anything anyway cause original MG's were garbage. Even Brits think so too hence the failure just like Rover).

MG the Marque is owned by the Chinese. The basis of these vehicles are based on other Chinese engineered and built vehicles. That MG ZS crossover is better suited against the BAIC x25. A disposable garbage Kia Seltos is a far superior vehicle over those 2 I just mentioned (if a 3rd world Seltos could actually be better than something, tell yuhself how inferior that ZS and x25 really is).

There is a possibility these MG vehicles will end up just like a Datsun Cross. Enter the market, flopped and will dissappear for good. People into back road agriculture are ideal candidates for these disposable vehicles. When they fail in a couple of years, simply cut out the entire roof section and use it to transport tools and produce with a Nissan implanted engine/transmission of course.

The MG HS is a very interesting car... I have been looking at reviews online and it seems to be a favorite in Oceania and environs. The features and interior trim is almost like a Mercedes (exaggeration I know). I think it can do well, but depends on how well Massy supports it.

The fully loaded SUV is $254k not bad for a 1.5Turbo with DCT. That's the price of the highest Vitara you can find but the MG has 10X the features, tech and some more HP to boot.

The red is a sweet colour too...

[agent007]

Gladiator, okay you've got me. I'll be googling that vehicle some more.

Carluva, a couple years back, there was a discussion here on the 1KD vs the 1GD. Turns out at no surprise really, based on the diesel we get, the summary of the discussions right here on this site points to better longevity and reliability from the KD vs the newer GD. Checks reveal that the KD was better suited to our farm diesel with Euro 3-5 compliance. The GD however is for Euro 6 compliance.

I gather, its not that the engine is bad, the point is, how well it will perform as the engine ages based on the fuel injected into it.

I also heard amongst some Hilux fanatics that the previous 5AT transmissions are bullet proof compared to the new 6AT's.

[Rory Phoulorie]

The MG HS is a very interesting car... I have been looking at reviews online and it seems to be a favorite in Oceania and environs. The features and interior trim is almost like a Mercedes (exaggeration I know). I think it can do well, but depends on how well Massy supports it.

The fully loaded SUV is $254k not bad for a 1.5Turbo with DCT. That's the price of the highest Vitara you can find but the MG has 10X the features, tech and some more HP to boot.

The red is a sweet colour too...

Is the MG HS all-wheel drive like the top of the line Vitara? The specs on the website don't say anything about which wheels are being driven.

[carluva]

Gladiator, okay you've got me. I'll be googling that vehicle some more.

Carluva, a couple years back, there was a discussion here on the 1KD vs the 1GD. Turns out at no surprise really, based on the diesel we get, the summary of the discussions right here on this site points to better longevity and reliability from the KD vs the newer GD. Checks reveal that the KD was better suited to our farm diesel with Euro 3-5 compliance. The GD however is for Euro 6 compliance.

I gather, its not that the engine is bad, the point is, how well it will perform as the engine ages based on the fuel injected into it.

I also heard amongst some Hilux fanatics that the previous 5AT transmissions are bullet proof compared to the new 6AT's.

I recall these discussions on the 1KD vs the 1GD as I contributed as well. Some of these discussions started around the time when the new model Hilux with the 1GD was first introduced through the grey market dealers. At that time (PDK/PDL series) TTTL also introduced the new model Hilux but with the 1KD. Eventually TTTL phased out the 1KD and brought in the 1GD.

Now my service technician told me that those 1GDs (both grey market and TTTL) are faring well from his experience servicing them. I also know people who own the 1GD (both grey market and new) and they too have good experiences with their vehicles which have done > 100,000 km.

One contributing factor to the 1KDs performance and reliability had to do with the absence of the Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) on the TTTL sold vehicles. This was hit or miss with the grey market vehicles. In this thread I did a write up on this system and how it affected performance and reliability so I am not going into that again. But long story short - with our diesel quality, the presence of the EGR affected long term reliability and performance compared to the vehicles without one which actually (hence the reason why there are still so many on the road still going strong).

I understand that the 1GDs on the Hiluxes sold by TTTL up until the release of the current model did not have a EGR system. This could be one of the reasons why I've heard good things from the owners and my service tech. I have been told that the new model Hilux from TTTL is also the 1GD engine but this has a EGR system. If this is true, then with our fuel quality it would be interesting to see the long term impacts (if any) with this current model. It may be possible that the engine tune caters for this, but only time will tell. All I can say is that if the 1GD does have a EGR system, without a change in the engine tune from the previous 1GD to compensate for diesel quality, there could be some long term issues.

PTN - the Hilux we get is not the higher performance engine tune that is available in Australia etc. While the engine is identical, the Australian models can benefit from a higher performance engine tune (circa 200 hp) because of the high quality diesel that is available to that market. Our model has the same specs on paper as the previous model, except for the upgraded suspension and the transmission.

It always seems to me that whenever these new changes are made on the Hilux i.e. 1KD > 1GD + 5AT > 1GD + 6AT+ EGR, if you really want to own one, pick up a used one with low(ish) mileage of available. Let the new one run through its paces before committing to ownership. Or wait a few years before buying a new one.