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Posts: 561

Governor

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Q: For those of you driving, need your advice.

Well, I finally finished the paperwork and took my driver's test yesterday.  But now I find myself in a more complex situation.  What type of car should I buy?  Did you pay for the car in cash upfront, or did you get an auto loan.   What about your insurance, how is that working out?  Any tips?  For those of you that bought a Chinese car, how is it?  I'm leaning towards the Gulf, Focus, or Mazda 3.  I'm too nervous to buy anything bigger in China, I feel it would just be a larger target for accidents, door dings, being spit on...

10 years 9 weeks ago in  General  - China

 
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Posts: 2488

Emperor

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congrats!
I would say dont get the focus. I bought one. in china it super shotty. engine is great and fast, but everything else sucks. i have friends with both golf and mazda 3 in china so it depends what your looking for

speed mazda then focus then golf
interior golf then mazda then focus
price all kinda the same but focus should be cheaper

also the golf and mazda has just been updated in china, golf u can buy right away but maybe need to wait just a tad for the mazda but i hear its spectacular

id say 90% of foriegners opt for the chinese car, usually for two reasons, cheap and they dont give a shit, it moves, or kids or needed an suv and foreign suvs are stupid expensive.
heard some horror stories from friends of mine who have bought them but to be honest every year chinese cars get better and better, so u hear less stories.

of course pay cash if you can, car loans in china are a headache and they really wont want to give you cash unless your wife is connected somehow. It doesnt bother me, its my wife, but somethings kinda hurt the pride, and for me whose kinda a carr guy i hated i couldnt have a car, that i needed my wife. a guy cant have anything these days, so i bucked up and paid cash.

insurance is super easy, they come meet you and u sign, new car load up on everything, should be around 4000 your first year. but it gets a fair bit cheaper. my car is now ass, so i only have collision to cover others damages 1600 a year, but its up again so cheaper still.

anyways, let us know what you did! im in the car upgrade shopping stage now. good luck!

dom87:

foreign SUVs are cheap too...

 

ford eco: 90k

buick encore: 100k

kia Sportage R: 140k

Honda Lx5 : 200k

BMW X1: 230k

VW Tiguan: 350k

 

so there are some cheaper SUVs

10 years 9 weeks ago
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mike695ca:

dude you might not be on crack but your prices sure are, no they arent that cheap, aasportage R is 250 the buick and ford is no where that cheap and no chance an x1 is cheaper than a tiguan which starts at 180. recheck yoursources

10 years 9 weeks ago
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mike695ca:

http://m.auto.163.com/honda/2008/ this is in chinese but it has lists by brand or by country, click the car logo and it gives you all the models that car makes including prices with different engines. prices are extremly close. i have checked alot.

10 years 9 weeks ago
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Paulberger:

yea, we looked at them all yesterday and i ruled out the focus.  which car do you own?

10 years 9 weeks ago
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mike695ca:

@Paul. I bought the focus. Doing my upgrading shopping now. Looks like importing a car isnt in the cards so ive decided to wait for yhe new gti. Pricey, but i want it so screw it.

10 years 9 weeks ago
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Scandinavian:

@mike. By the way the 3rd F150 has popped up in our hood. Maybe there are more, but I frequently see Red, Blue and White F150's. 

I don't have a link, but aparantly it is a thing in the luxury SUV segment to order cars from the US, the Middle East or Europe, so they are built to those specs these markets require. (no clue what the differences are) I still think it is a car those who want to destroy the planet buys, but still. 

10 years 9 weeks ago
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mike695ca:

@scan, thanks man. I can actually buy through ford but it will cost at minimum 700K and closer to a million, my budget is 350 max. So its import myself or nothin

10 years 9 weeks ago
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10 years 9 weeks ago
 
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Take a look at Skoda Rapid. Cheap but has a 5 star EURO crash test rating, uses VW technology. Some brands/dealers will clude in the first years insurance . PICC is the "big" company in car insurance in China. The other big insurance companies have the same products, and as it is a tightly regulated area, there is hardly any reason to pick one company over another. 

 

I should really get my license done too. 

Scandinavian:

this site has data and prices on most normal cars available in China 

 

http://chinaautoweb.com/foreign-brands/ (prices are without registration tax I think)

10 years 9 weeks ago
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Paulberger:

that site was real helpful!  if youre thinking of getting your license, set an entire day aside just for the paperwork, and stamps, and translations, and lines.... the test was a breeze though

10 years 9 weeks ago
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Scandinavian:

by the way if you go look at cars, and want to test drive, the dealer might say it's not possible. it is, I have actually test driven a couple of volkswagens on my EU license, on public roads. Chinese people don't mind buying shit without seeing it in action first. I do. 

10 years 9 weeks ago
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Paulberger:

i would never buy a car without test driving it.  that would be insane.  i test drove the focus yesterday, it shook when i accelerated...

10 years 9 weeks ago
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Scandinavian:

in that segment, also check out Nissan Tiida. 

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Posts: 1198

Shifu

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i wouldnt recommend a small car.

Logic says "big car = big target" yeah but you are in china "expensive car = no target" "big car = expensive"

 

chinese way of thinking just tooooooo gud

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10 years 9 weeks ago
 
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Shifu

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No problems with my Mazda 2 so far... Love it... it's fast and cheap to run! Steering and handling are amazing for a car this small! 

Paulberger:

i was checking out the mazda three yesterday.  im a tall guy, and my head was touching the ceiling!  so i went to look at the 6

10 years 9 weeks ago
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manasyt:

Me n my wife are short so the 2 fits us well...I tried to see how big the hatch is, with the seats down I fit a mountain bike without taking the tire off... impressive. 

10 years 9 weeks ago
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10 years 9 weeks ago
 
Posts: 4421

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I use Pingang insurance,= 6000 a year, bought a BYD S6 SUV, Chinese wife did the loan,Y 44,000 down~payment, Y1900 a month for 2 years. Total price was Y79,000 new 2012... BYD has been great for us..

 

But depending on which city your in could make things more or less easy for plate tag registration.

BYD prices:

BYD F3/or/L3 = Downpayment Y26,000 / Y1600 a month for 2 years.

BYD F0 = Downpayment Y17,000 / Y800 a month 2 years.

_______________________________________

Also another good SUV is the "Changcheng M4" mini SUV (great for parking.)

Downpayment: Y34,000, and Y2340 a month for 2 years.

ironman510:

QQ sucks BTW

10 years 9 weeks ago
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mike695ca:

@ rob http://m.auto.163.com/greatwall/16330/ 65-75000

10 years 9 weeks ago
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Paulberger:

i was considering the BYD and Greatwall SUVs.  any problems with them yet? have you had any issues it?

10 years 9 weeks ago
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10 years 9 weeks ago
 
Posts: 4421

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BYD S6 SUV

 

BYD L3

 

ChangCheng M4 mini SUV

 

 

 

BYD F0

Scandinavian:

What happens when you drive Chinese built cars 

 

http://www.dawn.com/news/1082602/chinas-jade-rabbit-moon-rover-has-abnormality-xinhua

10 years 9 weeks ago
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ironman510:

Can't believe everything you read, I've never had any issues.. BTW this user SCAN enjoys being sarcastic.

10 years 9 weeks ago
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Robk:

I dunno that... ChangCheng M4 mini SUV looks pretty good actually. 

 

How much does that run? 

10 years 9 weeks ago
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Paulberger:

im off to look at the changcheng dealership today.  i would hate it if i bought something without considering all my options!

10 years 9 weeks ago
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Scandinavian:

I have this condition where I cannot stop being sarcastic. It is sooooo annoying. 

 

In all seriousness. 2 years ago, there was an awful lot BYD F0 and F3 on the streets here. Now there is hardly any. I've never actually been in an F0 while it was rolling, but the F3 has a horrible ride. At a couple of occasions I've driven some 1-2 hour trips with a guy who has an almost new F3, it rattles, engine doesn't run smooth. Not a good car. I've never seen an old Nissan or Toyota in such horrible shape as a relatively new BYD. 

F3 is basically a copy of a Toyota Corolla, you can interchange bodyparts. The price is about half, but the quality certainly is too. 

10 years 9 weeks ago
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Robk:

I am liking this on: http://www.gwm.com.cn/wingle5-euro.html

 

I would considering buying it actually cause I love trucks. 

10 years 9 weeks ago
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Scandinavian:

@Rob. These people are even bad photoshoppers

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Posts: 448

Shifu

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I drive a Suzuki Swift, bought a 2008 model when I first arrived and still have it. Done nothing but change the oil and brake pads, runs great and has 120, 000 km. gave it to my gf  to drive and bought a 2013 model last year. New they cost 75,000 RMB loaded with leather seats, electric windows, etc. great for the city, easy to park and a 5 star crash rating. 

mike695ca:

dont hate the player hate the game eh?

10 years 9 weeks ago
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CharlieB:

I didn't say I wasted my money. I can drive whatever I choose. I choose not to buy an expensive car to have banged around in the traffic, but rather save for retirement. I looked at BMW's and LandRovers last weekend, but they are 3 times the price in the States and why waste the money. If I was bullsh**ing I wouldn't have posted what I drive and said I drive a Bentley.

10 years 9 weeks ago
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Here's a big list of cars sold in China: http://auto.sohu.com/goche/

 

I used this while thinking of buying a car in China.

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For general driving in China I suggest this would be more appropriate

philbravery:

I was going to use a photo of a tank but thought that was in bad taste indecision

10 years 9 weeks ago
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Paulberger:

hah SOLD!  you should be a salesman

10 years 9 weeks ago
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10 years 9 weeks ago
 
Posts: 1845

Shifu

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Be careful about getting a Japanese car. Next time the government decide to distract the population by demonizing Japan there will be lots of vandalism. Luckily my Japanese car has only been spit on but you are more likely to get a keying incident if you have a Japanese car.

Paulberger:

i have considered this.  i asked the lady at the dealership about it and she said, "chinese people are more civilized than that..."  so then i tried to show her the reports and pictures of japanese cars that were targeted during the last demonizing incident and my GF made me walk away...

10 years 9 weeks ago
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Robk:

lol... like it never happened... 

10 years 9 weeks ago
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