Taiwan's Top Cars

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A.C. has listed a few of, in what our opinion are Taiwan's most suited cars. Based on years of experience inspecting vehicles, following market trends and listening to the opinions of hundreds of users. As explained in other articles that cover Taiwan's environment and service standards and such, there are some vehicles which stand out amongst the rest as being some of the most reliable, dependable and value for money to own.

As it happens the majority of the vehicles, which qualify in these cases, generally are Japanese in design. Japanese vehicles certainly tend to be friendlier to the average mechanic and are easier to work on. They also tend to be more reliable than many other European and North American equivalents, let alone take fewer man-hours to repair on average and have on offer a greater number of original and after market spares.
So here's a quick rundown of the best overall vehicles per category.

Honda Fit 2008~

Honda's Fit offers the absolute maximum usage of interior space and its cleverly folding rear seat arrangement makes it the most versatile small car on the market. Comfortable seating and good headroom, plus excellent fuel economy and Honda reliability give it top spot as our small car favorite. Oh, and its cheaper than a new Toyota Yaris.The downside to the Honda Fit is the slightly high level of road noise at speed.

Toyota Yaris 2006~

The Toyota Yaris is strong in its fantastic use of space, versatile interior and seating arrangements, excellent fuel economy ,super reliability and strong residuals. The Yaris even looks good combining the best of French styling with Japanese engineering. The only downsides to the Yaris are the high price, engine noise at speed and low rear roof line which reduce head room for lofty rear passengers.

Suzuki Swift 2005~2009

Some say the Swift should have been the new Mini, and not the BMW version, and it certainly feels that way. Its an all round funbox of a car that will satisfy both driver and shopper alike. Excellent value for money motoring gets you a classy interior, great looking exterior, lively engine and great handling at a very affordable price. Short of the interior versatility of the Honda and Yaris; the Swift makes up for it in its sporty feel and interior plastics, not to mention its much lower price. Don't expect quite the residual savings of the Toyota brand however over the long term.

Nissan March 1998~2007

Possibly Taiwan's best known small runaround, the March has been in existence for a long, long time and probably isn't going away any time soon. This now very dated and discontinued small hatch also comes in the guise of a classic Retro version known as the Nissan Verita. The March offers possibly the lowest cost motoring in Taiwan, due to the huge number of aftermarket parts and accessories as well as reasonable fuel economy, low tax band and dead cheap servicing costs. Easy to have serviced anywhere, reasonably reliable and will satisfy the lowest budgeted driver on the road. Downsides are its dated driving feel and its general lack of airbags.

Toyota Altis 2001~

Perhaps a very predictable car indeed, but the Altis is the workhorse of the Taiwan mid sized saloon lineup. Taiwan loves the Altis and it sells in great numbers. Its reasonable size albeit dull looks and drive don't make it the best in any way, but for what it lacks in immediate appeal, it more than makes up for in reliability, economy, resale value and overall practicality. If only it came in a hatch version. If you like this car, then do check out the smaller Yaris, as it seems to get more leg room at the cost of a smaller loading space.

Nissan Tiida 2006~

A rear hatch option, and we like those! Not quite the reliability of a Toyota, or the style of a Civic, but it does have a nice all over feel. Nissan have made a good common sense car with this one and for a good price. Interior space is good and with reasonable build quality and design, it doesn’t feel like it will date all that quickly. Nissan parts are cheaper than Toyota's, but keep on top of servicing older cars as the niggles tend to build up after a while. Look for a one year old to avoid the new car tax and use it for three years or until it starts to show more faults than an older Toyota. The downside to the newer Nissans are heavier residual losses than Honda or Toyota. Older cars in good condition should also be great attractions due to their low prices.

Honda Civic 2006~

How we would love to put this further up the rankings, but the lack of decent interior colour options and rear hatch take it down to number three. Honda's award winning Civic is lively on the road and has a huge number of original manufacturer and aftermarket accessory options. Economical and nicely styled, but with zest, it's one of the better driver's cars in this lineup, but still a little noisy at lower speeds as Honda's lightweight fuel efficient design allows for a little too much road noise on some surfaces.

Mazda 3 2004~

We would like to mention the Mazda 3 at this point and simply because it's another great all-rounder. The Mazda 3, offers reasonable prices, has good looks, a nice interior, as well as the best to drive within its budget category, which all add up to one very nice car. Largely overlooked is the hatch version as not many seem to know its even available, but as more people are realizing the advantages of hatches these days, it should be gaining more interest. Do go for the hatch version for extra versatility if you have the choice. Try to stay clear of these cars which are kept in the sun. New recycled plastics on these models don't tend to hold up as long as rival Japanese cars.

Toyota Camry 2003~2008, 2008~

Toyota takes the biscuit again with the famously reliable Camry. With great residuals, comfortable drive, very large cabin and boot/trunk space and good list of options, the Camry retains its top place as Taiwan's favorite large family saloon. It may not have anywhere near the Oomph or handling of a big German saloon, or the better agility of a Honda Accord but it fits the scope of Taiwan's special needs better than any other. Even the oldest of Camrys can perform just as reliably as many new cars, but the latest Camrys even look good, perhaps enough even to be breaking the habit of a lifetime? Maybe on the outside, but the interior still requires some proper finishing. Used cars are plentiful, so shop around for the best cars as prices may be firm. If you're looking for an older saloon, then A.C.'s favorite is still the last generation Camry, as pictured above.

Tiena 2005~2007, 2007~

Although Nissan has had a variety of large saloons in recent years, they can be referred to generally as the exception in large Taiwan saloons. Although a tiny bit less reliable as a Toyota or Honda, and not as efficient either, Nissan have always tried to offer a level of luxury that can't be had in most other cars of the same price range. Where Toyota squarely aims for solid build and strong residuals, Nissan picks up the customers that don't mind the odd issue here and there or the quicker depreciation, because what they want is budget luxury, and that is Nissan's forte in Taiwan. Nissan therefore have a corner all to themselves and for little money indeed one can pick up a car of just a few years old that can whisper along quieter than a Rolls Royce with as many options as an executive saloon. Such impressive options lists, very low prices on older models coupled with good availability makes these cars so popular that we are forced to put them up here in second place. Go for older cars in good condition as residual values can drop sharply on very new models.

Honda Accord 2003~2008, 2008~

Although some can come a little overpriced in the used car market we feel the Accord is never the less an extremely good used car. With excellent reliability, low running costs and good fuel efficiency and handling, the Accord is very popular in Taiwan. Interior space and boot/trunk space is good. They are easily serviced at most garages and will last a careful driver many years of good motoring. Performance, style, options and feel may not be the best, but this is one of the top solid family shifters around and for less money than a Toyota Camry. The latest Accordhas shown it still shines throughin terms of quality and the new vehicle spec is very high.

Mazda 5 2006~

Its quite easy to choose from all the vehicles that claim to be seven seater family movers as when it comes to it most can't fit a third row of occupants comfortably at all, let alone allow for even the smallest of bags in the rear.
The Mazda 5 then quite easily takes first place as the most practical 7 seater for the money. The third row of seats actually offers passengers a foot well so that their knees aren't forced up by their ears. There is still a little loading room in the back with rearmost seats up, and the large rear side doors slide, making loading of even large, bulky objects and loading of people easy, even in tight spaces. The only fly in the ointment is the second row of seats that don't quite comfortably seat the middle person which arguably may make it a six seater in the most practical terms, but the versatility of the seating, coupled with a lower floor pan for easy loading makes it a convenient car to drive. Driving is pleasant too with a lower ride height than typical seven seater passenger vans. This advantage especially shows when driving Taiwan's twisty mountain roads which can make even the hardiest of travelers feel sick, especially in a typical lofty seven seater van arrangement. The 5 not only feels flatter than most around corners, but the lower ride also increases fuel economy as well as average speed. Don't go for the alternative re-badged Ford imax unless its much cheaper though. Lower residuals, and riskier build quality may be factors with the Ford.

VW T4 (The Surfer’s Choice) All years

The T4 has been around for many a year and its unusual to be recommending a European vehicle over a Taiwan built, Japanese version, but the T4 has been tried, tested, tortured and still comes out shining. Clearly a far better van than the much smaller but nimbler Mazda 5, the T4 offers a large space indeed, can seat up to eight people comfortably and is even big enough for a bed (for those surfers and the like). When you really must prepare for all possibilities, then the T4 wins every time. It will move your furniture and family as well as double as a work vehicle. Its also a predictable machine, requiring simple maintenance that even basically skilled mechanics should manage. It is a van though, so traveling around town will require skill and a large parking space with no low height restriction. Oh, and if you plan to un-bolster the rear seats for a flat loading space, then you best have a place to keep them and strong arms to carry them around.

Honda CRV 2007~

The CRV is practically a road only SUV, but at least manages comparatively reasonable fuel consumption for an SUV although still higher than most saloons. Ride comfort and road feel also fair well and easily out-perform other road going SUVs on the market. Honda's reputation for reliability sticks with the CRV making its residual pricing about the strongest of any vehicle on the used market today. Road noise isn't too loud and driving is easy. Popular amongst some people for its ride height and tall glass which offer a good view of the road ahead. The best suited SUV for city driving and cruising. The downsides of the CRV may be low power on acceleration due to smaller power units than some rivals. The latest version of the CRV has a rear hatch which offers far more practicality than the last version which was hinged and could hinder the unloading of large objects onto the pavement when parallel parked at the curbside.

Toyota RAV 4 2008~

The Toyota Rav 4 has never enjoyed the popularity of the Honda CRV, however recent 2008 imports of the newer RAV 4 have shown great interest. In 2009 it even ranked as one of Taiwan's top selling imported cars. The RAV 4 is perhaps one of the quickest small SUVs in terms of performance and offers reasonable handling for its type, although doesn't quite match the refinement or roadholding of the newest Honda rival. Expect high residuals with this vehicle as Toyota is always expected to remain stiff.