My boyfriend and I went to have a look at the Mini showroom in Qre Plaza, which is the only one is…read morethe Island. They have another one is Tsuen Wan, but this one is our closest. It's not big, as they can only fit in four cars (a Mini Cooper, a Mini Cooper Coupé, a Mini Cooper S and a Countryman). Besides those, they have a few car accessories, a few suitcases and toys. All Mini-themed of course. That's what we looked at initially - they have a few wheel taps in different colors, seat belts, mirror cases, etc. and it's difficult to tell which one we liked the most. I love the Mini Cooper, I think it's a great car: the design is unique for a car, and quality wise it's also amazing (BMW engine...). Even though it's a much better car for the city than the road, it can still serve as a good vehicle for short distances. The colors they have on display are a little boring, but you can also have a look at the samples and some of them were more fun...light blue, bright red, yellow. We browsed around for quite a while and checked out the four of them, their finishing and prices. None of the staff came around to ask, which was okay for us, since we just wanted to check them out and were not intending to buy. For now I will have to be content with a 'mini' Mini suitcase, because the car will have to wait for a little longer!

Since I've been in HK for more than a year now, I have finally decided, and saved enough to get a…read morecar. To my friends in the US, you have no idea how much more you have to pay to get a car and other car related expenses here compare to the US. For one thing, my uncle calculated that it is actually cheaper for him to take a taxi to work everyday than owning a car here. Crazy~ Anyways, I finally got one because I won a lottery. Not the kinds that pay you money or prizes, but a lottery for a parking spot at my apartment. Yup, that's right, it was me verses 64 other hopefuls to get a spot and I got it. Of course, they were not happy to hear that I actually didn't own a car so I had a purchase one within a month to start my lease on the spot, which cost $400 USD a month. Crazy~ Anyways, unlike the rich folks in HK, I merely saved enough to buy a low-end Toyota Wish. I called Crown Motors in Yuen Long and spoke with Mr. Tong. He was very informative on what I should do as a first time car buyer in HK. For one thing, I had to throw anything I know from the US away because it's a completely different thing in HK. When I visited him at the dealer, he was fast to reassure my concerns and throws in a few perks if I decide to buy the car with him. He also offered insurance from Toyota and give me another discount. But apparently in HK, you must take your car to the dealer for all of the scheduled maintenance and tune-ups to keep the warranty valid. Mr. Tong explained that a car is a luxury item in HK so therefore, warranties not as automatic as it is in the US. Crazy~ Anyways, I had a good overall experience at Crown Motors and with Mr. Tong. Personally, I would recommend it to my friends if they are looking for a Toyota. Oh yeah, I forgot that they drive on left here. Crazy...

The staff at in this show room were very nice and helpful; they were extremely knowledgeable about…read moreall the Tesla's, including the not yet available Model 3. On the floor was a Model X, a Model S and room for the Model three--- but not here yet. They answered all my questions about delivery times and options and I enjoyed very much spending time with them learning about the future of cars, and hope to order a Tesla soon!

If there ever was a competition to decide on the least imaginative name for a business- this would…read morebe it. The Used Motor does exactly when it saids on the can; it sells used cars. Usually that would invoke images of a keen salesmen with a big smile and cars that are always owned by doctor who never drove it. To sum up, buying a used car has always been a game of picking a car and keeping your fingers crossed that nothing (too) wrong has happened/ will happen to it. So what's different with this place? From personal experience most dealerships would have top to bottom, all out promotional activities and you won't miss them from a mile away. But this place is so hard to find that you (almost) need to have an inside contact to know where they are. There is no forecourt and there is no "showroom" so to speak; you need to call someone before they actually let you in the compound where their cars are parked. Once in, the usual sales pitch doesn't begin either, it seems as though the sales staff are almost there simply to let you in and again from personal experience they seem as if they don't mind if you just came to gawk for a bit. They don't seem to be in a hurry to sell. The cars are almost exclusively Mercedes as they are an affiliate of the brand but they do sell other marques too depending on availability. There are ample guarantees given on the cars they sell which translates into one of the best buying experience I have had.

If you are looking for a used car in Hong Kong there are a couple of major "centres"- Emax at…read moreKowloon Bay, Wanchai Convention Centre and one more in Mongkok. these are all individual dealers grouped into one location and there are no blanket warranties made for cars sold there- buying a car from one dealer may give you different warranties from buying from the next place. That's where DCH actually differs. DCH is a trading group in HK with a huge motor division; they are the official importer for a number of brands with one of the biggest service centres. In the past they had sold their trade in vehicles through smaller dealerships but this practice has changed with the introduction of this Used Car Centre. These are all vehicles which have been either taken part-exchange or used by the DCH group, with that it comes with warranties that differs depending on the vehicle but it is their guarantee that matters. Their guarantee is that the vehicles have not been clocked and in anyway masked for problems- this is a breakthrough locally as in the past buying used always had its inherent dangers and nothing was ever guaranteed. The cars do vary in brands, so they stock not only the brands they deal with but other vehicles too. One of the apparent things that should hit you is that the cars have not been prepped in anyway, they sit there the way came in which depending on how you look at it may be a good thing or bad thing. The prices are also on the high side with no room for negotiation, but again you are buying a peace of mind that money can't buy else where. One major criticism with the place is that its a big place and its difficult to get to speak to someone if you are interested. Again, that may be a good thing in the sense that there is no one to bug you whilst you take your time. To sum up, if you are in the market for a second hand car you should go take a look here.

Car washes in Hong Kong are usually quite pedantic compared to overseas ones- we are more careful…read moreabout what we put onto the car, how we dry it whether we wax it and in general I'd like to think that we take better care of our cars here. This place is a well established carwash chain that was probably the first ones to introduce automated car washing machines in Hong Kong. their name translates as "The Computer Carwash House" which tells you that they came in from a time when there weren't many of these places. They have done well to preserve their name and for that they have expanded themselves greatly all over Hong Kong. As with all chains though, there are better and worse ones. This one is a good one that I went to recently where, although they had what seemed like all the cars in Hong Kong coming at once, they were extremely helpful and telling you when to come back or how you could wait here. These are little things that count. Their shop front may not be the prettiest but I guess in this part of town and with little choice- you are stuck with them. I'm just glad that they are a good one.

This is our second purchase from this dealership, we came here 5 years ago when we decided to get a…read morecar in Hong Kong, since we are here mainly to care for our senior members in our family, getting the "right" car is most important and the only reason for us to do so, as we only come back for a couple of months each year, we need a car that is reliable and accessible for the older folks. Enters Suzuki Solio! Its a "k" car in the Japanese Auto Category as it is like a micro car compare to most N. America standard, but it still sits 5 and has double sliding doors for easy access! With a high body, seniors are able to get in an out without any problem and with a good sized trunk, you can even put in a wheelchair after seating 5 adults! The sales persons here we dealt with are all very professional and super nice! As you can see from my photos, they also have a few more sporty models for younger crowds! Will attach more photos when my car is delivered! Keep posted!

Sometimes, retailers get too confident about themselves and then it backfires on them. Not with…read moreToyota though. Buying a car is a big investment for a lot of people and indeed they do look around for ages, sales people might not like this as if they were playing them around. Toyota is arguably one of the most popular brands in Hong Kong (maybe the world even) and they know that whatever their service quality is like- you will always come back and buy from them. For a few years this was certainly the case with the local dealer here where they just couldn't be bothered to deal with customers because sales would be high come what may. That's what drove me from buying from them. In the last few years though ,things have indeed changed a lot. European cars are now running circles around Japanese manufacturers in Hong Kong and Toyota has realized that they must step up their service and how they market themselves. This particular showroom in Shatin is new, bright and just a nice place to be. Despite the number of passerbys just coming in here to gawk at shiny new cars their sales people are as friendly as ever. Its not a particularly big place but it provides bored dads like me somewhere to look forward whenever I have to make a trip to the furniture central called Shatin Central Plaza. I might not buy their products just yet but if I did, this would be the place I would head to.