Used Chinese car prices are cheaper than ever, some models cost less than 50 million VND

At the end of the year, the market for both new and used cars is bustling with car buying and selling activities, especially in 2023, there are many rich choices in models due to sharp price reductions. The reason comes from the massive promotions of new cars that have lasted from the second quarter until now, affecting the used car market.

A few years ago, if you had around 50 million VND in hand, buyers had almost no choice of old cars of high-end models, but only cars manufactured before 2000, manual transmission. Currently, this amount of money can buy old cars of higher models, even with only a few tens of million VND in finance equivalent to a motorbike, you can buy a Chinese car manufactured from 2009.

Below are some used Chinese car models that are very cheap on the market:

Chery QQ 2009: 20-25 million VND

In April 2009, Chery officially sold cars in Vietnam with the only model named QQ3, as part of a campaign to expand the market to Southeast Asia, Syria and South America. The assembly and distribution unit of Chery QQ3 is Hoa Binh Automobile Joint Venture Company - VMC, which has experience assembling BYD (China), Kia, Mazda and BMW cars.

The price of QQ3 at that time was 9,900 USD (about 170 million VND, according to 2009 exchange rate), becoming the cheapest A-size urban car in the segment, competing directly with Chevrolet Spark which was selling for 14,000 - 16,000 USD (about 240 million to 275 million VND).

However, Chery QQ3 sales were not as expected. After 3 months of launch with sales of more than 300 cars, consumption gradually decreased. In 2010 and 2011, the average sales of QQ3 were less than 300 cars, peaked in 2012 with only 146 cars sold and disappeared in 2013.

Up to now, a few Chery QQ3s are bought and sold as temporary vehicles, to protect against the sun and rain, or to practice driving because the resale price is quite cheap. A few years ago, a 2009 Chery QQ3 cost 60-80 million VND, 1/3 of the price of a KIA Morning or Chevrolet Spark, but now many people will be surprised when the selling price of this car is only 20-25 million VND depending on the condition.

The common feature of cheap Chery QQ3 models like motorbikes is that the exterior paint has been "touched up" many times, easily noticeable through the light, the feeling is not flat because of many layers of putty. The reason is that the quality of the chassis material of Chery QQ3 is poor, over time it is easy to rot. In addition, the engine is weak, is a 3-cylinder inline type, 812 cc capacity, 51 horsepower, maximum torque of 70 Nm, with a 5-speed manual transmission, if not used properly, it is easy to overload, leading to early maintenance. Therefore, when buying Chery QQ3 2009, users should also have a certain understanding of car mechanics.

Lifan 520 2008: 30-40 million VND

Lifan is a Chinese car brand that decided to assemble cars in Vietnam early. Since 2006, with a partnership with Bao Toan and Mekong Saigon companies, the company has launched the 520 model, priced at 16,000 - 17,000 USD (about 287 million - 305 million VND, according to the 2009 exchange rate). This is considered a low-cost competitor compared to Toyota Vios, Daewoo Magnus,... Up to now, after about 15 years, the selling price of this car on the market is only 30-40 million VND, equivalent to a common scooter.

On the outside, the Lifan 520 has an eye-catching design compared to Japanese and Korean models of the same period. Inside the passenger compartment there is a leather interior, DVD screen, driver's airbag...

The Lifan 520's engine is a 1.6L, 5-speed manual transmission, advertised to consume 5.64 liters of gasoline per 100km and reach a maximum speed of 220km/h. In terms of safety, the Lifan 520 is also equipped with alloy wheels, ABS brakes and a reverse sensor system.

According to many users of the Lifan 520, this is a Chinese sedan with the advantages of not going out of fashion much, being easy to repair, easy to drive and cheap. The disadvantages of this car, like many Chinese cars of the same period, are low assembly quality, poor materials, and a steering mechanism that is easily damaged if used carelessly (shafts flying off, steering racks broken). However, if you invest the right amount of money to repair and refurbish, this is one of the cheap, good-looking Chinese cars.

BYD F0 2011: 70 million VND

In 2011, when BYD F0 started selling in Vietnam, many people mistook it for the Toyota Aygo because of its strangely similar appearance. Apart from the logo, the only difference was the change in the design of the lighting system on the “borrowed” model. Therefore, the car also gained a number of young customers thanks to its fashionable design, while the selling price was only about 200 million VND, more than half the price of the Toyota Aygo.

After about 12 years, BYD F0 now has a fairly cheap resale price, only from 70 million VND on the used car market, equivalent to a mid-range scooter.

BYD F0 is 3,460 mm long, 1,618 mm wide and 1,465 mm high with a wheelbase of 2,340 mm. With such dimensions, F0 belongs to the A-class car segment like KIA Morning, Hyundai i10. The car has a simple and gentle exterior design with a smiley-shaped grille and air vents. Inside, the simple interior creates a rather airy feeling. BYD F0 uses a halogen front light system, the rear of the car is equipped with a 3rd brake light on the spoiler, 14-inch alloy wheels.

The details on the central console area have a rather unique design with a round tube-shaped clock cluster, a small LCD screen integrating parameters and a speedometer to help the driver easily recognize. In addition, the storage compartments are designed quite conveniently. Oil-powered steering wheel, electrically adjustable front side mirrors, fabric interior, adjustable front seats, foldable rear seats to create a flat storage surface, anti-glare rearview mirror, CD, MP3 audio system, with AUX port.

According to those who have used the BYD F0, this car model is quite good, with few minor problems, but the soundproofing is quite thin, so it will be quite uncomfortable when driving on the highway. Besides, after 12 years of use, now is the time when many spare parts and details of the car need to be replaced, so even if it is cheap, buyers need to know where to repair or replace parts to avoid being passive, because this car model has long been without a distributor.