# Thinking about importing car



## che_engg (Jun 1, 2013)

We are relocating from US to UAE. Thinking about importing our cars Honda odyssey & BMW 5-series because we heard that cars are expensive in UAE. So...question is cars built in North America are they suitable for UAE?


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## earthworm88 (Jun 14, 2013)

che_engg said:


> We are relocating from US to UAE. Thinking about importing our cars Honda odyssey & BMW 5-series because we heard that cars are expensive in UAE. So...question is cars built in North America are they suitable for UAE?


Hi there!

Not a car expert here, so can't really advise you on the mechanical compatibility/suitability of the cars you have. As far as the gas goes, the highest octane we have here is 98. Of course there is also the question about the fuel injection system, hopefully the experts here could shed some light on that. The one concern one may have is the air conditioning. If you have vents for both the sides and back (for the van), then they should be fine as it gets really hot and humid here in the summer months. 

I think it is a personal choice whether you want to keep them and deal with the import procedure and pay the import duty tax of 5% of the estimated value of the car. However, if let's say your car is a couple of years old already and you have the habit of changing/upgrading to new cars every 3 years or so, perhaps it's best not to bring them along. The car prices here are similar to the US, unlike other countries I know. The servicing fees may be costlier though I think for the high end brands/models. Keep in mind that only one car is allowed per adult for import with a valid residence visa, they can't be both under your name. 

HTH  Good luck with your move.


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## cmajewsk (Aug 31, 2010)

che_engg said:


> We are relocating from US to UAE. Thinking about importing our cars Honda odyssey & BMW 5-series because we heard that cars are expensive in UAE. So...question is cars built in North America are they suitable for UAE?


I imported our Acura MDX (Honda) about three years ago. Look at my past post history for that info. The car is still running well with just about 100k miles on it. Be aware that the pickup process is a pain in the [email protected]@, but looking back it was worth it not to have to buy a car. Good luck.


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## che_engg (Jun 1, 2013)

Thank you all for your feedback.


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## busybee2 (Aug 8, 2013)

che_engg said:


> We are relocating from US to UAE. Thinking about importing our cars Honda odyssey & BMW 5-series because we heard that cars are expensive in UAE. So...question is cars built in North America are they suitable for UAE?


no they dont often cope with the heat, etc... also there are rules about they cant be older than 10 years etc and it usually costs about the same as buying in uae at the end of the day.


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## Desert_Fever (Apr 13, 2013)

I'm importing my cars to UAE. All us cars are built to handle hot places like Texas, Mohave, and Arizona. Ofcourse, the UAE cars might have bigger, badder air-conditioners but you will survive.

Also, I checked the price of my late model Mercedes @ a UAE dealer and the guy told
Me that same car with the options I hAd was 40% more expensive. However, you will have warranty so expect to pay 3-5k for that.

I would take the 5 series and leave the odyssey behind.

DM me for more info.


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## Desert_Fever (Apr 13, 2013)

earthworm88 said:


> Hi there!
> 
> Not a car expert here, so can't really advise you on the mechanical compatibility/suitability of the cars you have. As far as the gas goes, the highest octane we have here is 98. Of course there is also the question about the fuel injection system, hopefully the experts here could shed some light on that. The one concern one may have is the air conditioning. If you have vents for both the sides and back (for the van), then they should be fine as it gets really hot and humid here in the summer months.
> 
> ...


Where is this rule about one car per adult coming from? Can you please share.


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## busybee2 (Aug 8, 2013)

Desert_Fever said:


> Where is this rule about one car per adult coming from? Can you please share.


it used to be a rule many years ago, 1 per person, unless you were an engineer and you could have a car for home use, and a 4x4 for work use etc. now you can get away with 2 each, and its like 4 in dxb..... but really how many cars can you drive at once?


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## che_engg (Jun 1, 2013)

busybee2 said:


> no they dont often cope with the heat, etc... also there are rules about they cant be older than 10 years etc and it usually costs about the same as buying in uae at the end of the day.


Thanks busybee for the info. My cars are less than 5 yrs old. The BMW service guy in US said the car can take the heat. Also it was imported from Germany since 5- series is not manufactured in US. This is a 2009 twin turbo model, which was not available in UAE till recently.

My company pays for the import,so, I am not worried abt those costs. Transportation is a big deal when you move into a new country and the last thing I want to worry abt is car. I will be bringing one car and not sure if I will bring odyssey.


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## busybee2 (Aug 8, 2013)

well you need to talk to honda as they sometimes will not entertain any sort of grey imports. bmw services/parts are very very very expensive here.


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