# What Car in the heat!



## Kinvara (Apr 14, 2013)

Hi all,

Has anyone any experience or heard of any issues with anyone make/ model of car in Dubai that doesn’t handle the harsh environment that well.
I guess I’m thinking of overheating and premature failure of parts etc assuming not all vehicles have a revised spec for the conditions that Dubai will throw at them.
I’m also trying to gauge how much quicker cars may age by in the UAE than they do back here in the UK, or do they do better!

If all goes to plan my family and I will be in Dubai this August so I’m checking out the various options, I think I’m leaning to a 4x4 with lots of airbags!
My budget should give me 60000AED which from dubizzle I believe should give me a few options in the used car market (or would it!) and hopefully see us through the few years we plan to stay for.

Any advice you have would be appreciated, such as service cost, insurance and paperwork etc.

Thanks


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## Jumeirah Jim (Jan 24, 2011)

Avoid BMWs are they are not built to stand the heat. I have one and have learnt that to my cost.

Japanese seems the way to go.


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## travertine (Aug 10, 2010)

Hi. Just some general comments (having just completed the 2nd hand car process myself):
# black is going to be a lot hotter than a white, silver, beige car. Surprising how many black cars there are here;
# look for window tinting or be prepared to pay for it;
# perhaps allow for a slightly larger engine than you might otherwise choose as the AC is going to running a lot;
# do some background research on the models (e.g. edmunds.com even though it's US focussed it provides a good overview including reliability);
# look for vehicles that have GCC specs. as mentioned above vehicles destined for other countries may have heated seats and great heating but lack a decent AC;
# if the seller is amenable try and get a comprehensive inspection done on the car before you buy it. The basic test done by the inspection agency is 'basic' and doesn't even involve a test drive. So don't rely on the seller's assertion that it's been tested and everything is OK;
# be prepared to look at quite a lot of cars initially if you want to narrow the search. This way when the right car comes up you can pounce on it.


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## TallyHo (Aug 21, 2011)

Almost all new cars sold in Dubai will be to GCC specs, which means the second hand market is predominately GCC specs. The AC will be more powerful. I haven't heard of anyone's cars overheating (at least noticeably so that it's a trend). The peculiar factors of Dubai's growth also means that the overwhelming majority of cars on the road are under ten years old so you're far more likely to see cars abandoned on the roadside that were damaged in an accident than having broken down due to mechanical failures. 

There are cars offered for sale which were imported from overseas but I'd be wary of any of them for a variety of reasons, including cars that were badly damaged/flooded in the home country, then touched up with some fresh paint and being passed off to an unsuspecting buyer. If the deal seems too good, there's a reason for it.

Japanese cars are an excellent buy and an excellent resell when the time comes. With a budget of 60,000 and in the market for a 4x4 do look at the 4-5 year old Pajeros. Great value and they will last forever with minimal trouble. By the way most of the prices on Dubizzle are very negotiable.


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## saraswat (Apr 28, 2012)

Great advice on this thread !!! One thing I would like to add:

DO NOT pay any kind of 'deposit/car viewing/testing/test drive charge' etc to the seller. When getting the car tested, pay the garage/dealership where you are getting the tests done yourself, but don't put down anything towards a prospective sale with the seller. That almost always does not end well. As has been said in the other posts, there are enough cars and sellers out there that anyone pushing you to pay them some kind of money upfront, before any of the tests is just trying to pull a fast one on you, 99% of the time....


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## Kinvara (Apr 14, 2013)

Thanks for the comments, plenty to think about


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## Canuck_Sens (Nov 16, 2010)

Kinvara said:


> Thanks for the comments, plenty to think about


I brought my car from Canada "Canadian Specs" Japan made. It has been 2 years and never experienced any kind of issue. The AC works great. So I wonder how GCC ACs fare.

I have been with the car for the past 5 years now.

The only thing that I should be worried is about proper maintenance and associated costs. If you end up buying a Mercedes (or similar) bear in mind that maintenance costs are considerably higher compared to other models.

I agree with the previous posts that Japanese made cars are a safe bet.


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## Essex Emirati (May 7, 2013)

Japanese or American cars seem to be the best not only for withstanding the heat but also in terms of purchase price and general running costs.

Agree with the guys on not buying German out here. When I first came over, I bought an X5. Lovely car but turned into somewhat of a money pit over the 18 months that i had it. 

Also agree with having a car properly checked before you buy. I've heard of a guy who had a car towed to the RTA inspection, the car had just enough life in it to pass the very basic inspection and the new buyer was left with a heap of junk on the side of SZR within 20mins of completing the purchase.


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## saraswat (Apr 28, 2012)

Don't forget the newer Hyundai's ... the sonata's among others are really nice with most of the bells and whistles ... For much better value ....


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## Tropicana (Apr 29, 2010)

All cars with GCC Specs will be able to cope well. 
But word of mouth is that:
1) Nissans tend to have very good ACs
2) Non German European cars are more likely to have weaker ACs than Japanese cars, e.g. Peugeot, Renault, Fiat, Seat etc.

Genera;lly it does not get extremely hot here where you will notice siginifcant differences between a group of cars


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## wazza2222 (Sep 7, 2011)

All of this is highly subjective I think. For instance, I have a BMW, it is swiss watch reliable and I have done 60000km in 16 months BUT it has rubbish AirCon. It is piss weak and is way slow cooling down the massive black dashboard which acts as a heat sink. I also have a 5 yo Pajero which has 70000km on it. It rattles and cuts out every now and then, has a funny clunking noise under it but has rockin' AirCon which can chill your beer in ten minutes form 200 metres away! Both are GCC spec and sold new here, both have been Dealer maintained all the way through.


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## ccr (Jun 20, 2010)

wazza2222 said:


> ...Both are GCC spec and sold new here...


Correct me if wrong, but I don't think there is an established standard for "GCC specs" so it is up to the manufacturer to delcare if their cars are GCC-spec'ed - thus the difference in performance.


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## Gavtek (Aug 23, 2009)

I've had 2 German cars (assuming we can call a Range Rover Sport German) that have spent a summer parked outside with no shade. Didn't have any problems with either of them. In fact, my Toyota Prado will have spent more time in the garage than the 911 I had for a year once I put it in for its 5000km service.


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## wazza2222 (Sep 7, 2011)

ccr said:


> Correct me if wrong, but I don't think there is an established standard for "GCC specs" so it is up to the manufacturer to delcare if their cars are GCC-spec'ed - thus the difference in performance.


I believe you are correct, not sure that it actually affects performance as such (unless you are referring to airconditioning performance rather than horsepower?)


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## Felixtoo2 (Jan 16, 2009)

Ok, a quick challenge to anyone who knows better than me. 
In my view GCC spec means only two things, Arabic writing on the wing mirrors and an Arabic translation of the operating manual. 
There is a lot of BS talked about improved AC, please find me some part numbers to prove that any vehicle here has a GCC pack that differs from normal world spec. 
Is it really believable that any company would change a cars specification based on such a low volume market?


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## Jynxgirl (Nov 27, 2009)

I think the only differences in most vehicles you will see, is the km/miles gauges ? and if it is GCC, then you know it isnt a completely crashed up vehicle from the usa that was determined to be beyond repair that was brought to sharjah and fixed to look knew but is a death trap waiting to happen....


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## ccr (Jun 20, 2010)

Felixtoo2 said:


> Is it really believable that any company would change a cars specification based on such a low volume market?


Just a discussion point, I wonder if US car manufacturers have different specs for cars to be delivered for southern or northern US - like improved engine cooling (i.e. radiator size, oil cooler, etc) and AC systems as Summer temperature is quite different.

If so, then "GCC-specs" US car could be the southern version.

I have no facts, just questions... 

I know US trucks / SUV's could be ordered with tow-package which means different gearing and engine cooling specs.


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## ccr (Jun 20, 2010)

wazza2222 said:


> I believe you are correct, not sure that it actually affects performance as such (unless you are referring to airconditioning performance rather than horsepower?)


Yes, I was referring to AC performance.


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## Felixtoo2 (Jan 16, 2009)

I don't believe that there is any difference between any cars A/C for GCC spec and how it leaves the factory for a y other country. 
We have a resident car dearer aka Jimbo, so let him answer the question. 
Jimbo, are there any part number differences between a UK spec and GCC spec 86 in regards to A/C ?


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## naidu (May 11, 2013)

Any experince shipping car like Lexus LX 470 from USA to UAE, roll on roll off /container. pricing in dubuzzle vs shipping and tax?

Thank you


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## Canuck_Sens (Nov 16, 2010)

Felixtoo2 said:


> I don't believe that there is any difference between any cars A/C for GCC spec and how it leaves the factory for a y other country.


Always had that feeling. I just serviced my car in these shops that service RTA cars and the guys are pretty good. I imported the parts myself and was a great service. They followed my instructions to the letter.

When I had the road test done with the other mechanics they could not believe that my AC was that strong. For me, all that GCC specs idea that AC is stronger is nothing more than a mambo jambo unless non japanese cars suck on that matter. Only a big radiator is the real thing. 

The other thing I found out is that parts here are insanely high. I would not venture buying any parts from other shops than the dealer after they found out fake parts being sold in the market. The other thing is that even dealers are servicing cars with not so top notch parts cause I quoted some with them and I was pretty disappointed with the parts number they shared. Anyway....

The guys could not believe the price I paid for the parts either. According to them, the parts were more premium than generic OEM ( I knew that I ordered) and dirt cheap. And of course I concurred.


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## saraswat (Apr 28, 2012)

naidu said:


> Any experince shipping car like Lexus LX 470 from USA to UAE, roll on roll off /container. pricing in dubuzzle vs shipping and tax?
> 
> Thank you


These threads should give you some good info:

http://www.expatforum.com/expats/du...ce-importing-car-us.html?highlight=car+export

http://www.expatforum.com/expats/du...g-my-car-canada-uae.html?highlight=car+export

To everyone else, sorry for the detour, now back to the captivating mystery of GCC specs :focus:


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## Moe78 (Oct 29, 2010)

Can't remember where I heard it but only a few weeks back I heard that a new type of AC gas will be or has been introduced that is supposedly more eco-friendly. The gripe with it was that it does not cool as quickly or as well as the old gas and to us here that will mean weaker ACs all around.

Not sure if it's currently being used, will be used or is going to be used globally but not looking forward to it if so!

From what I know GCC spec usually means making sure the components such as radiator are strong enough to withstand the heat/humidity here. I think before they would replace the radiator with a larger one depending on where it has been imported but considering many cars from the same plant and get sent all over the world, the GCC spec thing may just mean arabic words, owner's manual and usually less options than the cars sold everywhere else!


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## shahbaz (May 8, 2013)

i will prefer Land cruiser (automatic) because it is really comfortable, powerful AC and much more


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## suzieirl (Aug 13, 2012)

:dance::bounce::bolt:
MINI,MINI,MINI


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## Ronan_a (May 12, 2013)

Thanks for the advise guys. Very helpful.


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## Laowei (Nov 29, 2009)

Having spent over 20yrs in automotive manufacturing can concur with what has already been said. component manufacturers dont make specific parts more eithe hot or cold regions all parts affected by temperature fluctuations are made to withstand both extreme heat and extreme cold.

As an example my previous company manufactured driveshafts and propshafts for all vehicle manufacturers and had around 60% of the global market. 2 key components of a driveshaft which are affected by temperature is the grease within the joint and the rubber/plastic boot that hold it in. Our driveshafts had to operate at temps around -40C to around +60C covering all possible temp ranges.

Knowing how OEM's work to keep costs down having variance in a market would add cost so standard components would be the key to keeping costs down and the development of these would be passed down to the tier 1 and tier 2 manufacturers to develop products that would cover all potential circumstances.

Saying that i have a honda pilot, made in US mechanically cant fault it, but the manufacturer of the cheap plastic interior obviousley missed the memo regarding heat degredation. blisters and splits everywhere on the inside.


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## Zingy (May 14, 2013)

My first car , a camaro , had problems with ac n overheating ! (2 years)

Second Nissan 350z ( no problems , what so ever ) (3 years) 

Third Nissan Altima , non stop running good till now ! ( 5 years) 

Fourth Nissan xterra. , non stop working as well ! 

Fifth car ? I will vote for Japanese car over any other make ! 

Good mileage, great ac , n the most important info , the police patrol don't stop you as often as when u HV a camaro or a mustang ! 


Cheers


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## XDoodlebugger (Jan 24, 2012)

A couple in our company have Ford Edges, they complain about the A/C not handling it when it gets really hot.

I have a Chevy Traverse SUV that I bought last year new, silver and supposedly it has two A/C compressors, one for the front and back. The only complaint I get it that it's too cold inside when I transport others!


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## XDoodlebugger (Jan 24, 2012)

This should be in the DDR thread but we also have a couple of Pajero's and the speedometer constantly dings above 120kph, not just dings for a while and stops, it never gives up!

I made the guys have the mechanics disable it before I drove a knife into the speaker somehow.


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## vantage (May 10, 2012)

XDoodle****** said:


> This should be in the DDR thread but we also have a couple of Pajero's and the speedometer constantly dings above 120kph, not just dings for a while and stops, it never gives up!
> 
> I made the guys have the mechanics disable it before I drove a knife into the speaker somehow.


sounds painful!
Think yourself lucky - In Japan, they have to ding continuously above 100 - by law.

They all drive round completley blanking it out. Drives you nuts!

But then, when i was working there in the early 90's we were expected to sing karaoke in the works mini-van on the way to the construction site at 5.30 am! Built in microphones at each seat, and a Beatles and Elvis disk bought 'just for the English boy'. Now THAT's ear-pain in a car!!


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## Canuck_Sens (Nov 16, 2010)

Laowei said:


> Saying that i have a honda pilot, made in US mechanically cant fault it, but the manufacturer of the cheap plastic interior obviousley missed the memo regarding heat degredation. blisters and splits everywhere on the inside.



I was surprised to learn your predicament about the plastic materials. Did you complain to Honda in the US ? It is a US spec built car, is not it ?

I had the same concern because of all that plastic but have not experienced any so far. Have you been exposing/ exposed your car for long hours in the sunshine ?


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## Laowei (Nov 29, 2009)

Canuck_Sens said:


> I was surprised to learn your predicament about the plastic materials. Did you complain to Honda in the US ? It is a US spec built car, is not it ?
> 
> I had the same concern because of all that plastic but have not experienced any so far. Have you been exposing/ exposed your car for long hours in the sunshine ?


Tha cars 3 yrs old but bought it new, mentioned it ot the dealer here who just said 'its the heat' no 5hit sherlock. I spend 3 days on average a week out of office at suppliers and usually the car is parked on some dirt in Mussafah. The blistering is the centre console, and splits on both door arm rests inside. both are the leatherette type material. Will change it soon so not really that bothered about it now. 

To be honest would go for a pilot again as the car is good to drive and very practical in terms of space. On the few occasions when i've towed my boat back from UAQ it pulls very well and you sometimes forget you're even towing.


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## Canuck_Sens (Nov 16, 2010)

Laowei said:


> Tha cars 3 yrs old but bought it new, mentioned it ot the dealer here who just said 'its the heat' no 5hit sherlock. I spend 3 days on average a week out of office at suppliers and usually the car is parked on some dirt in Mussafah. The blistering is the centre console, and splits on both door arm rests inside. both are the leatherette type material. Will change it soon so not really that bothered about it now.


 Your US dealer BS you good. Take pictures of all that in your car and open a complaint in Honda. Check on the website and ask for a customer service specialist and tell them that this is not acceptable. I would also write reviews of that issue in specialized sites. Makers tend to look into those as may compromise their reputation. 

My car is 5 years old man, mazda and has none of the things you described. It should have none. These cars were supposedly designed to support weather conditions in North America including TX melting temperatures.

My fair guess is that they used non appropriate parts in your car really. Bad Quality Control if you ask me. I would scold them good in writing. They may service your car here. Does not harm to try.


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## Kamesh (May 14, 2013)

Is there a high demand for 4 wheel drive vehicles in Dubai? We're moving out end of this year - through my husbands work - no idea what car to have - can anyone give me advice on which 4x4 and also as we're aiming to be there between 5-10 years im guessing it would be more economical to buy instead fr hire for that time period??????!!!!!!!!!!!


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## wazza2222 (Sep 7, 2011)

Laowei said:


> Tha cars 3 yrs old but bought it new, mentioned it ot the dealer here who just said 'its the heat' no 5hit sherlock. I spend 3 days on average a week out of office at suppliers and usually the car is parked on some dirt in Mussafah. The blistering is the centre console, and splits on both door arm rests inside. both are the leatherette type material. Will change it soon so not really that bothered about it now.


Wow! My BMW developed a blister on the dashboard (that ointment wouldn't fix thank you very much) and AGMC replaced the whole damn dashboard! Blew me away, I thought they would just inject a bit of superfix in and squish it down


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## Magpie21 (Oct 28, 2012)

Some great info here, thanks all.

I'm looking at buying a second hand car when I arrive but most seem to have high mileage +100000 kms. Is this considered high mileage or have I just been brainwashed here in the UK that anything over 60k is high miles?


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## Canuck_Sens (Nov 16, 2010)

Magpie21 said:


> Some great info here, thanks all.
> 
> I'm looking at buying a second hand car when I arrive but most seem to have high mileage +100000 kms. Is this considered high mileage or have I just been brainwashed here in the UK that anything over 60k is high miles?


If you have the history of maintenance performed, it would be ok, but frankly you don't find these records usually.  so chances of you getting a lemon is quite high

Your best bet is to buy from a dealer that offers warranty preferably a Japanese made car.

A well maintained car can go way over 100K Km.


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## Kinvara (Apr 14, 2013)

Thanks for all the comments everyone. The move took a bit of a dive until this week but apparently all back on now so hopefully I'll be checking or cars late July


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## LAME (Jun 7, 2013)

Has anyone have or have had a Ford Edge? They seem pretty good value for money though like most cars don't hold value. Seems to be quite a few around Dubai..


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## Roadworrier (Jul 3, 2012)

XDoodle****** said:


> This should be in the DDR thread but we also have a couple of Pajero's and the speedometer constantly dings above 120kph, not just dings for a while and stops, it never gives up!
> 
> I made the guys have the mechanics disable it before I drove a knife into the speaker somehow.


I am renting a VW Passat and one of my colleagues has a Mercedes ML500. The Passat so far has been fine, but the rental car agency handles the service so I'm not sure how Al Nabooda (or Ali & Sons in AD) is on maintenance. The Mercedes has had brake issues, timing belt problems, and who knows what else. Every few months, it will stall on the highway around prayer times for various reasons. It does have a zillion km on it.

Both VW and MB keep the dingers on above 120. I had a Ford Fusion and Lexus IS300 as previous monthly rentals, and both dinged for 5 seconds and then STFU, which was much more tolerable. I also rented a Ford in 2011 when I was still a commuter to the region, and they had not only the chimes but a speed governor on the car - meaning you could not go over 140 even if you tried - just lots of revving with no result. Yes, certainly you stay legal but when you are being continuously beared down upon by both BMW X6's with multi-Xenon and LED flashing lights and wayward Nissan Tiidas thinking you are a moving roadblock, not such a good thing.


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## Roadworrier (Jul 3, 2012)

Jumeirah Jim said:


> Avoid BMWs are they are not built to stand the heat. I have one and have learnt that to my cost.
> 
> Japanese seems the way to go.


The other thing is that BMW and Mercedes in particular are way-overpriced new when compared with the US (maybe not the UK, which is one reason they seem to get away with it). A BMW 3-series here is priced like a 5-series in the US, likewise the price of a base C 200 here would get you an E300 in the US.

So they are both expensive to repair and overpriced when new. Which means even with depreciation here and high mileage, they are still overpriced. A shame as I owned a 325i through most of 00's in the US and loved it - though it was a money pit after the warranty is up and you go up over 80,000 miles.


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## ccr (Jun 20, 2010)

Roadworrier said:


> The other thing is that BMW and Mercedes...


What do you think about Porsche in UAE ? Been thinking about upgrading...


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## Felixtoo2 (Jan 16, 2009)

I've been running a Cayman S Sport for the last couple of years and so far it's been the cheapest car I've had to run. I've done about 60,000 kms and all its needed is servicing and a set of sticky tyres.


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## Maxfree (Jun 5, 2013)

Avoid German cars. Go with Japan, Korea. Now please don't tell me my German car is working fine for 60K. 

ALL CARS work fine for the first 60k. We are talking after the 60k.


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## Togaflex (Jun 9, 2013)

We're thinking an 07 or 09 Peugeot 207 or 307 convertible. Very cheap on Dubizzle and plan is we can use it for a year then get something better. Should be reasonably reliable at that age surely? 

Would you have the top down a lot or is it too hot?


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## Maxfree (Jun 5, 2013)

Togaflex said:


> We're thinking an 07 or 09 Peugeot 207 or 307 convertible. Very cheap on Dubizzle and plan is we can use it for a year then get something better. Should be reasonably reliable at that age surely?
> 
> Would you have the top down a lot or is it too hot?


Good choice for one year use. Don't buy one with an over 100k without maintenance history.

In Summer you wont be able to open the roof top even at night because of the high humidity.


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## Togaflex (Jun 9, 2013)

Maxfree said:


> Good choice for one year use. Don't buy one with an over 100k without maintenance history.
> 
> In Summer you wont be able to open the roof top even at night because of the high humidity.


Much appreciated thanks muchly fella.


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## Simey (Dec 4, 2012)

Maxfree said:


> Avoid German cars. Go with Japan, Korea. Now please don't tell me my German car is working fine for 60K.
> 
> ALL CARS work fine for the first 60k. We are talking after the 60k.


My 06 Cayman S is actually Finnish.


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## Maxfree (Jun 5, 2013)

Simey said:


> My 06 Cayman S is actually Finnish.


Good point, I should have said European cars not only German. Seat, VW, BMW, etc.


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## Simey (Dec 4, 2012)

Maxfree said:


> Good point, I should have said European cars not only German. Seat, VW, BMW, etc.


Yeah, well, the first question is whether you want a proper sports car or an appliance with wheels. Miatas are okay, so were the RX7 and the Honda S2000. But most other Japanese and Korean cars are booooriiiiiinnnng! 

Porsche, not so boring, and pretty economical to maintain for a true sports car. They handle the heat here just fine.


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## IzzyBella (Mar 11, 2013)

Mazda MX-5s are good little roadsters. Not sure how easy they are to get a-hold of here but in the UK they were relatively cheap and good to handle.


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## Maxfree (Jun 5, 2013)

Simey said:


> Yeah, well, the first question is whether you want a proper sports car or an appliance with wheels. Miatas are okay, so were the RX7 and the Honda S2000. But most other Japanese and Korean cars are booooriiiiiinnnng!
> 
> Porsche, not so boring, and pretty economical to maintain for a true sports car. They handle the heat here just fine.


Please don't get me wrong, anyone who is looking to buy a sporty premium car should go for any car they like no matter where it has been built. 

But for people looking for a reliable budget car that wont fail them in the long term and with low running costs should definitely stay away from European cars.


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## IzzyBella (Mar 11, 2013)

Maxfree said:


> Please don't get me wrong, anyone who is looking to buy a sporty premium car should go for any car they like no matter where it has been built.
> 
> But for people looking for a reliable budget car that wont fail them in the long term and with low running costs should definitely stay away from European cars.


Purely because European cars are ill-equipped to deal with the heat. Engines run at different optimal temperatures depending on where they're intended to be sold. Buying from Asia makes sense as they're made for the weather.


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## mgb (Sep 6, 2008)

Magpie21 said:


> Some great info here, thanks all.
> 
> I'm looking at buying a second hand car when I arrive but most seem to have high mileage +100000 kms. Is this considered high mileage or have I just been brainwashed here in the UK that anything over 60k is high miles?


So long as its Japanese I'd have no worries about buying a clean car with 100k on the clock. Indeed we bought a 2010 Nissan Patrol with 104k on the clock only last month. 

My SWB Nissan Patrol turned 350k just last week - it is starting to need more maintenance now than it used to but this might be due to the terrain I drive it over (25 days offroading in Liwa so far this year).

I wrote a blog on our car buying experience - "the car with no name" - Living Life to the Full in the Empty Quarter.


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## Felixtoo2 (Jan 16, 2009)

I often wonder if any of the people saying "don't run German/European cars here have actually ever done it. I've run an R32 Golf, a Cayman S and the wife's Volvo for almost six years in Dubai with no problems. In fact since 1982 I've only actually owned two non German cars, a Mk2 Ford Escort Harrier and a Subaru Impreza WRX so forgive me if I don't believe the scaremongering.


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## mgb (Sep 6, 2008)

Felixtoo2 said:


> I often wonder if any of the people saying "don't run German/European cars here have actually ever done it. I've run an R32 Golf, a Cayman S and the wife's Volvo for almost six years in Dubai with no problems. In fact since 1982 I've only actually owned two non German cars, a Mk2 Ford Escort Harrier and a Subaru Impreza WRX so forgive me if I don't believe the scaremongering.


Indeed I haven't run a European car here, but I have friends who have run Mercedes and Fords (I know they are American) and found them to be money pits. They have also had to wait longer than I have for spares.

I love Volvos - used to run an S60 T5 in the UK, and if I couldn't run a Nissan/Toyota here then that would be my car of choice for the safety considerations!


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## looper (Apr 30, 2013)

well Mercedes is a very bad example...they did not only run bad in the heat but in Germany as well! They are like wine...some good years some bad - you got to know a lot of details to avoid money pits


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