First car suggestions

daarklord · Post by **daarklord** » 06 Feb 2010, 11:30 pm

Hi new guy here. I just moved to Abu Dhabi and need to buy a car. I'm looking for suggestions and advice to get a good deal.

Who am I?
-I am not very experienced. I've driven the family car. Never got into a race.
-But I am a fan of auto racing (autocross, toge, circuit, rally, NOT Nascar, NOT drag)
-I will be using this car on the highway from Abu Dhabi to Dubai every week.

What car am I looking for?
Something affordable and reliable that is fun.

Must have these features:
-max price about 50k
-manual transmission
Would be nice with these features:
-compact or smaller
-Japanese (for resale value)
-FR layout
-not so old that it would require frequent repairs

Looking around the Web, the best choices I can find are:
1. Lancer EX 2.0L manual
2. Impreza 2.0L manual
3. Tiida 1.8L manual
4. Corolla 1.8L manual

Too bad there's no Civic Si, Impreza WRX, or Mazdaspeed3 for sale here. I haven't looked at American or European cars. I hear the resale value is bad.

Should I buy a new car or used? What are the best places to look for used cars? Would it be hard to find a used car that is the larger-displacement, manual-transmission trim that I'm looking for?

Many thanks!

TNT · Post by **TNT** » 07 Feb 2010, 12:56 am

Used 350Z
/thread

fahad992 · Post by **fahad992** » 07 Feb 2010, 1:01 am

how abt automatic ? go for camry 07,08 then or lancer ex is gud option

easy way to find a car is to look up in news paper classified section

RasHooD · Post by **RasHooD** » 07 Feb 2010, 1:04 am

None of the cars you mentioned above are marketed with FR layouts

Tamu · Post by **Tamu** » 07 Feb 2010, 2:10 am

If it's highway driving your doing then you need something more then 4 cylinders IMO....

I think your best bet would be too look at something along the lines of a Accord/Altima/Camry. All 3 of them are nice cars, and very similar. I personally like Altima's because of there Awesome engines....

I would recommend a older model Lumina or Caprice just because of the comfort level you have with these type of cars on the highway. And they aren't even that bad on gas either. BUT...we all know how domestics all ways run into problems sooner or later!!

Rogue · Post by **Rogue** » 07 Feb 2010, 3:06 am

I say Golf GTI ftw !!! its perfect as per ur description ... ok maybe not japanese but small engined yet quick ... affordable .... well maintained n super fun to drive ... i think u can get them in stick shift as well but even the autos r great !!!

Ozimandius · Post by **Ozimandius** » 07 Feb 2010, 8:22 am

Woah, so many choices. For comfort between AUH and DXB daily, you should NOT buy a Lancer or Tiida. Hell, don't buy any mainstream FWD Jap less than 2.0 here because they're just tin cans and the highway noise on them is really, really bad. What you need is a used sports sedan or a coupe.

Golf isn't affordable (I may be wrong though), but you can't service them properly anywhere but the stealership. Bad resale though.

Agree with Tamu, you need a V6, like the Altima or Accord V6, comfy, reliable, quick, packed with features.

Though I wonder if the 350z is comfy, because if it is, go for it. It's powerful, has a good resale and excellent engine, very quick and manual. And it fits your budget.

Look through www.souq.com and www.dubizzle.com for deals (Souq is usually full of garbage, and US imports). Also contact Al Futtaim AutoMall and Arabian Auto used car division, to test drive used cars, they're usually in showroom condition in these 2 places.

OR

You could buy an SUV. FR layout with on demand 4WD. Comfortable. Excellent people carrier. But a gas guzzler, depending on the engine. But make they're rarely manual, unless you're going for a Land Cruiser or Nissan Patrol. The only 'fun' you'll get from them is offroad, not onroad.

Exquisite · Post by **Exquisite** » 07 Feb 2010, 9:09 am

^Yeah...try to get a 350z..but also another suggestion is the Hyundai coupe v6..it wont take as much gas as the 350Z

Mr_boost · Post by **Mr_boost** » 07 Feb 2010, 10:33 am

Go for Accord/Corolla/Camery .. Or better a 4wheeler like FJ/Pajero//LC ... Remember you want to daily drive from AD to DUBAI, so better to take brand new or recondition with low mileages on it.

Rogue · Post by **Rogue** » 07 Feb 2010, 10:37 am

GTI FTW !!!

wek-236 · Post by **wek-236** » 07 Feb 2010, 12:46 pm

S2000 FTW

Mr_boost · Post by **Mr_boost** » 07 Feb 2010, 1:18 pm

daarklord wrote:
Too bad there's no Civic Si, Impreza WRX, or Mazdaspeed3 for sale here. I haven't looked at American or European cars. I hear the resale value is bad.

http://www.logta.com/en/PromotedItem.as ... 4&catid=66

AccordTuner · Post by **AccordTuner** » 07 Feb 2010, 1:57 pm

get a altima v6 or accord v6

and enjoy

S2000 and 350z are 2 seater and are not comfortable on highways .... as compared to sedan's

k77ang3r · Post by **k77ang3r** » 07 Feb 2010, 2:15 pm

I would say if that was my budget & need a car which fits for family and comfortable.
Toyota Corolla 1.8 2006-2007 full option.
If possible the Oman specs. ( Omani have 4 ABS system in each wheel )
Will give you a good mileage ?

ROJ · Post by **ROJ** » 07 Feb 2010, 2:23 pm

Previous generation camry V6 is an ideal choice for such drives powerful, very quiet and comfy and running costs are reasonable.. Unless you seek something sportier, the Golf gti is the way to go...
U seek ultimate cheapness in terms of running costs on a long run and a bargain to get as 2nd hand, go for the Hyundai coupe v6 but you wont enjoy the poor resale value and the avg. build quality of this car..

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First car suggestions