imi7

Having lived here for more than 6 years, I never thought I would be asking this question .

Just sold my SUV as now looking for a bigger 4x4 eg Land cruiser due to expanding family numbers. I have not searched for a car for the last 6 years so popped down the car souk around Exit 26. Plenty of LC's but most seemed dodgy to me. I have a decent enough budget around SR 120-150k +/-, but no car was worthy of a test drive.

I have checked the other media e.g. expatriates.com, bey3.com etc, but I would like to ask the masses if there are any other websites/places I can search?

Thanks in advance.

norsk

In Saudi there are only two ways I would consider buying a used car;

1 - from a main dealer (make sure you get their warranty as they only act as agents if you don't)
2 - from an expat I knew personally before he was trying to sell me his car

sicklyman

you're not going to get a new land cruiser with that budget so I'd go with #2 on norsk's list. Other wise, you could end up spending a lot more than you bargain for after buying some dodgy car.

Personally, I bought brand new and haven't regretted it.

Eeyore

Just to add, the used car market across the whole Gulf area is rammed full of repaired write-offs masquerading as mint-condition motors. Skilled labour is so cheap here, it's financially viable to import write-offs/total losses from Western countries (the USA is a popular source), do them up here and sell them on. The workmanship is good enough to fool most people who don't know what they're looking for, but you're still buying a car that's been in a major accident.

If you're really serious about buying a used car from a place like a car souk, make a note of the VIN and take it to the main dealer for that make of car. If they can't find it on their system, that means it's an unofficial import, and could easily be a former write-off.

If they *do* find it, you'll be able to learn about its history while it was still being serviced by the dealership. A guy I know saw a beautiful Mustang at the used car souk in Dubai, and ran the VIN by the Ford dealership. They confirmed that they'd originally sold the car and serviced it for three years, and when they'd last seen it - three years previously - the odometer had read 103,000km. At the car souk, it was showing 61,000km...

imi7

If you dont mind me asking what did you buy and for how much?

imi7

That's a good idea re VIN number check .

I have a relatively good eye when looking at cars, eg paintwork, panel damage, basic engine sounds - but I am no expert. I saw a land cruiser yesterday with 65k km on the ODO - no service history and wear n tear of a car that's done 3x that mileage - errr no thanks.

The dealer has no used cars in my 'wish list', but guess I will keep searching the souk, internet etc. There are some really good Prado's for sale by expats - but they are only 4 cylinder engines

The search continues.........

Beakersful

I had an expat I didn't know try to sell me a vehicle he said he'd taken care of, spent money on. He said the tyres were in good condition but I found fist sized holes in the treads. The bodywork was rotting. It wouldn't reach more than 3/4 of it's listed speed and then coughed black smoke through the vents at you. The suspension was bent leading to massive steering problems and the model was a year more modern than listed on the registration details (I googled the models of the vehicle before meeting!) He stated that me pointing out all this was to get him to knock the price down. I replied it was unsafe and I wasn't touching it with a bargepole.

People lie here, badly. Don't put the safety of your family at risk.

sicklyman

I would have said in my original post but it won't fit your bill for the size you're looking for. A year ago I paid 120,000 for a 2014 Mazda CX-5. I'd recommend a Mazda having driven it for a year. Service is good too. The CX-9 would be the size you're after. Mine's more of a crossover.

I heard that Toyota (and maybe other dealerships) sell second hand. Would they be worth looking at as I would assume (perhaps naively) that they guarantee their second hand models.

imi7

Was looking at the CX 9 today. Is dealer servicing reasonably priced and are parts relatively cheap/easy to get hold of?

I think the CX9 is starting at 98k now - good value for a 7 seater.....

But, not sure how it will depreciate over the next 2 years??

Went to ALJ Toyota down in Olaya - had no used 4x4's at all...

imi7

I agree - too many BS'ers trying to make a quick Riyal. Luckily I know enough about cars to walk away at the first visit based on wear n tear not in line with mileage/engine noises / panel damage etc - would ask my mechanic mate who I have used for the last 6 years to give it a thorough once over including paintwork......

norsk

Alternatively you could buy a car in Dubai and export it to Saudi. The dealer you buy from will be able to help you with all the paperwork. It is fairly common practice apparently.

norsk

Hence my caveat in earlier post that I would only buy from an expat I already knew on a personal level. People are scumbags here. Also they tend to believe their cars are worth far more than what they actually are..

bodieanddoyle

Pretty sure you could get a decent spec new Ford Expedition for that money. Worth a look? We have one. Its great, plenty of space.

nottmbantam

That budget would deffo get you a brand new Ford Explorer. Much harder to find a decent used LandCruiser though as you've already found out. One option is to take the car for an inspection. There are quite a few places who will give you a once over, but I've found Al Buraidy the best ones. Quite thorough. Computerised engine test, body work check, and then inspection underneath the car whilst it's up on a ramp. Will also road test it. The few times I've used them, they always tell me that the Report is my use only, do not show / give it to the seller. It's around 500SR for the full works. I've taken a few cars there and ended up rejecting them. One of them had had a full body re spray, the current owner didn't know and ended up ringing the previous owner to find out why. On another motor, the workshop identified an engine fault as it was burning oil.

Otherwise, it's a case of buying from a dealership. If you're really set in getting a Lancruiser, you'll be in for a long wait, they just don't come up for sale as used at ALJ. Good luck.

DubInRiyadh

New & Used Cars in Saudi Arabia | سيارات جديدة و مستعملة في السعودية