Blue Cat

how much is a Cooper S in the UK though? the same?

crw1979

It is the exchange rate back into pounds which has made cars look expensive. Also when comparing prices back with the UK you really have to compare like with like i.e. the car with all of the bells and whistles on it which is the case in the UAE and not in the UK. I paid 186k for a Audi TT 3.2 coupe- which equated to around £26k at today's exchange rate the price of the car is around £34k, the same car with the same extras in the UK is around £37-38k- so the difference now is only slight and if you took off the VAT payable on a new car in the UK, the UAE in this instance would be more expensive.

One hope is that dealers start to understand that discounts and deals need to be offered in order to get people into the showrooms rather than the take or leave it viewpoint currently encountered.

W10

Bear in mind that the UK is (or used to be) a minimum of 20% more expensive than Europe...When you get into the realms of comparing with the UK then the UAE should always be a country mile cheaper to make it worthwhile.

Another example. The price for the Dodge Challenger has been set for the UAE. A beautiful beast, weighing in at a whopping $39000 in the states. That's a lot of cash for a lovely looking chasis and an engine that could get a cessna airborne but probably zero build quailty and handling.

So what can the good citizens expect to pay for this 2009 zeitgiest-mobile. The straight dollar price is Dh140,000 or so.

Guess what, in the UAE, the Dodge Challenger will cost....Dh200,000

Mark one sale from my list then...

I can count on the fingers on one hand the number of luxury/expensive products I would actually buy in this country. It's a total rip-off.

expat.brat

...a carriage?

Ethos83

I agree that cars are generally expensive in this country. It's the tax-free incomes that gives us larger disposable incomes, and therefore more able to afford better cars.

However, there are certain cars that are relatively good bargains. The Pajero, for example, is a great bargain if you buy a bottom of the line one for around 90,000 AED. They cost quite a bit more than that elsewhere.

CeeBee

I don't understand why people keep converting back to sterling. If you live here....deal with the currency here.

Yes, the exchange rate has nose dived but so what? Its not like everything has just got more expensive over night....its the same bloody price.

And what's UK prices got to do with here?

Your salary is still the same if you get paid here. You really expect the dealers and private sellers to drop prices just cos the exchange rate has changed?

Honestly, the sooner you quit converting everything to £ the better...otherwise EVERYTHING will seem expensive and it'll drive you crazy.

Madam Medusa

fine...unless you get paid in sterling...

MM, xx

CeeBee

Aye fair comment.

My guess would be that you wouldn't be locally employed though if that was the case therefore less likely to be purchasing a car. Like I say, just my guess though. Most people i know are paid here in Dhs or $.

Madam Medusa

why wouldn't you purchase a car if you're paid in sterling, i don't follow, you still live here and have residency here...??

MM, xx

W10

You're pretty oblivious to the year on year inflation in excess of 15% per year for the past few years then? You're oblivious to the fact BMW hiked their new prices by 25% because they thought they could make a few bucks. You're oblivious to the fact that the new Dodge Challenger is 40 per cent more expensive in the UAE than the USA? Or that a decent digital camera, or LCD TV costs a minimum of 30% more than in Europe, or that an off the peg designer suit is almost double the price elsewhere? Or that the cost of a 'good' meal here dwarves the price of a meal in a michelin three star in Europe?

Just because you get paid more, doesn't mean you have to mindlessly shell out...

W10

Actually...I do believe the reason German luxury car firms hiked their prices so much was because they claimed they were being hammered by the strong currency...so why is the reverse not true?

mantronic

Having a cranky day?

Do you mean garages as in those things that you park your car in? Or do you mean car dealerships? I looked in AD but just at chrysler. Oh and enzos and mclarens.

The rest is all on Drive arabia and dubizzle. Its no secret.

The topic of this thread is car prices not my travels and the OP is correct IMO.

admon

Most of my current income is earned in £ and CHF.

I think you would be surprised that there are quite a few people based here, that are paid in foreign currency.

admon

agree 100%. Shameless profiteering has made the UAE an expensive place to be.
Just a matter of time now before retailers have to bite the bullet and bring prices back down - but I am sure their ignorance will mean they stay high for quite a while to come.

W10

Can't you just disagree and insult me?