Re: What car would you buy?
 

Hang on a minute.

Do you want an off road dune basher or an actual car?

If you're not careful you'll end up with something that's not pleasant to drive on actual roads.

Re: What car would you buy?
 

Problem with this list is that you have different classes of car:

Mid Price Family SUV:
Jeep Grand Cherokee
Toyota Fortuner 4l V6
Mitsubishi Pajero
Nissan Pathfinder

High End SUV:
Toyota Land Cruiser (not Prado)
Nissan Patrol

Shit Offroad Jeeps:
Jeep Wrangler

Glorified People Movers:
GMC Yukon
Ford Expedition EL
Toyota Seqouia
Nissan Armada


On this list, only the Mid-Price and High-End SUVs can really work well on and offroad. The others will struggle offroad, or be truly terrible on road.

Re: What car would you buy?
 

I had a 2dr Wrangler, probably a little too small, would go for a 4 dr next time - even though they don't look as cool as a 2dr. But yes, unlimited accessories out there, endless modding to be had.

Re: What car would you buy?
 

I'm tempted by a F150 now, for the bling value.

But I think overall the Ford Exhibition is top of my list. Masses of space for the wife and baby and camping gear. And it's got the impact factor of a huge car that I'd never have back home.

I sat in a couple of Full size Land Cruisers at the weekend and love the cabin and look - but second hand they're just too expensive. They don't seem to depreciate at all!

Re: What car would you buy?
 

Get a GMC - you can never have one in the UK.

Sounds like it's only camping and not dune bashing - these bit lumps will be ok for that.

F150 is a great car. Potentially my next when the FJ goes into retirement.

Re: What car would you buy?
 

For the money the Land Cruiser interiors are awful. BUT, they hold their value extremely well because there is demand for them.

Re: What car would you buy?
 

As you may already know, the F150 pick up shares the same platform as the Expedition. They have a very good reputation in the US for being a robust daily workhorse. The Expy's are very popular here in KSA, cheaper than the GMC Yukon/ Chevy Tahoe and deliver the same amount of people carrying capacity. Post 2013 ( or was it 2014 ) , they introduced a smaller 3.6L V6 engine but with greater hp than the previous 5.4L V8.

I just wanted a V8 for the hell of it, so got a 2012 model. Still doesn't beat my 1996 Suburban - 7.4L V8. That went up in flames though. :(

Rumoured 2018 Expy models look very much like the new GMC's, very flat nosed front end.

We have odd rules here in KSA ( no surprise really ) - expats are not allowed to own pick ups as their personal cars. 4x4's are only really allowed if you have family here.

Re: What car would you buy?
 

Yes - its really for camping treks not hardcore dune bashing. I'm going to buy myself a motocross bike for that once I get some more free time...

I didn't realise the F150 was same platform as Expedition. It seems to be lighter and faster, so perhaps is a better bet. The 4 door F150 would be plenty enough space for us normally. Only time I'd need more space is when little sis and her family of 5 comes to visit from the UK.

Definitely I will go for the bigger V8 engine size whatever I get.

Millhouse - when you say GMC you're talking about the Yukon? Is that a better car than the Expedition?

I'm looking to spend around 50 000 AED. It looks like I could get a 2009 Yukon, a 2010 Exhibition or 2012 F-150 with 200 000 km on the clock.

Re: What car would you buy?
 

wow. 200k on a motor here. Good luck. They practically become valueless in the secondhand market when they cross 150km. Especially the american rubbish (and think long and hard before buying 2009 ages type cars).

No idea GMC vs. Ford. If I was in that market, I'd go GMC just because that's what the locals use.

50k AED... 5 year old fortuner/ Pajero with 100k would still be my advice.

Re: What car would you buy?
 

50k

Lower expectations. A 200k km car is a total waste of time.
I was 'sensible' like you with my first car out here and spent 80,000 on a 35k km Ford Explorer. Not the size of the Expedition but paid off now and has (touch wood) been great for me.

Only now am I looking to change it, it's clicked up to 140,000 ish km. I expect to get about 15k for it. Maybe more, maybe less.

50,000 will get you something decent in the tier below. It isn't Yukon / Expedition / F150 money at all.

Go a tier lower and get something newer with fewer miles on the clock, trust me.

Re: What car would you buy?
 

Ok. Didnt realise 200k km was that much for these.

I could increase my budget to 80 000 k for something I love. I'd just pay it off more slowly.

Reason I was thinking higher mileage is that I won't use it much (I walk to work) so if I go for high mileage for its age then by the time I come to sell it will be average mileage.

50 k on a 5 year old Fortuner / Pathfinder / Pajero with 100k km would be the sensible choice.
80k on a 5 year old F150 with 100k km would be the heart-driven choice.

Re: What car would you buy?
 

GMC Yukon or Chevy Tahoe - same car , with different badge / name. GMC badge will cost a little bit extra.

The reason I went for an Expy is that the third row of seats fold flat to the cabin floor, along with the middle row, so you have an instant fully flat load area / sleeping area. As far as I know, the GMC/ Chevy doesn't do that - you'd have to completely remove the third row to get a flat load area.

Re: What car would you buy?
 

Searched for F150 between 35-55,000 AED. Got 3 results, one is a classic (looks wicked).
Did the same for an Explorer (not Expedition) - 18 results
Fortuner - 27
The dreaded Pajero - 129


Out of the three; there's an F150 for 53,000.
2013, so not too old. 150,000km though. Mental to buy something that has been driven at minimum 100km a day, every day it's been alive.

Re: What car would you buy?
 

and 75,000 of them in temperatures above 40C

Re: What car would you buy?
 

At least it's all road miles though if it's been driven that distance. Could be alright?

I'm in Abu Dhabi so a little less choice. But there's still a few. It's my first UAE car and I don't know how things work here yet so I dont want to buy from another Emirate and then have all the faff of registering it.

There's a couple of nice F150's in the next price bracket up (80k AED) on Dubizzle. Would my wife be able to get a baby in the back on her own without a stepladder?