District One
 

Hi all,

We are moving to Dubai in September and I wanted to ask if anyone had any feedback on living in District One (Mohammed Bin Rashid City) on Meydan Road?

Also looking to buy a Range Rover - does anyone have any tips on dealing with Car dealers in Dubai, I heard Rammadan is a good time to buy a car?

Many thanks in advance,
M

Re: District One
 

I live just around the corner. It's a great part of town - 10mins to DIFC if that's where you work on almost traffic-free roads. So when the RR breaks down you won't have to worry about cars beeping at you for blocking the road.

Locally you're a few mins to downtown and business bay, and there are supermarkets. No schools though really.

Re: District One
 

thanks!
range rovers have a poor rep in the ME?

Re: District One
 

Just make sure you sell it before the warranty runs out.

Re: District One
 

There's going to be a few decent second hand ones up for sale around July / August time .

Re: District One
 

This thread is a nice glimmer of hope for all Dubai-ers, someone coming in September and already thinking of buying a Range Rover before arriving. I'd say hold on, because if you are thinking Range Rover now at the very least once you get here you'll upgrade the dream to supercharged Range Rover.

Re: District One
 

Why?

Re: District One
 

Don't RRs have a poor reputation everywhere?

If you want a nice 4x4 that is out of warranty and not a moneypit , better of getting a landcruiser.

Re: District One
 

Exactly, mix some aspirational lifestyle with some easy credit and it's a Lambo Urus... in bumblebee, of course.

Re: District One
 

The old Land Cruiser suggestion. They're plastic filled lumps of functionality over pleasant and a boring mediocrity for the same money.

Re: District One
 

I love mine

Re: District One
 

You probably didn't pay for it and wear dirty boots. Who gives a ****? You could hose a Land Cruiser down inside and it would all still work.

Re: District One
 

There's definitely a pair of boots in the back mate but i can tell you they're not dirty , more for show to be fair . To be honest its a works motor but its a great unit to be driving around in . I wouldn't wedge out for one if it was my cash.

It will though run forever , you need to nuke those things from orbit .

Re: District One
 

Oh they're superb motors but if you're eyeing a Rangey, I don't think they're in the same category.

I have a hard hat, high-vis and boots in the back of my car. They're hidden under golf clubs in case someone wants to ask which site I'm on and notice the boots are pretty much sparkling.

Re: District One
 

The Japanese 4x4s just can't do posh like RR and G-Wagon.

Re: District One
 

Lexus make a decent 4X4 if I recall.

Re: District One
 

Since this seems to be the current "What car" thread, seems there's usually one on here.
I have just signed a contract for another 3-4-5-x years in Doha, and yes, very happy to be going back, I guess eventually, once entry becomes possible. It will be a little different this time in all sorts of ways but a big change will be sorting my own transport. I've previously driven there whatever I was given, not usually anything beyond mere transport. Thinking I might like to have something a bit more like I'm used to at home without going potty. But with an eye to the longer term what sort of vehicles have good resale recovery. Lets say buying at 1 year old from an authorised dealer, selling at 5 years old. Is 50% an achievable recovery expectation?

Re: District One
 

You're going to end up with something soul-crushingly dull if your starting point is resale value.

What kind of car do you want? What would excite or interest you?

Re: District One
 

A Ford Explorer.

Re: District One
 

with little to no negotiation on my side, I got 40-45% on the FJ and Fortuner after 5 years. The fortuner had been in a massive accident, the FJ a lot of off-road use.

Re: District One
 

Forget the resale, we might have hover cars in 5 years made by Elon. Get something stupid for the time you are there. Two approaches; a nice new ridiculous car under a manufacturer;s warranty for 3 years or a completely ridiculous used car out of warranty that will be the equivalent of a ticking time bomb of maintenance. I'm guessing a lot of car number 2 will exist for sale shortly.
FJ cruisers are hairdresser's motors, get a properly blinged Hummer straight off the bat.

Re: District One
 

Hummer discontinued about 10 years ago. My FJ was fully blinged, lifted, big wheels, bonnet air scoop. Loved it, only got rid of it as it was a manual (and it had almost zero torque).

Re: District One
 

That's the dream right there.

Re: District One
 

They do, but as a trendy accessory and status symbol it does not have the cachet of RR.

Re: District One
 

Nothing big or potty for me. I have a C200 Merc here in Thailand so thinking something pretty much the same, no not a C63 either. Budget around QR150-180k, so about half what I would pay here for a new one.

Re: District One
 

Why not a C63? It's the only logical option.

Re: District One
 

C63s AMG logically :)

Re: District One
 

Still a hairdresser's motor mate :) No torque! whats the point then - just keeping clutch manufacturers in business.

If a man wants to spend silly money on a car, I don't see 10 years discontinued as an obstacle

Re: District One
 

I was so disappointed with the torque levels. Especially after the old patrol.

Re: District One
 

Sort of in my potty class and for that money other things would tempt me. No way I want to spend that on any car though, especially for just 3-5 years potentially. A Porsche for life, meh, maybe.

C63, too shouty, almost as gaudy and wankerite as a BMW.
A little more understated preferred.

Re: District One
 

Jag XFR

Re: District One
 

Definitely a more appropriate motor, though I suspect it breaks the budget somewhat. I just find it hard to get excited about performance much these days, at least above a reasonable point like, does it feel like I'm moving / going faster. Can it keep up. If I plant my right foot does it not feel like its having a good old tea break long think about it. Performance beyond that, especially in Doha, meh! More important, can I get in and out with contortions or pain. Having spent an hour or two sitting in it can I get out feeling like I've not spent an hour or two sitting in it. Does it make the whole driving experience effortless, in the last 3 years I've never had to turn lights on or off, never had to turn wipers on or off, never had to twist in my seat when reversing.

Re: District One
 

Very, very good point. I had a buddy chasing dreams of an S3 / Golf GTI type thing. I suggested it was pointless as unless you go to Jebel Hafeet every weekend, you're driving something pretty uncomfortable on straight roads.

Joking aside, because I love talking cars and drive a relatively boring one...but I do like my Explorer. It's comfy, it shifts well when you put in sport mode (otherwise you could rebuild a gearbox by the time it drops a gear and sometimes it likes to drop two and you think you just blew it up), it's safe, it's fully tooled up with cold seats and auto-everything and most importantly - Apple Carplay. It's alright looking, it's spacious for golf clubs to be left in permanently and remote start came as standard. I dream of being flashy and driving a Range Rover or XFR but I'm too boring and would rather bank the money at the moment. The only thing I would say, that despite how dull it is, it's not a Pajero or a Prado, so there's that.

When we were looking, for the budget, I could have an old X5 / old Merc ML / really old Rangey / old Disco / old Land Cruiser etc etc etc. It came down to a brand new Explorer or brand new Dodge Durango and the latter looked like a blind monkey had assembled it....even though I weirdly quite like the outside styling of it.

The only other one I really like, again boring Scamp alert, is the XC90. They just have TERRIBLE resale value here, nobody seems to want or like them.

Re: District One
 

Rented an XF a few years back and for pure driving experience it's probably the best thing I've driven. Completely reliable in any conditions, any angles, it's just never stops . You put your foot down and it just goes. Great handling too.

Got a few negatives though. I rented in the UK so it was a right hand drive. When I drive my left leg tends to bend over to the left , and the central part between the seats was so big that it made it a bit uncomfortable. My leg is always hitting that central part. Also , boot space is small. Two adults and two kids on a road trip. We struggled with that. A bit limited for space in the back also . My wife also found the seat too hard, although I thought it was fine.

Having said that. I loved it. Made me seriously think about getting an XJ back in the UK. I'd never be able to afford a new one, but second hand 5-8 years old maybe. Love the shape of the XJ. A beautiful car.

Re: District One
 

Oh don't say this. I've always lusted after one, rented an XE in the UK and loved it, never driven the XF but covet it (especially the XFR with the Black Pack). I'm going to spec one online and keep dreaming.

Re: District One
 

Don't get me wrong, I did say its the best car I've ever driven... For pure driving experience. I was gutted when I had to give it back.

But family car it's not. But if its just you, it even you and your Mrs, fantastic.

Funnily enough, the time I booked I actually booked the XE, but when I got there they gave me the XF.

Went all over Europe with it, Holland, Belgium, France, Germany , Austria. Got a lot of interest as well because there aren't many of them around. My mate in Germany who's been raised on BMW couldn't wait to test drive.

Re: District One
 

I loved my Jeep SRT. Awesome motor, if it wasn't for its money pit reliability I would have kept it forever. Very tempted to get another and sell it the day the warranty runs out.

Would love a big Tesla, never driven one but been a passenger and they are fantastic machines.

Re: District One
 

I gave up buying old cars a good while ago though I don't see anything wrong with "previously enjoyed".

18 months to 2 years is about as far as I would go though with a motor, beyond that it's just gambling. An exception might be something that you buy as a hobby in itself, as a long term keeper that you don't mind investing in even though it will likely be impractical and possibly even reckless. I don't expect to be making much of a car hobby in Doha even if I can last a good few years and with advancing years I'll take the easy comfort and satisfaction of a lesser car with less hassles in keeping it going.

I had a Jeep for about 7 years, not the SRT which never came here but a locally assembled Cherokee 4.0. I was a super bus and took me all over Thailand, in 7 years I did 150,000km. It was a good car, bought new, but very agricultural even in 1998, live axle with leaf springs, in line overhead valve 6 cylinder. Comfortable cruiser though. Very thirsty, not an issue in gulf countries maybe but noticeable here where petrol hovers around US$1 a litre.

Re: District One
 

I bet that was awesome, proper roads in that car. Nice.

Yes and yes. SRT is a joke, didn't know about reliability, but makes sense.
Tesla as well, great shout. But fudge me they're pricey.

Re: District One
 

The modern SRT (and Jeep GCs) are nothing like the busses they made in 1998. It's a proper refined motor. Probably the best car I've owned in terms of emotional enjoyment. It drank fuel like crazy and even made the Mustang GT we had at the time look like a sensible motor.

But... as I promised when I sold them both. No more American cars... until the next time of course.