This comprehensive used car buying guide covers the complete spectrum from the day you first thought of buying a used car till the day you bring that car home.

It is designed with clear headlines in a sequential manner so that you can jump to any stage with a quick scroll. We have spent a lot of time and effort in compiling this used car buying guide based on several senior members, experts, mechanics, and technicians advice with their years of experience in buying a used cars, fixing them, and spotting the dodgy repair work.

I hope this wealth of knowledge helps you and your family in driving a safer car eventually.

1. Research and prepare your budget

If you want to be successful in picking up that perfect deal, you will first need to build a target list of used cars that you are looking for. If you aren't sure about what you want, then check these 7 Car types you should know before buying. Once you have chosen the car(s) that you want to purchase, do some research online and try to find the model/year that suits your budget.

Whichever car you shortlist, the very first step you need to check if that car's year model has any recalls safety alerts and bulletin. You can check most of the  GCC vehicle recalls, safety alerts and TSB  here, and also you can search all newspaper websites one by one for recalls verified by the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Economy.

You should check the theoretical fuel consumption of the car with the distance you travel every month to factor in your fuel estimate. Be prepared that based on your driving style, this could be at least 15-20% higher. If fuel cost is a concern for you, then you can check 30 Fuel Saving Tips For Saving Over 30 Percent On Fuel Cost called Hypermile: Extreme Energy Efficient Driving.

Apart from the car cost and fuel consumption, there are a few more costs involved that you need to know before making up your mind about which impact the Real cost of car ownership.

Once you select your car based on your needs, research, and liking, it's always advisable to take a second opinion from a genuine car expert or a person who has owned a similar car in carnity car forums.

Look how Avinash took the real good advantage of discussing his car buying need with unbiased car experts and owners and finally changed his mind from buying a Jeep Wrangler TJ to Nissan Xterra. The people who have owned a similar vehicle are the best persons to advise instead of your social friends, family, or salesperson at a car dealership.

Buying a used car will probably mean that it needs some attention to bring it back to the condition that you really want. Consider replacing tires, having the full maintenance done, and bringing in the car for detailing and polishing will add to your total expenditure, so be prepared when setting your budget.

When going for luxury cars like BMW, Mercedes, and Porsche, be prepared to put aside a bit more than if you’d buy a Japanese or US car. Maintenance and parts on luxury cars cost a lot more. Same way when considering a 4x4, there are more parts involved and higher fuel consumption you need to factor too.

To have some guidelines on your budget, check these 3 Key factors for assigning next car budget.

 

2. Where to search and how to proceed

Without any doubt, it is always recommended to buy a used car from a car owner than any car dealer or private seller as a middleman. The reason is that you will be able to have a clear understanding of the car’s history, and reason for selling, and as there are no other parties involved, both will get the most benefit from the deal.

Always prefer Car Classifieds that have real car owners used cars and not from the car dealers. If you search car classified sites, always make sure to filter the ads from the car owner. Also, be careful because many so-called private sellers are in fact dealers on most of the car classifieds websites. If you don't see the seller's name on the car registration card or hear a story that I am helping my friend/brother then 90% chances are of a middleman acting as a private seller. You can find 5 Best places to buy clean used cars at good price here.

The major problem with car dealers or the middlemen is that they are flipping cars for business and if the car has no service history records then it must have gone under a lot of compromised repair or quick fix recently. This sub-standard repair or cost-cutting will cost you dearly in the first 6 months of ownership.

UAE has many used car dealerships, the Ras Al Khor auto market in Dubai is enormous, Mussafah in Abu Dhabi, Abu Shagara and Souq al haraj in Sharjah are a few of the big and famous used car markets here in UAE. Be very careful when buying a car from a dealer or auto market. The inspection steps mentioned below are to be followed even more rigorously to avoid ending up with an imported or salvaged lemon!

 

Once you found a good prospective vehicle, don’t immediately jump to view the car, but call the seller or dealer first to make sure if it is still available. At the same time, you can go through the first basic questions like why the car is being sold, if it’s still available, how long it has been up for sale, and if it had any unmentioned issues or accidents in the past.

Do not discuss the prices on the phone yet. Keep that for when you are face to face with the seller and once you have fully assessed the car’s condition. The reason for not discussing or negotiating the car price on the phone will set you aside as a real buyer as 90% of car dealer phone call starts with "what's the last price?" which is pretty sad and painful for any car seller that buyer wants to knock down 50% of asking value without even looking at the car or its condition. So with this strategy, you will have a better head start compared to other viewers and this approach might help you know a lot more about car history when the owner is at ease and not furious with bargain hunters.

When you set up an appointment to view the car, make a preference to see the car in daylight hours. If it's not possible, then bring a good torchlight and ask the seller to head to any fuel station. This will help you in assessing the paint and bodywork.

 

3. Seeing the car and service history

Once you go and see the car that you have prospected, it is very normal to be excited. But please do not ever show this to the seller, as you would give him the signal that you REALLY want the car, and that puts him at the competitive edge in the upcoming discussion about the price. Keep a poker face, stay friendly, and stick to the facts. Do not disclose too much information on why you are interested in this type of car. The less the seller knows about you, the less ammunition he has that he would use to ask for higher prices.

It is ALWAYS recommended to bring a friend on the visit, he might see things that you don’t see. If that friend is a bit technically inclined, or even a mechanic, all the better!

The car's mileage should represent what the seller tells you. While in theory, it is always better to have a car with low mileage, this depends on how the car was maintained and driven. Many high mileage cars are sometimes in better condition than that low mileage driven cars that have been standing still for years or are poorly maintained!

Ideally, the car should have complete service history, preferably from the dealership or a reputable garage. If nothing is available, walk away from this vehicle or buy it at your own risk if you are technically inclined. This should ring alarm bells!

Verify if the car is GCC specs or not. A GCC car will have the metal sticker on the driver sill containing vehicle info and has Arabic written on it then which means it is GCC specs. It is recommended to go for GCC specs vehicles in the UAE or GCC countries, but you’ll also find plenty of American and Japanese imports that will be a lot cheaper. Buying a non-GCC car is a big risk as most of these cars have been written off (accidental), stolen, or have unknown damages or issues.

Ask for the previous RTA inspection documents and valid insurance and registration card to avoid problems when doing the official handover in the RTA offices. Check the mileages mentioned on the documents to see what the yearly increment was and whether it is in line with the current mileage of the car.

If the car is on a loan or lease, the seller will need to settle that first otherwise transfer of ownership cannot take place. Ask him to check with his/her bank for the procedure and timeline required.

Check for recent repairs and verify if the maintenance schedules were properly followed. Check when the next big maintenance is coming up, as that might include expensive parts like timing belts and suspension parts. Those are quite expensive maintenance jobs and if they are almost due, you should reduce the asking price accordingly.

A VIN Number is an international Standard code on every vehicle. On most cars, you will find it on the dashboard driver's side. When cars are written off by the insurance due to a heavy accident or flooding, it will appear in the International VIN Database. For imported vehicles, you can use a website like carvertical.com that allows you to enter the VIN code and for a small payment receive a full report on the car. 

For checking the accident records inside the UAE, there are the following options:

https://portal.moi.gov.ae/eservices/PublicServices/AccidentsInquiry.aspx?Culture=en

https://www.evg.ae/_layouts/EVG/trafficaccidents.aspx?language=en

 

4. Exterior and bodywork inspection

As mentioned, make sure you see the car in daylight, or if not possible, bring a torch with you and ask the seller to put the car underneath the streetlights or at a fuel station. 

Dodgy paint job

A good way to tell if a certain car has been involved in an accident is to check for signs that it has been repainted and the way to do that, is to look at the reflection of the paint. The surface may look clear and smooth when viewed straight on, but sit by the side of the car and you may spot some unevenness or wavy lines with dips. If you do, there’s a good chance that the car has got a body repair job after the accident. Walk around the car and see if the color on all the panels matches — if it doesn’t then you know some patchwork has been done too to the car.

Many cars that are 6 years and older, will have some scratches left and right. That is perfectly normal and does not mean the car is not worth buying. If the scratches are small, a decent polishing job can hide them again, and you can use it to push down the price a little bit.

Misaligned panels

When the doors, boot and bonnet are closed they ought to be perfectly flush with other panels. If the alignment isn’t right, it could be a sign that the car has been involved in an accident. Similarly, the front and rear bumper should fit straight but if you notice it’s at a slight angle or the gap between left and right doesn't match, chances are high that the car had an impact. Open and close all the doors once, there should be no rattles and they should align perfectly.

Check the tyres

Get your hands on your knees and give the tyres a good close look. If the tread seems uneven, it could be because of a misaligned wheel or even possibly caused by damage to the chassis. While you are down there it’d be a good idea to have a good look at the underbody and the wheel wells – if you see a fresh application of a rubberized undercoat it could be because of recent structural repairs and this was a quick way to cover that up.

Windshield

Inspect the windshield for cracks. Even the smallest crack can suddenly cause a complete crack a few weeks or months later. If the crack is smaller than a coin, there are companies that can repair it and make it structurally intact again, so it does not crack in the future. Inspect the windshield rubbers too, many cars that have been parked in the bright sun for a long time might have dried up windshield rubbers.

Headlights

Most modern cars now have plastic headlights, which become yellow after long exposure to UV radiation (in sun). When they become too hazy, RTA will make note of that and might not pass the car. If both headlights do not have a similar level of haze, then either the headlights were replaced after an accident, or the careful owner got them polished (and that means the owner is a bit perfectionist 😊), or kept the car in the shade at all times.

Chassis

Try to look under the car and see if there are any noticeable damages to the chassis. You can spot the recent damage by seeing the color differences on the repaired areas compared with the original paint. For older chassis damage you'll need to consult the proper technician who can check the chassis with computer alignment, including RTA Tasjeel selected branches.

Have a look underneath the car's engine bay and sides to search for any wet markings of oil drops or pools of oil. Minor few drops or stains are acceptable to some extent if they are occasional, but regular drops or a pool of oil or any other fluid will require an immediate checkup!

Clearwater dripping when the car is on = AC condensation - nothing to worry about.

Clearwater droplets coming out from the exhaust = it's a sign of a healthy engine.

Front side underneath - golden or brown oil = Engine Oil leaking - Immediate check needed.

Front side underneath - green or red water-based fluid = Engine Coolant leaking - Immediate check needed.

Under front driver or passenger side - red or brown oil = Gear Oil leaking - Immediate check needed.

 

5. Interior and minor detailing

When entering the car, you might be either put off by the mess, or pleasantly surprised about the cleanliness. Both are possible impressions and be careful not to make an early judgment. Car dealers will get the interior professionally cleaned by third-party companies, so it looks super clean. When buying from a private owner you would hope that he shows you the car in a clean external and internal condition. If not, then better to walk away from a dirty interior car, which is expensive to restore.

Damp smells

If you notice that the dash light, or the power windows or indeed other electronical equipment doesn’t seem to be working right, it could be a sign of flood damage. Too many air fresheners in the cabin should sound the alarm bells – is the owner trying to cover up any damp smells caused by water damage?

Visual signs of aging

A car interior should match the km driven even if the car has a full service history. 

For cars with mileage below 50,000 km, you shouldn’t be seeing any broken knobs, faded buttons, worn-out brake or accelerator rubber, or loose and shaky gear levers.

Car seats should not have too much play when you sit.

Pull the seat belt out and see how smoothly it rolls back, if it doesn’t or gets stuck halfway then either car is accidental or driven over 100,000 km.

Look on the driver's door sill, to spot any fuel station service oil change stickers to contradict the full-service history.

Not all dashboard warning lights are serious, the one in yellow is an indication and orange is a warning and red is the problem. Still all lights are having different meanings for different brands, so worth checking further with the owner’s manual what any existing light points to and then decide to make a purchase.

Try all functionalities such as an electric folding roof, electric seats, lights, indicators, radio, fans, and others before starting the car. Listen for squeaky noises or rattles.

 

6. Test drive, warning light and feedback

Finally, the time has come to start the engine and focus on how the car drives and behaves on the road.

The engine should start with a single crank and have a stable RPM after a first 15-30 seconds of warming up. Any dancing rpm is a sign of an engine that's not in good health. Although it might not be a big concern or issue, you should know that it will require some tune-up or minor repair work for changing spark plugs, coils, HT leads, etc. in the very near future.

In idle, when you hit the gas, the engine response should be instant without any lag, unless it’s a turbo engine that has turbo kicking lag (not engine lag).

NO check engine light on the dashboard is acceptable. Period.

Use your nose. Do you smell gas, burning oil, or anything amiss?

If you hear a loud ticking noise from the engine bay (engine head), there might be a problem with the valve lifters inside the engine head. Some cars are known to be prone to this, but have it checked by a skilled mechanic before you decide to buy as it could be a more serious and very expensive repair.

Hitting the wide-open road:

Start off with giving the car enough time to warm up. During that time you can keep the windows open and listen for abnormal noises as the revs slowly dropdown.

Once on the highway, drive it at 120 km/h for at least 5-10 minutes. Listen for wind noises as this could mean the door panels or rubbers do not match up.

How are the brakes? Are they doing the job of stopping the car? Do they squeak? If while braking there is a shudder, brake rotors might need to be replaced.

Is the steering wheel centered, and does the car goes straight when releasing the steering wheel? Might need an alignment.

Does the steering go smooth? If not, then the servo pump might be defective.

Transmission and Drive train:

In an automatic gearbox, ideally, a gearshift should not be noticeable. The best to pay attention is from the 1st to 2nd gear shift and see how smoothly it shifts. As in any aging gearbox that is the first starting point to show little to moderate jerk while shifting. Minor jerk could be because of stale oil and filter that is manageable but worth getting it checked further with the proper technician.

In a manual gearbox, the firmer the gear lever shifts the better it is. Loose or soft shifting gear lever needs further inspection. Try to shift gears manually as fast as you can and see how the engine, clutch, and gear respond to your fast movement: If you see any hesitation or delay in engine response in fast-shifting need to be further diagnosed. If the clutch pedal feels loose or spongy, then you might be having a worn clutch that will soon need to be replaced.

At an extremely slow speed (in a quiet area), pay attention to any rubbing, grinding, and metal shaking noise. It usually shows when a drivetrain has some issue from the driveshaft or loses couplings often resulting in humming or vibrations or low-speed rattling. Go slowly over the speed bumps and listen carefully.

Try all gears, including the reverse gear.

If the car is a 4X4, pay extra attention to the transfer box, and try all settings (2H, 4H, 4L). If any blinking lights appear when changing the settings, this could mean mechanical problems, but could also be an easy fix like a sensor or vacuum solenoid. Get it verified by a skilled mechanic in that case.

 

7. Close the deal and register

Does the idea of "talking numbers" fill you with dread? It shouldn't. Negotiating doesn't have to be a traumatic experience. If you are reasonable and have a plan, chances are you can make a deal pretty quickly and easily:

Decide ahead of time how much you're willing to spend to get the car. But don't start with this number in your discussion.

Make an opening offer that is lower than your maximum price, but in the ballpark based on your average price research. If you and the seller arrive at a price that sounds good to you and is near the average price paid, you're probably in good shape.

And remember, the people on the other side probably hate negotiating too (even if it's their job).

Transferring ownership in UAE is easy, thanks to the RTA Tasjeel inspection centers. Some are even open 24/7 so you can meet up with the seller in the center to get all the paperwork done. Be careful with the insurance sellers in these offices. Prices will be significantly higher than if you enquire in advance at a regular insurance company. 

When you buy from the Ras Al Khor auto market, there is an RTA center on site so you can quickly settle the deal.

When the car passes the RTA inspection, this does not necessarily mean that the car is in perfect condition. It merely means that the vehicle has no serious structural damage and is considered "roadworthy" by them.

8 Most important steps before buying any car in Dubai and UAE

Buying New or Used cars in Dubai and UAE is one of the most important and very valuable decisions that any individual or household makes. It is very difficult to find a good car from the hundreds of new cars and thousands of Used Cars for sale in UAE. That’s why many times I have been asked for car buying tips and tricks in choosing the right car model for my friends and family. So I thought of laying down my 15 years of car owning, buying and selling experience in words and try to help everyone here. It’s quite detailed and comprehensive so that it can clear many doubts, but don’t worry I made sure that I keep it to the point and very interesting to read. I am sure that after reading this you will realize that there are much more choices exists for Cars for sale in UAE other than just Toyota’s and Nissan in Dubai. Lol.

1. Nothing in life comes for free, so the first and the foremost part are to allocate a budget that many people think is not very important at initial stage. But, trust me when I say its number one then there is a fair reason as changing your budget every week you will make your car buying experience more difficult. About 75% of car buyers in the UAE like to compare cars and hence for a fair car comparison you need to set a fix budget. You can read more here on “3 Key factors for assigning next car budget?” If you are not sure what all factors you need to consider while allocating the Car budget.
    
2. Second step is to identify your Car need, which should be balanced between your emotional need and practical needs. My heart want’s cool looking 2 door sports car but with a family of 5 or 7, how do I practically enjoy that car with my family or will it be my second car for the weekend drives? All these questions you need to ask yourself honestly and decide accordingly and lock that choice to make rest of the process effective. You can read more here on “7 Car types that you should know before buying a car”
    
3. Third step is to identify which Car brand or brands you like to buy or consider and why, as every car brand in today’s world is very different in behaving after couple of years of use. Some stay strong for over 10 years and some fall apart soon after the warranty. However every car brand has something special to offer, like some gives you most modern tech and gizmos than any other brand. Some offer extreme reliability, other specializes in the cheapest maintenance and so on. Sadly you can’t mix all good in one brand as every good has associated bad with it. If you fond of new tech and gizmos then slash out the reliability as no one has yet fully tested those technologies and if you like reliability then you should be happy to use the few year old proven technology that has been already perfected. You can read more here on “Top 5 best car brand types to buy”  Remember that all this information is an indicative and based of several years of past experience, which may or may not co-relate after few years.
    
4. Fourth step is to identify which year car year model you should choose or you can afford. If you are a new car buyer, then omit this point. Otherwise it is very important while you are in the market of used car for sale in UAE. Striking a balance between a model years vs. odometer reading is very important and as a car buyer you need to understand its importance thoroughly. This point alone is a very big game changer in identifying the right price for any used car for sale in Dubai or in UAE. Apart from year you also need to decide on full options vs. base option and entry models vs. flagship models and why? All three points are explained here “3 Secrets to choose perfect car model”
    
5. Fifth step is to find the clean used cars in UAE, and this alone is havoc these days as due to quick internet education every seller and buyer is becoming very cautious and over smart. The most effective and single trusted method for finding used clean cars in UAE is to ask a single golden question: “Do you have full service history”. This question alone will filter more than 75% of the used cars and then you can focus on your mission more effectively. Off course if you know the cars in and out then you can take a bet at your own risk, but for normal average person who knows only 10% -20% basic car knowledge it’s better to rely on the service history records. This is fully explained here "One and only way to find trouble free used car" If you still need some convincing.
    
6. Sixth step, relatively easy but important to know from where and how to buy the clean used cars for sale in UAE? As overtime this place has grown so much that people think that whatever legacy methods they have been using is still applicable, but it’s actually not. Just like anything else, this has also gone pass it’s saturation point few years back and now every used car buyer and seller need to know this: "5 Best places to buy clean used car at good price in Dubai & UAE" This point alone can save you so much time and money, that you will realize it only after the bad experience with the wrong guys.
    
7. Seventh step is to put the reality to test and find out if all the above efforts have been followed properly or not. Once you are totally convinced with the model, odometer, condition, options etc. next is to test the car thoroughly by yourself as much as you can before you finalize or take it for further inspection with specialize technician. You should know the basic points to check the car as you don’t want to spend the technician fees for testing 5-10 vehicles, so knowing basic testing points will help you eliminate at least 75% - 80% of your car choices and only 1 or 2 will make it to professional technical test: "5 Things to check in used car before buying?"
    
8. Eighth and the final step are to decide the final hand-shake price of the car. As true gentlemen you should always stick to your words while doing the negotiation. And never ever give your final offer if you are not serious to buy, or have some doubt before the final testing. Keep the seller in clear picture that you suggest an “indicative price” depending on the final inspection. I have seen major drama stories happening at the testing center when both buyer and seller are right and still deal fall apart because of the lack of clarity in communication. For putting the genuinely right price of any car if you spend 10 – 15 minutes with basic math you can do it yourself and don’t require any price comparison website. I have laid out the best practice that is been followed by insurance companies for over a decade to put a fair value price on any used cars here "4 Most important factors impacting used car price" Remember if you buy it right, you will enjoy it and not lose an arm and a leg while selling it. This is kind of must-read of all the above eight points.
    

Disclaimer: I have written this and all linked articles to help my friends and family and other car enthusiast’s like you. This is purely based on my own experience. If you know anything more than this I am happy to edit these articles any time. Please leave me a comment and I will accept your changes and improvise these as soon as I can.

If you like reading these articles and it helped you in anyways, please pass on the knowledge to others and use below red like to show your appreciations.

3 Key factors for assigning next car budget in Dubai and UAE

As everything in life revolves around money, so deciding the fixed budget for your car buy is the number one thing that you should be doing. It’s not only to let you stay in control, but making the rest of the process streamline based on the available budget be it 10,000 or 5 Million. You need to decide the cash amount in hand as a buying kitty and then decide on how big you want to invest or rather spend. Off course I said as big because you don’t buy car everyday unless you are a dealer and hence increasing the budget has its own advantage to get you the most perfect car you need and will enjoy for the next few years. So allocate generously but definitely within your affordability parameters. People who want to take the buying kitty as a down payment only, need to also decide on how big car loan they can comfortably afford as an initial spend and for every month car loan EMI.

If you are a cash buyer, then planning is lot easier in assigning the next car buying budget is equals to whatever you saved or whatever you can afford to spend for certain number of years after the residual value of car resale value. Example: You saved 100,000 for your next car buy and plan to drive the car for 5 years. Assuming your car resale value after five years will be 40,000 (4 Most important factors impacting used car price). So if you can afford comfortably spending the 100,000 – 40,000 = 60,000 over 5 years means 12,000 per year = 1,000 per month then go for it. Remember this amount is without Car maintenance, Car Insurance, Fuel cost, registration, Salik etc.

This section is bit more complex for the car buyer who is planning to take up a car loan. As he still need to consider the above depreciation affordability and also find viability for the monthly payments. As most bank loan offer up to 80% of car value, so you should be ready with 20% cash as a down-payment. For the remaining payment EMI as a general rule of thumb, you should not exceed the below percentage of your gross monthly income depending on where you fit yourself:

• For an average joe, for who Car is just an absolute necessity: 10% - 15%
• Car enthusiast’s, who love Cars and want to enjoy to the max: 15% - 25%
• Car Maniac, who is crazy about Cars and can’t live without it: 25% - 40%

Below are the 3 key factors that you must be aware of and able to factor them while allocating an appropriate car buying budget:

Insurance:

• 4-5% of car value generally for all cars and all drivers
• 5-7% of car value for sports or high performance car or new driver
• 7-10% of car value for sports or high performance car and new driver

Car Registration, Plate Number, Salik etc: 500-600 AED

Annual Maintenance: 

• Approx. 3-5% of car value for Japanese, Korean and American Cars within 5 years of age.
• Approx. 5-7% of car value for Japanese, Korean and American Cars after 5 years of age.
• Approx. 7-10% of car value for European and UK Cars within 5 years of age.
• Approx. 10-12% of car value for European and UK Cars after 5 years of age.

7 Car types you should know before buying a car

A second step after the 3 Key factors for assigning next car budget; you should be finalizing the type of car you actually require based on the present functionality and your needs. For ex: a bigger family opts for 7 seats, a small family with kids will choose a car with 5 seats, a family with grown-up kids need a car with ample boot space for teenager sports equipment, just a married couple might like a two-door or convertible, etc. 

While deciding your next car league you also need to think a little down the line as if it should be still practical for the next few years before you sell or else you might regret your buy within a few months, so think beyond today rationally and not only emotionally and factor all the possibilities for the future.

Below is a quick run-down of all the major 7 different types of Car categories that exists in today’s world from the cheapest to the most expensive types with a few known names of the car models to give you an idea:

• Subcompact Cars: Audi A1, Chevrolet Aveo, Sonic, Spark, Ford Fiesta, Honda City, Nissan Tiida, Peugeot 208, VW Polo etc.
• Compact Cars: Audi A3, Chevrolet Cruze, Ford Focus, Honda Civic, Mitsubishi Lancer, Nissan Sunny, Peugeot 308, Toyota Corolla, VW Golf.
• Mid-Size Cars: Chevrolet Epica, Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata, Mazda 6, Mitsubishi Galant, Nissan Altima, Peugeot 508, Toyota Camry etc.
• Full-Size Cars: Audi A8, BMW 7-Series, Chevrolet Impala, Ford Taurus, Hyundai Genesis, Nissan Maxima, Toyota Avalon, VW Phaeton etc.
• Mini SUV  / Compact Crossover:  Audi Q3, BMW X3, Chevrolet Trax, Hyundai Santa Fe, Mazda CX-3, Nissan Juke, Peugeot 2008, Toyota Rav4, Volkswagen Tiguan etc.
• Mid-Size SUV / Crossover: Audi Q5, BMW X5, Chevrolet TrailBlazer, Ford Edge, Honda Pilot, Mitsubishi Outlander, Nissan Pathfinder, Toyota Prado, VW Touareg etc.
• Full-Size SUV: Audi Q7, BMW X6, Chevrolet Tahoe, Ford Explorer, Mitsubishi Pajero, Nissan Patrol, Toyota Land Cruiser

Top 5 best car brand types to buy in Dubai and UAE

Although this area majorly depends on so many personal choices, but I will try to high grade the most important points to pick and choose the most appropriate and most successful 5 best car brand types for you next car. The basic attribute of the brand behavior is very closely related to the geographical location they come from. In UAE there are 5 major and best car brand types extremely famous and successful in delivering all sorts of Cars. Below is a quick run-down in very generic and not specific to any one brand from that region.

Japanese Cars: Honda, Infiniti, Lexus, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Toyota.

• They are generally famous for extremely reliable and durable cars. 
• Offer reasonable comfort with very high usable life of cars.
• Resale value: 10 out of 10.

Korean Cars: Hyundai and Kia.

• Recently they are famous for great designs and new technology at competitive pricing. 
• Offer reasonable reliability and acceptable performance.
• Resale value: 9 out of 10.

American Cars: Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ford, Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep.

• They are generally famous for larger than life, spacious and very competitively priced cars. 
• Offer reasonable vehicle life with standard reliability and acceptable performance.
• Resale value: 8 out of 10.

German Cars: Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, Volkswagen.

• They are generally famous for high end luxury and extreme performance cars. 
• Offer amazing creature comforts, new technology but with limited usable life of car.
• Resale value: 7 out of 10.

UK Cars: Land Rover, Jaguar, Mini.

• They are generally famous for impeccable detailing and comfort in style. 
• Offer reasonable vehicle usable life with excellent performance but with low reliability.
• Resale value: 6 out of 10.

Having said the above quick pointers, they do not apply exactly same to all brands from same region. For example Toyota and Nissan is few notches above Mazda and Mitsubishi, although all 4 are from Japan, means each brand is slightly different in their core values, commitment and quality.

Secondly the resale value is just a quick indicator of an average comparison as per each brand if compared to the same car classification (Explained earlier here: 7 Car types that you should know before buying a car). Each vehicle depreciation is majorly depended as per their origin and then as per their classification.

Disclaimer: I have written this and all linked articles to help my friends and family and other car enthusiast’s like you. This is purely based on my own experience. If you know anything more than this I am happy to edit these articles any time. Please leave me a comment and I will accept your changes and improvise these as soon as I can.

If you like reading these articles and it helped you in anyways, please pass on the knowledge to others and use below red like to show your appreciation.

3 Secrets to choose perfect car model in Dubai and UAE

Age VS. Odometer

Any car life and value is highly dependent on its age and how many kms or miles it has been driven. These two are the major component as everything in car ages with passage of time and other mechanical component wear down as per how much it is driven. On an average a car should have driven 20,000 kms a year as a benchmark value to decide its worthiness. Below example will help you understand that where the age will take precedence vs Kms.

• Car A: 3 years old car driven 60,000 kms for 85,000 AED
• Car B: 2 years old car driven 90,000 kms for 85,000 AED
• Car C: 5 years old car driven 60,000 kms for 65,000 AED

Car A is better than Car B. (Kms takes precedence)
Car B is better than Car C. (Age takes precedence)
Car C is better than Car A. (Kms takes precedence)
 

Base VS Full Options

While buying a car the price difference between Base and Full option is marginal and that difference becomes miniscule in used cars, especially in Asian and American cars. Hence most of the used car buyers always prefer the full option cars, which makes the Full option resale value better than Base option and also it sells faster due to more in demand. So if little money is not a constraint, always buy a full option car.
 

Entry models VS Flagship models

Every car manufacturer always cut so many corners in entry level cars in all classification, which tend to show its age faster than expected. Due to same they fetch even lower resale value as they require higher maintenance after few years of use. On the other hand all car companies take extra time, effort and research for putting together their premium flagship models as they carry special pride of their brand. Due to same they are highly reliable and fetch excellent resale value. If budget is a constraint then, stay away from entry models and go as close as possible to the flagship range.

Disclaimer: I have written this and all linked articles to help my friends and family and other car enthusiast’s like you. This is purely based on my own experience. If you know anything more than this I am happy to edit these articles any time. Please leave me a comment and I will accept your changes and improvise these as soon as I can.

If you like reading these articles and it helped you in anyways, please pass on the knowledge to others and use below red like to show your appreciation.

Every car in today’s world is literally trouble free, if you actually understand the definition of trouble. As we humans need special treat over the weekend, movie with a loved one or once in a month long drive, we don’t call these things as trouble and we name them routine leisure activities to keep us charged and motivated for rest of the week/month. Likewise if every car owner in the world follows 100% schedule maintenance then literally there won’t be any trouble in their car. It is proven that over 75% of trouble is because of failed / deferred maintenance. 

I have been working with so many mechanics in my life and I hear them a lot saying that owner’s complaint about the car when they have over-driven the basic oil change by double its recommended kms. Trust me, not all cars are that forgiving except Japanese.

You as a future car buyer need to understand that everything in the car will require some maintenance at some point in future. Please plan and be prepare for that car budget if you want to enjoy a trouble free car. Worst is sometimes, that smallest things can trigger such a big expense, that without knowing we simply blame the car brand. Below are the few of disaster examples:

• In Land Rover Discovery, failing to grease a drive shaft nipple results in a death wobble and then failure of drive shaft completely.
• Honda Accord if gear oil is not changed in time, then it will ruin the gear shift and clutch.
• In Nissan Pathfinder torn axel boot result in front axle failure.
• Loosely close radiator cap (in Japanese cars) can actually over heat your engine.
• Loosely close fuel cap (in German cars) can throw check engine light in dashboard.
• In Range Rover weak battery can display “Transmission Failure” error message because it uses electronic gear oil.

So the bottom line is that how to find a trouble free car means that car that comes with proven service history records is the “KING”. Rest everything else might be fake and simple load of lies to sell that car. Before making a purchase insist of seeing the records with regular interval with the dealer (or reputed workshop) in the form of service booklet stamps or with the receipts of amount paid on each service. Showing the sticker of fuel station service is meaningless that every fuel station does the basic engine oil and filter change service and nothing more than that.
Just for the complete service history records even if you have to pay 5% -10% extra premium while buying a used car it’s absolutely worth it. Same premium you can also claim when you resell the car if you have been maintaining the car as per schedule maintenance.

Disclaimer: I have written this and all linked articles to help my friends and family and other car enthusiast’s like you. This is purely based on my own experience. If you know anything more than this I am happy to edit these articles any time. Please leave me a comment and I will accept your changes and improvise these as soon as I can.

If you like reading these articles and it helped you in anyways, please pass on the knowledge to others and use below red like to show your appreciation.

5 Best places to buy clean used car at good price in Dubai & UAE

Car buying is an absolute mix of art and science together if you want to buy a perfect car. Having said that, means it requires a lot of patience and tolerance toward the car sellers. About 90% of the car seller offer might not fit your requirement, but just raise your tolerance and simply move on than getting into any heated argument. It’s not that you cannot prove a point, but what is the use of picking an argument when you aren’t interested in their car, so save your energy for next car visit and keep yourself calm and positive to do the proper inspection for your next perfect car.

No to car dealers

I am not saying or claiming that all car dealers are bad, but my experience has been 75% bad with all of them, and I have dealt with 8-10 different type of car dealers from small to medium timers (big boys are usually very expensive) here in Dubai. Sometime they fail to show the complete truth about the vehicle history and when you ask 5-10 questions then you figure out the crap and ugly truth they were hiding. I have even witnessed that 5 year old Nissan Patrol shows 60,000 kms on the odometer and also carrying 180,000 kms Oil change sticker of ENOC fuel pump on the driver door sill (odometer reversed case). It’s very difficult and for novice buyer it’s impossible to figure out the crap they can get from car dealer, so your best bet is to stay clear and do not deal with them. If you are really stuck because of no option in private deal then ask the first golden question with any car dealer: “Do you have full service history”? If the answer is yes, then inspect the service record with your eyes first before wasting any single minute, as many times I have experienced that when you ask service record they start playing hide and seek, that it’s there but in another office or car and will come here tomorrow if you are really a serious buyer. I am like you get serious first to sell and display what you have than playing otherwise and waste my time.

No to big car classified sites

As majority of them are car dealers or private dealers who is posting their junk cars at dirt cheap price there and keeping the best cars in their showroom to get you their and use these big and overly successful classifieds sites as a bait for the car buyers.

Always focus on private deals with the real car owners

1. Search for online car forums with real people 
2. Off-road clubs member forums
3. Facebook groups & pages
4. Local supermarket advertisement boards etc.
5. Office intranet or bulletin board

In all the above 5 options you are sure to deal with the real people and not the car dealers. Once you find a good car deal make a visit and see if the car registration is at least 6 months old and if it’s not, then it may be a of private dealer. In worst case scenario private dealer are much better than the car dealer as they are less hungry and markup only 5-10% but will get you a super clean car with full service records. It’s worth the time and effort they spend to scout a clean deals on wheels.  

Second point to pay attention is the service history records, check all the receipts and see the service booklet is timely stamped and not any service has been missed out. In some cases people get the minor service to get the stamp and skip the major service to save money or get it done from outside workshop. In case of any gaps, if owner has a record of carrying out the major service from any other reputable workshop, it’s still acceptable than completely skipping it out.

Third thing is the quick exterior looks for seeing any noticeable damage from accident, broken bumpers, headlights etc.

Fourth is to start the car and see if it starts fine and no warning lights have been displayed on the dashboard.

Fifth and the last point is to drive around a car and see how engine and gearbox react to your throttle response, skip a few bumps at good speed to check the suspension, check the AC cooling is OK while car is parked and good when car starts moving, play the music system and check the clarity etc.

If all above 5 points are positive then you can consider yourself almost on the way to find your perfect car and consider yourself to go further with testing in detail by yourself in less than 30 minutes: 5 Things to check in used car before buying.

Disclaimer: I have written this and all linked articles to help my friends and family and other car enthusiast’s like you. This is purely based on my own experience. If you know anything more than this I am happy to edit these articles any time. Please leave me a comment and I will accept your changes and improvise these as soon as I can.

If you like reading these articles and it helped you in anyways, please pass on the knowledge to others and use below red like to show your appreciation.

5 Things to check in used car before buying

Once you find out your next almost perfect car, then follow the below checks by yourself and you will be almost 75% sure that it’s clean and not lemon. To make it easy I have divided this in below 5 important areas:

Exterior:

• Check the car in daylight always or in extremely well lit area.
• No major dents, broken bumper, headlights, tail lights, indicator, brake light, chipped paint.
• No glass is broken from windows and front & back, including rear view mirrors.
• Open the door and check the pillars for any welding or repairing spots. That perfectly curly welding spot which is fully covered in car paint is the original manufacturer welding (that’s fine). Look for some type of accidental damage from side impact (if any). Open the engine bay and look all around the bay for any repair or repaint from accidental damage.
• Pull windows rubber beading to checking the inside metal gauge is perfectly straight and smooth and not involved in side impact accident.

Interior:

• Car interior should match the kms driven even if car has the full service history. 
• For cars under 50,000 km you shouldn’t be seeing any broken knobs, faded buttons, worn out brake or accelerator rubber, loose and shaky gear lever.
• Car seats should not have too much play when you sit and shake little bit.
• Pull the seat belt out and see how smoothly it goes back, if it doesn’t or get stuck half way then either car is accidental or driven over 100,000 kms.
• Look on the driver door sill, to spot any fuel station service oil change stickers to contradict the full service history.
• Not all dashboard warning lights are serious, the one in yellow is an indication and orange is warning and red is the problem. Still all lights are having different meaning for different brands, so worth checking further with owner’s manual of what any existing light points to.

Engine:

• It should start in single crank and have stable RPM after first few minutes of warm up. Any dancing rpm is a sign of engine is not in good health. Though it’s a not a big concern, but a concern you should know that it will require some tune-up or minor repair work for changing spark plugs, coils, HT leads etc. in very near future.
• In idle when you hit the gas, engine response should be instant without any lag unless it’s a turbo engine that has turbo kicking lag (not engine lag). Japanese and Korean cars generally have fraction of second lag, which is acceptable but German and American cars engine should have immediate response when you tap on the accelerator.
• ALWAYS drive a car on highway at 120 km/h for at least 5-10 minutes, and any hesitation of engine will show up quite noticeably at higher RPM.
• NO check engine light on dashboard is acceptable. Period.

Transmission and Drive train:

• In auto gearbox, ideally a gearshift should not be noticeable and best to pay attention is from 1st – 2nd gear shift and see how smoothly it shift, as in any ageing gearbox  that is the first starting point to show little to moderate jerk while shifting. Minor jerk could be because of stale oil and filter that is manageable but worth getting it checked further with proper technician. It may be a major expense, so it’s worth a second look when in doubt.
• In manual gearbox, firmer the gear lever shifts better it is. Loose or soft shifting gear lever needs further inspection. Try to shift gears manually as fast as you can and see how engine, clutch and gear respond to your fast movement: If you see any hesitation or delay in engine response in fast shifting need to be further diagnosed.
• On extremely slow speed (in quiet area) and while going for highway drive, pay attention to any rubbing, grinding, and metal shaking noise. It usually show when drive train has some issue from drive shaft or loose couplings often result in highway vibrations or low speed rattling.
• While driving if car pulls to any side it’s a concern and often it needs a wheel alignment (100-300 dhs) but in some cases it may be an axle damaged with minute fracture by hitting the pavement at high speed or off road damage in case of 4x4 or SUV’s.

Chassis:

• Try to look under the car and see any noticeable damage to the chassis, you can spot the recent damage by seeing the color difference on repair area than the rest of it. For older chassis damage you need to consult the proper technician who can check the chassis.
• Though this is not very big concern for check it yourself, as RTA approved testing center will check this in detail before passing the car for registration.

Disclaimer: I have written this and all linked articles to help my friends and family and other car enthusiast’s like you. This is purely based on my own experience. If you know anything more than this I am happy to edit these articles any time. Please leave me a comment and I will accept your changes and improvise these as soon as I can.

If you like reading these articles and it helped you in anyways, please pass on the knowledge to others and use below red like to show your appreciation.

4 Most important factors impacting used car price

Usually, the price of any commodity or vehicle is defined by its supply and demand. The same should apply to Cars as well but only to some extent and not all. Example: In hot summer more people want to sell their two-door convertible, so in that season when the market is flooded with 2-door convertibles then it will definitely fetch a little lower price. Though this impact is negligible but it’s noticeable. This point alone can help you majorly in finding if your perfect car can actually fit in your car buying budget after seeing its real worthy price and not the inflated price.

The car prices that you see on the online classifieds website are not quite right as every seller prices their vehicle depending on the urgency they are in to sell it. Some sell it at undervalue and some sell it at right value or overvalue if they decide to wait for a few days or a week.

To find a perfect car buying price, you need to understand that it depends on four major factors combined together to create a perfect resale value: Age, Mileage, Options and Condition.

Age: Every car depreciates majorly as per their age factor roughly as per the below table. This further gets complicated based on the car manufacturer region means European and UK Cars will depreciate the most, and then comes the American and Korean brands and then the least depreciation will show up in Japanese cars.

• Luxury Cars: 20% depreciation for the first year and then 15% depreciation every year.
• Sports Cars: 20% depreciation for the first year and then 15% depreciation every year.
• SUV and Crossover: depreciation for the 15% first year and then 12% depreciation every year.
• Family Sedans: 15% depreciation for the first year and then 10% depreciation every year.
• Compact Cars: 15% depreciation for the first year and then 12% depreciation every year.

The below example will show how to apply the depreciation on year by year rate: 
2009 Model luxury car whose price was 100,000 now valued at 35,496 in 2016.

• 2010: 20% of 100,000 = 20,000 valued at 80,000
• 2011: 15% of 80,000 = 12,000 valued at 68,000
• 2012: 15% of 68,000 = 10,200 valued at 57,800
• 2013: 15% of 57,800 = 8,670 valued at 49,130
• 2014: 15% of 49,130 = 7,370 valued at 41,760
• 2015: 15% of 41,760 = 6,264 valued at 35,496

Mileage: After the age, mileage is the second biggest contributor to the value of the car. On average industry consider 18,000 – 20,000 km driving in a year. So you need to check the math with the number of years old and see if it falls in the industry bracket. Although there is no set rule that how much is too much, but you can factor some plus or minus on the final value based on the current mileage of the car. Let’s take the above example 2009 car and in 2016 it should be in the range of 108,000 – 120,000 Km. So if the actual car has 200,000 km driven means it's 80,000 km overdriven, so for every 10,000 km you can minus (if it’s more driven) or add (if it’s less driven) 2-3% on the above depreciated final value.
Example: 35,496 x 2% = 710 x 8 = 5,680 (less) OR 35,496 x 2% = 1,065 x 8 = 8,520 (less)
Means: 35,496 – 5,680 = 29,816 OR 35,496 – 8,520 = 26,976 for a 200,000 kms driven car.

Options: Actually this point should not even exist here if you get the right model and right option price to start the math at first. However, many times you aren’t really able to get the Full options, Mid Options, and Base option pricing after 3-4 years of age. So as a best practice find out the current difference in the percentage of the same model and apply it to the final depreciated value. The reason for this exercise is as Japanese and Korean Cars have very minimal percentage difference (5-10%) between full options to the base models, whereas Germans, European and American cars have huge differences close to 20-30% from the base models.

Condition: Last but not least, can heavily dictate the final pricing as Car has a lot to do with the proper maintenance and if the previous user was not maintaining it according to the maintenance schedule then the next buyer will suffer heavily. This condition implies to the general exterior and interior condition plus service maintenance condition. Remember the above math was for average wear and tear car as per its age. So if you come across a super clean car with full dealer service history feel free to bump up 5-7% on the final depreciated value as after all you need to thank such good car owners and vice-versa in the negative condition.

Buying a car is a very big decision and one should fully take an educated decision rather than shooting in dark by considering only the purchase price of the car. Many time we think some car brand is cheaper than other then why not settle with a cheaper one and save a few thousand in the car buying process eventually we regret our purchase due to expensive insurance, maintenance and fuel mileage.

I have bought many cars in Dubai in the last 7 years that I feel below checklist and key points are very important for any person to understand, plan and act on before buying any new/used car in Dubai and UAE.

1. Requirement: Planning a car should definitely start with the need and the real requirement off course. If you require a four-seater car then don't go looking for a 7-seater. 
    
2. Allocate budget:  Fix your budget first and then decide to spend 90% of the total set budget, as the remaining 10% roughly will be required for insurance, registration, tinting and other minor accessories.
    
3. New vs Used: Both have their own pros and cons depending on the budget you decide and you should work around it.
    
4. Insurance: Usually insurance in Dubai and UAE float around 2-5% of the sale value, but it may vary depending on your car segment: Sports and Luxury cars have higher insurance premium. The new driver will have a higher insurance premium. An old driver can save on insurance premiums by submitting a no-claim certificate from their previous insurance company.
    
5. Financing cost: If your bank finances the car then do factor the total interest paid overtime, as it will rock the overall budget set for a car. If you looking for new cars then look for a few dealers in Dubai who offer zero percent interest during mid-year car sales.
    
6. Registration: Although very small like less than 1000 dirhams for testing, registration, plate number etc. but worth counting.
    
7. Maintenance: Japanese, Korean and American cars have reasonable maintenance costs as opposed to European and British cars. Super compact cars have higher maintenance than a normal sedan or saloon car. Luxury cars have higher maintenance as opposed to regular cars. Sports cars and performance cars have higher maintenance as well.
    
8. Fuel mileage: Smaller the car size and car engine capacity lesser the fuel consumption. Big 4x4, Sportscar and performance cars have higher fuel consumption as well.
    
9. Re-sale value: In order of best to worst - Japanese, American, Korean, German, British and French.

Real cost of car ownership = (Cost of the car + Insurance + Registration + Finance cost + Fuel consumption + Maintenance) - Re-sale Value.

Hope it helps many new car buyers in making an educated decision.

If you are looking for a new car then for sure you must have landed in the classic confusion to understand which one is better for your need AWD vs 4WD. In today's world, most of the modern world SUV comes in either AWD or 4WD option. The basic difference is that an AWD or All-Wheel Drive is a recent innovation which drives all of the four wheels, all the time whereas 4WD or Four-Wheel Drive is used for large SUVs (Sports Utility Vehicle) to use extra traction in off-road situations. The easiest way to tell them apart is that AWD system are always on and utilizing electronic sensors, it is smart enough to know which wheel needs power. 4WD is usually disconnected and needs effort from the driver to be engaged, turning all four wheels at the same time.

Here are the main differentiators:

1. AWD is always on and it comes quite handy during unexpected situations, especially when negotiating sandy patches or slippery corners. AWD definitely make more sense for Dubai or UAE roads where sand and little off road patches is in abundance. AWD is always engaged and the traction required is readily managed by sensors automatically and the driver does not need to make any selection of terrain or gear.
   4WD are mainly useful for truck-based vehicles with large wheels and off-road tyres thus proving advantageous to negotiate very difficult terrain. It comes with two versions: either full-time - they stay automatically engaged allowing the car to switch between two and four-wheel-drive mode; or part-time - the driver has to manually shift between two and four-wheel drive. 
    
2. In most AWD systems, power is delivered to one set of wheels, front or rear. On detection of any slippage at one axle, power is diverted to the other axle automatically. 
   In 4WD, the gears split the power between the front and rear axles so that the maximum torque goes to each wheel. When the transfer case splits power evenly, it ensures that each wheel turns at the same speed. There is also a ‘high’ and a ‘low’ 4WD. In the ‘high’ mode, power splits less evenly and is recommended for speed up to 95 kmph. In low mode power splits more evenly and is recommended for tackling serious off road conditions i.e stuck in loose sand, pulling another car or towing the trailer. In low gear speed should not be increased more than 30 – 40 kmph or else it will stress the gearbox and drive-train noticeably. 
    
3. AWD provides better grip and offer sportier handling and traction to a wide range of sports car, performance SUV and crossover’s. But it reduces fuel economy, as it increases weight and is not ideal for extreme off-road conditions.
   For extreme off-road conditions, 4WD comes across as sturdy. It can be turned off to improve fuel economy but it adds weight as well. And needless to say It is expensive than the two wheel drive models.

While AWD offer excellent benefits if the weather gets rough, or the road is not as it is meant to be, hence the All-Wheel Drive is still the best choice to use in Dubai and UAE conditions. In conclusion, if you are a die-hard fan of 4-wheel-drive for extreme off-road adventure, opt for a 4WD, if not then AWD makes lot more sense.

If you need more help, or need specific answer for any question then try the ‘Carnity Forum’ (http://carnity.com/) section or find car businesses near you with the Carnity ‘Business listing’ (http://carnity.com/business_listing) section.