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Options for a Daily Driver in the Budget of 20 - 22K


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After spending 9 years driving my Pajero 3.8, I have finally decided to move on and get myself a more affordable daily driver. I clock about 4000 - 5000 km a month. My budget is approx 20 - 22K, and the criteria is as follows:

1. Has to be a sedan mainly to help reduce my current mileage

2. Should be reliable 

3. I keep getting visitors from banks, suppliers and customers frequently, and hence cant drive a small car like Yaris. Need to keep some image.

Thanks for the help and suggestions.

 

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I'm kinda in the same boat. Having 2 pajero's in my driveway that both consume a lot really adds up. 

A sedan will definitely help reducing your fuel costs and probably also maintenance costs.

Just my two cents:

* Korean cars like KIA are Hyundai are great commuters. The Kia Optima definitely has a nice presence, and also the Cerato is nice. This is a buyer's market so plenty are available and they are not overly expensive. Resale value is a bit lower.

* Japanese cars would be the preferred option, although i find them a bit boring, especially the Corrolas and Camrys. Resale value will be higher. Mazda 6 is my preferred Japanese option as it really looks sporty. 

* German cars.... nah sorry, they are cheap to get but your maintenance cost will probably be too high.

* French or Italian.... very nice... not so much for the daily commute (reliability issues).

Steer clear from CVT transmission if you can. You know they are a pita... :)  

Have a look at below website. Might help you to compare different cars:

https://www.drivearabia.com/carprices/uae/carcompare/

 

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"Go as far as you can see; once you get there, you'll be able to see further."

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Instead of drive arabia car compare, which is meaningless for him at the moment unless he decides a couple of cars.

Go to car classified sites and search with 20K - 25K price filter, select sedan, coupe and hatchback option to drill down to see what all options are there in the used car market.

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I would say get a Lexus LS 430. Very solid and reliable cars. Drivetrain is like a rock and go for half a million kms easy without ever opening it up.

It has image, super comfy and luxurious. Gas mileage would be the only slight drawback but not much more than the Jero.

Or a Merc S320 for slightly better gas mileage. But in my own usage Ive found very little difference in mileage between a 6 and V8 and then you always regret not getting thr V8 so go for the S500 instead plus more bells and whistles. Just avoid the fancy suspension, 4matic and ABC 

If fuel economy is your number one priority then it has to be a 4 banger because as I said 6 n 8 are almost identical and V8 Ive actually found V8s more economical on highway driving at or under speed limit. 

Hard to find a good 4 cylinder that ticks all your boxes. So you will have to compromise on one atleast. 

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Thanks everyone for the suggestions, I had done some work and have shortlisted the following cars:

1. Lexus GS300 - GCC Spec (2006 - 2009) with mileage of approx 200K

2. Lexus IS 250 / 300 - GCC Spec (As latest model as I can get)

3. Honda Civic 1.8 L (2012 +) - A small but fun car to drive, but doesnt carry the image like the above. The only car that I would buy if mileage is the main criteria

Regarding Honda Accord, already one of my family members has the 2014 model so wouldnt want one more.

As much as I love how the LS 430 feels, having a V8 will kinda defeat my entire purpose of selling the Pajero. Mind you I am still quite happy with it, its just the rising fuel cost is starting to hurt. So I felt to get something that gives me the mileage between a 1.5 litre and my Pajero.

Regarding the Mercs, I was always afraid of their reliability issues. Any particular models that is the safest of the lot and things that I need to watch out for. Hows the reliability of the C200 (2007 - 2009) or the S320 (which years should I be looking)

 

Also, many of the cars are US specs but have been registered in UAE for quite a while like 4 - 5 years. Do i need to keep away from those as well?

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I would say stick to Honda Civic or Hyundai Accent or Mazda 3, if fuel saving is prime in this ever increasing fuel prices economy. 

There is no end to upgrade from 4 -6-8 cyl. Although I totally agree with dude that 8 is better than 6 on highways for fuel consumption and drive comfort.

Also sticking to boring Japanese is better and recommended as you are putting 5k kms every month for long drives and regular maintenance on German cars will be higher and also reliability of 10 years old German car would be highly questionable vs 5 year old Japanese with another 5 year of usable life in 20k budget.

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Let's root for each other & watch each other grow.

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