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Im driving this car since 3 years now and I have saved quite a lot of money for long time to upograde my civic to 2 door accord - my dream car. Although it might not sound very fancy to the luxurious segment car owner but i belive for the common mass this is a top end car we can afford and having a coup is an added luxury. Price: 130,000 AED (when new in 2014) Bought for: 105,000 AED (In 2015) Pros - Awesome styling from wheels to the body - Great on road presence among its league - Very reliable and capable car overall - Responsive handling and comfortable ride - Top notch safety ratings and awesome cabin - 4.7 rating out of 279 reviews Cons - Back seat not good for 6 feet size adult - Honda parts are little expensive than others - Starter failure - known problem - Comes with pathetic tires, so change is needed - Lane watch should be on both sides - 3.5 is thirsty in city but on highway with ECON mode is very nice and reasonale Specifications Engine & Power Engine Capacity (liters) 3.5 Cylinders V6 Drive Type Front Wheel Fuel Tank Capacity (liters) 65 Fuel Economy (L/100 Km) 8.8 Fuel Type Petrol Horsepower (bhp) 276 hp Torque (Nm) 339 Transmission Automatic Top Speed (Km/h) 212 Seating Capacity 5 Seater Acceleration 0-100 Km/h 7.3 Sec Measurements Length (meters) 4.890 Width (meters) 1.850 Height (meters) 1.465 Wheelbase (meters) 2.775 Trunk Capacity (liters) 447 Although Honda Accord is a top choice for families, but many opting for serious upgrade from current entry level sedan chooses the Accord. It's 2 door coupe is among the most sportier option available from Honda with a very capable and responsive engine. I have never felt short of power when I really need to push this car for limits from zero stand still. For the great styling and road presence i can confidently say that it is the best looking japanese car in town. I hear that earlier than 2012 model gear was an issue, but this model so far has no issues on the cvt gearing and runs and drive perfect. I have completed almost 60,000 kms on this car and have not regretted this buy even for one day or one hour, it is the best thing I have done so far as im in love with this car, reliability, looks, performance, handling, boot space, fuel economy. ECO mode is good for highway to get good fuel mileage, if you use that in city car is less responsive and in case you hit throttle hard then car will jitter a bit to switch of econ and comes back to original 3.5 liter response. The electronic adjustments could be more user friendly. I'm not an electronics person and don't care otherwise, but the system can be quirky. Mechanically, no complaints so far, haven't been in for anything more than routine maintenance and a recall regarding the battery sensor. I will highly advise changing out the factory tires as soon as you can because you'll be replacing them by 30,000 kms anyway. Car is perfectly roomy for 5 adults...plenty of leg room in the rear seating. Trunk is roomy, but entry could be wider. Overall, I'd definitely recommend this vehicle to friends and family, and Hondas in general. Can't go wrong! Two of the best video reviews I searched to add more value for next buyer.

Offroad is anything off the trmac road - beach, kacha, gravel, gauge track, wadi, mountain, desert, dunes etc. , dune bashing is bashing the sand dunes at low or high speed. wht is the prize for winner?

First of all there is no fast lane, its the overtaking lane, meant only for overtaking, once you have done that, go back. https://www.thenational.ae/uae/transport/experts-explain-importance-of-using-overtaking-lanes-correctly-to-uae-drivers-1.643737

The review is written considering the fact that a 20 year old car is being driven in the year 2018 with its current main purpose being for offroading Pros - Old School Driving - Bullet proof Inline 4.0 Engine - Light Weight Unibody Construction - Extremely Capable Offroader - Easy to Modify Cons - Basic Features - Famous for Death Wobble - Reliability is a concern - Tends to overheat unless modification is done A car that was initially launched in 1984 as a compact utility vehicle, the Cherokee XJ has grown to be one of the originators and the precursor to the current day SUVs. Its design has been noted as one of the greatest of all time. Popular Mechanics listed the XJ as one of "the 25 greatest boxy cars of all time". It is built on a unibody construction which offers it a light weight body Vehicle Specs - 6 cylinder inline 4.0 engine - Power 190 hp @ 4300 rpm - Torque 305 N.m @ 3000 rpm - Gross Weight of approx 1400 kg - Transmissions are 5 speed manual or 4 speed automatic. In the UAE market, the XJ is available in GCC, American (most common) and Japanese specs. One should be careful while buying the American Spec or rather the American import cars as many of them have been in some sort of accident with some of them having serious damage. Traditionally Cherokee XJs do run hot due to their limited size of the radiator, and hence the GCC Spec is the most preferred version. Cherokee XJs come with solid front and rear axles. Though an outdated technology in comparison to Independent Suspension, it follows the principal of KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid). Hence a very rugged design which is useful when one takes this car offroad. Further, modifications in terms of lift kit and installation of bigger tyres is relatively easier compared to an Independent Suspension vehicle. However, saying that, the vehicle in stock condition runs a finely balanced suspension, and any alteration such as a lift can trigger the famous death wobble especially with worn out busing and joints. In current times, most buyers of this vehicle are mainly offroad enthusiasts, who appreciate the the high power to weight ratio (135 hp per ton). However, in offroad the manual version does overshine the automatic version purely because in the automatic version the lowest possible gear that can be selected is a 1-2, and the vehicle does tend to upshift after reaching a speed of 40 km/h which kills the entire torque which is the most critical aspect of steep uphill climbs. While this issue can be overcome by selecting 4 low in the transfer case it does put a lot of strain on the engine as its revving at 5000+ rpms. I strongly recommend to go for a GCC spec manual transmission as that gives one the liberty to choose the right gear for the moment which is especially useful in long steep hill climbs as shown in the below videos: Location : Sweihan Location : Faya (from the right side) Reliability is a definite concern with the Cherokee XJ, and hence I advise those who are interested in this vehicle to get the vehicle properly inspected before doing a purchase. Further, it is advisable to get all the wearable parts replaced with original MOPAR parts instead of cheap after market parts before venturing into the desert. I have been driving this vehicle for the past year both as a daily driver as well as my weekend drives and have thoroughly enjoyed every moment. The vehicle I drive is almost stock except for the following modifications: 1. Replaced the existing radiator with a 4 core aluminium radiator 2. Added extra fans infront of the radiator to improve the cooling under offroad driving conditions 3. 3" inch lift by installing harder suspensions Major expenses in terms of maintenance has been replacement of clutch and flywheel, along with replacements of the track bar and some bushings. Conclusion : Would I recommend this vehicle to others? Would definitely recommend a manual transmission Cherokee XJ if you are able to get a good clean vehicle (which can be quite rare and difficult to find) as its a lot of fun to drive this vehicle. It would also help to have a good mechanic as your friend to help you with the fixes from time to time. I bought the vehicle for AED 11,000 (slightly above the market price), plus I spent an additional AED 5000 to get it to current condition, but I have not yet regretted my decision. P.S. If you like this review, don't forget to hit the 'Like' Button

The second point what I was trying to make with this thread is to educate car buyers that every off-road vehicle cannot be used for dune bashing or drive through dunes (in other words). Probably only 20% of the so-called off-road vehicle is capable of such extreme use out of which only 10% does it reliably and without breaking your bank account.

But what if you’re engine is designed to run on something like 5w30 and you try running it on 10w40, even for a short while? You’ll have awesome oil pressure but the oil will be too thick to circulate properly and will wear out the bearings, cam lobes etc in a shorter time. You need to stick to the oil grade recommended for your engine. This is why I cringe every time I hear a “mechanic” saying it’s old, just put 50 in it. In actual reality it’s doing more harm than good even if it is stopping a rattling noise.

I just said personally I dont like the term dune bashing. It just sounds to brash and negative to me. Also you haven't been on drives with some of the companies. Like now out of business FTC was a disaster drive from the word go. They use to start from big red and blaze through their route. Hitting almost every peak in that side of the sanbox till faya and then back because their camp was in nizwa across the road. Also you forget our regular safari was for 2hrs actual drive time of 1.5 hrs plus 0.5 hr drinks and sunset break. Also I like to dispel the myth that Safari Company Desert Guides are just lame drivers and can do short fixed routes only. This is actually true for most working for small operators. The kind that offer 60dhs safaris on Groupon. But the bigger more organized tour operators had I say had because most of the old guard has left now very skilled drivers, some even working today with big car names to day for their hot weather and desert testing. Evening sun downer tours was just the bread and butter but we had a lot of trips of many other types. From 3 day liwa excursions to 15 day desert trials in liwa. Overnighters in Shuwaib and sweihan. Trips to Khatim in Abu Dhabi And we all drove according to the kind if guests we had. Some liked it rough and some preferred a relaxed cruise. Surprisingly middle aged women enjoyed the most "bashiest" rides and young big buys who always said they wanted the hardest drive were the first to stop the car and throw up. Anyways just though I clear this misconception that all desert safari guides just plonk through a fixed easy route ans can't drive for shit. As professionals we drove for our paying guests so they get to experience the desert, not to show off our driving skills. But when the guests wanted a ride of lifetime they also got that. And repeat customers asking for the same guide went with last time over and over again is testimony to that.

@malek is almost correct and then second comes @skumar83 and @Frederic Nuyttens Only slight correction that dune bashing is not always you bash the dunes likes of Faya or big red, but traverse through the dunes means it can be slow or fast but through the dunes. Choosing tracks to drive in the middle of dunes is not dune bashing but offroading, that's the point I wanted to make here. A lot of newbie joins on a drive with tons of offroad experience and get crested on the first dune they cross as either they been to track with other clubs or been to beach sand or roadside sand with inflated tires. @desertdude correctly mentioned that desert safari guys stick to desert driving than dune bashing and just touch a couple of side slope to tilt the car and make tourist scream. Totally different world in that line of business when you have to please the tourist in 30 mins - 60 mins drive and make them jump on sunset point for selfies.

you have got a Like for your answer 😉

Agree I think this covers the load well. Dune bashing is a more thrill seeking part of the off-road experience. My personal preference goes towards regular off road and taking the time to enjoy the scenery, have a bite, meeting people, and make it a relaxing experience as a whole.

What an awesome choice of terrain after a long time and perfect timing to beat the heat and plus relax at evening.

Offroading is a general term which can be even a drive through the wadi, jungle or the desert. Whereas dune bashing is specifically pertaining to offroading in the desert. Also, I think dune bashing is more pertaining to a high speed drive through the desert while offroading in sand is like going at a relatively slower pace through some technical dunes

I'm actually waiting for some official or unofficial fine, gesture, law, rule bla bla for people driving in fast lane much below the speed limit and refuse to give side - no matter what.

If an engine has been serviced on schedule and high quality oil has been used it should never need flushed. Remember these guys selling engine flush have sales targets and make commission. Look inside the oil cap. It should be silver or light brown is ok. Black or lumpy bits is bad. If you can see gunk like this in one I done before it's probably too late and you'll need to take the engine apart to clean it.