Dr-A

On 12/9/2018 at 11:24 PM, desertdude said:

I agree with Gaurav on this one, get the biggest you can afford but do test drive both first and see of you really think the difference is worth it. 

I had a Supercharged L322 for a few days and really didn't feel too big a difference between the NA one and the supercharged one. Even after many 0-100 pedal to metal launches. 

Same with a Land Cruiser VXR 5.7 V8 and the  4.5 inline 6. The difference was even less noticeable.

But usually the bigger motors are from the top spec line and all the extra goodies and bells and whistles more than make up for the difference.

Nothing more shitty than dropping a big chunk of cash on a car only to see blanking plates and dummy buttons reminding you, you've bought the low spec model and you are missing quite a few things.

Japanese and American manufacturers are notorious for doing this,  thankfully the Europeans don't follow this route of cheapness. 

I drove Nissan Patrol 2015 SE mid option 320 HP yesterday and I really enjoyed the drive. Than got the chance to drive the GMC Yukon Denali 2016 and I could instantly see the difference. Although the sheer size of the Denali is breathtaking, the power it outputs manages to compensate with the weight. Overtaking was much easier in the Patrol though.

Still deciding... I don't want a vehicle that will hemorrhage money.

The SE version really doesn't have much to offer compared to the Platinum one.

Please help here

Hey all,

I am looking into buying a Nissan Patrol SE or LE platinum between the year 2013 - 2016, but I'm confused which engine size to go for?

I'm not a desert safari type of guy. My daily road mileage is about 100kms. Rarely travelling from sharjah to dubai/abudhabi.

Should I go for V6 or V8? Should the V8 be 320 or 400 HP?

Which one has better fuel economy? I believe both fuel tank capacity is around 140 Litres taking about 250dh to fill.

Also how are the spare parts prices for the Patrol? Is it easily available and cheap to repair?

Need your advice please. Appreciate it.

8 minutes ago, desertdude said:

And hence the myth continues of the jap eco boxes. If you buy the mid level boxes or their top specs, they come with the same bells and whistles as any one elsw

True, I only recently changed the top engine mount, water pump and drive belt which cost me around 1000dh with fixing charges, I got it from sharjah authorized dealers.

And to think that Jap cars are reliable and cost less to repair.....

48 minutes ago, desertdude said:

1st task to make sure its not a US import as majority are insurance write offs and/or flood damaged and cheaply repaired here, you can run the VIN through carfax at a slight cost if an import to get a service and accident history. Also you can run the VIN number through copart and autoio websites and see the actual pics of the state of damage it was in. ( if the car was sold through them, since they are the biggest auction house of salvage us cars the chances are high of that happening )

Requires some legwork if you spot a deal, not all US salvage imports are total junkers, sometime the insurance companies will write off cars with minor damage like a small fender bender 

could you please give me the exact website for checking vin numbers. thanks

3 hours ago, shadow79 said:

not ajman only in sharjah you can get fresh parts but you have to keep an eye open

as there too now repaired goods shop have popped up which sell repaired goods

do you know of any specific shop in sharjah?

appreciate it

22 hours ago, shadow79 said:

no comprehensive test take it to a workshop and let them test it nicely....

dunno if the showroom guys in sharjah souq agrees to that, but worth a try. thanks

22 hours ago, shadow79 said:

i know the axels new are very expensive and aftermarket will not last so we usually advise the customers to better buy used japanese axles both will come at around 550 to 650 and it will last you a good time

Can you please tell me where to get japanese ones in sharjah or ajman? thanks

Thanks a lot, will do that.

Hey all.

So I noticed my 2005 camry (american specs, done 165 k miles) started giving some crinkling noise when I'm on u turn both ways left and right. It increased gradually and only occurs at u turn or turning the steering wheel more on both sides. The ride is smooth and brakes are working fine. 

I went to a garage to check it out and he said that it is the axle which is making the noise. So naturally I went to one of the authorized spare parts outlet in sharjah and they quoted me a whopping 3000dhs for 2 axles. The car is only worth about a mere 12k dhs. Its a lot of money for axle repair.

Please advise on what to do now? Should I buy a second hand axle or get a new Chinese or Thai one?

Has anyone had a similar experience and what did they do?

19 hours ago, shadow79 said:

any Ls from after 2k is nice the Ls 460 is a wonderful piece of art it has almost all the amenities everything is rock solid very well built

dual a/c like in big suv's ,rear power seats ,very quiet car 8 gears so highway consumption is low ,radar cruise,lane keep assist and many more goodies

just be careful just try not to buy anybody else's piece of shit if you do that then its your mistake not the cars try to get a well maintained one then you will really be happy i have heard very rare ones come with supercharger installed from company 

i have seen ls430 with supercharger 

the only bad thing in these cars is its abs that goes bad in few years and you have to change the accumulator and or the abs assy itself which is gonna cost a handsome amount of around 4.5 to 7k 

i have seen people drive it like that with the abs light on have also seen unsuspecting people buying it with the abs light disabled so they really did not know that there was a problem with it either way its a risk you should not be taking

other than that the parts are available for it in new as well as the used market is saturated with it

 

 

thanks for the detailed info. Yes the ABS has many problem but as far as I have researched they have fixed this after the 2010 models. It won't run beyond 250k kms I guess. My mitsubishi 4x4 also has the ABS light but its merely the sensor and the brakes are rock solid. I will definitely get a comprehensive test before purchasing a 2011 or 12 LS460.

Could you tell me how costly are the usual spare parts which needs to be changed on a regular basis?

which comprehensive testing is the best, shamil or tasjeel?

On 11/24/2018 at 9:07 PM, Barry said:

I know someone who has one, but the LC version. I’ve driven it and worked on it a few times. Comfortable and quiet, unless you’re thrashing it, then you get the nice V8 engine sound. Plenty of toys to play with too. My favourite thing was the air conditioned seats. Sitting on them on a hot summer day just makes you forget all your problems. The space in the rear is amazing. Even with the front seats back, a fatso like me is still comfortable. The car hasn’t given any trouble in the last 2 years I’ve worked on it, just regular servicing. It’s the perfect luxobarge. Might not have the same brand prestige as a Mercedes but it’s 5 times the car. I wouldn’t buy one with my own money as it’s not my taste but if someone was giving me one, I’d drive it happily. 

Thanks for the reply.  Can you please tell me how costly are the spare parts? The regular stuff which needs to be changes like brake pads, sparks, belts, etc??

the looks are crazy, amazing curves, they are following suit with the new honda accord. its about time.

pretty late reply but u can just cover the dashboard with light carpet or dashboard fittings to save money.

camry 2007 and 2008 seem to have this common problem in the heat.

Can't help much cos of the traffic, any car would be using a lot of fuel at stationary traffic.

I own a camry 2005 v4 model, american specs. Full tank costs 150dh and drives about 530-560kms in city mixed with highway.

But only highway rides go up about 100kms totaling at about 650kms on a full tank.

I have tried various fuel injectors and they have only given about a 50-60kms bonus.

I tried 95 and 98 petrol but didn't get a noticeable difference on the 98.

Tyre pressure is quite important and ofcourse your own driving style matters a lot as said above.

Hey all,

Does anyone own Lexus LS460 L 2010 to 2012 models. If yes, what are your reviews.

Anyone wants to sell theirs, I would be quite interested.

Thanks.

Hey, so did both of you guys ended up buying an LS460 If yes, which particular model?

I know this is quite an old post but finger crossed....

I'm currently looking to buy an LS460L 11 or 12 model.

I have been driving since past 11 years in the UAE. Listing in order from best to worse, used in both my cars.

 Amaron > Trane > Solite > Zeetex> AC delco.... AC delco would always retire in exactly 13 months.