[Crazy_Eddy]

Posting this on behalf of a friend living in Dubai.

He's looking for a 4WD SUV.
He finds the Geely Emgrand X7 Sport to be good value for money, with the top-end variant selling for 75K AED.
http://geely.ae/en/car-models/9/emgrand-x7-sport

Is the Geely a good buy?
Any T-bhp members in Dubai with any inputs?

[ALTIMAed]

Having worked in Oman in the automobile sector for 11 years, I have found many an expatriates (Indian, Pakistani, Nepali and Sri Lanka) falling prey to Chinese car brands due to the mouth watering ex showroom price, only to realize after one and half to two years the car is falling apart. One would not even find a buyer for Chinese automobile brands if one would like to dispose it off.

If budget is a constraint, go in for Korean brands (Hyundai / Kia), you shall be in much safer hands, add to that they are easy to dispose off.

With 75K AED, he could go in for brands like Hyundai / Kia / Mazda / Suzuki and in case he would like a saloon, nothing like Nissan / Toyota in the Middle East - good service back up, great resale value

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[DicKy]

Give the Chinese a wide berth regarding cars.

Don't have anything more to say than what @ALTIMAed had already said.

Since he is looking from a purely VFM point of view, please suggest him to go the used car route or if new, a Japanese or Korean brand.
If it was an enthusiast car choice, could have understood the emotional decision. But in this case he is looking for maximum bang for the buck.

The most important thing to consider buying a car in the Middle East is the resale value and spare parts availability.

If he wants to throw away 75k AED and enjoy a car for an year or two. Fine, go for the Geely.
But then, there is a huge used car market there with way better cars.

Or if he is looking to really save money, go for Toyota, Honda or Nissan. And if the price points are too high, check out Hyundai/Kia offerings, they have amazing discounts and warranty though the aftermarket support is greater for the Japanese.

[ALTIMAed]

I was at Oman from 2005 till 2016. A small eye opener as to country of manufacture of a particular model.

The Nissan Sunny used to be manufactured at Japan and was in direct competition with the Toyota Corolla. The brand had a strong recall value and customers always considered it within that particular price band.

In 2009, the Sunny ceased production at Japan and instead came from South Korea. Sales just dropped. Customers would just turn their heads away when they were told that the new Sunny is made in Korea. All of a sudden, the Sunny dropped into the category of a Hyundai / Kia. Even though it was priced well, Corolla customers stopped considering the Sunny.

In 2012 (if i remember correctly), the Sunny started coming from India - thats when the Sunny took a major beating in sales. The nationals just could not see themselves driving a 'Made in India', Indians too shunned the Sunny as it was available in India. It was a hard time to sell the Sunny. As a brand, Sunny lost the brand recall and emotion value once the production shifted out of Japan.

If this can happen to the Sunny, which is a Nissan brand, one can well imagine how Chinese brands would fare in the Middle East.

[DicKy]

Originally Posted by ALTIMAed

......If this can happen to the Sunny, which is a Nissan brand, one can well imagine how Chinese brands would fare in the Middle East.

True that.

They are quite finicky on the "Made in" tag. All their websites list where the cars have been made in, and in the Toyota Saudi website, they even list where the accessories are being made.

Though not as harsh as your example, the brand value of Toyota and Hondas did take a slight beating in Saudi Arabia, when word spread that the slew of cheaper models were not Made in Japan, but in Thailand and Taiwan. I know personally a couple of buyers who bought a Hyundai stating that its at least Made in South Korea, compared to the non Japanese Toyotas (though that hasn't stopped Corollas and Hiluxes to remain top sellers)

Another thing that I have noticed are the window stickers that are kept on cars Made in USA and Japan, even after 5 years, but all others are peeled off right from the showroom.

[v1kram]

Originally Posted by Crazy_Eddy

Posting this on behalf of a friend living in Dubai.

He's looking for a 4WD SUV.
He finds the Geely Emgrand X7 Sport to be good value for money, with the top-end variant selling for 75K AED.
http://geely.ae/en/car-models/9/emgrand-x7-sport

Is the Geely a good buy?
Any T-bhp members in Dubai with any inputs?

As our fellow BHPians have commented, please stay away from Chinese brands. I lived in Dubai for about 7 years and the automotive market there is really flooded with many options.
Is he looking for a 4WD just for road presence or actual usage (desert driving, etc)?
He should look at the trusted pre-owned market too if the budget is restricted at AED 75K. Prado would be a good option (service back-up used to be excellent, my Fortuner at 175k was in pristine condition when I left the country).
In case he needs new then Hyundai (Santa Fe) and Kia (Sorento) are good options too.

[searchingheaven]

Have to decide between a couple of cars, namely the 2013 Kia Sorento and the 2013 Nissan Pathfinder in Kuwait.

Any idea on the reliability, performance or in general long term ownership review?

[v1kram]

Originally Posted by searchingheaven

Have to decide between a couple of cars, namely the 2013 Kia Sorento and the 2013 Nissan Pathfinder in Kuwait.

Any idea on the reliability, performance or in general long term ownership review?

I assume the Pathfinder is CVT, in that case it's better to stay away since the CVT's of those era from Nissan had some reliability issues.

Sorento is a good buy considering you don't drive too much, especially if it's a well maintained low/average run vehicle.

Pathfinder has a usable third row, if you need a 7 seater.

[Mohd595]

I have a budget of 50K AED at Dubai. Looking for a used car or SUV which should be a drivers delight. I particularly dont like CVTs which forces me to stay away from Japanese Trio of Honda Nissan and Toyota. How Good is Mazdas. I drive an punto back in india hence i cant settle for vague steering's

[arunu]

Originally Posted by Mohd595

I have a budget of 50K AED at Dubai. Looking for a used car or SUV which should be a drivers delight. I particularly dont like CVTs which forces me to stay away from Japanese Trio of Honda Nissan and Toyota. How Good is Mazdas. I drive an punto back in india hence i cant settle for vague steering's

I currently live in Muscat Oman and own Mazda CX9 2014 model. Its an absolute joy to drive. 3.8 V6 290 bhp on tap is an absolute joy on the wide open highways. This car has been ever reliable (touch wood) and I have driven the length and breadth of the country and multiple times to UAE from Muscat. Total reliability and easy maintenance.

Service and maintenance cost has been average and not many spare are replaced. only regular oil / oil filters/ AC filters / battery / tyres etc.

I have been told that water pump, oil pump, window motors keep failing in Mazdas, but my experience has been good with them.


in 2017, I had hit a tall pavement hard and hence wheels started making booming sound. I voluntarily replaced both front and back bearings etc.
Else been a good experience with Mazda.

Plan for a new CX9 or CX5 and I am sure you will not be disappointed.

I have owned Toyota Prado, Camry/ Nissan Altima / GMC Yukon/ Kia Rio etc in my long stay in ME and Mazda has been good to me.

[Mohd595]

Originally Posted by arunu

I currently live in Muscat Oman and own Mazda CX9 2014 model. Its an absolute joy to drive. 3.8 V6 290 bhp on tap is an absolute joy on the wide open highways. This car has been ever reliable (touch wood) and I have driven the length and breadth of the country and multiple times to UAE from Muscat. Total reliability and easy maintenance.

Service and maintenance cost has been average and not many spare are replaced. only regular oil / oil filters/ AC filters / battery / tyres etc.

I have been told that water pump, oil pump, window motors keep failing in Mazdas, but my experience has been good with them.


in 2017, I had hit a tall pavement hard and hence wheels started making booming sound. I voluntarily replaced both front and back bearings etc.
Else been a good experience with Mazda.

Plan for a new CX9 or CX5 and I am sure you will not be disappointed.

I have owned Toyota Prado, Camry/ Nissan Altima / GMC Yukon/ Kia Rio etc in my long stay in ME and Mazda has been good to me.

Thank you for your detailed input . You have covered almost every aspects. Mazda CX9 is definitely in my list.

[Fuldagap]

A friend needs to buy a used Civic in Dubai. Any pointers on how to go about the search and find a suitably priced example would be big help.

There are many websites/apps (Dubbizle etc) available apart from Facebook Marketplace. A good advice would certainly help clear the clutter and put energy in the right direction.

[McLaren_P1]

In the Middle East, Toyota and Nissan have strong resale value. The model will be personal preference and budget driven. But I recommend sticking to these 2 reliable brands. If you’re looking luxury, then Lexus or Infiniti.