Cars and Driving Questions

[mavzor]

There's been alot of questions in the salary thread and in other places about buying cars, renting cars and other driving questions.
I thought a dedicated thread would encourage centralization of knowledge, and provide a decluttering of other places.




Do I need a car in dubai.
Mavzor: Yes. That is all.

Should I rent or Buy.
Mavzor: Do you enjoy cars? Are you going to be here for more than a year?

What sort of car should I buy?
Mavzor. Might be worth your time to make a post describing what your budget is, what your usage will be, and cars you used to own.

Should I buy a used car?
Mavzor: Are you accustomed to new cars? Do you or someone you know possess mechanical knowledge/awareness?

Should I bring my car to dubai?
Mavzor: Unless it's something special to you, no.

To provide context on my responses, a major reason I moved to dubai was for the price of cars, the quality of the roads, the car culture, and the price of petrol and repairs.

There are many more questions out there, and I'd be happy to include your questions and responses. In particular I'd welcome Jynxgirl's responses among other expat regulars.

Otherwise here's a new place

[Jynxgirl]

Hahahahaha.... Oh Mavzor, you are funny one.

Do I need a car in dubai.
Mavzor: Yes. That is all.
Jynxy: Depends on your circumstance. One is if you are single or a family unit. If you have to park in a parking lot at a mall and walk 15 mins over to get to your work building, then maybe the answer will be no. If your work is right next to a metro station and you live next to the metro, maybe no. If these above two you fit in, then the next thing to look at is what your weekends will be like. If you are a city person and will not venture out of dubai much, but rather go to brunches (drinking) or nights out (drinking) there is a ZERO tolerance policy so you wont use the car on the weekend. Why not use taxis or the metro and pocket that 2000 or so. Is a car nice to have though, YES Are cars cheap enough to rent on the weekend or the odd day you want to go to fujeirah or abu dhabi, yes. If you have a family, all the above doesnt matter, just get a car.

Should I rent or Buy.
Mavzor: Do you enjoy cars? Are you going to be here for more than a year?
Jynxy: Rent for the first month or two until you decide what your niche is going to be in the uae. Also, just taking a gander on dubizzle should make you realize that MANY people come to the UAE and decide it just isnt for you by the number of one yearish cars, household goods, and even entire everything sales. If you buy in the first few months then you decide you cant stomach the initial thought of five years of tax free desrt living, you will have to dump the vehicle.

What sort of car should I buy?
Mavzor. Might be worth your time to make a post describing what your budget is, what your usage will be, and cars you used to own.
Jynxy: If you are going to enjoy going out in the desert or going to beaches outside the city, you will most likely want a 4x4. If you are a city goer and wont be going 4x4ing, then a car might be a better option. If you live in an area with not alot of parking and you have to parallel park, might want to get a small car.


Should I buy a used car?
Mavzor: Are you accustomed to new cars? Do you or someone you know possess mechanical knowledge/awareness?
Jynxy: Even the nicest western person from your own country, could of been out dune bashing and tearing the heck out of the car, meanwhile the inside and outside of the car that you can see, looks brand new and they are telling you they have never drove the suv hard Even if you are mechanically inclined, suggest to take it to someone and have them put it up on a lift. If is used, check if the warranty will transfer if they are using that as a selling point. Also keep in mind that to maintain the warranty here, you usually have to take it to the dealer. The dealers have no competition so have horrible rates. If you buy new, you know what you are getting. Sometimes you are able to negotiate services in.

Should I bring my car to dubai?
Mavzor: Unless it's something special to you, no.
Jynxy: Agree mostly, no. Only if it is paid off and a luxury model that you cant sell for what it is worth without losing quite alot of money and you KNOW you are going to like it here and stay for longer then a year or is a special model that one cant get here and can sell for more then what you can buy where you are from. Harleys and sport versions of some cars come to mind. Even then, stick it with family or friends if possible for when you go home to visit or for good.

[garotinha]

So I am currently living in Qatar and will soon be moving to Dubai to join my fiance (we are getting married at the end of the summer), but I would like to transport my car from Doha to Dubai. I have found shipping companies, my issue is that I would like to transport it ASAP and obviously I won't have my residency visa for the UAE before September/October. So the question is :

- Can I sell the car to my future husband (who has a UAE RP) and then he would bring it to Dubai under his name? How do I proceed to sell a car in Qatar to a non resident? (Can't find that information anywhere!)

- Or else, can I ship it and leave it in Dubai in a parking (without using it obviously) until I have my RP and can get it registered (might be 3/4 months!)?

Any help would be so much appreciated!!!

[Canuck_Sens]

- Can I sell the car to my future husband (who has a UAE RP) and then he would bring it to Dubai under his name? How do I proceed to sell a car in Qatar to a non resident? (Can't find that information anywhere!)

Yes you can do that, but I don't know the procedure. Check with the shipping companies they can help you with that. It is a very common practice so sell cars to UAE. Lots of locals import their cars directly. You future husband can buy it from you and even clear customs and register then transfer to your name.

- Or else, can I ship it and leave it in Dubai in a parking (without using it obviously) until I have my RP and can get it registered (might be 3/4 months!)?

You would need to inquire the traffic department here because once your car gets here you have to clear customs. You need the VISA. Don't think about leaving your car with customs you will end up paying tons of fees.

Any help would be so much appreciated!!![/QUOTE]

[CDN2012]

Hi, I was wondering if anyone has any solid information on importing a vehicle to the UAE. I can't seem to find actual facts and what is allowed and what isn't. I tried to do a search on the RTA webside but didn't find much.
From experience, i doubt talking to them on the phone will solve anything.

Any help will be appreciated.

Thanks.

[Jynxgirl]

Searching on the forum should pull up a fellow canadians posting about importing a car from canda, so will be specifically beneficial to you most likely.

[Nitro_From_Windsor]

Originally Posted by CDN2012

Hi, I was wondering if anyone has any solid information on importing a vehicle to the UAE. I can't seem to find actual facts and what is allowed and what isn't. I tried to do a search on the RTA webside but didn't find much.
From experience, i doubt talking to them on the phone will solve anything.

Any help will be appreciated.

Thanks.

Best bet is to get in touch with Cunuck_Sens on here. He got his car from Canada here and he said it wasn't bad to do so. I'm sure he can help you with this. Good luck with everything.

Ps. Jynxgirl is referring to Cunuck_Sens. He said he did do a post on here for that purpose so yes, search
__________________________________________________ ____________________
Sent from my HD2 using Expat Forum Android App

[Vetteguy]

I have shipped my car from the USA and the process was a little lengthy because of the wait time for it to get to the UAE on the boat (2 months). Other than that it was all straight forward. If you have any specific questions I will be happy to answer them and help you in any way. Just PM me or post here.

[INFAMOUS]

I will be shipping over my 2000 SVT Lightning so once I have officially completed the process I will be happy to share my experiences.

[byfc33]

I'm relocating to Dubai soon and am looking at planning ahead on car ownership.

Does anyone know what are the cheapest cars to own?

How much are Camaros and Accord coupes? Are they cheaper or more expensive than the US?

I've done google searches but results are conflicting..

**If it bothers you to reply to this post, then don't.**

Thank you for being polite!