New to UAE, need advice!

[GTF]

Hi,

I know these questions have probably been asked a thousand times, but I will ask again in the hope you can help me with some up to date info and advice!

I am new to UAE and looking to buy a secondhand car (around 30k AED). I am not too fussy, 4x4 would be nice if possible - but really looking for something that is reliable (as I imagine for the price the car will be older?) and also easy to get serviced.

So far I have seen some older Jeep Cherokee's and peugeot 307's and 206's that look ok. Also a Jag S-type, which suprised me....what do you think of these? Any other suggestions?

Also - can someone explain the process of vehilce rego, techicnical inspections, insurance in Abu Dhabi for secondhand cars?

Thanks In Advance!

[root]

30k..there is a lot you can get, but it will be a few years old as you correctly guessed.

Peugeots and Volvos depreciate a lot, so 5-6 years old ones are good options. If they go wrong, then repair is obviously expensive. Otherwise you have the 1.6 liter engine vehicles that are 2-3 years old - mainly Japanese and Korean.

Jags are cheap here - the resale market for them suxx big time. But as always be suspicious if you find something too cheap.

Most important..what do you need to car for (driving to work, offroading,..)? How much are you going drive daily? Single or family?

Process of registration is rather simple. If you find a seller, you both go get a sales agreement made and then go to the registration office to get it registered. Prior to that you need to get insurance (atleast 3rd party).

Also, you can only get the car registered in your name if you have a valid UAE residency and driving license.

[GTF]

Mostly be using the car for going to and from work, maybe some occasional weekend trips. Only 2 of us ( no family here or planned). No requirement for sporty/powerful cars, nor do I really want a big SUV ( a jeep or similar is probably ok)

Thankyou very much for your reply - if you have some more time could you also help me with these following questions also?

What is the sales agreement? Can this be done at the same place as the registration?

Can you please tell me is it difficult to get cars serviced? I have heard this but not really from a reliable source or about any make in particular.

Can you reccommend a garage to take a car to for a pre-purchase inspection? Or should I just take it to the nearest specialist (ie Jeep) garage etc - and how do you go about finding these garages!!

Sorry I know this is lots more questions, but I really appreciate the help. Thanks again.

[root]

First thing...we created this site to make it easier to find what can be found on the second hand market. Go to our Advanced Search in the Find a Vehicle section and search away within your price bracket. You'll find a lot. Tip! Put in a minimum price to avoid getting back ads where seller has not put in a price.

Out of that, you'll be able to narrow down on what you can get.

Sales agreement...normally you don't need it if both buyer/seller go together to the registration office. However, they do sometimes ask you to get a sales agreement made. Most dealers will make you one on an official paper for 200-300 AED (which I think is a rip-off as all they do is fill 1 page of paper).

Cars services...this is the paradise for this in my view. You can find a lot of garages and some very cheap. If you come from Europe, you'll be thrilled to find what you can get done without paying much.

Pre-purchase inspection...don't know much about Abu Dhabi, but take it to any garage that looks reputable and they'll do a check up for you. You can always take to the dealer but it'll cost more.

[GTF]

Thanks root.