While car prices are generally lower than in other places in the world, buying a car in Dubai, whether it is new or used, will certainly be an expensive process. It is worth taking the time to do the proper research and shop around before making such a large purchase.
For luxury cars, the website emirates247 actually recommends buying one that is between 2 and 3 years old. They state that these cars, because they are usually manufactured and maintained better than their cheaper counterparts, tend to have relatively few mechanical issues and should last long enough to make it worth buying them used. Luxury cars also tend to lose around half of their initial value after the first two years of driving, then depreciate at a slower rate, meaning that it makes sense to let someone else take the financial hit of buying such a car new and then selling it at a lower price. Some cars, like the Hummer H2, can even increase in value after the first couple of years.
There are many options for locating vehicles for sale in Dubai, so if one takes the time to shop before buying, there are many deals to be had. Websites like dubizzle, autotraderuae.com, and carindubai.com offer classified ads where one can find cars for sale by private owners, eliminating the markup of buying at a dealership, though there are also downsides to this approach. While many dealers offer warranties and will provide detailed car histories before buying, private sellers rarely do this. It is worth investing in a service to provide the history of any vehicle you are considering buying. Some crash damage can be unnoticeable and cause huge problems down the road.
It is fairly easy to find the value of any car you are looking to buy, and the best place is usually online. A quick search will provide dozens of sites that are willing to give a value estimate for any vehicle for free, so you should always take the time to price any car you are interested in before starting the buying process. Emirates247.com also recommends never telling any seller how much you are willing to pay because that is most likely what they would then try to charge for your car. Go into any buying situation knowing what your car is worth and what you are willing to pay, and always try to negotiate the price lower. Sometimes, tactics like walking away or giving out the name of another business that has the same car will get you a lower rate. Sometimes it is even possible to drop the buying price on your car up to 20%.
Buying the cars you want will certainly be expensive, but by following some relatively simple advice, they don’t have to be unaffordable.
