Hi Yaghazali,
First of all, you have done the right thing in deciding to upgrade, in this city, you need to have a reliable car.
Secondly, just ignore anyone who answers your question trying to sell you a car, or their friends' car, or suggesting a garage to buy a car etc. They won't be looking out for your best interests...
There are plenty of cars for sale here on QL, and you should be able to find what you need here. You should also get any car checked out professionally before buying. Most people bring the car to one of the specialists on Salwa Road (German Auto Centre etc) who test drive them and check the engine, tyres, brakes, suspension, battery, main systems, bodywork etc. But I think this costs around QR500, not QR50 as suggested by Mhmultani above... Just think for a minute - what kind of service are you going to get for Qr50?
I certainly wouldn't buy a car without this check, but be aware that it is a guide, not a guarantee and you still need to be careful.
I would start with doing as much research as you can. Think about what you want from the car, what size engine range is suitable, do you want an SUV/4x4 type body if parking on lots of dirt lots or a regular car if mostly on tarmacadam? What year you can afford, how easy will it be to sell on when you are finished with it. More popular cars are easier to sell, unusual cars can take longer. If you get the make and model, plus engine size of a car you are considering, you can phone up the garages to check how much a standard service is or new brakes etc. This will help with figuring out estimated running costs.
For QR50K, you should have lots of scope, and you can probably get something well within budget. Take your time and never jump into a sale. Remember, despite appearances, the seller will always be a lot more keen to sell their car than you will be to buy it. If possible take a friend along for the test drive - two pairs of eyes and ears are better than one.
Ensure the seller has the full service history if possible, including all receipts and stamps in the book.
You can find some useful background information on different cars and their costs on websites such as http://www.edmunds.com/tco.html
This is a US based site, but is useful for comparison of ownership costs. You need to enter a US zip code to get results - I used an Arizona zip code 58020 as the climate is similar to ME, so similar maintenance issues probably arise. Just be aware the any prices given should only be used for comparing one model against another, so you can find out the cost comparison including maintenance, depreciation, etc etc. These will not actually apply here. I ignore tax and insurance costs listed as these are not so important here. It also gives a lot of detail in the review section Make sure you check all sections - Professional Review, Consumer Review, Features & Spec, Reliability, Safety etc, - see here - http://www.edmunds.com/nissan/altima/2008/?style=100920616
I have taken Nissan Altima as that is a popular car here in Doha and worth considering.
Anyway, hope this is of some use to you.
Best of luck with your search and let me know if you need clarification on anything...
Hi Yaghazali,
First of all, you have done the right thing in deciding to upgrade, in this city, you need to have a reliable car.
Secondly, just ignore anyone who answers your question trying to sell you a car, or their friends' car, or suggesting a garage to buy a car etc. They won't be looking out for your best interests...
There are plenty of cars for sale here on QL, and you should be able to find what you need here. You should also get any car checked out professionally before buying. Most people bring the car to one of the specialists on Salwa Road (German Auto Centre etc) who test drive them and check the engine, tyres, brakes, suspension, battery, main systems, bodywork etc. But I think this costs around QR500, not QR50 as suggested by Mhmultani above... Just think for a minute - what kind of service are you going to get for Qr50?
I certainly wouldn't buy a car without this check, but be aware that it is a guide, not a guarantee and you still need to be careful.
I would start with doing as much research as you can. Think about what you want from the car, what size engine range is suitable, do you want an SUV/4x4 type body if parking on lots of dirt lots or a regular car if mostly on tarmacadam? What year you can afford, how easy will it be to sell on when you are finished with it. More popular cars are easier to sell, unusual cars can take longer. If you get the make and model, plus engine size of a car you are considering, you can phone up the garages to check how much a standard service is or new brakes etc. This will help with figuring out estimated running costs.
For QR50K, you should have lots of scope, and you can probably get something well within budget. Take your time and never jump into a sale. Remember, despite appearances, the seller will always be a lot more keen to sell their car than you will be to buy it. If possible take a friend along for the test drive - two pairs of eyes and ears are better than one.
Ensure the seller has the full service history if possible, including all receipts and stamps in the book.
You can find some useful background information on different cars and their costs on websites such as http://www.edmunds.com/tco.html
This is a US based site, but is useful for comparison of ownership costs. You need to enter a US zip code to get results - I used an Arizona zip code 58020 as the climate is similar to ME, so similar maintenance issues probably arise. Just be aware the any prices given should only be used for comparing one model against another, so you can find out the cost comparison including maintenance, depreciation, etc etc. These will not actually apply here. I ignore tax and insurance costs listed as these are not so important here. It also gives a lot of detail in the review section Make sure you check all sections - Professional Review, Consumer Review, Features & Spec, Reliability, Safety etc, - see here -
http://www.edmunds.com/nissan/altima/2008/?style=100920616
I have taken Nissan Altima as that is a popular car here in Doha and worth considering.
Anyway, hope this is of some use to you.
Best of luck with your search and let me know if you need clarification on anything...