What was your first car? Tell us your story
Do you remember the joy you got when you acquired your first car? Assuming you’re not a trust-fund kid, maybe you were handed down the old family wagon, or you had to share your sister’s pink convertible. Or maybe you had to work hard, whether to cough up the down-payment on an affordable little hatchback or to pay up front for a really old sedan. Here’s what the editors of DriveArabia.com did.
Editor-in-Chief Mashfique’s first car was a 1990 Mercedes-Benz 190E. It was the 2.6-litre inline-6 variant with several AMG bits. He bought it in 2004, in the same year that he started this little website, after scrounging together AED 13,000 from some part-time work and a bit from family over a 6-month period. It was either that or a BMW, but after hours of scouring the net, the decision came down to the Merc for its perceived solidity. The look of the AMG version sealed the deal.
It was one of those Japanese-imported versions, with supposedly “only” 44,000 km on the clock. While generally clean, it had a lot of issues in its first year, involving a head gasket, suspension, faded paint, coolant leaks and other minors bit, but by the second year, it was reliable enough to take to college.
Eventually, about AED 10,000 was poured into it in general maintenance repairs and mods such as an original AMG spoiler, Sony sound system and a red-black leatherette interior. It was all worth it, as it still cost less than the cheapest new car.
Since the car came with completely worn tyres, the lack of tread depth made the rear-wheel-drive car very tail-happy as it slid all over the place on turns. On the day he bought the car, he replaced the tyres with ones of the same size. The first set he bought were from the cheapest brand he could find, due to a lack of budget.
They were 205/55-ZR16 tyres, as marked on the sidewalls. At the time, he had to dig up what that meant — “205” is the tyre width in millimetres, “55” means the sidewall-height is 55% of the width, “Z” is the speed rating, “R” means radial tyres, and “16” is the alloy-wheel diameter in inches. Putting on the wrong tyre size may mean the tyres could rub on the car’s body or your speedometer reading may be wrong, which he also learned the hard way.
One of the tyres sprung a slow leak within months, while another got a nail puncture. Then all four tyres were changed to Michelin, just to be on the safe side, this time in 205/50 size, slightly thinner in profile, which eliminated the body-rub issues.
A looming old-car ban forced its sale for the throwaway price of AED 3,000. By then, Mashfique already had another car anyway. The ban later got cancelled, and he bought a smartphone with that money.
Long-time Sub-Editor Marouf’s first car was a 1987 Toyota Supra Twin-Turbo. It came with a Japanese-spec engine swap and a bunch of performance bits. Now, we wouldn’t recommend this thing to anyone as a first car, but he picked it up for only AED 5,000 in 2007, having saved up from a summer job during college. It was murderously fast, but it was also murder to drive in traffic, as it was fitted with a racing clutch, an extra-loud exhaust and partially-working gauges.
It was in horrendous condition when bought from a dealer in Sharjah, and wasn’t particularly reliable. It once died on the road as the clutch pedal sunk, and the brakes were uneven. Once even a rear tyre burst at 140 kph on the fast lane of the highway, and aside from a loud bang, there was no loss of control as the car was slowly moved to the side of the road. It was a good wake-up call to be paranoid about checking tyre condition from then on.
The key to safely stopping after a burst tyre is to not hit the brakes and to not make any sudden steering movements, while letting the car gradually roll to a stop. Of course, to complicate matters, the Supra did not have a spare, so Marouf had to take the wheel to the nearest tyre shop to get a new tyre balanced and fitted.
It was eventually cleaned up with new paint and new parts, but it was a pain to get passed every year during registration-renewal due to its mods. Oddly enough, the car had electronically-adjustable suspension and it worked great, in a car from 80s!
It was finally sold for AED 8,000, having become tired of holding up tissues to stop water leaks during car washes as well as getting pulled over by cops for its loud exhaust. The police never gave anything more than warnings and offers to buy the car.
Our offroad-happy Contributing Editor Vivek wasn’t always an offroad expert. Long before he became famous on our pages for antics involving his Mitsubishi Pajero, and even longer before he became the unofficial brand ambassador for the Ford Mondeo (he’s owned three!), he started off his driving life with a brand new 2003 Chevrolet Barina. It was a base model, motivated by a 1.4-litre powerhouse of an engine. And the choice was, oddly enough, entirely intentional.
Doing long drives for college and work, he wanted a car that would be fun and economical, hence the manual gearbox and the engine choice. As life would have it, the car was neither fun nor economical, with a poor drivetrain and even poorer fuel economy, not to mention unreliable and relatively expensive to maintain for a cheap car, even under warranty.
Apparently the only thing he didn’t have trouble with were the tyres, and that’s only after he switched to new ones. When one of his old tyres burst, Michelin was the only brand that had the right tyre size for his Mexican-built car, and he was far more happier with the balance of grip, comfort and wet-weather performance. Sometimes it is better to get an all-rounder tyre for a daily-driven car rather than just buying the most expensive high-performance tyre.
After suffering for three years, he finally got rid of the Barina while taking a face-punch on resale value, to buy the first of his three Mondeos. Needless to point out, the Barina model doesn’t exist in the UAE any more.
For more information about tyre safety and driving tips, drop a word to Michelin Arabia.
Do you have an interesting story about your first car as well? Tell us below!
Comments
Hamad
My first car was the family car. A terrible ’98 Toyota Prado V6 that was handed down to me. It was surprisingly reliable given all the Warqa-adventures I did & at 18yrs I thought I could take on anyone on the road. I didnt experience major issues until me & a cousin decided to instal a turbo kit from a backstreet garage in SHJ – from here onwards it went downhill. Basically the engine survived 3 weeks of throttle-flooring june-weather before going down in an awesome cloud of smoke on the formely 3-lane emirates road now MBZ Rd.
Mashfique Hussain Chowdhury
Wow, you turbocharged an old Prado? That’s original.
Hamad
Eventually I found out that the Prado was not geared to be altered with. I mean the gear box would have given up soon. Later on I got a 2001 750il V12 with 80k KM on dash -which was a killer in top end torque. It kept well with modern lighter cars. I sold it last year with 320k KM mainly due to a headache with over heating issues. I had replaced 4 radiators in the spane of 6-7 years. Also the interior has worn down along with all the window seals. However old bimers were good daily drivers – well balanced – but they need good maintenance to keep them in good shape.
Wheelman
Mine would be a 1991 BMW 320 E30 coupe, complete with M-tech bodykit. Only thing that was incomplete was the car, which was unfortunately abused by the previous owners. I knew about the condition of the car, but was so deeply in love with E30’s, they were one of my dream cars from school days. Most of the things leaked, cylinder no 6 works when it has mood, suspension was springy but still everything worked and never ever broke down on the side of the road. Back then I was still doing my Masters, didn’t have a full time job and had to let go when I got a Peugeot 307 as graduation gift.
Lots of memories tagged with that car, still miss it.
Hasher
Was the Start/Stop button a custom mod ? 😛
Omar
My first car is an 01′ Nissan Sunny, I used IS because I still drive it to date, its very economical and reliable with low mileage, it used to be my mother’s car but she handed it down to me to be able to go to college.
I actually shared an opinion in the buying process of the car back in 2001, my parents asked me about the color of the car, and i chose silver, how ironic is it that I chose the color of a car when I was 8 years old and here I am, 21 and driving it.
At first I was annoyed with the thing, it is terribly slow which meant i had to rev the engine pretty much all the way to the redline to get it up to speed with traffic, but then I fell in love with the thing, because it feels like I’m always driving it at the limit and its still legal. It has very thin tyres which help in the fun factor as well.
I got very attached to it, I think its going to be hard to let go of it.
Ahmed Jamaluddin
I can relate! My first car was a manual 2004 Sunny 1.6L. Got it in 2009 when I turned 18. Was a bit annoyed when I found out dad had bought me a sunny since it wasn’t one of the “cool” cars. That didn’t last though because I found out it could easily keep up with cars that had similar engines or even bigger (probably because it weighed less than a ton). Had so much fun driving it. Such a durable car too!
Fast forward to today, I rarely drive it now since I bought another car recently but whenever I get the chance to drive it, just makes me smile and smack the dash board with joy LOL. love it to bits really.
Rahul Jones
My hunt for a manual car led me to a 1996 Alfa Romeo 155 2.5 V6. It was just love at first sight with a price tag of 10K it was hard to leave without finalizing the deal. Bought it, going to be three years of ownership and still love every bits of driving it. I am taking care of her and she is taking care of me. 🙂
Munzir
Biker at heart, hence got to driving way later. My first car could very well be my only car as I own a 6 speed manual Miata. The drive is unmatched. When the world is worried about 0-100, I am satisfied by the smiles per revolution measurement. That does not mean it can’t give a run for your money within legal limits. As Jeremy Clarkson says,”I give the Mx5 5 stars as I am not allowed to give it 16″. That pretty much sums it up.
I could go on and on….but lemme stop it at that. Old habits of automotive journalism is difficult to let go at times.
Ozimandius
Fellow NA ’95 MX5 owner here. Interested in buying another one?
Munzir
@Ozimandius : What’s the deal here ? Ain’t gonna keep 2 miata at the same time. But if I get a good deal, will sell one and buy another
vivek
Well..my first car ws a Chevy Barina 1.4..and I…….Ohh wait, thts my story up there!! 😛
But that Michelin man reminds me of something though; coincidentally all the cars that I have owned, abt 8 in 11 yrs, have had Michelins on them, eithr as factory fitted, or bought by me as replacements. Not that I particularly look for them, but to whichever shop I go, small or big, and ask for quality tyres, they have only one brand to point at.
Davis
My first car was a one of a kind! It was 1991 BMW skyblue 535i ( E34) that had the engine changed from 3.5 V6 to 4.0V8. The car though had run about 21k when I got it. The new engine had run about 8k over its time. I used to love the car, but it was expensive to maintain and it required a open run once in a while to keep it in optimum shape.Had it with me till 2009, before gave it away.The best thing was the throaty growl and lots of torque and the engaging drive. A 0-100 burst in 6.3sec but the fuel economy, no comments!!! Nonethless Good ol days!
maaz
my first car was a 2003 ford expedition xlt white in colour which i got from dad on joining college. i was some machine, huge brute with enuff power to do burnouts. Granted it had many faults the ac neva worked (had to drive with windows down during peak summer heat), you could only only hope the brakes where in mood to work, and the wheel alignment was a bit wonkey but the stuff that worked its 5.4ltr v8 triton engine was just amazing. fuel wasnt that bad either. it had great accerlation for a almost 3 ton truck.i could carry 10 of my college friends anywhere which was perfect for long drives.Many memories attached to that car
Sree Jp.
My 1st car was the “Baby Benz”, a 190E ’88 – 2.0I4. The car was being used by my mom until she got a new Tiida for herself in ’07. 190’s were quite a common sight back in those days. It had clocked 98K odd kms when it was handed to me. I drove it college and work for about 3 years and a 70K+ kms. There’s no Emirate that the car hadn’t taken me and its never broken down on long drives.
It was a Japan import and we had to upgrade the Radiator and the cooling systems to endure the summer here which did affect the performance of the car upto an extent. But due to poor worksmanship the car did break down once every summer(specially while slogging in traffic), but the repair bills were petty considering the fact that Merc’s parts weren’t very expensive. And, it could be worked on by almost every other garage on the road due to the model’s popularity.
The interior bits had begun falling off eventually due to the rough usage but it was easy to be worked on and put back in place.
That car has taught and has influenced a lot on the way I drive even now after all these years.
Being a RWD car it used to be the center of attraction when friends got along in the evenings specially to the fact that anyone could easily do a burn-out or powerslide. Moving off at signals were incomplete without spinning the wheels.
One such time when we were powersliding at an empty yard somewhere in the outskirts of Ajman the car veered off and the Engine hit a rock ripping the chamber into two.
Thats when a friend took me a to a garage in Rashidiya where they were Merc experts. They took up all the faults of the car, upgraded the cooling fans, replaced the engine chamber and gaskets and voila the car was as good as new and at its best.
By then I had gotten a company car and this had become a weekend car.
About a year later I gave the car to a friend of mine because I was rarely using it and he was badly in need of one.. he used it for about 3 years or so and then due to poor maintenance the car begun failing on him and he eventually scrapped it off!
I’ve used a dozen other cars since the Merc but to this day, I still cherish the moments I’ve had with that car.
Thanks DA for putting up this post. Got to revive some memories and to see a few others revive theirs too.. 🙂
Ali Abbasi
My first car was a Pakistani Suzuki Alto. For those who don’t know its a sub-compact car about 20% smaller than a Yaris. You might even see some in the UAE. Its body might as well be made of the material used to made tin cans(tin?) and it had a measly 1 liter engine and manual transmission.
Like all tiny cars, it was great to throw around, especially in Karachi’s horrendous traffic. Keeping it tuned to the very end of its stock range resulted in joyous runs up to crazy speeds(for the Alto) in excess of 80 or even 90 kmph! A quick realization that there was no safety rating low enough for this car brought that right back down though. Fit it out with some h3aVy B@sS speakers and some decent seat covers was all you needed. Good fun.
Abdul Basit
I got my first car 5 months after getting my driving license in 2010. It was gifted to me by my parents form a used car dealership in AD for 34k. They told me its a 2003 c class Merc. Me being a big noob in Mercs at that time was glad that it was a class with an AMG badge as I preferred the shape of C over E.
Getting to drive it to the uni was a joy and I had something to bring at the DA meet 😛
Over the time I got to understand the mechanics and cost of keeping a Merc. The drive was excellent and in few months I encountered a broken belt and faulty engine fan plus got a new engine mounting. Soon my rear tyre burst at low speed and I had to change it. There I learned that the spare was totally different from the other tyres and had different bolts too which I learned the hard way.
With time I got to know that the C32 AMG badge was just a badge and I had a C240 V6. NP I had the AMG Bodykit though 😛
Over these 4 and a half years the car is still running good and I have changed its gearbox, suspension, fan (more than 6 times), radiator, one power window mechanism, bumper, headlight control unit, dynamo and the regular battery, brake pads, discs, suspensions etc.
Its time to sell it now and I have had loads of fun with it clocking more than 150k kms in it (when I got it was 104k and now at 260k) taking to every corner of the UAE and even going offroad mistakenly! Floor the pedal keep steering and you will be fine 😛
Despite the computer issues it has given me I still love the car.
Usama Khan
My first car was a 2001 Caprice “SS”, or so I thought. Because it was visually appealing, I bought it straight away without checking with my mechanic. I still suspect it was an LS from the scrapyard with a SS body-kit. The engine though, was a 5.7L V8, something I could boast about everywhere. The electronics kept failing often, the exhaust would fall free from its position, exhaust fumes would be inside the car, radio didn’t work properly. Me and my mechanic became good friends during the course of ownership of the Caprice. It came down to “dude, where is your car, have you sold it?” if I didn’t take the car to the workshop every other weekend.
Had it for about a year, then passed it down to a cousin who is a Caprice enthusiast, he got the repairs done, added some tint and a music system and is now the perfect shabab car.
That experience was an eye opener. Lesson: Never put money down on a car if it looks visually appealing (specially under street lights)
Praveen
I loved reading the first car experiences of other readers. Wonderful and amazing!
What was my first car? Well, without much thoughts I’ve a few cars to mention as my firsts.
The first car that I ever rode on was my dad’s very own Toyota Corona, 1981 model. Till date I’ve never found a car that’s ever been so appealing, be it with it’s interiors or it’s color. He had it until the year 1995, if I’m not mistaken.
The car that I drove the first time ever (after getting my driving license) was a 1996 model Toyota Cressida XL. It was the first and the last RWD saloon car I ever drove. It did give a lot of issues because when we bought it from it’s previous owner. That idiot had changed it’s ODO meter reading. The engine had issues, but after overhauling the whole damn thing, it was just fine. But it still had other issues smaller in comparison. But I reckon, it was the best car that I’ve ever rode on. I loved it’s presence on the road and I still admire those owners who own this car to date.
The first ever SUV that I drove was a 2007 model brand new Pajero, again my dad’s. It was one hell of an SUV (not as much the Land Cruiser Prado VX,2007 Limited Edition that we last owned) which was totalled after a Camry hit it and other vehicles in the vicinity after jumping the Red signal.
The very first car that I owned and that I still drive around in was a brand new Chevrolet Cruze LS, 2012.
Nabeel Khan
My First car is Caprice 92. Yup still own it after 20+ years. was handed down to me by my father. the sheer power of V8 is mesmerizing.It has become my identity. Got it engine converted from 5.0 to 5.7 LT1. Gave me issues regarding heating up when ac On so I unplugged the AC. Have drove it in flooded streets with water upto window sills, never gave up on me. With heavily tinted windows, no saudi “shabaab” dere messes with me on the road with their hyundais and accords. The best thing is that I can still buy remanufactured parts in the stores. No need to search salvage yards.
hasam
mines was a Lamborghini aventador. I was the second owner. it had some issues but it was fine. it was a 2013 model.
It cost me 200,000 dollars. but I wrapped it with purple sheet
Usman Naveed
My first ride was the aptly crowned king of the desert-a 2000 land cruiser v8 4.7 litre 250 HP
I never had the proper opportunity nor the driving skills back then to fully exploit its potential,and since it was handed down to me by my dad I never dared to either.
It’s road presence became apparent when other cars would politely give way without the need for tailgating or flashing nonsensicallay. It’s dual personality of being rugged or civilised was driver dependent.
My 3 years of possession were trouble free , and without any major headaches or heartaches.
The only emotional anguish was parting ways with it, and downgrading from a 4 x 4,and it remains a dream now to acquire it….on my own.
Munzir
Hello Editors….. If you don’t mind, I would like to write an article about my first car…. With pics. U can delete it if my writing is not up to Drive Arabia standards. Post it, if I live up to it….at least marginally.
Cheers
Mashfique Hussain Chowdhury
Hi Munzir, you can just post something brief here for now.
Mitch
Nice article and stories,
My first car on my name was an ’86 Opel Kadett. 1.4 engine, manual, 75hp. Back than in the ninties this was a cool car to drive for a youngster. I took good care of it and the car was still in use in 2006 when I spotted it in the traffic when I went back home for vacation.
The germans made really strong cars in the 80s and 90s.
Zao
My 1st car was 2006 Mazda 6 2.0ltr 2nd option and it came to my life on 5th of May 2006…like many here i wasn’t too lucky to get a car from my dad or rather i didnt insist for that becuz wanted my 1st car to be bought with my money….so had to wait for almost 5yrs to get my 1st car after gettin my license….It cost me 68,000 dhs….actually my budget was in 50’s but ended up increasing my budget to 60’s becuz a base model 6 didnt have ABS…other 2 cars i shorlisted was honda civic vti and Subaru Impreza 2.0ltr full option….Being a Mazda crazy i ended up buying 6….i remember non of my colleagues, friends or family supported my choice of buying a mazda….they all told me to get a camry or altima….my 6 had almost everything like dual chrome exhausts, spoiler, 16inch alloys, traction control, cruise control, great stereo with JBL speakers, auto AC, audio control on steering which was not usual in other japanese cars those days in that price range and most other models were running on 4speed autos and it had a 5speed tiptronic. Only accessory fitted was xenon lights… Surely with 2.0ltr 145hp it wasnt a powerful car…but enjoyed every bit of driving that car with great mazda handling….had it for 7yrs and lost it in 2013 to a big accident….driven 420000KM….for me my 6 was more like a pet for me….while driving i shared my happiness my sorrows, my anger everything with my car….it was more like a living thing for me….lol i never cared going to hospital if i had a health issue but without any waiting i used to run to galadari when i listen to a small noise from my 6….i miss him a lot and still once in a while it makes me cry when i think about my 1st car…. Recently i got my 2nd car a brand new Mazda 3 2.0ltr full option hatch back in soul red…..
Mashfique Hussain Chowdhury
You did 420000 km!?!
Zao
by the way i forgot to mention i never had Michelin on my car though changed tires several times….OEM tyre was Bridgestoe Turanza…. used to change tires at 45K-50K KM….had Kumho Ecsta SPT, Bridgeston Potenza REOO1, Falken, Dunlop Direzza, Yokohoma C Drive, Goodyear excellence…..
royer
My first car was a humble 2004 Honda City. The egg shaped car had decent interior and good seating space. Fuel consumption was nimble as it was powered by a 1.3 liter engine mated to an amazing CVT transmission. I really loved the no-nonsense linear power delivery of CVT. Front disc and rear drum seems to be a very poor combo that Honda still follows whereas my much cheaper Hyundai has disc brakes on all wheels and has excellent stopping power. In its short life span of 1.5 years with me, I had to repair brakes twice. Overall, an ok car, as a first drive in life. Lot of memories associated with it, as everything was first in it, including first bumper to bumper accident with taxi, travel with five pals to Jebel Hafeet, travel to Fujairah, Marriage, till I replaced it with 2008 Pathfinder, which was quite a different vehicle compared to weak car in everything right from superb engine power to horrible ride quality and high center of gravity. And then followed Hyundai Accent, Jeep Wrangler and Ford Expedition, the last two being amazing cars to drive as well as own.
Zao
Yup done 420000km…in yr 2010 alone I did around 62000km…. Least mileage in an yr was 38000 in 2012
needed cylinder head polishing after 360000km due to overheating issues…..
Mohammad Kamil
In 2006, after struggling to graduate through college, I somehow landed a job AlhamduliAllah and after receiving my 1st paycheck, I decided to go ahead and purchase my 1st car. I turned to the webmaster of a then still-relatively-new startup car website and asked him for recommendations. It had to be dirt cheap and also have a lot of legroom (My feet are big and my legs are long a la the Harry and the Hendersons theme). The plucky webmaster recommeded 3 cars: Chevrolet Aveo, Honda City and Toyota Yaris. The Honda City was in its “blocky” avatar in those days and its boot looked longer than it’s front. I was hesistant on the Aveo at it appeared flimsy. So after a trip to the Dubai Trade Center (The car showroom branch of Dubai Islamic Bank), I finally had a white Toyota Yaris to call my own.
There are cars that are called low maintenance cars. And then there are cars that you call zero maintenance cars. It has kept chugging along AlhamduliAllah with regular oil changes at Enoc/Emarat/Adnoc and some at Emarat Fasttrack. The only major costs have been gear oil changing, spark plugs, bearings, etc. and the post accident repairs.
I plan to keep it for years insha Allah as I am very happy with it. And I have a webmaster of lowly ranked but highly appreciated/copied website to thank for that
Mashfique Hussain Chowdhury
Why’re you lying? We’ve never recommended a Chevy Aveo to any of our readers. “LOL!”
Ali Siddiqui
My first car was Ford Fusion 2011… M still lovin it with 118K KMs on the clock…
Shrimal
My first Car was a brand new Kia Picanto 2009 … it had a 1.1L engine, 64HP haha ..
Overtaking in that car was like solving a serious math equation.. leave 20m space between the car in front of you, when the car behind on the left lane was 50m back start accelerating.. and so on … it took 10 minutes to go from 0-100km/s another 5 minutes to reach 120 …. But the memories in that car … wouldn’t trade it for the world, finally decided to buy a 2013 kia Cerato Koup .. LOVE THEM BOTH TO DEATH !!
Ahmed Jamaluddin
Had a good chuckle with your post.
cayanide
My first car was a Camry 98 model american spec black color not flooded only accident from back fender, the meter reading was altered which I came to know after replacing the timing belt a service sticker was showing 98k miles and when I bought it was showing 54K miles so was a shocker for me, but nothing goes wrong with old Toyotas was reliable and never gave any problem, the over drive button for me was like NOS I used it very frequently assuming it increases the speed. To my surprise after selling the car ( dealer in Sharjah) I saw it in Qusais with the same number plate with suspension raised may be the owner is using it to transport goods and again saw it in Burdubai. I still hope it’s up and running may be I meet with it again.
Hussam Al Mayman
My first car was a 1998 rover sterling. I bought it in 1999 when my parents gave mea budget of a camry and told me to buy a brand new car from the dealer. Being the true gear head that I am I refused to settle for a Japanese comuter. I found the car on sale at the dealer and thought I was getting a steal cause the car was new, last years model and half the price was off. After two years of owning the car I realized why it was half price off and I still have it in my garage to this day its an Oxford edition and I put 16 chrome rims on it along with a kick ass kenwood/pioneer/beck stereo system on it with woofers amps tweeters the works that I could afford at the time. It has done 125000 and after the last maintenance job I did on it in 2003 I decided to retire the car
Johncy Joe
My first car was a 2008 Nissan Tiida, which I bought in 2011, it was a pretty good small car and easy to handle. I bought it with 83000 kms on the clock and sold in 2013 after running 20000 kms. I spend for the battery and AC evaporator and no other major services. now I own a Mitsubishi Fortis 2014 Model, which is doing well.
Guy
My first car was a fiat punto 1300cc with 55 horsepowers yr make 1996..
yeah..terrible i know
Sri Krishna
My first car was a 1993 Toyota corolla 1.6 xli, white color. This car is very much special because both of us share the same year of birth. My dad bought this car in 1996 with 60k kms on clock. We never had any serious issues, except we replaced the AC compressor in 2001. I’d probably say the 1993 corolla as one of the best Corollas till date.
KcB
First car was a family hand down (Vivek might like this) – a 2003 Mitsubishi Pajero. Thinking it was a 3.8L, I enjoyed the car from 100k to about 260k during my college years. I spent my first paycheck (from a part time summer job) on getting some good heavy tint, a big speaker system, some white head and fog lights and a media system to replace the current aftermarket radio that was already installed; I even got those 2 black (useless) antennas that people here put on their 4WDs. After college I got a full time job in JAFZA and I had to buy a new car as she wouldn’t be able to drive 100 kms a day and survive very long. That’s when I found out it was only a 3L but an amazing car and 4 years of memories without many major problems. Tires were first Bridgestone and then Road stone. A/C stop working during one summer which was horrible! Sparks had to be changed twice in 3 months due to the mechanic messing it up!
I now drive a 2013 Nissan Pathfinder SV and loving the car!
Mashfique Hussain Chowdhury
Didn’t you keep wondering why it was so slow?
KcB
Well Mash, it was old and wasn’t really treated so well before I got her, so I pretty much factored the lack of speed to that.
abdulmalik
My first car is bmw 320i 2008 almost 200k on board still going strong ;rocked it with 18 inch alloys and bridgestone Re003 tires. Superb handling. Simply enjoy every ride in it. Bit high on maintenance but nothing compared to the fun & driving pleasure i get in return.
Cheers!!!!
Happy driving
Farjad
My first car in Dubai was a used Honda Accord from the then CARS garage in 2004. It was backed up with a used car warranty. Loved the accord and will love it anytime. However problems were not far from reach within a year and had transmission issues which is when I had a brawl with the used car insurance company, ultimately they paid Dexol only 50% to fix the gear issue. I believe the previous owner had changed gear oil from a petrol station which was not complying with the car. Anyhow, smooth days were ahead for a few more years with the accord after which I drove a Ford Focus… sturdy and great car..(drove it to Riyadh in 7 hours with 3 breaks at 450kms each incl border time). Also owned a Honda CRV (not very impressive) and then a brand new Pajero in 2008, again a good car very economical now done 220K kms and still going strong, regurlarly servicing with Speedfit (an economical arm of Al Habtoor)…. Now evaluating a change??? which one?? Hmmm….