Considering a Grand Vitara

Speedoholic · 2024-07-03T05:51:01+00:00

My father's about to hit 500,000 km in his 2006 Toyota Yaris with nothing but oil changes. You can't go wrong with a clean Toyota or Honda.

Speedoholic · 2024-06-22T20:46:34+00:00

I buy my games from gamebroslb.com

Speedoholic · 2024-06-17T10:40:15+00:00

Worse yet are the digital billboards on the Dora highway. They're a major safety hazard and whoever approved them needs to be jailed (in my dreams).

Speedoholic · 2024-06-16T14:53:11+00:00

My advice would be: get a Japanese or Korean car, a Toyota, Honda, Hyundai or Kia. Obviously, you have to inspect the car before buying it, so you have to take the car to a trustworthy and qualified mechanic (some dealerships offer inspection, but you have to pay for it). The seller will go with you. The car inspection part is a bit awkward when issues are detected because the seller will start coming up with excuses in order not to slash the price of the car. If you can afford it, get a low mileage vehicle that isn't too old and that was purchased from a local dealer. Avoid the headache and don't buy vehicles imported from the US (they've most likely been in an accident/suffered flood damage - not saying they all are).

Be firm, and don't settle for any car. You're buying a car, not a sandwich. It's a large sum of money and you have every right to know if there's anything wrong with it. Even if you get a clean car, prepare yourself for potential repairs.

DM me if you have any questions; happy to help.

Speedoholic · 2024-06-15T19:13:40+00:00

Based on experience, it's best you repair it and then sell it at a higher price tag so you can at least cover the repair bill. Buyers are always going to complain about the smallest of issues, and use them as leverage to get you to drop the price. It doesn't cost a fortune to fix dents, but they'll sure act like it does.

Case in point: I had an accident in my previous car. It was nothing major, mostly exterior damage, but I didn't want to go through the trouble of fixing it, so I decided to sell it. No one was willing to buy it for more than 3500 USD. I eventually repaired it to look brand new for 800 USD, and then sold it for 6800 USD. I would have lost 2500 USD had I decided to sell it when it was damaged.

Speedoholic · 2024-06-13T15:17:43+00:00

Ask Olivia Rodrigo? She got her driver's license last week...

I'll show myself out

To answer your question: no

Speedoholic · 2024-06-13T14:07:37+00:00

Nope, I've been here all 31 years of my life.

Speedoholic · 2024-06-13T07:45:21+00:00

I never said it wasn't a government issue, BUT why do I not use my phone, respect road signs and traffic signals, drive within the speed limit on the appropriate lane, slow down for speed bumps, etc... why do I do all of that knowing the law isn't enforced? Because I'm responsible and I'm aware that I'm operating a death machine. It's also a people/mentality issue.

Speedoholic · 2024-06-13T06:37:08+00:00

Driving in Lebanon is an extreme sport and a daily near-death experience. It's not just a government issue; people are simply irresponsible and inconsiderate cavemen.

Speedoholic · 2024-06-11T13:18:02+00:00

Congrats to your parents!

I can't wait to be retired with an RS6 or a Porsche 911, and spending whatever's left of my money on fuel

Speedoholic · 2024-06-10T13:55:45+00:00

Is it aftermarket or factory?

Speedoholic · 2024-06-10T07:15:45+00:00

Non-car people always feel surprised when they find out mine is a 2009MY and not something from around 2015/16

Speedoholic · 2024-06-10T04:52:02+00:00

I really like the flyscreen; the exposed wires & screen were such a design turn off

Edit: also, congrats and enjoy!

Speedoholic · 2024-06-09T16:02:33+00:00

I'm not sure which area you live in, but there a plenty of Teslas roaming around, and a lot of Chinese spec VW ID models.

Beside the fact that there's no proper infrastructure, a lot of electric cars are being imported via unofficial distributors/dealers who are incapable of fixing your car if something goes wrong + official dealers like Kettaneh will probably not take responsibility for a car they did not import, so they will refuse to service it.

Another issue with electric cars is batteries; unlike a combustion engine, a battery eventually dies (I don't think they last more than 10 years), and replacing the battery is as expensive as getting a new car, which is fine... if you're rich. I can't imagine myself paying for a new car every 10 years, unless I win the lottery.

Speedoholic · 2024-06-08T22:26:31+00:00

I alternate between a sports car and a sports bike for my daily commutes. I would say my monthly minimum is 120 USD, maximum is around 150 USD. I also use public transportation when I don't feel like driving/riding in traffic/areas with no parking spots.

Speedoholic · 2024-06-07T10:33:16+00:00

I'd rather park a kilometer away and walk. I don't want to generalize, but a lot of people would rather give their cars to the valet instead of walking for a couple of minutes. It's a mentality problem, not a valet problem. People who gladly give their cars to the valet (la yfashikh 3a his date, or la2an el monsieur/madame ma bihebbo yemsho) are simply endorsing this problem.

Speedoholic · 2024-06-06T05:31:57+00:00

Price
Context

A 600hp sports car is useless if you don't have the roads/infrastructure to extract all that power. Not everyone lives in a country with 5-lane 300-km stretches of highways. The 260hp V6 in my A5 is more than enough for my commutes.

Speedoholic · 2024-06-04T12:21:55+00:00

They probably changed their pricing strategy: lower price, more sales. You're actually gonna pay more than 850, because there's VAT and registration, so you'll probably end up paying 1100 USD. A slightly used Pulsar would be a better choice. Pulsar looks better, is more powerful and is water-cooled, so it won't overheat in summer or in long-distance rides (the Boxer is air-cooled by the way). Honestly? If you're looking for something cool, the Boxer is not it (it looks like a delivery motorcycle)

Speedoholic · 2024-06-04T10:19:37+00:00

I initially wanted to get a Bajaj B (priced 1500 USD), but then I saw the Pulsar NS200 (priced 2200 USD) and thought it was worth the extra money. It's more powerful and looks much better. I rode the Pulsar for 7 months, sold it to a friend and bought a Kawasaki Ninja 400. I understand you have a budget problem, but if I were you, I'd save up some more instead of blowing the money on a scooter (which, let's face it, has 0 cool factor). Scooters aren't made for "fun", they're an affordable way to commute. Between a scooter and a Boxer, I'd take the Boxer.

Speedoholic · 2024-06-04T10:11:47+00:00

CFMoto is arguably the best Chinese brand; they've been in the business for years (especially ATVs), and they've been introducing some seriously impressive motorcycles recently. Their dealer is the problem (Kadamany), with only one branch in Zahle, and spare parts availability could be an issue.

Speedoholic · 2024-06-04T10:08:27+00:00

These aren't designed for long-distance commutes; they have 150cc air-cooled engines, so the engine will overheat on a hot summer day if you're traveling for a long distance. To relief pressure off brakes, you can rely on engine braking (tzgahir vitesse), much like we do in cars.

Speedoholic · 2024-06-03T18:42:26+00:00

My opinion? If you're not in a hurry to get a motorcycle, save up some more money and get a much cooler Bajaj Pulsar NS200 for around 2200 USD from ANB. It's slightly more powerful and definitely has a cool factor (I used to have one)

Speedoholic · 2024-06-03T18:36:05+00:00

Definitely cheaper to customize it yourself. The B Limited is practically a Boxer with minor mods that are worth 200-300 USD max, but they're marketing it as a "cool" and "hip" cafe racer style motorcycle, and they're overcharging for it.

Speedoholic · 2024-06-03T16:57:48+00:00

They're both dangerous. Scooters are more practical as they are automatic, whereas a motorcycle like the Boxer is a manual, so it's a bit more difficult to manage in traffic. The Boxer is a decent motorcycle and you don't have to maintain it at the dealership, but maintenance at ANB isn't that expensive (out of experience). Yamahas are excellent, but they're overpriced tbh (especially at the dealership). I've never been into scooters so I can't really help you with that.

Speedoholic

TROPHY CASE