Salam & Hello..
I want to purchase a car in the budget of 20,000 SR..
I have been told that the maintenance & spare parts of cars are very expensive here so don't even think for the European / American brands..
I want to know which car is good in terms of spare parts & maintenance .. So far my preference is Toyota Yaris or Hyundai Accent.. Can anyone please tell me about there maintenance & spare parts cost as per Market comparison..
Any info about GEELY LC PANDA, as its a newly announced Chinese brand car.. I heard its spare parts are not that expensive.. & its new for SR 23000/-..
Which one to choose Toyota Yaris OR Geely LC Panda..
Participation will be appreciated..
New Hyundai Accent is reliable. Older models are not that much.
Toyotal Yaris has a relatively cheaper repair parts than its other Japanese rivals. They are reliable cars as well. However, for its class, this car is very expensive (more than 60 kSAR for brand new!)
Toyota Corolla 2005-2008 and Toyota Camry 2002-2006 are in the end 20 kSAR.
For an older car, I would suggest Honda Civic (2003-2005) or Accord (2000-2004).
For an even older model (1996-2002), for 20-24 kSAR, I would go for the most reliable cars in the market back then, such as Honda, Toyota and Mazda. Unfortunately, these cars lack lots of safety features, such as an ESC, and even ABS!
So I don't know if you could stretch your budget a bit and get yourself a safer and more reliable car, such as Mazda 323, Subaru Legacy, Mitsubish Lancer, and, Of Course, Toyota Camry, Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, and Honda Accord, for end 30 kSAR (models 2004-newer).
Look up Haraj.com.sa (it is an auction in Arabic) or SaudiSale.com (it is in English, but it is filled with mediators and agents, yuck!)
Look up for individual sellers and avoid car agencies, albeit cleaner cars, mostly, they are overpriced to cover their expenses. Usually, work-friends, family members, unions, and communities have people look to sell their cars, sometimes even provide excellent deals for that they don't have much time, or money to close out and leave the country, etc.
There are some famous auctions found in the three cities where locals sell and buy cars (becareful there and demand mechanical and electrical tests, and even addition to requesting road test if sellers have time for it).
Geely cars are not good, in my opinion. As you said, they are new in the market, so they don't have much history record of their reliability. My friend has the EmGrand (EC7 or EC8), (I am not a big fan of Geely cars). He says electronics such as GPS and Radios are very sensitive to speed pumbs, GPS tends to restart and even shut down for minutes with the slightest hit on the bottom of the car. He also said that in terms of mechanical integrity, he is satisfied and proud of it. In terms of body Chasis resiliance, he says I don't expect much since I paid quite cheap for this car (his opinion- I think body strength is a must!)
If you found two offers for the specified price, I say go for the Yaris hands down. Just make multiple tests (Mechanical, Electrical, Visual Inspection, and if you could for imported cars, Car reports). Finally, test drive it yourself and see how it feels.
All the best, and tell us about your experience in purchasing the car to benefit others.