nuclearvision the new ones are amazing but not less than 16000$, his budget is less than that. he might get the new city, but not the civic
Moving to Beirut, getting a secondhand car
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Mine does something like that. It goes into 3rd gear (with a bang) and stays stuck there with an error message. Limp mode. If I restart the car it works again (yay! Like Windows!).NuclearVision wrote My second C3 transmission as did my first, Will sometimes without any reason or notice, go into safe mode(4 speed->2speed). Never again will i own a french car, toyotas are appealing, good engineering, cheap parts, and unlike citroen, mechanics don't cringe when they see your car's logo.
It is not random, it does that if I make it suffer, after driving mostly uphill on a hot day, for example.
There is a technique that I found to reduce the problem.
When the car is for example in 2nd gear, and in low RPM, you will feel as if the clutch is un-coupled and there is some amount of slippage (torque converter in use). Whenever the RPM reaches 2000+ or something like that you can feel the clutch being coupled and the engine becoming directly connected to the drivetrain.
When ever it is in the low-rpm transitional period, be veeeeery gentle with the car, let it pick up speed slowly until you can feel that the clutch is fully coupled, then you can be heavy on the accelerator.
Also do not do gear changes in very high RPMs if possible. Do not change too early either because that means it will be using the torque converter too much, so you might have to use manual mode ("tiptronic") to control that.
Through driving carefully I have been able to eliminate this problem, even when I drive up the mountains, etc.
Plot twist: I drive an automatic! haha! I'm ready to get bashed.rolf wroteMine does something like that. It goes into 3rd gear (with a bang) and stays stuck there with an error message. Limp mode. If I restart the car it works again (yay! Like Windows!).NuclearVision wrote My second C3 transmission as did my first, Will sometimes without any reason or notice, go into safe mode(4 speed->2speed). Never again will i own a french car, toyotas are appealing, good engineering, cheap parts, and unlike citroen, mechanics don't cringe when they see your car's logo.
It is not random, it does that if I make it suffer, after driving mostly uphill on a hot day, for example.
There is a technique that I found to reduce the problem.
When the car is for example in 2nd gear, and in low RPM, you will feel as if the clutch is un-coupled and there is some amount of slippage (torque converter in use). Whenever the RPM reaches 2000+ or something like that you can feel the clutch being coupled and the engine becoming directly connected to the drivetrain.
When ever it is in the low-rpm transitional period, be veeeeery gentle with the car, let it pick up speed slowly until you can feel that the clutch is fully coupled, then you can be heavy on the accelerator.
Also do not do gear changes in very high RPMs if possible. Do not change too early either because that means it will be using the torque converter too much, so you might have to use manual mode ("tiptronic") to control that.
Through driving carefully I have been able to eliminate this problem, even when I drive up the mountains, etc.
I bought it used so i don't get to complain, but honestly, i believe french automatic transmissions in particular and transmissions in general, are the worst, my friend bought a new automatic Duster, very slippy transmission.
On the other hand, I've only rarely heard of someone having a japanese/german transmission issue, probably due to neglect.
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Yes, me too, this advice applies to the automatic gearbox. Basically you have to drive it like a fragile manual gearbox.NuclearVision wrote Plot twist: I drive an automatic! haha! I'm ready to get bashed.
Manual gearboxes are much better, surely they don't have this issue. 6 gears!
Note to self - avoid getting a French car
lol--that should be warning to everyone. There are a few nicer ones coming out, but reliability will always be a question mark.purpleradish wroteNote to self - avoid getting a French car
And just to mention, I do have a 1.6L accent. It has no problems going anywhere in the mountains or in the cities, even with 4 passengers and the AC going. They are a bit harder to find--mine is a few years old and the insurance company appraises it at $11K. I think you do need a 1.5ishL sized motor around here to get the benefit of better fuel economy and enough power to deal with the terrain. Going with a new kia is probably is better choice that navigating your way around used cars in this country.
Anyhow, good luck and welcome to the jungle. :)
BTW I just discovered that you don't pay any customs on all electric cars, away not getting an e golf 2016. They are around 12000$ in the states and add 2000 for registration. Boom you have an electric car! I am considering one to be frank
+2000 shipping feesAri wroteBTW I just discovered that you don't pay any customs on all electric cars, away not getting an e golf 2016. They are around 12000$ in the states and add 2000 for registration. Boom you have an electric car! I am considering one to be frank.
I would wait a couple more years to get an e car
IMO Lebanon is not yet ready for e cars
- very few charging stations
- mechanics are not yet experienced in fixing e cars
- we have no experience on how efficient they are in Lebanon (traffic, mountains, bad roads...)
- last time checked, insurance rate is very high for e cars
- e car parts are rare to find
I won't argue, I would just say that if you get the right engine / transmission combination on a sporty model they are generally fun to drive an safe.purpleradish wroteNote to self - avoid getting a French car
Also the basic utilitarian ones are cheap and reliable, such as vans. But you're not looking for a transport van, are you?
French electronics...
So anyway, insider tip: I spoke to someone who picks up broken cars for a living, and he said that when he picks up a Kia, it is usually due to an accident, not a fault.
To be fair it might have to do with the fact that Kia cars are usually imported new whereas other brands can be brought in old and used, with a bunch of problems.
Guys does anybody have personal experience with the rising chinese car market in lebanon?
I have alot of friends who bought Shangan and chana, they are relatively reliable but the engines are too loud and underpowered. Plus you shouldn't forget about safety, they are bad at that. Get a second hand Japanese instead of new Chinese
I have heard they have tons of gearbox issues, one of them has a vent (non hermetically sealed) in which dusts gets in and destroys it under 20k km.Ari wroteI have alot of friends who bought Shangan and chana, they are relatively reliable but the engines are too loud and underpowered. Plus u shouldn't forget about safety, they are bad at that. Get a second hand Japanese instead of new Chinese
8 days later
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Hello, nobody mentioned Seat.
I have had a few friends buy (new) Seat cars, they are usually happy with them.
I have had a few friends buy (new) Seat cars, they are usually happy with them.
Yes, I wouldn't mind a Seat Leon, which is essentially a cheaper Golf, and supposedly sportier too?rolf wroteHello, nobody mentioned Seat.
I have had a few friends buy (new) Seat cars, they are usually happy with them.
What is the Leon's engine spec in Lebanon, 1.2T or 1.4T?
I have driven a 1.4T MK7 Golf for a few weeks, was quite impressed. It got the job done quite effectively getting me from point A to point B, and it had 'an air of premiumness' about it. But I did find it a bit 'soulless', almost too clinical.
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In my opinion pretty much so, like a Golf, but affordable new and less fancy.purpleradish wroteYes, I wouldn't mind a Seat Leon, which is essentially a cheaper Golf, and supposedly sportier too?rolf wroteHello, nobody mentioned Seat.
I have had a few friends buy (new) Seat cars, they are usually happy with them.
What is the Leon's engine spec in Lebanon, 1.2T or 1.4T?
I think it will potentially develop the same problem than a Golf if you have it for a long time and drive it hard.
I don't know details - I would guess 1.4T, because someone told me about a model that has 180HP. I know they did much progress with engines but I doubt they got 180HP out of a production 1.2 yet!
They have the 7 gear gearbox which is really nice. It makes a difference for Lebanon because the roads and speeds are very variable.
If you're looking for 2nd hand, I suppose it may be possible to find a good one, with a bit of luck, maybe one that is a couple of years old. These cars, in my experience are often bought by young people (1st car) and driven hard-ish. It definitely isn't the rule, but you gotta be careful.
I guess that, if you buy the car directly from the previous owner, you can form an idea about how it was treated.
Anyway these cars are generally well suited for Lebanon in my opinion.
By the way, have you had a look at olxliban.com ?
Lots of my friends were leaning towards the Mitsubishi Lancer, it has become relatively cheaper! You might want to take a look.
a year later
Hello,
Got a good deal on a used Lebanese Mazda 3 2008 but I have no experience in owning a Mazda.
During the current dollar rate, what should I expect in terms of maintenance? How expensive are the spare parts? Availability? Parts that break often?
Any help is appreciated.
Got a good deal on a used Lebanese Mazda 3 2008 but I have no experience in owning a Mazda.
During the current dollar rate, what should I expect in terms of maintenance? How expensive are the spare parts? Availability? Parts that break often?
Any help is appreciated.
Make sure this car was not wrecked before, and not even literally accident...
Major issue in Lebanon, if car was has any significant repair at bad mechanic - it is trashbin on the wheels that will keep breaking, and it might be just temporary fixed for selling purposes.
At one time, a colleague of mine tried to open a pre-sale inspection service, but it was not popular in Lebanon. And now it's too late. If you can find such, good one, no bullshitters, then go for it.
12 years old car... you need to be really careful. This age most likely means it already requires changing a lot of serious things, such as the timing belt, and many owner dont do it in time.
IMO smaller car, but less old might be preferable. Because, i expect fuel cost might jump up soon.
Major issue in Lebanon, if car was has any significant repair at bad mechanic - it is trashbin on the wheels that will keep breaking, and it might be just temporary fixed for selling purposes.
At one time, a colleague of mine tried to open a pre-sale inspection service, but it was not popular in Lebanon. And now it's too late. If you can find such, good one, no bullshitters, then go for it.
12 years old car... you need to be really careful. This age most likely means it already requires changing a lot of serious things, such as the timing belt, and many owner dont do it in time.
IMO smaller car, but less old might be preferable. Because, i expect fuel cost might jump up soon.
Take it to the dealership and ask them to do a thourough inspection on it. They will charge you but it is worth it and it doesn't help to get 2 opinions so find a mazda specialist and ask him to inspect it too.