Owner Drive

The awkwardly-styled BMW 1-Series has always been an acquired taste ever since it launched in 2004. But I’ve always been a fan of the top-spec 1-Series which have combined arguably BMW’s best inline-6 engines with an entertaining chassis and probably most closely evoke the spirit of past BMWs than most of the other current models. Having owned (and loved) a 2007 130i M Sport back in London, as soon as I saw the M135i I knew I had to have it as it promised to be even better than the old car.

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When I was looking out for a manual transmission car, Alfa Romeo was never on my list. Though I knew very little about the brand, I always admired late-model Alfas like the 159 and the Brera. When I went to check out this red car, it was the very first Alfa 155 I was about to see. It was like ‘love at first sight’. A car that looks, sounds and drives like a race car. And for a used price tag of Dhs 10,000, I couldn’t resist the deal. Was the car reliable? Is it hard to find parts?

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The Ford Taurus is a bit of an oddity in the market. It’s not an obvious choice for most, and given that its direct competition includes the well-regarded Dodge Charger, you’d be forgiven for dismissing the Taurus altogether. However, the Taurus is aimed at a far more niche market than the Charger.

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And didn’t crash it in the first 2 minutes. In fact it’s been about 2 weeks now and the car surprisingly still refuses to go sideways. It must have something to do with certain drivers’ skill level (or driving like a girl — Ed.). Based on a Nissan crossover, the pre-facelift 2011 Koleos is rather an oddball of a car. Bought in August 2010, the car is in almost pristine condition driven extremely carefully by the previous owner. In fact, apart from a few mall-parking door incidents, the car looks and feels brand new even with 60,000 km on the odometer.

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Back in 2008, Ford has released their full-size Five Hundred in the GCC, and it was a nicer alternative to the classic Crown Victoria. While it had potential, the dull exterior and interior were a let down. However, for 2010, Ford redressed the Volvo-based platform, and renamed it the Taurus. So what is the new Taurus? Just a redesigned Five Hundred? I purchased a 2010 Taurus SEL in Riyadh this summer, so let’s find out.

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“Vroomm…whoa!!! What zoomed past me just now? RX-8? Naah, the badge says..oh wait, it reads Mazda 6…WHAT?” Well, that was sort of an exaggeration for a car like the 6 – mind you all, I am making mention of not the Ultra but the smaller and cuter Japanese variant here; no, I am not underestimating it either. But unlike what Mazda boasts about the 6, the car isn’t really all about zoom-zoom (in a positive sense).

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