This is actually the first update on our 2005 Peugeot 307 2.0 XSI since we bought the black 3-door hatchback back in late 2008. Driven by a woman in its earlier life, some of the things that she did came back to haunt us over the past year, although the car did prove to be reasonably reliable. Oddly enough, my first update is also my last update. Largely driven by my college-going brother, I’ve now sold the car to Diego, my former PR guy.
Ford is recalling 33,256 cars in the United States, including the 2010 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan twins as well as all variants of the 2010 Ford Explorer and Mercury Mountaineer SUVs, because front seats and head rests may collapse back during a crash.
It’s been a busy week for the UAE Police, grappling with perennially inconsiderate drivers, suicidal road users, and all sorts of new crime.
The Cadillac CTS-V is simply obscene! It is so salacious that we believe it is banned in some neighbouring states for public indecency. Mothers cover their children’s eyes and other people stare when this thing passes by, even in places as lewd as that beach by the Dubai Marina. No European sports sedan has this much bling, short of a million-dirham Bentley. And the best bit is it outruns them all in power as well as price.
Toyota seemingly has a fix for the wayward stability control on the Lexus GX 460 and Toyota Prado VX that prompted a premature recall last week, as shown in this released video. It should simply involve uploading the reprogrammed Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) code onto every customer car soon, although anyone still expecting to drift their truck can likely turn off the VSC manually.
After being blamed for not reacting quickly enough to safety concerns over sticky pedals, it seems now Toyota is going overboard with regards to new concerns over the Lexus GX 460’s stability control, temporarily suspending sales worldwide, even in the UAE. Now the 2010 Toyota Prado VX and VX-L sister-model sales have also been suspended.
The Renault Logan isn’t a car that people like me look forward to driving. Even at my poorest point in life, making Dhs 3000 a month while in college, my first car was an old Mercedes-Benz. With leather. And cruise control. And ABS. And a hood ornament. However, most people don’t think like me. For some unknown cosmic reason, they have to have a brand new car, even if it means taking a loan and risking jail if they can’t pay. And so, the local Nissan/Renault dealer thinks they have a hit on their hands, especially since they are targeting peeps making at least Dhs 3000.
It’s not everyday that I get a call to come down for a press event in Abu Dhabi, a couple of hours before the actual event. Normally, I wouldn’t bother, but this time it was a chance to drive, briefly, cars from the Rolls Royce range. The BMW-owned firm had two Ghosts and one Phantom lined up for a limited excursion around the streets of Abu Dhabi. While not a proper test drive, a Rolls Royce is still a Rolls Royce after all.
After years of complaints by the monopoly petrol retailers in Dubai and the Northern Emirates, the UAE federal has decided to increase petrol prices in the UAE by 11%.
U.S. magazine Consumer Reports, a respected publication that has no advertising and buys their own test vehicles, has come out with a scathing report saying that the Lexus GX 460 is a “safety risk” and put it on their “do not buy” list. They came up with the recommendation because they believe the electronic stability control does not react in time during loss of control at high speeds. As a result, Toyota has temporarily stopped sales of the GX 460 in the United States. We believe the story is being blown out of proportion.