Our unicorn

My car died in early February and we’ve been in a rental car ever since. I can’t complain because the car is fine, but it’s not my car. I’ve never liked driving other people’s cars anyway and I prefer to drive something so familiar that I don’t have to think about the car, just the driving part.

But my rental days are almost behind me. We bought a car last weekend (put a deposit down) right before Josh left for the US. We hadn’t been actively looking, other than checking the used car websites online and getting a feel for what was available and the price ranges. We figured as it came closer to the end of the school year there would be more choices as people leave the country (for the past 3 years, every June has brought a mass exodus). 

The rental car company called the other night to ask if we were planning to renew for another month, which prompted me to scan the classifieds again. I don’t love the Kia. Its brakes are too touchy, the steering is really loose, and the tint is so dark that it feels like I’m driving at night even during the daytime. It’s probably because I’ve driven a Pajero (or Montero in the US) for the past 9 years, that I feel like I’m driving in a clown car when I’m in it — I hate being 2 inches off the ground. 

We wanted something with 4 wheel drive so we could go camping in the dunes, but we wanted to spend less than 40,000 aed (around $11,000). Since the bulk of the used cars are between 60,000 and 90,000 (and used Toyotas and Nissans are higher than that) we were asking a lot of our budget. 

I happened to find a 2104 Pajero that was listed for 38,000 and a 2010 for 29,000. We’ve always had a Pajero because they are a good value for what you get, BUT the Mitsubishis here (Gulf specs, for use in the GCC) have the annoying feature of persistent dinging when driving over 120 kph (75 mph). Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding . . . when the speed limit is 140 and even 160 in some areas, it means hours of driving with non-stop dinging in your ears. All makes of car have warning chimes/tones/beeps at the 120 kph mark (it’s the law), but they don’t all persist into infinity and beyond.

(**you can’t shut it off. We’ve tried. They have wired it in to vital systems so disabling it means losing your gas gauge, backup sensors, or other electronic systems that we actually need. There are numerous websites and discussion forums dedicated to trying to bypass the ding, with limited success.)

We looked at all other options and came to the conclusion that there was a reason we’ve settled on Mitsubishis in the Middle East: they are common, affordable, and they do what we need them to do (drive in all terrain and haul a big family). We agreed that as much as we hate the speed warning, we could put up with some dinging in exchange extra cash in our pocket — about $5-10k usd. For that kind of money, I’m happy to turn the radio up as needed. 

We got the car. The 2014. It’s the only one we looked at since we knew we wanted it as soon as we saw it and met the owner. It’s in great condition and to be able to get a car that’s only 5 years old in our budget is amazing. With the heat and the sand, cars here take a beating, but this one has been perfectly preserved.

It’s pretty and white — every car here is white. I didn’t want white for that very reason, but in this case it’s an appropriate color for a unicorn. And we bought a unicorn — a very quiet one. We found out shortly after purchasing . . . it doesn’t ding! There is no peep, chirp, flashing light, or speed warning of any kind when it hits 120.

It’s a miracle. It’s such a long shot that it didn’t even occur to us that we could hope for that one in a million vehicle. I don’t know if this car was imported at birth from another country, or how she got here — but I will take her shiny, quiet self and celebrate silently along with her every time I drive.