S.L. 42, French expat, senior executive living in Dubai

Previous cars: Audi Q5, BMW 5 Series (Europe).
Objective: Buying her first luxury SUV in Dubai.

Challenge:
S.L. had recently relocated to Dubai and wanted to upgrade to a luxury SUV suitable for Dubai’s driving conditions, family use, and occasional long-distance travel, with some good power to have fun when alone. She was unsure about:

Which brands were best suited for Dubai
Resale value implications
Maintenance costs and dealer service quality
Whether to buy new or certified pre-owned

My Process (Discovery Consultation):
- Conducted a 90-minute private consultation covering:
- Daily driving patterns (home-work, school runs, desert trips)
- Climate-specific considerations (cooling, reliability)
- Family needs (2 kids + occasional visitors)
- Budget: around 500,000 AED all-in.

Narrowed down her initial long-list of 8 models to a focused short-list of 3 strong candidates:
- Porsche Cayenne S
- BMW X7 M60i
- Range Rover Sport P440e (Hybrid)
Explained Dubai market resale dynamics, service network strengths, and typical depreciation curves.
Presented 5-year Total Cost of Ownership simulation for each model, including insurance, servicing, and potential extended warranty options.
Provided brief guidance on new vs nearly-new certified pre-owned advantages.

Outcome:
S.L. left the consultation with full clarity on her top 3 choices, a market pricing benchmark for each, and confidence to proceed with viewings and negotiations — fully informed, and without the noise from salespeople or influencer content.

Two weeks later, she purchased a 2023 Porsche Cayenne S certified pre-owned with full warranty — perfectly aligned with her needs and financially optimized, in a sought-after spec that will enable her to resell the car for a fair (and pre-calculated) price in the future.