For the last 8 years we have been working hard to bring world class entertainment and educational gurus to Kuwait.
Our last entertainment project was the Eddie Griffin stand up comedy show which unfortunately was banned today the 21st of October 2018 by the Ministry of Interior in Kuwait.
We respect all the rules and regulations of the state of Kuwait and hope that we can progress in our already existing rights and freedoms.
We would like to thank everyone who’s supporting us and believes in what we are doing and we promise that we will keep working hard to bring world class entertainment to Kuwait while still protecting our values as a society.
Also, for everyone who bought tickets to attend the Eddie Griffin show, you will be reimbursed through your bank accounts by our ticketing partner Eventat.com [Source]
No reason was given for the ban but most likely it has to do with Eddie Griffin’s religious beliefs (he’s an atheist) and previous religion-related sets which he’s performed. The strange thing is, Eddie Griffin had previously performed in Saudi Arabia which many believe to be more conservative than Kuwait, and Eddie Griffin is currently set to perform in three different Saudi cities over the next few days. So bizarre!
I’ve had my eyes on the Sony noise canceling headphones ever since their first generation was launched a few years ago, then last year I was tempted to get their second generation (the XM2’s), but never ended up pulling the trigger. Then, a few months ago, Sony surprised everyone by launching their third generation XM3 headphones and they instantly became a huge hit. Many were calling it the best wireless noise canceling headphones you can buy and most of the reviewers agreed that they were miles ahead of the popular BOSE QC35 II. I decided I wanted one.
Since the headphones had just been released a couple of months back and were super popular, they were sold out at every US and UK retailer I checked from Amazon, to BestBuy to Currys. Even on eBay they were being sold at ridiculous prices. After a week of searching, I finally found a retailer in Australia that was selling them at retail price and I ended up ordering my pair from there and shipping them to my Australian Shop&Ship address. Surprisingly, Aramex were pretty quick with the shipping and I managed to get my pair delivered this past Thursday just before I traveled to Dubai. After using them while working out of Arabica and then again on the plane, I’m in shock at how good these are.
For those of you who’ve been reading my blog for years, you probably know I have an obsession with headphones. I actually just found a list of some of the headphones (and earphones) I’ve owned:
AKG K81 DJ
Bang & Olufsen A8
Bang & Olufsen H5
Beats by Dre
BeyerDynamic DT770 600ohm
Sennheiser Adidas PMX 680i
Sennheiser IE80
Sennheiser PX100
Sennheiser PX100-II
Sennheiser PXC250
Shure E2
Shure SE210
Shure SE215
Sony MDR-XB500
UE Super.fi 5 Pro
UE Triple.Fi 10 Pro
So I’ve used a lot of headphones over the years but my current go-to pair when traveling were the fantastic Sennheiser IE80. They sounded terrific and because they were wired, it meant they never ran out of batteries. But they had two issues, the first being they were wired, wireless is more practical of course especially on a plane. The second issue I had was with the comfort, the IE80’s are in-earphones so on long trips my ears would get really warm and sweaty. I wanted a new travel pair and these Sony’s solved all my issues.
Firstly, the Sony’s are wireless, but they also have a 30-hour battery life which means even on my longest flight to LA, I’d be able to use the headphones on the plane, during transit and still get to LA with lots of battery left. Secondly, the Sony’s are super comfortable. I haven’t used them yet for more than 2-3 hours at one go, but so far they’ve been extremely comfy. The Sony’s fit around my ears so they aren’t applying any pressure on them and the padding is super soft. The most important aspect of these Sony’s and what really makes them so great is the noise cancelation abilities. I haven’t used a lot of noise-canceling headphones but people who have say these are the best ones you can buy right now. I’m going to believe them because based on my experience this past weekend, they work like magic. On the plane, they COMPLETELY cancel out the lound rumbling engine sound, my flight to Dubai and back was extremely quiet and peaceful. Every time I took the headphones off I was actually in shock at how loud the plane was without them. I actually feel that way whenever I take the headphones off after using them anywhere. We are surrounded by so much sound everywhere we go and we don’t tend to realize it because we’re so used to it. These headphones really transport you into a quiet space, so you’ll get the library silence wherever you are. They aren’t perfect, while using them at Arabica, if I didn’t have any music playing I could still kinda hear people chattering.
The headphones have a lot of cool features and can even be connected to an app that allows you to control the amount of ambient sound they let in, but, I’m not going to go into too many details since you could watch or read more comprehensive reviews online. What I will say is this, these Sony’s sound great, are super comfortable and kill the sound around you so good that you won’t believe it.
If you’re interested in a pair I couldn’t find any place locally to get them and they’re still hard to get online. BUT, while I was at the Duty Free in Dubai I spotted them being sold there and for around KD110. So if you have a trip to Dubai planned or know someone traveling, let them get you a pair. Here is a link to them on Amazon but they’re out of stock as of this post [Link]
Here’s a good business opportunity if you’re looking for one, get the distribution rights for Element fire extinguishers! I first heard about these fire extinguishers on one of the Lotus car forums since guys there are always looking to try and save weight. But then Jay Leno had the Element guys on his YouTube show Jay Leno’s Garage and after watching it, I ended up buying two for myself. I would have actually bought more so I could give them to my friends but I wanted to see if PostaPlus would ship them first.
What makes these fire extinguishers so special is mainly the size and weight, they’re extremely small and lightweight and yet in most cases perform much better than the larger old-fashioned fire extinguishers that use compressed air canisters. Not only that but the Element is also non-toxic and doesn’t create a white mess. Since I’m pretty limited with space in my Lotus, I decided to get the Element so I can just velcro it under my dashboard.
The model I got from Element costs around KD20 and lasts for around 50 seconds. In comparison, an old-fashioned fire extinguisher (similar to the one you probably have in your car) costs approximately KD7, lasts around 15 seconds and is much larger and heavier than the Element.
Even though I managed to get my Element fire extinguishers shipped by PostaPlus, it did take around two months time. That mostly had to do with them researching the product and making sure it was safe to ship and wasn’t hazardous since they had never shipped them before. Theoretically, the next time anybody orders the Element they shouldn’t have to go through this long process, but I also don’t want to risk it. I still need to get a couple of more Elements so I can keep at home, so someone please get the distribution rights, I really think these would sell like hotcakes in Kuwait!
Earlier this year, Dubai started installing a new Smart Gate system at their terminals which I only found out about this past weekend. The new system allows you to go through passport control in around 10 seconds and it’s available to use by GCC nationals and biometric passport holders from 37 countries.
Signing up is super easy. On arrival, I went through the regular passport control and while getting my passport stamped I asked to be signed up to Smart Gate. And that was it really, passport control didn’t take longer than usual and I got a cute DXB Smart Gate sticker on the back of my passport letting me know I’ve been signed up to Smart Gate. There are no fees and you don’t need a special card like their previous e-gate system required you to use.
On departure, I skipped the long passport control line and headed straight through using the Smart Gate and it worked! Super simple, super quick and I really can’t wait till we get something similar here in Kuwait. It would make our old airport wayyyy more bearable!
Smart gates can be used by UAE citizens and residents, GCC nationals and passport holders from the following countries: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Brunei, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK and the US. For more information on the DXB smart gates, click [Here]
Over the weekend I flew to Dubai with Kuwait Airways, and so got to fly in and out of the new Kuwait Airways terminal, terminal 4. The terminal still has a lot of work to be done to it and so a lot of changes are still happening, but as of October 15th, the below information is accurate.
Right now, only GCC and Middle East Kuwait Airway flights use the new terminal.
Departure
– The exit from highway 50 to terminal 4 is still closed and the terminal 4 sign has been covered. The only way to get to the new terminal is through the cargo terminal exit (there are signs).
– There is plenty of parking, all shaded and right now for free. They haven’t installed entry or exit gates so you could park your car there short term or long term and not pay anything. This is a huge plus.
– None of the self-check-in machines work. I tried the ones on the parking side, I tried the ones inside the main terminal, none of them worked.
– You only have one security checkpoint which is right after passport control. The security guys didn’t seem very confident but were wayyyy better than the Jazeera Airways terminal guys. They have the full-body scanners but they weren’t being used. I wonder if they will ever be used here? When the scanners were launched in the States, people had privacy concerns because you could see the shapes of private parts with these scanners, I think people in Kuwait will have an even bigger problem with this.
– There is no duty-free yet, there are no shops whatsoever at T4 right now.
– There are currently no restaurants at T4. Your only options for food and drinks at the moment are 2 Costa kiosks and 1 Kuwait Airport kiosk. Both kiosks sold coffee, water, sandwiches etc..
– There is a lounge (pictured above) but only for Kuwait Airways business class and first class passengers. So if you have a platinum Visa card, American Express or any other card that usually gives you entry to lounges at airports, you’re out of luck.
– One SUPER strange thing about the airport was the PA announcement chime. In airports before they make an announcement, you’d here like a ding dong like chime before the announcement. For some reason at T4 the chime they’re using is the same one used for The Undertaker’s walkout music. I’m not exaggerating, watch the video above and then watch the video below. Every time they made an announcement I was expecting the lights to go off and the Undertaker to make an appearance. Such a weird chime to use at an airport.
– There was plenty of seating around the airport spread out over two floors. All the seats have power sockets and USB ports although I had to try a few before I found working ones. I’m not sure if the seating will be enough when all Kuwait Airways flights start using the terminal, but for now, there is plenty.
Arriving at the airport, parking, checking in, going through passport control and then security was all a smooth and pleasant experience. There were some minor issues, but understandable for a newly opened airport.
Arrival
– This was super smooth. The plane was fairly empty so passport control was a breeze.
– Right after passport control is a carry-on baggage security check, this is the only time you scan your bags. The luggage that comes out on the conveyor belts already passed through a scanner before coming out so you just pick them up and walk out of the airport.
Overall a pretty positive experience. When I travel to Dubai I usually take FlyDubai but this time the Kuwait Airways ticket price was cheaper so figured I’d try them out. I’ll most likely fly out with Kuwait Airways again next time because of the new terminal and my positive experience. I could nitpick a lot of course but honestly, ANYTHING is better than our old airport, so I’m just glad we have this new terminal to keep us going until the new airport opens up in a few years.
If you have any questions, let me know in the comments.
Update: As of October 22, 2018 the new Terminal T4 is now open for services for all Kuwait Airways Flights To/From GCC, Middle East and Europe except for London.
Henley & Partners released their Visa Restrictions Index for 2018 and Kuwait ranked 55th with visa-free access to 93 destinations. UAE ranked the highest in the Gulf ranking 21st with visa-free access to 161 destinations. Here are how some other countries ranked:
1 – Japan (190)
5 – USA, UK (186)
6 – Canada (185)
21 – UAE (161)
55 – Kuwait (93)
60 – Qatar (85)
64 – Bahrain (81)
67 – Oman (78)
70 – Saudi Arabia (75)
75 – Philippines (66)
81 – India (60)
100 – Lebanon (41)
106 – Afghanistan (30)
How did your country rank? Check out the full list [Here]
The weekend is here and there are quite a few things to do including a vinyl pop-up on Saturday. Check out the full list of this weekends events below:
Buffalo’s recently relocated from their Salmiya location opposite Olympia Mall to inside the Best Western Hotel opposite Al Salam Mall also in Salmiya.
The interior of the restaurant was given a facelift and is now much more modern and trendier looking with a beautiful brick wall, concrete flooring, and an industrial looking ceiling.
The menu has also been updated but still incorporates all the Buffalos favorite dishes like our famous Buffalo wings, quesadillas, chili fries, steaks, pastas, burgers and sandwiches. We also added new dishes like commando fries, chicken Asian salad, kale Caesar salad, bowls, penne pasta with steak and Portobello mushrooms to name a few.
Buffalo’s delivers to most of Kuwait daily from 11am to 2:45am. You can order thru our call center # 1880012 or online thru apps like Talabat, Carriage, Zitaat, Jeebley and Craves.
The Salmiya branch has a special promotion running right now where Kids can eat for free every Friday and Saturday. Every Monday it’s also Wings Night in which we offer a buy one get one free on wings. Finally, we also have our daily lunch stampede menu which costs just KD2.950.
Other Buffalo’s stores are located in Kaifan Co-op, Jabriya, West Mishref, Mahboula and soon we’ll be opening our new branch inside Jahra mall.
Check out all our locations [Here]
Also make sure you check out our instagram @buffalos_kuwait
After my last post on who has the best apple pie in Kuwait, a number of people recommended The Pie Shop so I ended up trying it out this past weekend. Was it any good? Yes it was!
Johnny Rockets or The Pie Shop? That’s a harder question to answer because it’s like asking me which is better, Five Guys or Johnny Rockets? Both burgers are good and they’re both very different, same with these pies.
The apple pie from The Pie Shop definitely tasted healthier, after having a big slice I didn’t feel guilty even though my slice was huge. You can clearly see all the sliced apples inside their pie while with Johnny Rockets, their pie has more of a chunky apple jam kind of filling. I prefer the Johnny Rockets mushier style filling but The Pie Shop crust was definitely better. The Pie Shop apple pie also looks perfect.
Price
Johnny Rockets: KD6.150
The Pie Shop: KD9
So my recommendation? If you’re picking up a pie last minute or craving a slice and want one right now? Definitely Johnny Rockets. On the other hand, if you’re invited to a lunch or dinner and want to take a pie with you, then go with The Pie Shop for sure. Keep in mind though, with The Pie Shop you need to order a day in advance. Here is a link to their instagram @thepieshopkw
I was going through Kuwestions when I spotted a question by a reader who asked why taxis were so filthy? One person left a pretty interesting response which I’ve shared below (with minor editing):
Taxi drivers don’t have salaries (although on paper it says they do). The system works as follows:
a- The taxi company (most of the time it is just a small office with one owner) rents the taxi for the driver by day. According to the car, the condition of the driver (new in Kuwait or not) and how greedy the owner is, the rent can go from KD5 to KD7.5 per day.
b- The driver is responsible for everything in the car. The company doesn’t pay anything. If the car is hit, stolen, damaged or whatever, the driver pays for it and they have to keep paying the rent even if the car is in the garage being repaired.
c- The driver pays all the car registration fees, insurance fees, residency fees, etc.. usually the company should pay for these, at least the residency fees, but not in the case of the taxi drivers, they have to pay.
d- The drivers have to deal with greedy employees inside the taxi company as well. You want the mandoob to get your driving license so you can work today? Pay him KD5-KD10, otherwise just wait, maybe he will go there next week to get it for you while you are paying your daily taxi rental fees but not driving and making money.
As a result of all the above, the drivers get greedy as well and try to survive by any means. Another reason drivers don’t care about the cars is that most people here treat them extremely bad. So what is the point of cleaning the car, and wasting an hour or two when they can instead just rest, or try to find another customer who will eventually also leave their trash behind.
The taxis that are just plain white are “Call taxis”. These taxis are not permitted by law to stop and pick a customer off the street, they have to be ordered by phone. But, taxi companies just give these cars to drivers and let them go and pick customers off the street because the government stopped issuing “Gawwala” licenses (the licenses for the beige/white cars). These taxis get fined a lot because of that and they also have to pay these fines.
One more thing. Before the new taxi fares, taxis would not let you pay by the meter because the price of the meter was too low. And now after the new higher meter fares that were introduced, people are not willing to pay by the meter because its more expensive. So cab drivers are still stuck in the same place.
So basically unless major restructuring of the whole taxi system happens, things aren’t going to get any better.
The reader had gotten all this information from one of his best friends who is currently working as a taxi driver in Kuwait. You can check out the original thread on Kuwestions [Here]
Last week I was offered the opportunity to test drive the large Jaguar F-Pace SUV. But, I was actually curious to test drive their smaller SUV, the E-Pace. One of the things that attracted me to the E-Pace was the starting price of KD11,990. The car looked like it cost a lot more and so when I found out how much they were selling for, I became very intrigued by the car.
The E-Pace is a fairly new model by Jaguar that was launched last year. The car I picked up was what Jaguar calls “First Edition” and had a beautiful Caldera Red exterior with a full ebony black leather interior. The car looked really sporty and because it was the “First Edition”, it came standard with 20″ wheels, LED headlights, advanced drivers aids, a panoramic sunroof and a bunch of other cool features. I was really glad the car came with a black interior considering the exterior was a vibrant red. The black interior along with the “black pack” exterior which consists of blacked out parts and comes standard with the First Edition really helped tone things down.
I picked up the car Wednesday morning which was perfect timing since I had a Little Ruby’s event that night and I was picking up three friends on my way. Although the E-Pace is a crossover SUV, its still pretty spacious and my two friends who sat in the back had plenty of legroom. The interior looked very slick in black, with a large infotainment screen in the middle and contrasting red stitching all around. The car I drove had the upgraded Meridian sound system which I loved although not sure I’m a fan of the actual infotainment system as a whole. I was using the iPhone streaming music over USB and on multiple occasions, the infotainment system would just stop working with my phone. Annoying but not the end of the world since I solved it by just connecting by Bluetooth instead.
Personally, I love the way the car looks like and I’ve actually liked the design ever since the car was revealed. A lot of cars look good in photos but then when you see it in person its like bleh. Not in this case, although the striking red color with black interior might have played a role in this. Because the E-Pace is a crossover SUV it’s size is very manageable and not intimidating at all. I tend to love smaller cars since they’re easier and more fun to drive and although the E-Pace handled rough roads and smooth highways equally good, there was one thing I found super annoying, the sensitivity of the gas and brake pedals. I’m actually convinced the car I drove had some kind of issue since both pedals were extremely sensitive. Every car has different pedal sensitivity and usually, it takes maybe an hour of driving to get used to it. I had the car for three days and I still wasn’t used to the pedals to the point I was giving myself motion sickness. I solved the abrupt acceleration by putting the car in the snow/wet weather mode which skips the first gear on acceleration and so smoothened things out, but, I couldn’t solve the braking issue. Stepping on the brake pedal lightly didn’t really do much but then if I stepped on the pedal just slightly harder it would apply too much braking power causing the car to jerk. I couldn’t get comfortable with the ultra-sensitive pedals over the three days which was so bizarre.
Overall though its hard not to recommend the E-Pace with a starting price of just KD12,000. But, once you add options the car cost can balloon up past KD17,000, so if you’re looking for value, you’re going to have to sacrifice on options. I think the size is great for those looking for an SUV but don’t want something too big. The boot was also fairly large so you’re not really sacrificing much in terms of SUV practicality. Really the only major issue I had with the car was the pedal sensitivity, but since I couldn’t find anyone else online complaining about it, it must have been an issue with the specific car I drove. If you’re interested in test driving the E-Pace yourself, just pass by the showroom or get in touch with Jaguar, they’re on instagram @zayanijaguarkuwait
I hate molokhia but, @cosmicxcircus somehow convinced me that I’ve been having bad molokhia all my life and that I needed to try it at her favorite place. She sold me on the theory and told me about a small hole in the wall in Hawalli called Layali Zamaan that supposedly made the best molokhia in Kuwait. So I decided to head there with her and a couple of other friends to try it out.
There are mainly two kinds of molokhia, the soupy Egyptian molokhia and the leafy Lebanese version. As this was an Egyptian restaurant they made the soupy kind. The molokhia meal at Layali Zamaan consists of bird tongue soup (chicken broth with orzo pasta), leafy veggies, rice, protein, Egyptian bread, and of course, the molokhia.
You have five different proteins to choose from, duck, chicken, meat, pigeon, and fish. I was curious to try the pigeon since I’ve never had it before but, since I was already out of my comfort zone with the molokhia, I decided to stick with meat.
The bird tongue soup which didn’t really look appetizing turned out to be actually really good, and I love carbs so the bread was great, and that is about it. Turns out I still really dislike molokhia because I hated it at this place as well. The whole time I was there I was thinking about what I would order off Carriage once I was back home. Everyone else I was with LOVED the molokhia but I have no idea why.
The best thing about Layali Zamaan for me was that it was located around the corner from the popular ice cream shop Bikdash Al Sham. The second best thing about Layali Zamaan was the price. We were four people and the bill came out to KD5.500 which I guess is a steal if you like molokhia. If you’re interested in trying the place out, they’re located in Hawalli, here is their location on [Google Maps]
You’ve probably seen the Land Cruisers 70 series on the road, they look like old cars because they originally came out in the early 80s but Toyota actually still builds them today with just minor changes. They’re probably one of Toyotas best sellers locally and on more than one occasion I’ve passed by the dealership only to be told the whole range was completely sold out. It’s mind-boggling which is why I’ve always been curious to drive one. Why are they so popular?
Personally, I became a big fan of the LC70 after coming upon Andrew White’s youtube channel. I was at one point considering getting a Land Rover Defender when I found one of his videos where he compares the two. Soon I was watching hours and hours of videos of him talking about his LC70 and all the stuff he’s done to it on his YouTube channel. At one point I was even contemplating renting an LC70 camper vehicle similar to his and going overlanding in South Africa.
My FJ is turning 9 years old in a few months and so I’ve been looking for a possible replacement for the past few years. Whatever I replace the FJ with has to be comfortable, durable and spacious. I was considering the 4-door LC70 because I loved the way they looked and their simplicity. The exterior hasn’t changed much since the early 80s so the cars don’t really get old in the same way the Mercedes G class or Land Rover Defender don’t get old. So last weekend I borrowed a friend’s 2-door Land Cruiser to test drive, and after giving it back I’m not sure I want one anymore.
The problem I had with the car was that it was just exhausting to drive. I drove the LC70 an hour out into the desert and then an hour back, and it felt like I had just gone on an 8-hour adventure. I can’t really pinpoint why the car exhausted me so much, it might have been because of the simple seats or the rough suspension, it might have been because the AC wasn’t cooling properly or maybe because the cabin noise was just too loud. Most likely, it was because of all of the above combined. Because the car hasn’t really changed much from the 80s, it lacks a lot of comforts. There’s no sound isolation which meant the interior was pretty noisy, it also meant there was no weather insulation so although the AC was blasting ice cold air, the car interior just wasn’t getting cold enough. The ride was pretty rough even on highways and the car I drove had an upgraded suspension so I can only imagine how much worse the ride is with the stock setup. The car was draining, even on short trips, driving felt like a chore.
On the other hand, I really love the way the car looks and I also love the barebones interior. Do we really need 3D surround view, heads-up displays, lane change and parking assist, massage chairs and digital dashboards? No, we don’t. The interior cabin although not that spacious was very bright and had incredible visibility because of the large windows and very small pillars. Most importantly though, the Land Cruiser felt like it would take a lot of abuse (and it can). But my favorite thing about the car has to be the fact when you’re buying an LC70, you’re actually buying a brand new vintage car.
The Land Cruiser 70 series starts close to KD9,000 and goes up past KD12,000 so they’re not cheap. You also don’t have many options locally, for example, the car comes with either a grey or beige/brown interior but the local dealer only gets the beige/brown one. Exterior colors are also limited to like 4. Do I love the car or do I hate it? I’m not really sure. I want to say I love it, but would I trade my FJ for one? The answer is no.
Thursday night I passed by Digits in Marina Mall and picked up the new iPhone XS a few hours before the official launch. Digits always hook me up with a phone ahead of launch and even discount the phones for me because they know they’re going to get publicity from me. I like this arrangement because it means I don’t need to wait in line or worry about the phone getting sold out. This year I actually had another company approach me with a better deal on the new iPhone, but my history with Digits goes way way back.
I’m a very nostalgic person and I’ve got a lot of nostalgia with Digits. I’ve been a customer of theirs since before they were called Digits, since before they were called Mac&More, since way before the iPhone or iPod ever existed, back when their store was simply called Apple Computer. Back then they were located across from Salhia and had beautiful beige Power Macs on display which I sadly never got to own. But, since the very beginning, they’ve been hooking me up with stuff like when I got my Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh from them or when they let me take their Think Different banners after their Salhia store closed down. And then I got my 15 seconds of worldwide fame because of them when my pictures of their abandoned store made their way around the web. So yeah, I’m a big fan of Digits and very loyal. I think their service center is great and I just love dealing with them which is why I’m always promoting them.
This year I had two options of phones to choose from, the iPhone XS and the iPhone XS Max. I was pretty tempted to get the Max but I already thought the regular XS was too big and so I knew I’d struggle with the Max. Since I sold my water damaged iPhone X around 3 months back I’ve been using an iPhone 8. I loved how small it felt and how I could easily reach all four corners of the screen with my thumb, but I did miss the full screen and I majorly missed the ability to switch between apps by just swiping left or right at the bottom of the screen. Although I was tempted to get the Max because it was a new phone and would give me more to write about on the blog, I knew the regular XS was the one I really should get. Judging by the poll I held on my instagram story though, it looks like the majority of you would prefer the Max.
The XS and X are virtually the same phone. Even though Apple could spend an hour talking about the differences, in reality, there isn’t that much of a difference. The only thing you might notice being different is the camera, the new camera is an improvement over the previous one but unless you’re taking two photos with the two different phones in the same spot and then compare them side by side… you won’t really notice a difference. Battery life still isn’t that great, when I went from the X to the 8 I was kinda surprised at how much better the battery life on the 8 was, I could spend all day on the phone and the battery wouldn’t drop down past 50%. With the X and now the XS, I could be down to 50% by lunchtime.
But truthfully, I’d rather be on the X or XS over the 8 any day. The iPhone 8 and any non-fullscreen iPhone really do feel and look outdated compared to the new iPhones with the fullscreen. Although I loved the battery life on the 8, I don’t mind the sacrifice for a larger and better screen. So moving from an iPhone 8 (or 7, 6, 5 etc..) to an XS is a no-brainer, the question really is if you have an iPhone X now, is it worth moving to an XS? The answer is no, not at all.
I was never a fan of the old Cayennes, not because I was Porsche purist and was upset that they had built an SUV, but because I thought they looked ugly. This new third generation Cayenne, on the other hand, is so hot looking which is why I got in touch with Porsche and asked them to borrow the car for the weekend.
Even before driving this third generation Cayenne I was pushing it off on friends. Anybody with a budget of around 30K I would quickly recommend the new Cayenne because it had two very important things going for it, a great looking exterior as well as a very modern looking interior. And, because the car just came out, you know this current look is going to be around for at least the next 7 years.
The model I picked up for the review was the “entry-level” Porsche Cayenne. After spending a weekend with this standard Cayenne I can tell you, you don’t need the faster Cayenne S or Turbo versions. The standard Cayenne with 340HP is no slouch which is what I was expecting it to be. The S version adds another 100HP on top of the standard Cayenne power and the Turbo version adds 200HP, but if you’re on a limited budget, get the standard Cayenne and use the money saved to fill it up with options. The car handled like you’d expect a Porsche to handle, it was very comfortable on bumpy roads but also stiff enough on fast hard turns. When I posted my Lexus LC500 review last week, a reader suggested I should test the cars by running them up and down the Crystal Tower parking lot so I decided to do just that for this review, as an agility test. If you don’t know the Crystal Tower parking lot, its known for being incredibly tight and people tend to scrape both sides of their cars going up and down the ramps. So I decided to have a bit of fun and mounted three GoPro’s to the Cayenne and decided to go up and down the lot to see how it handled tight turns. It passed! I think next time I should run the test when the parking is full since if the floors are empty it’s actually not that hard to maneuver through the floors.
The interior of the new Cayenne is another place it really shines. I personally think the Range Rover Velar raised the bar pretty high for slick and futuristic looking interiors but the new Cayenne manages to do that as well. The new Cayenne has a pretty huge screen with a really great looking infotainment system that also includes Apple’s CarPlay, but that’s just part of what makes the interior look so modern. The physical buttons in the center console area have now been replaced with backlit buttons and digital screens that are now touch sensitive. The whole center console looks like a giant screen and this helps give the interior such a modern look. Moving to the back the rear passengers have excellent legroom as well as having modern amenities like USB ports. The trunk is also pretty big and the rear seats fold down to make it even bigger but oddly enough, there are no controls in the trunk to automatically fold down the rear seats. I couldn’t find the option to add them either on the Porsche site which is bizarre because this is a pretty expensive car so you’d expect this pretty basic option.
Which brings us to the price. The starting price of the Cayenne is KD24,600 and I know this is going to sound weird, but that’s actually a pretty good deal. I would have expected the car to start much higher so I was pleasantly surprised when I found out how much they cost. 30,000 would get you a Cayenne S but as I mentioned earlier, I’d use the money saved going with the standard Cayenne to add all the options you want and there are A LOT of options to choose from. One of my favorite things about Porsche is how you can configure and build your own car on their website. Their online configurator allows you to spec the car the way you want it while showing you the exact cost, and then you can take your build to the dealership and just order it. I tend to build a Porsche maybe once every couple of weeks just for fun (don’t ask) and the Cayenne I built with all the options I wanted came out to around 31,000 which isn’t that bad.
So yeah I pretty much loved the car. I think like all Porsches the biggest issue with the Cayenne is that it’s going to end up being too popular and so you’ll start seeing a ton of them on the roads. If you want to check the car out and take it for a test drive you can as well, just head to the dealer and book a drive. Also make sure you check out the Porsche car configurator [Here]
