Hello to our experts here in cars. I am looking for some advice on a vehicle I am going to buy and ship to Nigeria. I need your help in understanding which of these vehicles will be the best for Lagos. Please comment on each vehicle in your response (at least to whatever extent you know) so that I get a full picture of why you think it's good or bad. I'm looking for a car with the least amount of HEADACHE, so the criteria I care about are:

(1) Ruggedness. The ability to do well on those bad Lagos roads and even when it rains heavily
(2) Durability. A car that will not give me problems easily and will not have frequent issues
(3) Overall maintenance cost. If there is a problem, a car that will cost a reasonable amount to fix - in NIGERIA. So it means parts are readily available, good mechanics can service it without having to take it to an expensive dealership.

All the cars I'm considering (listed below) will be bought in the USA. They will go through proper inspection and maintenance before I ship them out of US. Please please avoid commenting if you don't have real experience. It's really confusing getting people who are just making opinions that are not based on real facts. Thank you my chieftains!

Note: The cars I'm considering are somewhere between 2005 to 2008 model, with less than 80,000 miles.

1. Acura MDX (2007)... http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/70/2007_Acura_MDX_--_NHTSA.jpg
2. Honda Pilot (2008)... http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/71/2006-2008_Honda_Pilot_EX_--_12-26-2009.jpg
3. Infiniti FX35 (2006-2007)... http://image.cpsimg.com/sites/carparts-mc/assets/roadtests/infinitifx35/images2006/leftfront.jpg
4. Land Rover LR2 (2008)... http://images.myride.com/images/no-transform/myride/promotions/images/images/08_Land_Rover_LR2_1.jpg
5. Land Rover LR3 (2006)... http://photos.ecarlist.com/pw/8v/YM/1P/21/YQ/9i/BD/5z/pD/Lw_640.jpg
6. Lexus RX330 (2006)... http://images.thecarconnection.com/med/2006-lexus-rx-330_100031514_m.jpg
7. Mercedes Benz GLK-350 (2007-2008)... http://images.thetruthaboutcars.com/2011/07/GLK350-front-quarter.jpg
8. Mercedes Benz ML-350 (2006-2008)... http://www.rabauto.com/vehicles/3071/images/3071-001.jpg
9. Toyota Highlander (2008)... http://photo.netcarshow.com/Toyota-Highlander_2008_photo_07.jpg
10. Volkswagen Touareg V6 (2005-2006)... http://images.gtcarlot.com/pictures/30558551.jpg

I will be very very grateful. So far, my research has been frustrating because a lot of people have opinions but when I dig deeper I realize they are just responding based on which car they like or what they think they might have heard someone say once.

Before I drop this $$$, let me at least get some expert advice. I know no one will be able to choose car for me, but I can choose myself if I have some tangible facts based on peoples' REAL experiences.

They are called suv's not jeeps

Economy,parts, I think toyota takes the lead

Bt basically, all of these cars are road friendly user, depends on how u use them.

German cars are known to be rugged, durable too

Royal Roy where are u ooo

Jst go with d toyotas, tnk me later

Toyota Highlander

Toyota Highlander : Best for everyday use in Lagos,Nigeria.. spare parts readily available with good mechanics around. Its sells fast whenever u want to upgrade .

Crack your ribs


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4z8XZLqIMmw

Benz 350 glk is superb. U will never regret!

Lexus RX330 is cool. It is a strong and rugged SUV. The parts are equally available at a good price and an average mechanic can handle it. If you must buy this car, go for the AWD versions

Based on your criteria the toyota or lexus brands are a good buy, actually they are the same thing same mechanical parts same engine same suspension, difference is the lexus is a luxury model and you get more comfort and probably a smoother drive.