Vooke / Pundit na Wengine - Iko Swali

[Omollo]

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What is the best as of now to buy or rent a car? What do you recommend for a budget of 600K ? Any specific car? Any non Japanese alternatives?

[vooke]

Blatha,

It all depends.
1. Where do you intend to use your ride? On/off road?
2. For how long do you need your ride?

For leasing, an average Toyota sedan will cost you between 3K-5K per day. A 4x4 should cost over 7K.
Your only other cost is fuel. I did 1440KM last December with. 1330cc ride and I only burnt around 6K and fuel was over 100 then. So if you want to really tour Kenia, budget 10K for around 1000KM using a 1500cc or more.

For buying, I don't know of any European ride worth your while going for under 900K. Japanese you can get but very tiny toys like Toyota Passo.

So either you throw in at least 250K and you can get an older but decent European Sedan like Mercedes, BMW, or VW or stick to leasing.

Buying and disposing a ride in Kenia is so easy; you can get one any time no discard it within days. And it is much cheaper compared to hiring if you are talking of extended stays of over 30 days.As a precaution though, Kenians are perpetually infatuated with Japanese machines. Disposing a European ride is harder.

Let's assume you buy a BMW for 750K and use it for 90 days, then hastily dispose it at 650K . You lose 100K

Now supposing you hired the same at say 3k per day. Comes to 270K in 90 days. Much more expensive if u aks me

[Omollo]

Give me the Japanese alternative to the option below please. How much would adecent not so small toyota cost.

Let's assume you buy a BMW for 750K and use it for 90 days, then hastily dispose it at 650K . You lose 100K

[vooke]

I'd go for a 2006 Toyota Premio,Wish or Allion.
Advantages of each
Premio- Stability ( you are a speed freak just like me) but the most expensive of the 3

Wish- Comfort- lots of leg space and it is a seven seater just in case you need to wow your clan


Allion- Cheapest of the 3, can go as low as 650K holding all things constant.


Note these are Used in Japan AND KENIA. And we both know Negro is is careless

If you want one never used here, a 1300CC Toyota Belta would do. This is the cheapest Toyota sedan around. Quite dependable


PS: I have ignored the commonest Toyota, Corolla-NZE and its station wagon Fielder because they are the hottest selling and most likely to be jacked. But worry not, I will pray for you and you will live to tell about your trip

Give me the Japanese alternative to the option below please. How much would adecent not so small toyota cost.

Let's assume you buy a BMW for 750K and use it for 90 days, then hastily dispose it at 650K . You lose 100K

[Omollo]

Thanks. FYI it is not for me. I am not stepping in Kenya until there have been certain changes. You know I couldn't last a day. Mwaniki would make short business of me. Plus I would usually borrow gari za kazi. That is why I have remained ignorant of the car sector.

Now the last question where?? Are there places to avoid?

[vooke]

Now that's tricky because you know am stuck here and am likely to be biased; downplay risks.

One place I hate with all my guts is Eastlands( and I grew up there for a while), the entire Jogoo Road. Gives me creeps of jacking even when am flying. For night life, that's one place I'd advise against and of course Okoyuland- Anything past Gigiri, Kikuyu, Kabete. I don't trust them especially at night

Otherwise, normal Al shabab creeps of crowded places, malls....and of course NEVER leave valuables in your ride for nothing without nobody there. And we mentioned driving with your windows down, phone thief abound.

Thanks. FYI it is not for me. I am not stepping in Kenya until there have been certain changes. You know I couldn't last a day. Mwaniki would make short business of me. Plus I would usually borrow gari za kazi. That is why I have remained ignorant of the car sector.

Now the last question where?? Are there places to avoid?

[Bella]

I'd just like to add to what vooke has said by stating that if the person you're asking for is planning to use the car in Kenya for more than the two months of vooke's quotation, it is a good idea to consider maintenance costs too, along with the initial acquisition cost. There's a reason those Asian cars are beloved in Kenya and easily disposable with minimum depreciation of value, this is the availability and cheap price of spare-parts and use of kidogo mafuta. We once got a nice car that we couldn't dispose of except for a throw-away price despite it being in pristine condition, all because it had this little reputation (which was true!) of not being easily/cheaply maintained/ repaired either in doing the regular service or as a result of those "small" accidents of Nairobi that usually don't require the involvement of the insurance company. Every time someone passed near it, you began to sweat because even a very small bump on the bonnet could end up parting you with ridiculous (IMO) amounts of cash. This was in 2007/2008, thereabout.

[Omollo]

What kind of car is that? I need to know so it is avoided like Ebola

I'd just like to add to what vooke has said by stating that if the person you're asking for is planning to use the car in Kenya for more than the two months of vooke's quotation, it is a good idea to consider maintenance costs too, along with the initial acquisition cost. There's a reason those Asian cars are beloved in Kenya and easily disposable with minimum depreciation of value, this is the availability and cheap price of spare-parts and use of kidogo mafuta. We once got a nice car that we couldn't dispose of except for a throw-away price despite it being in pristine condition, all because it had this little reputation (which was true!) of not being easily/cheaply maintained/ repaired either in doing the regular service or as a result of those "small" accidents of Nairobi that usually don't require the involvement of the insurance company. Every time someone passed near it, you began to sweat because even a very small bump on the bonnet could end up parting you with ridiculous (IMO) amounts of cash. This was in 2007/2008, thereabout.