I have noted with concern that many Ugandans have been conned and defrauded when they show interest in buying a car. So unfortunate that when a Ugandan gets to the point of buying a car, they are not properly guided on ‘who’ to talk to and ‘where’ to go. The Ugandan market is full of unauthentic car dealers and brokers, so many customers fall victim.
I have been approached by a couple of friends with the question “Which car should I buy”?
My answer is always simple, what is your car of interest, and what do want it for?
This empowers you to do a reflection on self and your choice. Many times people are simply excited about owning a car but in less than 2yrs they are no longer proud of their car and want to sell it off because it is now a burden or very expensive to maintain.
Through a one-on-one engagement – analyzing the above question and if your choice is still the same, then that is the car you should buy.
Other Ugandans have had their car of choice changed at the car bonds by the brokers/dealers. i.e Madam/Sir we don’t have your preference but here is an alternative that works very well or even better than what you are looking for. The moment you fall for this trap, you may not enjoy the car because it was never your choice, and also pray it doesn’t develop early mechanical issues.
This takes me to a very interesting subject and the main reason for this write-up, ‘Which car-make to buy’? There are myths and miss information among Ugandans about some car-makes and vague reasons why people should not buy them. i.e. Have no spare parts, are expensive to maintain, have no resale value, etc…
I am here to help some people get out of this loop. If you have a desire for a particular make, go for it bro/sis, and I will tell you why. Many years ago our grandfathers used to drive these very brands(Peugeot, Citron, Benz) that we are despising today. How did they do it???
As Ugandans and to a big percentage we embraced buying used cars because they are cheap but we ignore key aspects of the condition of the car. The issue is never about the make of the car BUT rather the mechanical state of the car. Yes, we are buying old cars but how old is that car? When it comes to this, it doesn’t matter whether you are buying a Toyota, Ford, Benz, BMW, Mitsubishi etc. e.g Buying a car with over 70,000km is already an indication that the car has worked enough. So you have to put in a lot to make the car perform like a “UBN …” today.
Therefore if you are out there, and you require this kind of support, allow us to help you not to regret your choice/decision.