Cars Cars Cars

I like Facebook market place, I like how they've set up their algorithm to show me the things they think I want to see, very smart. Only problem though, is that every time I look for cars I filter the search based on price and not brand, so they show me car brands that I don't want to buy. 

Sometimes, I wonder if we get ripped off because a company has done so well to make their brand so popular and in demand to the point where their products stand out of the crowd, or because their products are really reeeeeally that good.  It’s funny how when I ask about cars, the first two names that pop-out of anyone’s mouth are Toyota and Honda. And guess what, they are also not as cheap when compared to different brand vehicles with the same or lesser mileage. 

I know Toyotas are affordable back in TZ, cheers to Toyota Tanzania. But this end, these babies are like a gem. The reliability and durability of their vehicles is making us spend  some big money to own one. 

Was looking for Toyota IST for sale (it’s a Scion this end) on Facebook market place and they ain’t cheap yoooo, unless it’s a manual transmission coz kids these days don't drive stick. I have been looking for one of those and I gave up, I just couldn’t keep up with the price. 

The popularity of the Toyota IST [in Tanzania]

Image from Wikiwand

You might have noted a few of them on the road around Dar. Actually, make that "lots" of them. I have counted. About three in every ten cars is a Toyota IST. And that's just in town center. They have become so popular that a prominent politician recently criticized men driving the particular model to stop doing so because it looks like they have been bribed (not good for the "ego").

The popularity of the Toyota IST in Tanzania has seen a steep climb in the recent year and a bit compared to a few years back. This can be attributed to several factors including the economical nature of the vehicle, both in maintenance and fuel consumption. These two factors has made the model a favorite for drivers for ride sharing services like Uber. I think we can all agree that the current economical environment makes sense to drive more economically. That said, if you can generate revenue while driving makes even more sense.

The sheer number of these cars driving around makes spareparts dealers smile. Especially suspension parts dealers. Why them? Look around, the roads (yes, most are being laid with tarmac) coupled with overloading will kill your suspension in an instant. If you live in areas where you drive 10 kilometers on "barabara ya vumbi" everyday, you should expect to have a suspension change every six months or so. Otherwise, avoid giving free rides to your neighbors.

Do you remember how popular the Peugeot 504, Toyota Corolla, Toyota Land Cruiser hardtop were? So! It's a good thing to have a particular car model in numbers as it makes finding spareparts for it much easier. However, it also makes it easier for the car to "disapear" into the crowd when stolen. The used spareparts market makes it a huge risk to own a popular car model. Just something to think about.

Exploring Zimbabwe - Cars

As I continued to explore Zimbwawe, I got a chance to speak with a few people about the country, and guess what I discovered? So Zim being a landlocked country, meaning they do not have a sea or port, they get to import their cars through Tanzania or South African ports. For a landlocked country though, they do have a lot of cars for sale. I have seen a good number of showrooms in Harare as we commuted towards the city center.

Most of the cars that I have seen around here are Toyotas, Hondas and Nissans. Unlike Tanzania, we seem to lean towards Toyotas more than other brands. But lately, I have been seen a few more Mazdas around. It's interesting how Toyotas are heavily available in Tanzania you would think we manufacture those babies. I too am guilty of making Toyotas prominent in TZ because I own one. 

Talking about Honda cars in Zim, they predominantly use Honda Fit as a shared taxi, and boooy are they tiny when 6 to 8 people get in them. I got to experience that first hand. For some reason though, people just don't mind squeezing in for a ride. 

I used to tell my sister how affordable Toyotas are in TZ compared to the US, when she came back, she understood what I meant. She saw every Toyota you could possibly see on this planet in a matter of a week. My African dream safari.