Factors to consider when buying a car in Kenya

If you are looking for a car in Kenya, there are those steps that you should follow. The very first step is to identify and make a list of cars that you will consider buying. To make this list, you will need to consider important factors and features. That is why in this article, we will cover the top features and factors you should consider when buying a car in Kenya, explain what they are and why they are important.

These factors will range from the specifications of the, after purchase conditions, the intended use of the car, personal preference/taste and your capabilities especially financially. The important thing is to make sure you balance everything then look for a car that will fulfill these requirements or be close to the requirements.

List of Factors to consider when buying a car in Kenya

Let us dive into these considerations below.

1. Price of the car

Prices of cars in Kenya vary, there are those that are extremely expensive and others are affordable. To get the right price, first, make a clear budget. This budget should include the purchase price, amount to cover any arising cost during purchase and the after purchase cost. The after purchase cost includes insurance cover, installation of cars accessories such as trackers, fuel cost and maintenance cost.

Even with the different prices, there is something for everyone. Your main aim here should be to ensure you get the value of what you pay for. To achieve this, you will need to understand the various factors that affect the prices of vehicles in Kenya.

Factors affecting prices of cars in kenya

Here are the things that will determine how much you pay for the car.

New or old car- In Kenya, you can buy a brand new zero mileage car, a foreign used one or even a locally used car. The price of brand new car is usually very high and hence, there are not common on Kenyan roads. Foreign used cars are a bit affordable but locally used cars are more affordable. Of course, the condition will decline as you go down.
Make and Model of the car- some car makes are known to be costly than others, this may because they have good features or maybe, the manufacturer reputation is high.
Condition of the car- a car in good condition will cost more, that is why it is always advisable to do a car inspection before continuing whith the deal.
Where you buy the car from- You can import the car, buy from a local dealer or even from local owners. Cars from local owners may be cheaper since they are older models. However, when comparing direct imported cars from those bought from delaers, you will save up to 20% for importaion. This is because imported cars do not have dealer markups.

It is also important to understand that all the other factors discussed below will affect the cost of any vehicle.

2. Reliability

The last thing you want is to buy a car and lose your peace of mind because of regular breakdowns or visits to the garage, not to mention, the amount of money you will lose. To avoid this, you should go for a reliable car. There are cars that are known to be at the top in Kenya when it comes to reliability in Kenya, you can check them over here.

Checking reliability of a car

The easiest way to know how reliable a car is is by searching online for reviews and ratings from those who already own the car and previous owners of the car. There are different online platforms that you can get reviews from, they include forums and car rating sites. A good example is sgcarmart.com.

Cars reliability can also be found on car reviews sites such as this one, we do detailed research about cars and give honest full reviews, just type on the search box and you will get a full review and reliability of the car. There are also other car review sites in Kenya. Another important place to get the reliability of the car is youtube. On a youtube channel such as Carnversation, you will get honest reviews and reliability overview of the car.

Lastly, you can post questions about how reliable a car is on various car forums and social media platforms, especially on car-related Facebook groups. Experts will get back to you. Reputable dealers will also give you a recap of issues you might experience with the car before you make the purchase.

3. Fuel efficiency

Fuel consumption is another major factor to consider especially if you are on a budget. Each car has its own fuel consumption and is mostly given in Km/l. If you are looking for a top fuel-efficient car, you can check a list in the article here.

Most manufacturers have been working to increase fuel efficiency by the use of modern technologies. one common practice is the use of CVT transmission systems that improve the fuel efficiency of cars, although it reduces driving experience. Others have come up with technologies that ensure a better fuel economy such as the Mazda SKYACTV technology or the Volkswagen Bluemotiontechnology.

The best fuel-efficient cars are the Hybrid ones. You should however note that Hybrid batteries are estimated to have a life span of between 128,745km to 160,930km. The mileage of the Hybrid car you buy should hence be way less than this, something like 50,000 km. This is because the replacement of batteries is usually very costly and might make buying a hybrid car worthless.

There is a common misconception that 4WD cars consume way more than 2WD cars, however, the difference is not that big. While it is common for an engine with a bigger capacity to consume more, sometimes, you can get an engine with higher cc consuming less than one with a lower cc, this is however not common.

4. Performance

The performance of the car is mainly determined by the power of the engine. A powerful engine will give better performance and this means a better driving experience. With regard to the use of the vehicle, you might need a very powerful engine.

In most cases, big engines give more power. For example, a higher capacity engine with V6 or V8 cylinders will give a punch of power and Torque. If you are looking for a high-performance engine, the best way is to look at the specifications given by the manufacturer.

With modern technology, however, even small engines are giving high power and torque. It is common to find a 1800cc or 1500cc engine giving higher horsepower than a 2500cc engine. The only problem with this is that the reliability or service life of these small engines is compromised when modified to give crazy power.

The power to weight ratio will also affect the power of the car. This means that cars with similar engine specifications but different bodyweight will have different power ratings.

5. Driving experince

Whether to consider or not to consider the driving experience will depend on whether you are a driving enthusiast or not. There are various factors that affect the driving thrill of a car, the best way to know how good the driving experience is will be to check online and consult with previous owners of the car just like you would when looking for the car’s reliability.

Below are factors that affect the driving experience majorly, it is important to note that these factors are interdependent.

Performance- the better the peformance of the car, the more better the driving experience will be.
Handling- the stability of each car will vary depending on the center of gravity of the car. This in turn affects how the car handles, for exmaple some cars will have a high body roll especially around corners which gives a bad driving experince. Some car brands are known to have good handling, for example, Subaru cars have the boxer engine which increases stability.
Transmission type- in bid to increase fuel efficiency, most cars are coming with CVT transmission, however, this type of transmission gives less driving thrilling compared to the automatic and manual transmission that allow the driver to interact with the vehicle.
Breaks- some breaks can be to sharp while other can be slow or unresponsive, all these affects the driving experience
Tech features- some vehicles come with driver assist features this might increase or lower the driving experience. One of the popular drive assist tech features is the Subaru eyesight.

6. Practicality

The practicality of the car will depend on what you intend to use the car for. If you have a large family of say seven, then a practical car in this case would be a seven-seater, getting a 5 seater wouldn’t fulfill your needs. The same case applies if you are in business, you will need to look for a car that fulfills your intended use.

The boot space is also another feature that determines the practicality of the vehicle. A car with good boot space is always loved by most Kenyans. However, depending on your preference and use of the vehicle, you might not require much boot space.

Some cars are known to be practical in certain areas. For example, Probox is known to be a workhorse that can be abused and still serve you for long. For an online Taxi business such as Uber, compact MPVs such as Vitz, Note and Demio are practical.

Even for the boot space, ceratin class of cars of vehicles are known to have good boot space, for example, most crossover SUVs have a great boot space than Sedans.

7. Comfort

Comfort is an important spec of any car. However, depending on the intended use of the car, you can forego top-notch luxury. For example, a business or cargo ferrying car doesn’t need much of comfort features. However, for a family car, you should consider comfort.

Here are things you can use to gauge how comfortable the car is:

Legroom- for a comfortable ride, the legroom on all rows shouls accomodate atleast medium height adults.
Seats- the seats can be leather, clothe, paddled, with headrests, with leg suports, etc. Despite the features that the car seats have, just make sure that they feel comfortable even for a long journey.
Air conditioning-a car with good air conditioning is a plus
Noise insulation- for a quite cabin, a noise insullated car is better, some cars will even come with noise cancellation features
Tech features- there are tech features that are aimed on improving the comfort in the car, this includes things like heated seats, memory seats, music system, etc.

8. Design

There are different designs in the car market. This includes Stepwagons, Hatchback, SUVs, Crossover SUVs, Sedans and more. The one you go for largely depends on your taste.

The design of the car also consists of other exterior and interior features. Some cars will come with alloy rims which are better than the steel rims. The ground clearance should also be a consideration, especially to the bumps on the Kenyan roads.

Other cool design features that cars come with include fog lights, daytime running lights, sunroof twin exhausts, curvy design, sporty design, aggressive design and more. The ones to go for will depend largely on your taste.

9. Resale value

Resale value might be a thing to consider if you want are under budget and want to resell the car after some time and get another one. This will ensure that you do not dig deep in your pockets to add more cash to get the second car. Some cars are known to have a higher resale value, this is majorly affected by the reliability of the car, the more reliable it is, the better its resale value is.

Conclusion

There are various factors to put into consideration when buying your car in Kenya. Making the right considerations will mean that you will end up with the perfect car that will fill full your needs and taste. As you will note from above, all the considerations will definitely influence the price, the better the car is in each factor the higher the price.