Where to buy your car in Kenya | Which is the best
The process of buying a car in Kenya involves one to pick where to buy one from. There are different places that you can get your car from. Depending on your preference and other factors, you will have to choose the best. In this article, we will look at different places you can buy your car and factors to consider so that you can pick the best.
There are different factors that determine where one gets their vehicle which we will look at later. However, it is worth mentioning that a new car, used abroad cars and locally used cars might be from different places.
Where to buy your in Kenya
Let’s get into it, below is a list of places that one can buy their car from.
Also, see step by step guide of buying a car in Kenya.
1. Import your car to Kenya
This option is available for both new and secondhand cars. In fact, the biggest percentage of cars on the Kenyan roads were at some point secondhand cars imported from abroad. You can only import a car that is seven years and below to Kenya, which means if we are in 2022, you can import 2015 models onwards. Most of the secondhand cars imported to Kenya are from Japan, other popular countries are the UK, Australia, Singapore and Germany.
The reason why new car imports aen’t much popular is that they come at a high price which is not affordable to most Kenyans. That means that most imported cars that are referred to as “new” are secondhand since there have been used abroad. A new car should have almost zero mileage(the few mileage distances is for the test).
For imported cars, you have two options, you can import one by yourself or do it through an imports agent or a dealer. Doing it through an experienced person/third party will save you the headache of having to go through the whole process. We advise you to check a full step-by-step guide on importing your car over here.
2. From car dealers in Kenya
Whether you want a new car, a secondhand from abroad or a locally used one, you will definitely get a dealer for that. Just like we mentioned above, some dealers will import cars and sell them. One misconception among Kenyans is that the cars from dealers are new, however, in most cases, there are usually secondhand from Japan.
There are also those dealers who help local owners sell their cars or buy cars from the owners in Kenya and resell them. For new cars, the dealers will import from the manufacturer or buy locally assembled cars and resell them.
3. From the manufacturers in Kenya
There are various international manufacturers who have car assembly points in Kenya. Most of the manufacturers do not offer secondhand cars, instead, they offer brand new vehicles. The prices of these vehicles are usually high but worth it since the car will serve you for long/a number of years without problems.
There are also Mafactuere based in Kenya such as Mobius and you can buy directly from them.
4. From local owners
The last option is for someone looking for a secondhand car and at a lower budget. There are hundreds of cars on sale by local owners. These cars do not have a limitation of the year of manufacturer. You can find some from the 90s, a few of the latest models and the most common ones being from 2005 up to 2013.
How to find the sellers
We have seen the major places that you can get your car from, the next question is how do I connect with these sellers. Here is a list of ways that you can get to the sellers:
- Online- this is perhaps the easiest method, you should however never transact online only unless there is no other way of transacting(in the case of importing). Online places you can find sellers include websites/apps such as Jiji and social media platforms. Here, you can meet importers, dealers and even car owners.
- Shows rooms/offices- in the case of buying from dealers or the manufacturer, you can visit their offices and showrooms.
- On the physical car marketplace- there are some offline places where you can meet car sellers. One such popular place is the Jamhuri car bazaar that happens every Sunday in Jamhuri grounds Nairobi.
Which is the best place to buy your car in Kenya
As there are a number of places that you can buy your car from, you will have to pick the place that suits you best. There are different factors that will determine which place is best, let’s see them below so that you can pick the best place to buy yours.
Factors to consider
Here are the things to consider when picking the best place and what is best for each factor.
1. Save some cash, better condition car, wait longer, higher risk
If you are looking to save some money, the best place to get your car is through direct importation. The estimated amount you are going to save is up to 20% when compared to buying from local dealers. This is because dealers will have markup costs such as profits, salaries, car wash, etc.
Imported cars are also likely to be in better conditions since there are from developed countries that have strict regulations on the roadworthiness of a car and are driven on better roads. The cars are not older than seven years too and you have the option of importing more recent models.
The downside of importing a car is that there is a higher risk of losing cash since you make the purchase and transact online. Also, you will not get the car immediately, you will have to wait for the car to be shipped, on a normal global shipping timeline, the car can take up to two months to arrive.
You can also decide to save more by importing the car by yourself. If you want to reduce the risk however, you can use an importing agent or an importing dealer.
2. Buy and drive but at a slightly higher cost
This option is for anyone who doesn’t want to wait for long. All they need to do is visit a dealer and get the car of their choice, make the payment and go home with the car. As we mentioned above, the are dealer cost markups that slightly increase the cost of the car. If the dealer is trustworthy, there are high chances the car will be in a good condition.
3. Buy and drive good condition not guaranteed
In this last case, you will get the car at a very affordable price, this is when you are buying a locally used car. The downside of it is that you might find a seller who is selling the car for having problems. Also, older cars such as 2005 models are more likely to have problems compared to new models.
When going for this option, make sure that you do due diligence including inspecting the vehicle and verifying the documentation plus ownership by the seller.
Above is a look at places you can get your car in Kenya and the best with regard to your budget and preference. Cheers!!