‘I bought this car in Dubai’
Mr Busuulwa
Would you briefly introduce yourself?
I am Charles Lwanga Busuulwa, a school director.
What type of car do you drive?
It is a Toyota Ipsum
When and where did you buy it?
I bought this car from Dubai in 2011 and it cost me more than Shs8m taxes inclusive.
Have you ever had any other type besides this one?
I had a Nissan Terrano (manufactured in 1990) that I bought from a friend. I had it for two years, sold it then got the one I have now.
Why did you choose an Ipsum?
Although people have a belief that an Ipsum consumes a lot, to me it is different. I went in for this specific car because it is very economical in terms of fuel and has a high resale value.
What do you like most about it?
It makes my life easy; it is comfortable and goes to all places no matter the nature of the roads.
Any challenges so far?
The car itself is okay only that the tyres wear so fast given the kind of roads I drive on. Normally, tyres driven on dirt roads wear so fast compared to the ones driven on tarmacked roads.
How many times have you changed your tyres?
I have changed them once but I believe it would have taken some time if I was driving on good roads.
How well do you maintain it?
I believe that a car gives you problems if you don’t maintain it well. A real motorist should be able to listen to his or her car and also know when something is wrong. With me, I normally take my car for regular checks. Maintenance is affordable as long as I do not wait until it breaks down.
The other thing is that the spares are readily available on the Ugandan market and that makes it different from others which require ordering spare parts from abroad. I normally use Shs20,000 to flush the engine and it is done every after three months. I also make sure that I do service on time to avoid problems. Service cost Shs15,000.
The air filter is one of those things that blow out at least on a monthly basis because of the dusty roads. That alone costs Shs5,000.
How is the fuel consumption?
The consumption is quite friendly, I use Shs15,000 from home in Ggangu to town and back.
Have you been to distant places with this car?
I have travelled to Mbale where I used Shs200,000, Masaka, Shs100,000, Fort Portal, Shs220,000, Hoima, Shs250,000 and Luwero, Shs130,000. The costs were okay compared to the distances.
How have you managed to keep it in a good condition?
I make sure that I do various expert consultations whenever I sense a problem and if there is anything wrong I immediately visit the garage for it to be fixed.
Do you wash your car?
I do, because it is fun and it is some kind of exercise. It is on special occasions that I take it to washing bays.
What is your dream car?
My dream car is a Lexus. This car has modern technology.
