Considerations before buying a car

Before buying a car, you need to consider the number of people who will occupy it, its engine size and mileage, among other things. PHOTOS BY ABUBAKER LUBOWA

What you need to know:

Besides knowing the type of car you want to buy and its price, there are a number of things you need to consider before paying for it.

Boarding a taxi daily, hitching a lift from a friend or getting on a motor bike can at times be a hurdle we all want to let go of many times. I believe that it is for such reasons that we have people either going online or physically in car bond to buy cars. But the challenge is that for some people, when they go car shopping, they are ignorant about what they should look out for before paying for their dream car.

Mileage and year of make

Agatha Muhaise, the assistant operations manager, Be Forward Uganda, says some of the considerations to make before buying a car is the mileage.
“The mileage refers to the distance the car has travelled ever since it was made. Thus, the longer the mileage, the weaker the engine gets.”
She advises that you consider a car with a low mileage. One that has at least 4,000km mileage has travelled for a shorter distance and therefore has a stronger engine and is in a good working condition.

Year of make
She adds that the year of make is an important consideration. “In Uganda, Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) charges 20 per cent environmental fees on cars that were made in years before 2006 because of their environmental hazards.
Meanwhile, cars made in 2007 and above, pay lesser taxes. Therefore, you might put into consideration the year of make because you might end up spending more on taxes than you can afford, especially if you are importing the car.
“The make of the vehicle is an important point to consider although this is largely dependent on the budget you have. You need to know how much money you have as this will guide you on what make of vehicle you will prefer,” Dogo Singh, the marketing manager, UAP Insurance, adds.

Engine size

Another consideration is the car’s engine consumption (cc), according to one’s budget. Muhaise explains that you need to choose a car with a lower cc (the lowest consumption can be 1.0cc) that is affordable but also consider the kind of fuel it consumes.
Yoanne Kasule, a private car importer, advises that if you intend to use your car mostly in town, “you are better off buying one that is between 1.2 and 1.5 CCs because anything above that or 1.8 is considered to be a fuel guzzler.”

Where you buy it from

Paul Kaganzi, a mechanic with Duke Car Technology, recommends that you weigh the options on where you are getting the car from; is it from a car bond, a showroom, the Internet or from a friend or brokers.
He says these options are critical because some options might not be safe. Kaganzi advises,
“Look at the options and settle for the safest and follow the right procedures. You might go to the bond because there is no middle man or online because it is a better deal but regardless of the option, or due to a limited budget, one buys a car that has been used on Ugandan roads.
“These are usually referred to as third-hand cars and with each hand, there are more challenges, especially the car that has passed through many hands. If the car is not brand new, consider the condition of the used car you are buying because a used car to some extent is someone else’s problem. The problems vary. It can be the colour of the car or its age or a technical fault and the owner decides to sell it off.”
Amidst all these, Kaganzi suggests, “it is important to determine the extent to which the car was a problem to the previous owner in terms of its technical state but also determine whether it has an accident history as this makes it less safe. You need to identify the history, especially its repair and service history. If it’s from Japan, try getting an interpreter to read its manual for you so that you know the car’s history. If possible, get a mechanic or a technical person to go with you and they check the car.”

Your needs
Paul Kaganzi, a mechanic with Duke Car Technology, highlights that you should consider your needs before buying a car.
“Establish your need and use for the car and where you are going to drive it from and how many passengers or luggage you want to carry because this will help determine what kind to buy,” Kaganzi explains.
Shah Safbain, the general manager, Cosmos Uganda Limited, adds that you need to consider where you are going to drive the car from before buying it. Before buying any car you should be very clear about your priorities regarding the car forexample the size of your family and the seating capacity of the car.
While this might seem like a luxury, Singh says for a car owner, the type of insurance is determined by the purpose of the vehicle and he recommends the that immediately you get the car, put a comprehensive insurance motor cover. Yoanne Kasule, a private car importer, explains that when he bought his Ford Ranger, he put it on comprehensive insurance and at some point, it came in handy.
“I was driving on Entebbe road and knocked a boda boda cyclist. The accident was really bad but the man did not die. Luckily, I did not spend any coin because the insurance company covered every thing from treating and repairing the motorcyle to repaiting my car.”

Ground clearance and maintenance

The specifications of the vehicle will help you determine whether the car is a Four or Two wheel drive. Additionally, you will be able to determine its ground clearance (height from the ground).
Muhaise says since our roads are not in good condition, it is advisable that you buy a car that has a good ground clearance.

Maintenance costs
She adds that the car you buy should be easy to maintain as this will also enable you to get easy access to the spare parts

of the vehicle locally in case a part needs to be repaired.
“An Audi may be costly to maintain because should the car break down, to replace any part, you can either go to its dealers or order the parts online,” Singh elaborates.