To buy or not to buy a luxury car

Why would one choose to buy a luxury car over any other? In Uganda, the reasons are various but a bit distorted. But let us first define what a luxury car is, generically.
It is the physical manifestation of the hard work you have put in at the office or the smart investments you have made over time.
In other words, it is your way of saying to the world and yourself, “I have arrived”.

Luxury cars are beautifully designed and have a variety of touché add on including speed, comfort and high performance.
They are sleek and have highly powered engines that dwarf other cars. They are a perfect description of appreciation and respect.
You will also find some of the best car gadgetry, including adjustable pedals, heated and cooled seats, side-curtain airbags, headrests, tyre pressure warning systems, several passive safety features and self-levelling suspension systems.

Sofia Namara owns an Audi Q7 and it turns heads every time it rolls down from the hills of Muyenga through Kabalagala down to Kampala City.
It has a curved outer lining, wide headlamps and a fine transparent windscreen build that allows you to see the creamy inside lining.
“It [Audi Q7] is a safe and comfortable car with a high performance rate,” says Moses Kiryowa, a specialised Range Rover mechanic, in Nsambya.

Such cars, including the Range Rover, (some models of) Mercedes and BMW, he says, are highly comfortable and are enhanced with a luxurious display.
In Uganda, many luxury cars are imports from Europe with a few brands from Japan showing signs of getting into completion.
Many of these are German-made or supplied by associated franchises spread across the world.

Why luxury cars rule markets
According to Mike Kato, a car dealer in Naguru, Kampala, reason for the preference of luxury cars range from personal bias to performance and comfort but beyond are a series of other reasons.

Attention
This will mostly be appreciated luxury car owners. However, according to Alex Kyeyune, a car dealer in Nakulabye, Kampala, even those that have not had an opportunity to own one know how much attention a luxury car can attract.
“When a Range Rover Sport drives by, be sure it will attract enough attention from pedestrians and motorists alike. There is something about luxury cars that pulls attention,” he says.

Love for speed and comfort
Almost all luxury cars have a high performance rate compared to ordinary cars.
Many people never get to know the versatility of different cars until they sit behind the wheels of a luxury car.
“They [luxury cars] are the ultimate dream of better performance and have a relatively high work rate,” Moses Kiryowa, a specialised Range Rover mechanic in Nsambya, Kampala, says.

Status symbol
It might be far-fetched, but there is so much status that comes with driving or owning a luxury car.
Owning a high class Audi, Mercedes or Range Rover brings a certain degree of social elevation that comes with power and respect.
This, according to Kyeyune, might be superficial but owners of luxury cars are held in high esteem and will always enlist praises even from people, who know nothing about them.

Quality
Luxury cars, have a relatively long lifespan as compared to the ordinary cars.
A luxury car, Kiryowa says, if well maintained can be driven for more than 20 years.
This, he adds, places them in the lead and will always be the best preferred choice.

Why a luxury car might be a turnoff

Low resale value
Every time you buy a luxury car be mindful of the immediate depreciation in value once it gets onto the road.
“A luxury car, unlike ordinary ones, can lose more than 60 per cent of its value in less than two months,” says Mike Kato, a car dealer in Naguru, Kampala.

This, he says, affects short-term owners and even at a low market price, it is always hard to get a buyer because of associated expenses.
High maintenance
The delicate nature of luxury vehicles, make them expensive and a bit unaffordable to ordinary motorists.

Luxury vehicles are highly powerful, therefore, they have a high rate of fuel consumption and maintenance.
Beyond this, they are high tech and any distortion has a variable impact on other parts of the car because they are usually inter-connected.
However, notwithstanding their shortcomings, luxury cars have high safety features and a good performance rate that makes driving an experience like no other.

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