CARS & GADGETS: The Toyota Spacio, women’s new love

Women say they prefer a car that is cute, has good visibility and is not a chore to drive. Many like to sit higher and most rightly insist on plenty of storage space, reasonable prices and low running costs. Space for growing families is essential in many cases and safety is more or less a standard factor. The Toyota Rav 4 was the ladies’ car and still is but honestly, it has lost its charm.

Enter the Ipsum and Starlet. One of the first comments about the former is, “that car is too common” and less often, “it is too big”. For most men, big is always better but to women, not so much. But then again, the Starlet is excellent for younger female drivers but does not go down well with many because it is small.

The Spacio marks the sweet spot between the relatively long and big Ipsum and the much smaller Starlet. The most common in Uganda are the first generation, which ran from 1997 to 2000. Simple logic makes the Toyota Spacio about the best buy for most budgets and more often, the female buyer.

On the road, the Spacio is nimble and tempts you to do things you really should not, like staring too much at the digital speedometer, at least with the one I test-drove. Replacing its standard tyre sport rims shall substantially improve its looks. One area where the Spacio is clearly ahead is in the ease and comfort of driving for the price.

It is quiet inside. Not much engine noise comes through, like from bumps on rough roads; it is much muted. There is wind noise at higher speeds but on the whole, it feels very quiet. The ride is a pleasant cross between the Ipsum and Starlet, which means you shall manoeuvre it easily and enjoy lots of interior space. The interior lighting is so good that one lady remarked it is what she liked most about the car. Everything else is really usual Toyota for any car in the Spacio’s category.

Under the hood, you shall find a fuel-efficient engine that is 1.6 or 1.8L. In these days of skyrocketing fuel prices, it is only coherent that you consider it. However, the trade-off is you get a weak engine, weak in the sense that if you carry heavy loads, you might overwork it. Nevertheless, the chic look of the car tells you outright not to pack your matooke and potato sacks. Furthermore, its spare parts might be a bit more expensive than the Ipsum or Starlet. However, the Toyota badge tells you they are very accessible.

My experience with this car gave me the impression that it is not really hard working, but its ladylike characteristics make it excellent for many female drivers. The Spacio is cheap, chic and fuel consumption is first-rate.