My Forester’s spare parts are easy to find

Busisa bought his Forester in 2017 at Shs 22 million

What you need to know:

Although he previously owned a Golf 4, Tom Busisa now takes pride in his Subaru Forester which he bought in 2017. He says one of the reasons he loves the Forester is that its spare parts are easily available, which makes servicing easy as well.

Tom Busisa has always been in love with fast cars. His first car was a Golf 4 before switching to a Subaru Forester SG5 Cross Sport 2004 which he bought at Shs22m in December 2017.
“I love Golfs for several reasons. In terms of stability, it seems to be more stable and this is attributed to the heavier metal contained in the Golf as well as a lower centre of gravity. However, I had trouble with my Golf and opted for a Forester which is equally stable. It also features exceptional breaking capacity and instant pick speed (acceleration in terms of horse power and speed),” Busisa says.
That said, he adds that both cars have great breaking capacity. “Both vehicles have great breaking technology that has been designed to contain acute forces in case of sudden breaking at abnormally high speeds, say above 150km/hour,” he says.

Maintenance
Busisa is greatly pleased with his machine because in the one-and-half years he has used it, he has encountered no problems and only does maintenance based on wear and tear and servicing.
“Servicing costs Shs250,000 and it is done after every 10,000km which happens approximately every three months,” he shares. That is a far cry from the Golf 4 which had several issues from day one and required a lot of repairs before it was deemed road-worthy. However, other owners of Golf cars I talk to have not had as many issues.”

Spare parts
With access to spare parts easier than when he had the Golf, Busisa buys spare parts from the Subaru Centre in Katwe. “These products are genuine and I am certain that I will have no issues with them after a short while,” he says.
He is also impressed with it because it is auto manual with a power enhancement function that doubles velocity and acceleration in an instant and a hold function that doubles the grip capacity on slippery surfaces. With such functionalities, his circle of friends think he made a great pick for a car.

Fuel consumption
However, when it comes to fuel consumption, the Golf was a better contender. “The 1.9 litre engine was more pocket friendly compared to the 2.5 litre engine Forester which consumes Shs80,000 for every 240 kms,” he sighs. It is also not as comfortable as its predecessor, “The Forester is moderately comfortable. And for that, I would go with a Golf any day. They are generally comfortable with luxurious features and extras,” he says.

Engine
However, when he compares engine types, Busisa is comfortable with his Forester saying: “The Subaru Forester engine seems to be more durable for the local conditions. On the other hand, the Golf engine seems to be more delicate meaning owners would have to make frequent visits to the garage. That was my story with my previous car despite its other troubles.”
Another advantage that he finds with the Subaru is higher ground clearance, “The Golf has a lower centre of gravity because it is lower than the Forester in terms of ground clearance. Therefore, it was prone to scratching its base due to our poor state of roads (pot holes). That is unlike the Forester,” he says.

Space
For one that does several upcountry journeys, Busisa is thankful for the space that the Forester offers. “Before, I struggled with the small boot that the Golf had but with the Forester, there is usually more room than I sometimes need. There is also ample leg room and head room.”

Resale value
While the Golf 4s resale value stands at Shs10m, Busisa’s Forester can still fetch him as much as Shs18m, “That is not a far cry from the price I paid for it. With good maintenance, I can surely reap some good money from a resale,” he concludes.