Toyota Wish is fuel-efficient and spacious

Sasha Ferguson, a motorist and young businesswoman who has owned her Toyota Wish 2005 model since October 2018 says she loves it because it does not consume a lot of fuel, which is attributed to its 1800cc engine. She bought her grey Wish at Shs24m.
Ferguson also loves the Wish, station wagon in nature, not only because it is quite spacious but because it has a black interior, from the dashboard and trunk to the seats, which does not get dirty easily. Even then, when it gets dirty, it is easy to clean.
Besides the black interior, Ferguson had her dashboard cover and carpets customised in pink and embroidered with her name. Pink, she says, was to add beauty to the car interior.

Performance
“If you are looking for a sport or fast car, I would not recommend a Toyota Wish because it is not fast. When you accelerate, it takes time to pick speed. When it eventually fires up, it is averagely fast. I am not a speed buff and all I am interested in is getting from point A to B,” Ferguson says.

Servicing
Much as Ferguson’s service schedule indicates that her Wish is supposed to be serviced every three months, she says she services it after four months at approximately Shs120,000. This involves replacing car parts such as the oil filter, engine oil, blowing or replacing the air cleaner, and replacing the brake pads, among other parts. “A wish is relatively cheap to buy and maintain. It is not a car that you will park at home because you cannot find a particular spare part or that you have to import one. Its spare parts are easily sourced on the local market,” Ferguson says.

Road performance
When driving on a murram road, Ferguson says the Wish tends to be shaky compared to when she’s driving on tarmacked roads. The shaking, she adds, creates driving discomfort, especially if she is driving for a long distance.
“If the shaking intensifies, have your mechanic inspect your engine mounting. If not, you might end up selling or abandoning the car yet the problem can be rectified,” Ferguson advises.

Advice
Like most second hand cars sold in local bonds, Ferguson observes that the battery her Wish came with was not strong. She had to replace it within the first five months of driving the car because it could not hold and keep enough battery power to support car accessories such as the radio.
“When you buy a used one, consider replacing the battery and tyres since you are not sure how long the previous owner used them for,” Ferguson says.

Downside
Fred Kabogoza, a car dealer in Rubaga, says a number of Toyota Wish cars generally have low ground clearance, unlike similar station wagon, the Toyota Fielder that’s of the same make and shape.
This perhaps, explains why Ferguson had to get new stronger shock absorbers and tyres to give her car a somewhat raised clearance to save her the burden of her car touching and rubbing against high road humps and bumps.
Kabogoza, again, agrees with Ferguson that a Wish is a beautiful car but that it has a weak body, not as durable and strong. “Its body can easily get damaged by minor knocks. You should, therefore, drive it with a lot of caution,” Kabogoza advises, adding that when you acquire one, put front and rear bull bars or guards.

Specifications
A seven-seater, five door and 1,380kilogramme car, the Toyota Wish hit the market in 2003. Much as it is saloon in nature, its extreme rear seats and those in the middle can be adjusted or bent to create more space in the car to allow you carry more luggage. This explains why it is mostly used as a commercial car. It comes manufactured with either 1800cc or 2000cc engine sizes and is available in a number of colours such as black, grey and white, among others.