It is the Cross Sport or nothing at all

Call it a craze but for Ashraf Kyazze, a social worker, owning a Subaru Forester is a prerequisite for a happy life. He has had his for two and a half years. At Shs30m, Kyazze bought his 2006 Cross Sport, which he says has excellent visibility and commendable fuel economy, only using Shs120,000 per week. It also has simple controls, predictable even at high speeds, is a comfortable ride, and has responsive handling.

“Additionally, it is stable on the road, gives me good speed, and is good at modifying/adding power. While the odometer reads 180km/hr, mine has been adjusted to 210km/hr. When it hits top speed, I feel like a magician and feel in control. Honestly, words cannot appropriately explain the beautiful feeling,” he says.

Specs

Generally, this model is an all-wheel-drive with two engine choices but Kyazze chose the turbo engine, which affords him a horsepower of 220hp and torque of 309nms. However, at maximum revving, the torque goes all up to 3,500. So, even though it does not have a V6 engine, it affords him a lot of power with a five-speed manual transmission.

Safety

The five-door, 2.5 litre engine ride has safety features such as active head restraints and side-impact airbags thus safe even at high speeds. Kyazze says his ‘crocodile’, as his friends nicknamed it, is the loudest in Kampala and you can hear it 300m away.

“It roars and the fact that it is a Cross Sport, you will definitely have to give it a second look as you pass by it in a parking yard or as it speeds past you,” he says.

Interior

The seating is comfortable with adequate room for most adults. The only drawback are the rear seats which lack ample legroom. These also eat into the cargo room. That said, Kyazze is not into carrying cargo or using the rear seats but enjoying the comforts of his ride. 

Maintenance

Kyazze loves his ride so much that he takes time on a weekly basis to take it for a wash at Shs50,000. Maintenance costs him an average of Shs500,000 while service costs Shs250,000.

Spare parts

He buys his spare parts from Walts Auto in Nakawa, Cooper Motors or Walts Auto Kireka in Kireka, Kampala.

“The prices vary from part to part. One part could be as low as Shs360,000 or as high as Shs1m. This is why I do my best to avoid accidents. That way, I only have to cater to maintenance rather than part replacement,” he says.

Additions

So far, Kyazze has added the TDO5 Turbocharger to increase his ride’s power. He would also like to add other parts including:

A front mount intercooler to keep the engine as cool as possible, even during hot weather.

“It is also an efficient way of cooling the car down because air can reach all three dimensions without losing too much energy in the process,” he says.

A top mount intercooler which is more efficient with airflow since it is the shorter path from the turbochargers to intake.

“You get air quicker and sooner, hence giving the car power to fly low,” he explains.

A cooling system that will remove excess heat from the engine. It also maintains the engine operating temperature so it works more efficiently while also bringing the engine up to the right operating temperature as quickly as possible.

Type2 spoiler to break up the airflow from the back of the car to reduce drag. However, it is now mostly done for looks as it is an optional accessory just like the front bumper lip. Coupled with offset rims, he believes that the final product will be more beautiful and faster.

Alternative car

Really drawn by the fact that his car has the loudest anti-lags among Subaru Foresters and the nickname his friends coined for his ride, Kyazze does not think there is a better car than his Cross Sport.  He says it is an easy to modify, fast all-wheel-drive, and has a beautiful design.

Specifications

Model -TA-SG5

Dimension - 4455×1735×1550mm

Wheelbase - 2525mm

Tread front/rear - 1505/1500mm

Dimension(Interior) - 1795×1455×1245mm

Weight - 1460kg

Body Type - SUV

Doors - 5

Riding Capacity - 5