Noah: Comfortable, reliable family car
What you need to know:
For features such as fuel economy, user-friendliness and a being a multipurpose car, the Toyota Noah is loved by many motorists as a family vehicle, writes Roland D. Nasasira
Alfred Tumwebaze
I have owned my Toyota Noah 2014 model for 18 months. It was an upgrade of the 2007 model that I had driven for six years. I preferred the Noah because it does not only provide ample interior space, it also has the capacity to be used as a multipurpose vehicle. The 2014 model has better performance and interior features compared to the 2007 model, especially since its middle passenger seats can be turned to face the rear to create room for conversations with passengers at the rear.
When there is luggage to carry while travelling for long distances, I bend the rear seats to create more space. Parked under a shade, the car can also be used to hold meetings of approximately six people. While travelling, it can accommodate up to eight passengers, including the driver.
On the highway, at higher speeds, it covers approximately 15km per litre of fuel with its 1800cc engine. The interesting feature is that the newer models are hybrid. At certain speeds, it switches from fuel to electric mode where it gives me a quieter driving experience. When driving in urban traffic, it only uses fuel because the electric mode cannot be activated automatically at slow speeds.
One of the downsides of my car is that it has low ground clearance, making it difficult to drive on rough marrum roads. To overcome this, I raised mine using high profile tyres against low profile rims. I had an alternative of using a heavy duty suspension system but I zeroed down to high profile tyres.
Grace Nimusiima
One of the features I like about the Toyota Noah is that it is a user-friendly car. During school time, I use it to drop and pick children from school. From my home in Kira to their school in Kamwokya, Kampala, on a weekly basis, I spend between Shs200,000 and Shs250,000, depending on the intensity of traffic jam.
When fuel prices were still low, I would spend roughly Shs180,000 per week. It is quite economical given the fact that sometimes, traffic jam is unpredictable.
Apart from running school errands, I am also a service provider at functions such as weddings. I sometimes travel as far as Mbarara District in western Uganda to transport fragile items such as cakes and in such circumstances, my Noah comes in handy. The Noah has soft cushions that not only hold fragile items in one position but also increase a passenger’s comfort.
It also has enough legroom for the driver and co-driver. The passengers will also be comfortable over long distances because their knees will not touch the back side of the front seats.
One of the downsides of the Noah is that when you reach the 100km/r mark, it loses stability and tends to vibrate when you accelerate harder even when it has no mechanical fault.
Edward Kawalya
I have driven a number of Toyota brand vans but the one I like most is the Noah. When I compare it with the Alphard with which they are in the same classification, I would still choose the Noah because it serves the same purpose as the Alphard. The difference is in the engine capacities and the size but a Noah is more user-friendly compared to the Alphard. One of the advantages the Alphard has over the Noah is that it is more luxurious. When it comes to performance aspects, the Noah performs better than the Alphard off-road. It can manoeuvre smoothly using its 4WD drive feature but also easily driven in small spaces where the Alphard cannot.
I mostly drive my Noah for town rounds, which minimises damages. On average, I visit the garage for minor service once in four months and I spend approximately Shs200,000 on engine oil, brake pads, coolant, transmission fluid and spark plugs. When I am to do major service that involves replacing the fuel filter, oil filter, air cleaners, wheel balancing and alignment, it increases to Shs400,000.
The longevity of the Noah on the road is dependent on your driving style and the care you give it. If you do not have the discipline to visit the garage when you cover the recommended 5,000km from the service manual, there are high risks of exposing the car to more damage.
Specifications
Maximum power - 140 - 158ps
Fuel type - Petrol
Drive type - AWD/FF
Engine capacity - 1,986 - 1,998cc
Number of seats - 5 - 8
