These women are not afraid of ‘heights’

It’s comfortable for my legs - Betty Omoding

This is my seventh car and I bought it in the middle of last year at Shs60m. I love my car because it is raised high and gives me commanding power on the road. While driving, when some men and most taxi drivers see that it is a woman driving, they usually want to bully her and squeeze through.
In my raised car, I just look at them and we are at the same level so they respect me. I also love the smoothness on the road; I don’t feel the bumps when driving. My Prado makes me feel superior when driving and has good
aeration unlike in a small low car where there is a lot of heat.
The car is comfortable especially for the legs; I can stretch my legs all I want. The comfortable seats, air condition and space are my favourite aspects of the car.
When driving, I operate in comfortable space. A Prado’s main problem is its high fuel consumption.
A full tank takes me for two weeks and costs Shs280,000. I service it once every two to three months. My dream car is a BMW X6 and I must drive that car.

I love the Surf’s height, says Faith Asiimwe

I love the Toyota Hilux Surf because it is a high car. My favourite part of the car is the interior. It has a good radio system and comfortable seats. I also use it to discipline some Boda boda riders who are too impatient to make way for other drivers.
I love its hard body because in case of a minor accident, it does not get serious damage. I have no idea how much it was because my husband bought it for me but I can estimate that it was about Shs30m. It is my third car.
I used to drive low cars before and I experienced problems with them especially on rainy days.
The roads were so slippery that it would take me hours on the road and that is why I got a big car, which can manage the bad roads in Uganda.
When some people see me in a big car, they assume that I am wealthy because it consumes a lot of fuel yet this not always the case for people who drive big cars. On the other hand, some people who belong to another class consider Hilux Surf a cheap car.

Servicing it
It does not get many mechanical problems so the only maintenance required is servicing and fueling.
Servicing it depends on how long I drive it. I service it every after driving 3,000km.
For example if I service it today and drove it to the village and back, I would definitely have to re-service it after the journey. It has a 3.0cc engine and the challenging thing about it is its high fuel consumption.
A full tank costs Shs250,000 and lasts me six days if I drive from home to town. My dream car is a Land Cruiser V8. It is a stronger and more stable car on the road than the Surf.

I like its height- Musanyufu

A Toyota Prado is a comfortable car that even if I drove from Kampala to Mbarara, I would feel like I have just driven from Kampala to Mukono. Its height gives a comfortable feel. It is my eighth car. I bought it in 2010 at Shs89m. I am in love with its interior especially with the seats which are high enough for me to stretch my legs and not complain of back aches after driving. I also love the fact that it came along with a radio, speakers and TV in good condition. I service it every after driving 3,000km. The only special thing I have probably done for it is to insure it comprehensively. I chose this car because it is a four-wheel drive and since I often travel upcountry it is a suitable car for the bad roads. I also like it because it is a family car and all the kids can fit in it.
So far I do not have any problem with it except that the spare parts are very costly. For example one tyre costs about Shs1.5m so if I wanted to replace all four tyres; I would spend Shs6m. I have driven all types, of cars and this is my dream car. Even if God took me today, I am contented with where I am and would not complain. Lastly it is a prestigious car that makes me feel like the responsible person I am.

Other drivers respect me - Margaret Madada

This is my second car and I have driven it for the past three years. I personally think the person at the bond was desperate and sold it to us at Shs32m. I drive this car like I would drive any other though I love its spacious interior and the big boot. When I go upcountry, I can put all I need in the big boot. Secondly, I wake up early to drop off my daughter at school by 6:30am and its good lights come in handy for me to see potholes at that time of the morning. Considering that I have not yet learnt how to operate an automatic car, I like that this Surf is a manual car.
In addition, I appreciate the fact that this Surf uses petrol and not diesel because its engine does not heat up quickly every time I try to speed up. If one wants to manage the bad roads in Kampala and comfortably go upcountry, he or she must have a big car. The number one limitation of this car is its high fuel consumption. A full tank which would last for a week, if all I did was to drop off and pick up my daughter from school, costs Shs250,000. The Surf’s big size can also be a disadvantage; I cannot easily squeeze through congested roads like someone with a small car would. I am yet to decide on what my dream car is but this isn’t it though I generally like raised cars. In my opinion, one does not need height or a specific personality to drive a big car. I just drive a car in which I am comfortable.

Of road ‘politics’
Yet still, there is a lot of politics on Ugandan roads; the bus driver wants to bully the taxi driver, the taxi driver bullies the lady driving a small car, the lady with the small car bullies a boda boda man and the boda boda man bullies the pedestrian. However, in a high car like the Surf, other drivers respect you which is not the case when in a small car where everyone wants to ram into you. When I finally put a bull bar on the Surf, I will not worry about being rammed into.