With my pick-up truck, I can never get stuck

What you need to know:

The Nissan Hard Body pick-up truck is a multipurpose car that has stood the test of time. Much as it does not carry many passengers, those who own it love it for its strength and ability to go anywhere even in bad weather conditions, writes Roland D. Nasasira

Charles Mugarura

I have owned my Nissan Hard Body 2008 model pick-up with a D21 3000cc engine size for more than five years. One of the things I like about it is its durability and performance on and off-road. It is one pick-up I can comfortably drive up the hill, on a marrum road with ease even when I am carrying heavy cargo. I am never worried of getting stuck as long as I engage the right gears. It has the capacity to carry up to one tonne.

I like the fact that it is also a multipurpose car. Besides being a field car, I can comfortably drive it to office and also use it as a luxurious car.

I can get genuine spare parts at Nissan Motorcare or downtown Kisekka Market. However, for durability, every motorist is advised to carry out timely service as recommended by the manufacturer. In my case, full service costs me a minimum of Shs300,000. The most expensive spare part I have had to replace was the engine oil seal which cost me Shs480,000.

The number of times I service my car is determined by how often I reach the recommended service mileage.

When it comes to fuel consumption, in places with high traffic, the Nissan Hard Body will give you seven kilometres using one litre of fuel and approximately 10 to 11 kilometres on the highway.

The one downside I have noticed about this car is that its service is costly compared to other cars I have had a chance to own. 

Andrew Baguma

I have driven the Nissan Hard Body single cabin pick-up for three years and it is a car of all seasons. I do not only drive it to office but it also serves as a garden tool. I also usually lend it to friends and family as a service van. It is a workhorse that even when it runs the whole day, it rarely breaks down, save in cases of poor maintenance.

My car runs on a 2500cc engine, with the capacity to give me approximately 10 to 15km on one litre of fuel on the highway. Because it is more of a field car, its service and maintenance is something I am cautious about. For instance, when it starts making unusual sounds, say from the engine, I drive to the garage to have my mechanic inspect it and repair or replace what needs to be repaired. On average, it costs approximately Shs350,000 for major service. This will cater for new engine oil, brake pads, gearbox oil and other key oils, lubricants and parts.

When I use it for town rounds, I spend between Shs200,000 to Shs250,000 on fuel in a month, from Kkungu in Wakiso District where I live to Kampala city centre (a distance of about 24.9km) for work. However, when I am to drive to the field, I use a lot more money on fuel, depending on the distance I am covering.

Micheal Opio

I am a field supervisor with one of the government parastatals and my work is to travel across the country. This is where my Nissan Hard Body 2007 D22 model comes in handy. It has lots of storage pockets, from the roof, to the door sides or pockets and the dashboard area on the co-driver’s side.

It is one of the pick-ups with the best ground clearance and this enables me manoeuvre through any road terrain with ease. Even if it is a road with deep gullies or potholes, a Nissan Hard Body will be driven through with ease depending on the driver experience to engage different gears. It runs on a manual transmission and this makes every road trip worth waiting for because it is engaging.

I like my car because I can easily clean it myself, which saves me the money I would have paid at the washing bay. For service and maintenance, I need approximately Shs300,000 to replace or fix the most crucial parts such as air cleaners, oil filters and spark plugs, among others.

I also love the fact that my Hard Body has a strong and durable body to withstand any kind of situation or load. I was once knocked by a motorist driving a Toyota Isis from the rear and when I parked by the roadside to check the extent of damage, the other motorist’s car had been severely damaged and mine remained intact.

It is a strong car and one I do not regret purchasing.

Background. Known by many names, this major Asian conglomerate has been making cars since 1914. Today, Nissan is the third largest automaker in Japan. The Nissan Motor Company took over the Datsun company in 1933 and in 1934 it would take on the name we all know today.