Press Center | Freight Shipping Logistics News
Dec 3, 2013
General
netfied
Hi Baraza,
In the past two weeks, I have driven down to Nakuru three times, every time using a different car, namely a 2003 Toyota Kluger, a 2007 Toyota Premio, and a 1991 Mercedes Benz 190E.
In the past two weeks, I have driven down to Nakuru three times, every time using a different car, namely a 2003 Toyota Kluger, a 2007 Toyota Premio, and a 1991 Mercedes Benz 190E.
Hi Baraza,
In the past two weeks, I have driven down to Nakuru three times, every time using a different car, namely a 2003 Toyota Kluger, a 2007 Toyota Premio, and a 1991 Mercedes Benz 190E.
By quite a distance, the 190E was the most comfortable and most stable. Older Volvos and Mercedes’ seem way more reliable than modern-day equivalents and also better cars than, say, a 2007 Premio. Do you agree with the saying that the golden age of motoring was the ’80s and early ’90s?
Pete.
It depends on one’s perspective. But in a way, yes, the ’80s and early ’90s were some of the best years in motoring.
This was the era when Formula 1 cars were turbocharged and did close to 1,500hp with few yawn-inducing rules and regulations to try and “balance the field” and ensure “close racing”.
This was the era of Group B in rallying, undeniably the most spectacular aspect of the sport.
Unfortunately, it is also the one with the highest rate of fatalities for both drivers and spectators.
The innovations of this time led to the current turbo 4WD cars on our roads.
This was the same era when the 200mph (322 km/h) mark was crossed by a production car — the Porsche 959 — also the shortest-lived fastest production car record ever.
The Porsche was unseated by the Ferrari F40 within a few short months by a mere 1mph (1.6 km/h). You do not get excitement like this nowadays.
The marvel was not limited to the rarefied atmosphere of race cars and limited-production, horribly expensive supercars.
This was also the era of the over-engineered Mercedes: Cars like the Addams Family dragster (the extra-long and extra-menacing W126), the Berlin Taxi (the ubiquitous W124) and what Top Gear and/or racer Martin Brundle called “the slowest sports sedan ever made”, the 190E.
These are cars that cannot and will not break, so they will last forever.
Their popularity and desirability are about to peak, so getting one now would be paramount for a collector before clean examples run out of stock.
The ’80s also saw the swan song of many small rear-drive Japanese saloon cars (Toyota Corolla, Nissan Bluebird, etc) with many of these going for an FF format, and thus becoming boring white goods for faceless, entry-level employees.
This was also the last time engineers had “free reign” to create a car exactly the way they wanted it.
From the ’90s onwards, things like emissions control and safety standards have steadfastly turned cars into heavy, ugly, self-driving, aluminium-and-plastic, lawsuit-perpetrating, smugness-generating cocoons in which people hide from the outside world while tapping away at heavy, ugly, think-for-you, plastic-and-glass, smugness-generating electronic devices while their cars’ electronic brains do their damnedest to overcome the nearly-fatal incompetence of the idiot behind the wheel through a variety of driver aids and a veritable battery of sensors and chips.
Gosh! The ’80s and early ’90s saw the last of the real driver’s cars!
Hi Baraza,
I currently own a 2013 Audi Q5 which I use here in the UK and plan to ship to Kenya next year when I relocate.
I have read an article regarding the DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter) and have come to the conclusion that I will need to remove this and reprogramme the ECU before I send the vehicle to Kenya.
There are a lot of companies here in the UK that offer DPF removal (physically remove the DPF, add in a stainless steel pipe to connect the exhaust and reprogramme the ECU properly).
My question is, once I arrive in Kenya with the car and I need the ECU reprogrammed or anything else, is there anyone able to repair or update the ECU?
How much do they charge, approximately? Also, the car has something called Adblue. Is this available in Kenya? Any help would be great.
Pinal.
Hello Pinal,
ECU reprogramming is available now from a variety of individuals here in Kenya.
What they charge is entirely up to them; their rates vary so it is not easy to get a ballpark figure.
Adblue may not be readily available in Kenya, but that does not mean you cannot get it. A lot of people nowadays do to-order imports of spares and consummables rather than bulk importation and praying for a ready market.
What they do is take orders from different people until they have enough to fill a container, after which they go in search of the materials to import.
This would make more sense rather than importing a whole container of Adblue and discovering that only one person back here is interested.
These are the folks you need to get in touch with. They are all over the internet.
Hi Baraza,
I am a frequent reader of your column and love the advice you give on various issues.
I have a 2005 Toyota Harrier 240G and have the following questions regarding the car:
1. Does it come with a traction control function? If so, where is the button located?
2. I recently saw a VSC light on the speed gauge and was wondering what it was and what it does.
3. Could you also compare the Harrier with a Mark X 250G in terms of speed and performance?
3. It has a Japanese-language radio (Eclipse AVN 7705HD) and I was wondering if you have a list of translators who could help me since it seems the previous owners (the Japanese) already set it up to their preferences.
Thanks,
Kefahngwei
1. Yes, the car comes with a form of traction control programmed into it.
Do you want to turn it off? I strongly advise you not to because the car will become unpredictable and difficult to drive in slippery conditions.
I am not sure where the button to disengage the traction control is, but in most Toyota cars, it is found to the left of and slightly below the steering column.
However, in some models, especially those that are the same as Lexus, the VSC cannot be turned off.
The Harrier just happens to be such a model (it is also the Lexus RX), as are the Altezza (Lexus IS), Aristo (Lexus GS), and Crown (Lexus LS/ES). Therefore, there is no button to turn it off.
2. VSC is Vehicle Stability Control and it is what you were asking about in Question 1 above. The stability and traction controls are controlled together in some cars, of which this is one. In other cars, especially German ones, the stability and traction controls are (dis)engaged separately.
3. The Mark X is superior in both terms.
4. Unfortunately, I do not have such a list right now.
Hi Baraza,
Thanks for your wonderful insight and advice through this column.
I would like to purchase a four-wheel-drive car that will enable me to see Kenya when I retire soon.
Touring the country has been my dream for a long time and I need a strong vehicle that will take me into the deep interiors of our lovely nation any time of the year.
I am attracted to the Land Rover Defender 110, but would like to know more about it and other equally good 4WDs.
Does the Toyota Hilux Surf fit in this category? What about cost of maintenance due to the wear and tear that will arise?
Which tops the list among the Toyota Landcruiser Prado, the ordinary Landcruiser station wagon, and the Defender 110 in terms of 4WD capability?
Thanks,
Joshua.
Hello Joshua,
The Defender you mention perfectly fits the bill of the requirements you demand from your next car: It is a strong vehicle that will take you into deep interiors at any time of the year.
However, something in your question begs the warning; Not so fast!
You say you will be retiring soon. So you are approaching senior citizen status.
Well, Sir, the Defender will be quite a cross to bear owing to its suspension.
It is the hardest, stiffest assembly I have come across in any car bar none (except maybe a go-kart, which has no suspension at all).
Now that you want to go into “deep interiors” — by which I take it you mean to rush in where goats fear to tread — then you may need another car that will take it easier on your senior citizen spine.
Either that or change the settings and components of the 110 to something more forgiving.
The Land Rover Defender is not comfortable on tarmac and off-road, it will try you physically and emotionally as you bounce repeatedly off the pain barrier.
I think that is why policemen are always in a bad mood. They are forced to ride in Land Rover Defenders all day.
The Hilux Surf (nowadays it is just called a Surf, they dropped the Hilux prenom. Other markets call it the 4Runner) also fits in this category.
It has the full off-road running gear, ample clearance, low-range gearbox, 4WD transfer case, and diff-locks, but in extreme conditions, the Defender will keep going long after the Surf has given up.
This is due to the longer wheelbase length, longer rear overhang, and sometimes-there-sometimes-not subtle body kit present on the Surf.
They are all impediments to progress once you are off the beaten path.
The Defender also has more clearance.
Take heart though; by the time you notice the difference in abilities between the two SUVs, it will be less of driving and more of trying to survive. I doubt you will end up in such a situation.
Cost of repairs and maintenance are not horrendous for the Land Rover. It was designed to be rugged and simplistic intentionally.
Bush remedies are supposed to work and body damage is easily fixed because the aluminium panels are easy to remove/panel-beat/replace, even in the jungle.
However, the current Defender comes with a lot of electronic systems in it which has raised eyebrows among pundits as to whether or not its “simplistic” nature still applies.
The difference between the Landcruiser Prado, the regular Landcruiser station wagon (the J70, right?) and the Defender 110 in off-road conditions is not that big. The J70 and the Defender are especially hard to distinguish: One will follow the other without white-flagging to a point where the respective drivers will begin to wonder how they will get back to civilisation.
Both are unstoppable off-road in the right hands. The Land Rover’s only letdown will be reliability.
Hello Baraza,
I need a car to use in Nairobi, preferably an off-roader. We have an ex-Posta, 2.8-litre, diesel Daihatsu Rocky.
Is it an economical car for my needs?
Clifton.
Clifton,
An ex-Posta car, you say? Most likely my Daddy drove it at one point or the other. Anyway, that is besides the point.
I was exposed to the 2.8 diesel Daihatsu Rocky for very many years and its economy is, well, impressive.
But then again, it has a high-torque, low-revving diesel engine, so the economy is to be expected. Achieving 10kpl is easy, even more if you are something special behind the wheel.
I, however, do no’t see its point as a city car. A good number of these ex-KPTC/Telkom/Posta Rocky vehicles can be found in Uasin Gishu, where farmers need that diesel torque, high clearance, and 4WD ability due to the intractability of roads not attached to the A104.
A smaller car would be more ideal for city use.
The advantage is that with the tractor of a car that the Rocky is, you are unlikely to get bullied by matatus. So maybe it is ideal for city use, after all.
Hi Baraza,
I am looking forward to acquiring a VW Golf Touran but on checking fuel consumption for different engines, I realised that the 2.0 FSI offers better consumption than 1.6 FSI.
All same year. a) How is that possible? b) What is your take on FSI versus TSI engines in terms of performance, fuel consumption, general reliability and, most importantly, availability and cost of local support?
Both seem to cost nearly the same for same-year models.
Thanks sana,
Mwangi Kiguru.
Greetings Mwangi,
a) Yes, that is very possible. If anything, it is the norm, particularly at highway speeds.
The bigger 2.0-litre unit can effortlessly attain triple-digit velocities while the smaller 1.6 needs to be given a few more beans to keep up.
However, this difference is not big and is only more noticeable when there is a bigger percentage disparity in engine capacity and in smaller engines such as when comparing a 1.0 litre against a 1.5 or a 1.6.
b) The engines are very similar, though the technologies are slightly different.
Performance and general reliability are almost the same, as are the economy (which is good) and availability and cost of local support (which is shaky, I should point out).
The reason for the TSI and FSI techs are an attempt to meet and beat emissions regulations by optimising efficiency efficiently... if you get what I mean.
Hi Baraza,
Thanks to your column I can now almost beat my husband on motoring issues.
I even store your works in a special cabinet for future reviews! Straight to the point; I drive a Toyota Vanguard which has worked fantastically for me so far.
My husband suggests that it is time I let it go and chose something else (which he has already picked).
His view is that I should get an Isuzu Bighorn or a Mitsubishi Pajero, and that I may go for turbocharged or supercharged versions of these.
Now, Baraza, my wish is to change to a Toyota Prado. My questions, ignoring my ignorance, are:
a) How do these cars compare, considering I am always on rough roads?
b) What does “supercharged” mean? At least I know what “turbocharge” is all about.
Thanks,
Mercy.
I am glad I have a dedicated follower in you. Thank you for the compliment. Now, down to work.
a) The three cars are all capable off-road machines, though the Pajero, especially if not locally franchised (think Simba Colt) or tropicalised, may get a touch delicate when things get military.
Your choice of a Prado, therefore, is not bad.
The Bighorn, on the other hand, went out of production quite a while ago and so it is only a matter of time before parts, like hen’s teeth, become hard to come by. They are also few and far between, unlike the Prado and Pajero, which are all over.
b) If you know what turbocharging is, then supercharging should be easy to understand.
It is similar to turbocharging in that it is a means of forced induction. The difference is that a turbocharger’s turbine is driven by the momentum of exhaust gases and this turbine in turn drives the impeller/compressor.
A supercharger’s compressor/impeller is driven by a belt connected to the engine itself.
Having car problems? Send your questions to dn2@ke.nationmedia.com for absolutely free expert advice.
In the past two weeks, I have driven down to Nakuru three times, every time using a different car, namely a 2003 Toyota Kluger, a 2007 Toyota Premio, and a 1991 Mercedes Benz 190E.
By quite a distance, the 190E was the most comfortable and most stable. Older Volvos and Mercedes’ seem way more reliable than modern-day equivalents and also better cars than, say, a 2007 Premio. Do you agree with the saying that the golden age of motoring was the ’80s and early ’90s?
Pete.
It depends on one’s perspective. But in a way, yes, the ’80s and early ’90s were some of the best years in motoring.
This was the era when Formula 1 cars were turbocharged and did close to 1,500hp with few yawn-inducing rules and regulations to try and “balance the field” and ensure “close racing”.
This was the era of Group B in rallying, undeniably the most spectacular aspect of the sport.
Unfortunately, it is also the one with the highest rate of fatalities for both drivers and spectators.
The innovations of this time led to the current turbo 4WD cars on our roads.
This was the same era when the 200mph (322 km/h) mark was crossed by a production car — the Porsche 959 — also the shortest-lived fastest production car record ever.
The Porsche was unseated by the Ferrari F40 within a few short months by a mere 1mph (1.6 km/h). You do not get excitement like this nowadays.
The marvel was not limited to the rarefied atmosphere of race cars and limited-production, horribly expensive supercars.
This was also the era of the over-engineered Mercedes: Cars like the Addams Family dragster (the extra-long and extra-menacing W126), the Berlin Taxi (the ubiquitous W124) and what Top Gear and/or racer Martin Brundle called “the slowest sports sedan ever made”, the 190E.
These are cars that cannot and will not break, so they will last forever.
Their popularity and desirability are about to peak, so getting one now would be paramount for a collector before clean examples run out of stock.
The ’80s also saw the swan song of many small rear-drive Japanese saloon cars (Toyota Corolla, Nissan Bluebird, etc) with many of these going for an FF format, and thus becoming boring white goods for faceless, entry-level employees.
This was also the last time engineers had “free reign” to create a car exactly the way they wanted it.
From the ’90s onwards, things like emissions control and safety standards have steadfastly turned cars into heavy, ugly, self-driving, aluminium-and-plastic, lawsuit-perpetrating, smugness-generating cocoons in which people hide from the outside world while tapping away at heavy, ugly, think-for-you, plastic-and-glass, smugness-generating electronic devices while their cars’ electronic brains do their damnedest to overcome the nearly-fatal incompetence of the idiot behind the wheel through a variety of driver aids and a veritable battery of sensors and chips.
Gosh! The ’80s and early ’90s saw the last of the real driver’s cars!
Hi Baraza,
I currently own a 2013 Audi Q5 which I use here in the UK and plan to ship to Kenya next year when I relocate.
I have read an article regarding the DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter) and have come to the conclusion that I will need to remove this and reprogramme the ECU before I send the vehicle to Kenya.
There are a lot of companies here in the UK that offer DPF removal (physically remove the DPF, add in a stainless steel pipe to connect the exhaust and reprogramme the ECU properly).
My question is, once I arrive in Kenya with the car and I need the ECU reprogrammed or anything else, is there anyone able to repair or update the ECU?
How much do they charge, approximately? Also, the car has something called Adblue. Is this available in Kenya? Any help would be great.
Pinal.
Hello Pinal,
ECU reprogramming is available now from a variety of individuals here in Kenya.
What they charge is entirely up to them; their rates vary so it is not easy to get a ballpark figure.
Adblue may not be readily available in Kenya, but that does not mean you cannot get it. A lot of people nowadays do to-order imports of spares and consummables rather than bulk importation and praying for a ready market.
What they do is take orders from different people until they have enough to fill a container, after which they go in search of the materials to import.
This would make more sense rather than importing a whole container of Adblue and discovering that only one person back here is interested.
These are the folks you need to get in touch with. They are all over the internet.
Hi Baraza,
I am a frequent reader of your column and love the advice you give on various issues.
I have a 2005 Toyota Harrier 240G and have the following questions regarding the car:
1. Does it come with a traction control function? If so, where is the button located?
2. I recently saw a VSC light on the speed gauge and was wondering what it was and what it does.
3. Could you also compare the Harrier with a Mark X 250G in terms of speed and performance?
3. It has a Japanese-language radio (Eclipse AVN 7705HD) and I was wondering if you have a list of translators who could help me since it seems the previous owners (the Japanese) already set it up to their preferences.
Thanks,
Kefahngwei
1. Yes, the car comes with a form of traction control programmed into it.
Do you want to turn it off? I strongly advise you not to because the car will become unpredictable and difficult to drive in slippery conditions.
I am not sure where the button to disengage the traction control is, but in most Toyota cars, it is found to the left of and slightly below the steering column.
However, in some models, especially those that are the same as Lexus, the VSC cannot be turned off.
The Harrier just happens to be such a model (it is also the Lexus RX), as are the Altezza (Lexus IS), Aristo (Lexus GS), and Crown (Lexus LS/ES). Therefore, there is no button to turn it off.
2. VSC is Vehicle Stability Control and it is what you were asking about in Question 1 above. The stability and traction controls are controlled together in some cars, of which this is one. In other cars, especially German ones, the stability and traction controls are (dis)engaged separately.
3. The Mark X is superior in both terms.
4. Unfortunately, I do not have such a list right now.
Hi Baraza,
Thanks for your wonderful insight and advice through this column.
I would like to purchase a four-wheel-drive car that will enable me to see Kenya when I retire soon.
Touring the country has been my dream for a long time and I need a strong vehicle that will take me into the deep interiors of our lovely nation any time of the year.
I am attracted to the Land Rover Defender 110, but would like to know more about it and other equally good 4WDs.
Does the Toyota Hilux Surf fit in this category? What about cost of maintenance due to the wear and tear that will arise?
Which tops the list among the Toyota Landcruiser Prado, the ordinary Landcruiser station wagon, and the Defender 110 in terms of 4WD capability?
Thanks,
Joshua.
Hello Joshua,
The Defender you mention perfectly fits the bill of the requirements you demand from your next car: It is a strong vehicle that will take you into deep interiors at any time of the year.
However, something in your question begs the warning; Not so fast!
You say you will be retiring soon. So you are approaching senior citizen status.
Well, Sir, the Defender will be quite a cross to bear owing to its suspension.
It is the hardest, stiffest assembly I have come across in any car bar none (except maybe a go-kart, which has no suspension at all).
Now that you want to go into “deep interiors” — by which I take it you mean to rush in where goats fear to tread — then you may need another car that will take it easier on your senior citizen spine.
Either that or change the settings and components of the 110 to something more forgiving.
The Land Rover Defender is not comfortable on tarmac and off-road, it will try you physically and emotionally as you bounce repeatedly off the pain barrier.
I think that is why policemen are always in a bad mood. They are forced to ride in Land Rover Defenders all day.
The Hilux Surf (nowadays it is just called a Surf, they dropped the Hilux prenom. Other markets call it the 4Runner) also fits in this category.
It has the full off-road running gear, ample clearance, low-range gearbox, 4WD transfer case, and diff-locks, but in extreme conditions, the Defender will keep going long after the Surf has given up.
This is due to the longer wheelbase length, longer rear overhang, and sometimes-there-sometimes-not subtle body kit present on the Surf.
They are all impediments to progress once you are off the beaten path.
The Defender also has more clearance.
Take heart though; by the time you notice the difference in abilities between the two SUVs, it will be less of driving and more of trying to survive. I doubt you will end up in such a situation.
Cost of repairs and maintenance are not horrendous for the Land Rover. It was designed to be rugged and simplistic intentionally.
Bush remedies are supposed to work and body damage is easily fixed because the aluminium panels are easy to remove/panel-beat/replace, even in the jungle.
However, the current Defender comes with a lot of electronic systems in it which has raised eyebrows among pundits as to whether or not its “simplistic” nature still applies.
The difference between the Landcruiser Prado, the regular Landcruiser station wagon (the J70, right?) and the Defender 110 in off-road conditions is not that big. The J70 and the Defender are especially hard to distinguish: One will follow the other without white-flagging to a point where the respective drivers will begin to wonder how they will get back to civilisation.
Both are unstoppable off-road in the right hands. The Land Rover’s only letdown will be reliability.
Hello Baraza,
I need a car to use in Nairobi, preferably an off-roader. We have an ex-Posta, 2.8-litre, diesel Daihatsu Rocky.
Is it an economical car for my needs?
Clifton.
Clifton,
An ex-Posta car, you say? Most likely my Daddy drove it at one point or the other. Anyway, that is besides the point.
I was exposed to the 2.8 diesel Daihatsu Rocky for very many years and its economy is, well, impressive.
But then again, it has a high-torque, low-revving diesel engine, so the economy is to be expected. Achieving 10kpl is easy, even more if you are something special behind the wheel.
I, however, do no’t see its point as a city car. A good number of these ex-KPTC/Telkom/Posta Rocky vehicles can be found in Uasin Gishu, where farmers need that diesel torque, high clearance, and 4WD ability due to the intractability of roads not attached to the A104.
A smaller car would be more ideal for city use.
The advantage is that with the tractor of a car that the Rocky is, you are unlikely to get bullied by matatus. So maybe it is ideal for city use, after all.
Hi Baraza,
I am looking forward to acquiring a VW Golf Touran but on checking fuel consumption for different engines, I realised that the 2.0 FSI offers better consumption than 1.6 FSI.
All same year. a) How is that possible? b) What is your take on FSI versus TSI engines in terms of performance, fuel consumption, general reliability and, most importantly, availability and cost of local support?
Both seem to cost nearly the same for same-year models.
Thanks sana,
Mwangi Kiguru.
Greetings Mwangi,
a) Yes, that is very possible. If anything, it is the norm, particularly at highway speeds.
The bigger 2.0-litre unit can effortlessly attain triple-digit velocities while the smaller 1.6 needs to be given a few more beans to keep up.
However, this difference is not big and is only more noticeable when there is a bigger percentage disparity in engine capacity and in smaller engines such as when comparing a 1.0 litre against a 1.5 or a 1.6.
b) The engines are very similar, though the technologies are slightly different.
Performance and general reliability are almost the same, as are the economy (which is good) and availability and cost of local support (which is shaky, I should point out).
The reason for the TSI and FSI techs are an attempt to meet and beat emissions regulations by optimising efficiency efficiently... if you get what I mean.
Hi Baraza,
Thanks to your column I can now almost beat my husband on motoring issues.
I even store your works in a special cabinet for future reviews! Straight to the point; I drive a Toyota Vanguard which has worked fantastically for me so far.
My husband suggests that it is time I let it go and chose something else (which he has already picked).
His view is that I should get an Isuzu Bighorn or a Mitsubishi Pajero, and that I may go for turbocharged or supercharged versions of these.
Now, Baraza, my wish is to change to a Toyota Prado. My questions, ignoring my ignorance, are:
a) How do these cars compare, considering I am always on rough roads?
b) What does “supercharged” mean? At least I know what “turbocharge” is all about.
Thanks,
Mercy.
I am glad I have a dedicated follower in you. Thank you for the compliment. Now, down to work.
a) The three cars are all capable off-road machines, though the Pajero, especially if not locally franchised (think Simba Colt) or tropicalised, may get a touch delicate when things get military.
Your choice of a Prado, therefore, is not bad.
The Bighorn, on the other hand, went out of production quite a while ago and so it is only a matter of time before parts, like hen’s teeth, become hard to come by. They are also few and far between, unlike the Prado and Pajero, which are all over.
b) If you know what turbocharging is, then supercharging should be easy to understand.
It is similar to turbocharging in that it is a means of forced induction. The difference is that a turbocharger’s turbine is driven by the momentum of exhaust gases and this turbine in turn drives the impeller/compressor.
A supercharger’s compressor/impeller is driven by a belt connected to the engine itself.
Having car problems? Send your questions to dn2@ke.nationmedia.com for absolutely free expert advice.
Previous page: Kenya Clearing & Forwarding Agents | Kenya Freight Forwarders - Customs Clearance
Next page: Contact Us