The Sky Has Finally Fallen It is all doom and gloom along Lusaka Road as CMC Motors woke up to the shocking news that Jaguar Land Rover is no more. No, the Indian-owned British corporation has not closed shop, but as far as CMC Motors are concerned, Jaguar and Land Rover cars may as well … Read more
Hi Baraza, Congratulations for the excellent job you’re doing. I have two questions: 1. Please give a critical analysis of the following high-end 4X4s: Range Rover, Land Rover Discovery, Audi Q7, BMW X6, Porshe Cayenne, VW Touareg and Mercedes M-class and G-Class. Comment on performance on and off road, intelligence, comfort, safety, longevity and fuel … Read more
Hi Baraza, I am in need of a four-wheel-drive, double-cab pick-up that can haul a tonne to and from my farm once a month. I live in Nairobi, about 300 kilometres from the farm, and have homed in on a 2001 Toyota Hilux, 2800cc with a 3L diesel engine, and a 2002 Nissan Hardbody, 3100cc … Read more
For some people, 2012 is the year when the world as we know it will come to an end. For me, 2012 will be marked down as The Year of Great Surprises, one of which was a Mahindra vehicle. If the world actually does end, that will be another (stop laughing at the back, please, … Read more
What is the single most stupid driving activity you can think of right now? Drunk-driving? Hitting 200 km/h in the middle of town? Running red lights with blatant disregard for cross-junctions? Engaging the police in a high speed chase with the fuel gauge at E? Not even close. You have not seen the kind of … Read more
Hi Baraza, 1. Do electric vehicles stand a chance in Kenya? 2. Is it possible to convert a car to use electricity? If so, what are the pros and cons of implementing such an idea in Kenya? Nick 1. At the moment, not a chance in hell. 2. Yes, but the costs and labour involved … Read more
I was going to start off this article making analogies involving fashion accessories — about how they are high on looks and low on practicality — and I also intended to talk about the unwise move of deploying the pop star wife of a football legend in the automotive world to influence the end product … Read more
Hi Baraza, Kindly educate me on the following issues: 1. What is the consumption of the Subaru Forester when driving in a normal manner and when driving like you want to fly? 2. What is the cost of the new model of the Volkswagen Passat and can I get a second-hand one? 3. Which among … Read more
Baraza, Recently, a rain storm in South C tried to convert my Nissan B15 into a yacht; the water line was just below (about 1 cm) the side wind windows. It refused to float and ended up taking in water. Once safe, I got it towed to higher ground and left it overnight to get … Read more
JM, Let me state from the get go that I’m an irredeemable petrolhead through and through. Having said that, I’ve made some observations that I suspect are not unique to Kenyan roads, such as the fact that most accidents are the handiwork of drivers with “unschooled” blood, you know, the kind that think they are … Read more