Is this a good deal for a matatu?

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duty and clearing= another vehicle:D:D:D kenya is a jokeif that’s their way of encouraging import export

I have been seeing that advert on Twitter severally. However, my concern with these boxy Nissan Caravans is maintenance costs.

I have heard several people endlessly complaining how it’s easy to maintain the Toyota Hiace box than these Nissan Caravan boxes. The cost of spare parts is particularly prohibitive.

Would you mind adding more money so as to buy the Hiace? That is if you want to factor in these maintenance and depreciation costs?

Essentially add another million

Itabidi… You need the Hiace for long distance shuttle business. I doubt whether these Nissan caravans can handle daily trips to Meru or Eldoret.

This car eats petrol by the way

Lasima government officers walipwe

This 1990cc engine must be petrol , your better off with s diesel powered engine

Can someone enlighten me on the process of importing a car?

Following

Identify the source and negotiate the price which is always quoted at CIF (If SBT in this case).

Request the source to issue you with pro forma or commercial invoice if already paid.

Approach your preferred Clearing agent to raise the IDF document.

Share the IDF with the source. Request for CoC or inspection certificate and confirm validity.

Upon the ship docking ask the agent to provide you with the Customs entry and pay the taxes as indicated.

To be continued…

Hiace was just over 2M when the boxy shape came. Then demand came. Listing of the van in the kawaida websites (SBT, ne forword, papera) ended. The only way was to buy through auction. Prices creeped toward the 3M mark. Toyota Kenya seized the opportunity to sell brand new high roof versions which could carry more pass (was it 18?). That, coupled with a manual transmission, a warranty and an older engine made some sense to a few long distance operators. Meanwhile, herd mentality among many makes many more pay more for the Toyota. I am not saying that the Nissan is better, i think it makes more sense to pay for a new Hiace, straight out of the show room floor.

Io gari haifanyi biashara ya matatu. Utapoteza pesa zako bure. Kuna ingine ya china inafika kenya na less than 1.5m pia, same shape same size lakini haziwezi fanya matatu.

In short mwambie gari mzuri ya matatu ni Toyota pekee.

Umbwa mcoondu woof woof

Box ya Toyota looks better than hii ya Nissan

Upto the 1990s all matatus were nissans hence the term “Nissan matatu”. And they used to ply all city and upcountry routes. All tour vans were also nissans. Then in 2000s toyotas were introduced and these were mainly ex japan mitumbas. So it is wrong to claim that nissans cant do matatu.

https://homelidays.co.ke/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Tour-Vans-For-Hire-in-Kenya-1.jpg

The worst stress for vehicles and their engines is city traffic where the vehicles idle for hours kwa jam. But on open roads and long journeys the engines run most efficiently with proper cooling, less strain on transmission, less strain on brakes etc etc.

Nissan cars from a certain era were a crap… basically since Carlos Ghosn took over maybe that’s why the caravan is not so reliable when it comes to matatu business but maybe newer models are better since Ghosn was ousted.

Nissan zimefanya matatu for so long. Herd mentality ndiyo huspoil wasee. West Africa mnaona Hiace ngapi?