Toyota Wish in Uganda – #10 things you should know before buying
Jeff August 3, 2024
Introduced to the Ugandan market in mid-2014, the Toyota Wish in Uganda continues to be one of the most sought-out compact multi-purpose vehicles (MPV).
Thanks to its spacious nature, fuel efficiency, and friendliness towards maintenance, Ugandan car buyers have undoubtedly found some charm in the Toyota’s Wish model.
What is it about Toyota Wish in Uganda? Is it a good car for you to buy? How does it perform on Uganda’s terrain? What’s the price of a Toyota Wish in the Ugandan market? Does it have any drawbacks in resell value, functionality? etc.
Here’s a comprehensive review of a Toyota Wish in Uganda, its specs, pricing, and weaknesses you need to know before buying one;
- Space
- Storage
- Performance
- Fuel economy
- Safety
- Toyota Wish specs
- Price of a Toyota Wish in Uganda
- Where to buy a Toyota Wish in Uganda
- Known weaknesses of Toyota Wish cars
- Resell value of a Toyota Wish in Uganda
Let us now look at a detailed overview of each of those points about Toyota Wish cars in Uganda
Space
When it comes to buying a family car, space comes top among the factors that determine whether the vehicle is a good pick or not; and rightly so. It would make no sense to get a car that looks nice; perfectly priced but isn’t enough to take the whole family.
That is why Toyota Wish comes in handy if space is your major take; ramped with an additional third row of seats, Toyota Wish stands out from its counterparts like the Toyota Ipsum, Sienta, Sette and Spacio models in the Toyota MPV series.
The three rows provide a seating capacity of six to seven passengers with ample legroom for the front and middle seats offering enough room for the passengers to stretch and turn around without their feet feeling numb even on long trips.
However, the passengers in the third row will not enjoy that luxury if they are adults; the space between the third and second rows is barely enough only on short trips unless you reserve it for the little ones in the home.
Storage
The Toyota Wish is not mean with storage; its interior is cladded with multiple compartments to keep simple items like CDs, documents, and water bottles or soft drinks.
Its cabin, too, has modest storage that you can adjust by folding the third and second rows depending on your cargo needs. Below the rear cabin space of Toyota Wish, you get additional space to keep your spare tire, car jack, and other maintenance tools.
On the sides of the same rear cabin space, Toyota Wish owners have extra compartments to store additional items like ropes, hand wrenches, and other things that could come in handy when needed.
Performance
Though sporty in appearance, Toyota Wish is not a speed buff; the acceleration of the first-generation Toyota Wish ( 2003 to 2009 models) takes time to reach its peak speed, and once it has, it is still not fast as you would expect from its look.
Obviously, due to the4-speed automatic gear transmission system that Toyota incorporates in the first generation models, however starting from 2009 onwards, Toyota introduced the second generation that employs a 7-speed Automatic gear transmission system increasing its acceleration substantially.
On Ugandan marram roads, the road handling of Toyota Wish is average though being a front-wheeler, it usually struggles on slippery community roads when it has rained, getting stuck most of the time; this generally makes the Toyota Wish an urban car that one could use to commute around town with rare off-road encounters.
However, if your usual drive terrain is not urban, you might have to replace the shocks to raise your suspension so that you do not rub its lower part on uneven road bumps since the ground clearance of Toyota Wish is hardly a foot.
Though long and front-wheeled, Toyota Wish feels stable on the road, even when past the 100km/h mark; its steering maneuverability is soft and seamless, enabling you to make quick turns even in tight spots.
Fuel economy
The Toyota Wish is the most effective yet economical multi-purpose passenger vehicle compared to its imminent contenders like Honda Stream and Mazda Premacy when balancing engine horsepower and fuel consumption.
Though not a hybrid car (one that switches between petrol and electricity), Toyota Wish is very fuel-efficient; to put it in perspective, you can fill up the 60liter fuel tank of a Toyota Wish and drive from Kampala to Mbale and back (Nearly 450km) without refilling and even remain with some fuel to make a few town errands!
That puts the fuel consumption of a Toyota Wish somewhere between moving 11 to 14 kilometers on a liter of fuel; of course, other factors like mechanical condition, driving skill, and traffic jams play a role in fuel consumption.
Safety
Toyota Wish cars have basic safety features like properly exposed brake lights, side indicators, safety belts, etc. However, being a 7-seater, its designers should have given more thought to the SRS airbags as its first-generation models (2003 to 2009 models.) cater only for the front seats.
However, starting from April 2012, Toyota Wish made significant upgrades with additional SRS airbags on the sides of the front seats and curtain airbags along the windscreens running from the front to the back, thus offering some impact-cushioning for rear-seat passengers should the vehicle overturn.
So if safety is your major take, the 2012 model and above are a perfect pick as they come with additional safety perks like better Road-holding abilities, a traction control mechanism on sharp corners, and Brake-Assist technology to help avoid accidental collision into items you had not seen;
However, second-generation Toyota Wish cars are few on the Ugandan market; you might do a bit of searching to get one or import it from Japan yourself if that is your preference.
Toyota Wish specs
The specs of the Toyota Wish are the same amongst all models with a few variations in the generations; on the Ugandan market, you will find mostly the first generation models that have a 1.8cc engine capacity; these deliver a 120horsepower with a maximum output of 5,600 wheel revolutions every minute.
However, there are a few newer models on the Ugandan market; all of which are of the second generation with an engine capacity of 2.0horsepower with a maximum horsepower of 145hp with its peak wheel rotation output being 6,000 revolutions every minute.
The length of a Toyota Wish is 4.59meters, its width is 1.69meters, and its overall height is 1.59meters; the distance between its lower end and the ground is around 15cm without suspending its shocks.
The fuel tank capacity of a Toyota Wish car is 60liters, and its top speed is 180km/h; the front suspension of a Toyota Wish employs MacPherson struts while the rear suspension uses Torsion beams.
The engine of all models from 2003 to 2009 exploits a Variable Valve Transmission Intelligent (VVT-i) mechanism to deliver the vehicle’s dragging force, while newer ones from 2009 onwards employ a Continuous Variable Transmission (CVT) system giving it more acceleration while saving on fuel consumption.
Price of Toyota Wish in Uganda
The average price of a Toyota Wish in Ugandan car bonds depends on the model you intend to buy; most models in the market are the first generation Toyota Wish running from 2003 to 2009; the price of these in local car bonds ranges between 23m to 30m (Tax and registration inclusive).
Whereas the mid-2009 models onwards (second-generation Toyota Wish) range from 38m to 48m (Tax and registration inclusive). Of course, these prices depend on your negotiating power and whether you are dealing directly with the vender or a car broker.
If you choose to import a Toyota Wish by yourself from Japan without any broker involved, you could pay somewhere from 18m to 30m, of course, depending on the model you intend to import; the estimate we used to reach the above figures was for a 2013 Wish model.
Where to buy a Toyota Wish in Uganda
There is an endless list of car bonds where you could buy your next Toyota Wish; in Kampala alone, depending on which side of Kampala you are from, there is at least a car bond on each road that enters the city;
For example, if you stay on Entebbe road, you can go to Pacific Car Bond opposite Melinium chambers, a few meters from the Kibuye roundabout towards Entebbe and Muko Investment around Bata;
If you are on Jinja road, there isYuasa trading ltd in Nakawa, Aisha Motors, and many others in the Nakawa neighborhood;
Another place you could also find used Toyota Wish cars for sale in Uganda is free Ugandan classifieds. Fellow Ugandans usually run to such platforms when looking for buyers for the items they would wish to sell; give it a shot; you might find a crash deal within your neighborhood!
Known weaknesses in Toyota Wish cars
Much as Toyota Wish boasts of its spaciousness, you have to sacrifice passenger space if you have all 7passengers onboard and want to add several suitcases in its boot; the Toyota Wish’s rear cabin can only take so much.
The Toyota Wish’s low ground clearance is also another weakness; it can limit you from diving on certain roads because the constant rubbing of your car’s lower part on speed bumps reduces your car’s lifespan in the long run.
The front and behind bumpers of a Toyota Wish too, are a known weakness; they are made out of plastic and poly fiber finishing making them too weak on impact. Any minor accidental impact could end up costing you thousands of shillings in repairs.
Our recommendation on this is, to install rear and front bumper guards to help shield the weak plastic casing from shattering on the accidental impact of city bodabodas, taxis, or other objects that your Wish could come into contact with.
Resell value of a Toyota Wish in Uganda
Being a multi-purpose vehicle; one that works as a commercial car and family car, the resell value stakes of a Toyota Wish in Uganda are high; it is not unusual to find a secondhand Toyota Wish selling at 25m!
Toyota Wish is a hot cake in Uganda that you can buy today, and never worry whether you will find a quick buyer when you are in urgent need of cash;
So if you are planning to buy a Toyota Wish in Uganda, our recommendation is that; it is a great car. It is spacious; its space is on point if you have a large family, and maintenance-wise, spare parts are readily accessible in the Ugandan market; above all, you can quickly sell it and still get good value.
Do you want to see Toyota Wish deals and other cars or you want to sell the one you have?
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