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It took me four days to drive to South Africa
Ssemukutu says she is confident of her Tundra’s performance and this is why she can never get rid of it. PHOTOs/Roland D. Nasasira
What you need to know:
Angela Ssemukutu says getting rid of her Tundra would feel like a piece of her heart has been taken away. She loves it for a number of reasons; one being its ability to survive any road condition. This was tested when she drove the car to South Africa, a journey that lasted only four days.
In 2012, Angela Ssemukutu was on the hunt for the perfect car. She wanted something strong, fast and with the ability to handle on and off-road situations. The options she had in mind included the Toyota Hilux, which had a smaller bed.
“I preferred a spacious car; one whose interior I could easily turn into an office and this is how I zeroed in on the Tundra,” Ssemukutu says.
The test
Few motorists would have the courage to drive from Kampala to South Africa, but Ssemukutu did. In the company of her uncle and a friend, they embarked on a journey that lasted four days and cost her Shs5m worth of fuel to and from South Africa.
“We set off from Kampala on a Wednesday afternoon and arrived in Johannesburg on Saturday. We drove through Tanzania via Nduma, the exit port to Zambia, then Botswana and finally South Africa. Tanzania alone is a two- day’s drive because it is a big country while Botswana and Zambia were not as hectic to drive through. We would each drive for 500km and allow another driver to take over while the other rests. I had the car fully serviced before the trip and there was no need to stop on the way. I only carried a jerrican of synthetic oil and replaced engine oil when I reached South Africa,” Ssemukutu recalls.
Her Tundra, like most cars, performs well and consumes less fuel on the highway compared to urban areas with high traffic volumes. Seven gallons cover 100 miles, with a gallon having approximately three litres.
Car specs
A grey left hand drive 2008 model V8 Toyota brand, Ssemukutu’s Tundra runs on a 4700cc engine. It has extras such as front, side and rear airbags for added safety. Its seats have a cloth material and a hard plastic dashboard. She upgraded the radio to have features such as bluetooth to allow her play music from her phone, while its premium speakers produce superior sound quality to enjoy any journey.
It also runs on both automatic and manual transmissions, and has the high and low 4WD systems. However, the low 4WD system is powerful that you hardly engage the 4WD high. It (4WD high) can only be engaged when driving in extremely bad terrain such as swampy areas.
Ssemukutu says its fuel tank carries 85 litres, an amount enough to drive from Kampala to Kabale District, and refuel in Masaka Town during the return journey. Hers is a double cabin that sits six people, the driver and co-driver. The middle compartment can be flipped upwards to become a seat or an arm rest as it is folded most of the time.
Service and maintenance
Ssemukutu says she services her car every after 3,000 miles. However, it is equipped with a maintenance gauge that communicates when the service is due. When this happens, even if she has not reached the 3,000 miles, the flickering light informs her that service is due.
Spare parts for a Tundra are a challenge in Uganda because there are no specific shops or garages that deal in Tundra parts. The beauty is that Tundra shares some parts with the Toyota Sequoia and sometimes the Toyota Cygnus. However, parts such as coils and brake pads and lubricants such as engine oil are available locally. For parts of the engine, such as the timing belt, water pump and other crucial parts, she anticipates and orders them online ahead of time.
Minor service costs Ssemukutu Shs400,000. She only uses synthetic oil for good engine performance and never compromises on this. Genuine Tundra brake pads cost Shs800,000 a pair, while a pair of off-market headlights costs $500 (Shs1.8m). Replacing engine oil goes hand in hand with changing the oil filter and air cleaner.
Engine block
“Recently, while driving on Entebbe Expressway, the timing belt gave way. Because I was still in motion, it damaged the engine block. The block alone cost me Shs3m yet I had to also buy the timing belt, gasket and other parts all at a cost of Shs6m. This is the most expensive service I have done since 2012,” Ssemukutu explains.
Performance
For a car its size, the rear suspension design handles any road terrains well. Its all-terrain tyres makes its performance superior on and off-road. Ssemukutu says locally, one tyre costs Shs800,000 but cheaper when she imports.
“I do not think I will part ways with this car any time soon. If anything, I would buy a newer model and keep this one. I have invested so much in it and I am confident of its performance,” Ssemukutu says.
Downside
Ssemukutu says it being a long car, the Tundra obscures her visibility on the road. However, its size and length comes with advantages as well.
“The car’s exterior design is enough to frighten reckless motorists on the road, including motorcyclists. It is a car you have to take a second look at before driving closer,” she says.
