The Ractis offers better fuel economy
What you need to know:
The Toyota Ractis is a user-friendly car that many motorists also find affordable to maintain
Grace Ahumuza
I bought the Toyota Ractis 2007 model shortly after the second Covid-19 induced lockdown had been lifted. I had initially planned to buy a Toyota Spacio but I opted for the Ractis because it provides bigger interior space compared to the Spacio. The other consideration was its small size. My particular model runs on a 1300cc petrol engine that I find affordable and cheap to maintain.
When I had just bought the car, I would use fuel worth Shs60,000 to drive from my home in Kira, Wakiso District, to my workplace in Kampala City centre for four to five days. At first, I thought the fuel gauge was giving false readings until my mechanic assured me that it was okay. Since then, I have not even thought of changing to a car with another engine size other than the 1300cc Ractis.
On the highway, it gives better fuel economy compared to when driving in urban traffic.
When I fill its 42-litre tank, I drive to Fort Portal City in western Uganda, and I do not refuel until somewhere in the middle of the return journey.
John William Lutaaya
One of the features I like about the Toyota Ractis 1500cc engine size is its low fuel consumption. I use it for commercial purposes around Kampala City centre and I never spend much on fuel. With the nature of my work, it is all about knowing which routes have less traffic jam much as it is tricky.
On average, I spend Shs80,000 on fuel to make six trips and this gives me approximately Shs200,000, depending on where I drive clients. The challenge is when I am forced to drive during rush hour, which means I have to burn more fuel. Unfortunately this means that I make less profits.
Because I drive it daily, I service my car after covering 5,000km, a distance I cover in two months. I mostly replace engine oil, coolant, transmission fluid, brake pads and a few other serviceable parts as recommended by the mechanic. On average, I spend Shs100,000 per garage visit. I have had the car for three years and I have only replaced them once.
Emmanuel Mugabe
The main purpose of buying my Toyota Ractis was to use it to drop and pick children from school. It is user-friendly not only with service and maintenance but also with fuel consumption.
A full tank runs for 10 days because the children are usually dropped early in the morning when there is no traffic and picked before evening rush hour traffic jam builds up.
I spend Shs300,000 for major service and I do it once every five months. Besides, it rarely breaks down.
Even then, when it develops a mechanical fault, it can be serviced at any garage since it is not that complicated to require a special mechanic.
The one downside I have noticed is that it has a somewhat low ground clearance, making it impossible to drive on certain roads.
The other challenge is that it has become quite popular that is often subject to vandalism, especially when parked on the street or when stuck in traffic jam.
I replaced the side mirror thrice until I discovered a permanent solution of having them locked with hooks. At speeds above 80km/hr, it is not very stable and limits you to lower speeds. Other than this, the Ractis is a car I recommend for first time motorists.
Rush specifications
Max power: 87 - 110ps
Drive type: AWD/FF
Fuel capacity: 1,296 - 1,496cc
