Comments on: Stuff African People Like: Expensive Cars

By: Mwangi

Mwangi — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 06:33:48 +0000

@Thomas: Biking is actually smart on so many levels particularly exercising, especially in a small city where people don’t exercise like Nairobi so if there is any marketing company that wants to run a “we should bike” campaign in all African urban areas I am behind it………..

By: Thomas Bailey

Thomas Bailey — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 10:40:41 +0000

Cars have never interested me. For the past 20 years, my thing was bikes. Yeah, I know, in many developing countries bikes are a sign of poverty due to their low cost. This doesn’t stop the Dutch, Belgians, or the Danes from biking, although the exorbitant gasoline prices furthers the preference for bikes.

By: Mwangi

Mwangi — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:33:38 +0000

@Tony: I’ve not only considered it but I agree with you. The only thing that separates Americans from Africans though is that Americans seem to love large cars simply on the basis of their size whereas Africans will always go for prestige over the size of the car.
Folks in Naija have definitely taken things to the next level with customization but all African politicians are definitely the same in that they always want the most expensive car around.

By: Tony

Tony — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:18:11 +0000

Mwangi, have you considered the fact that the Americans are somehow similar to the African’s in the way they value a car? American love big FUEL consuming cars! (maybe the recent oil crisis may have changed that a little). Africans love big flashy cars. In Nigeria we prefer the customized cars so that it will be “one in town” not to be confused with cars for the commoners. For the politicians, the more expensive the car is, the better, so that their “social status” can easily be acknoweldged. Sounds crazy but that is the reality on ground.

By: Mwangi

Mwangi — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 10:31:10 +0000

@Kelly: Let me eliminate the mystery….a Mazda 121 is a small little bubble car that consumes fuel in quite possibly the most efficient way in history.
If a shamba is your dream, then yup, the pickup makes total sense. Google Holden yutes (Aussie slang for pickups)….the horsepower that those machines have is something that must be seen to be believed.

By: Kelly

Kelly — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 10:25:26 +0000

@mwangi, yeah I want to own acres and acres of land, but I find the double cab really powerful. Let me google Mazda 121 right about now!

By: Mwangi

Mwangi — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 08:38:48 +0000

@Kelly: You are a woman after my own heart. I drove my little Mazda 121 with nothing but absolute pride for the last three years. Rolling in a Mercedes is nice, but so is the fact that I get to roll in a 121 in the first place.
A pickup? Lol! What a novelty? Unless of course you one day want to own your own plot of land in which case it makes perfect sense.

By: Kelly

Kelly — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 05:18:04 +0000

Lets see, women and cars? What I’m looking for is a machine to take me from point A to B, as few garage visits as possible, and as non girlish looking as possible. Price, as cheap as I can get….
Ok may be thats the low income talking, lets watch and see if I will develop a taste in expensive cars as I advance economically.
Oh, my dream car is a Toyota Hilux Double cabin pick up.