Top Five Cheapest Cars You Can Easily Own In Kenya

Having your own car is one of the most effective ways to help you maneouvre around without relying on the unpredictable public transport in Kenya. All you need is to fuel and service the car regularly, and you can go anywhere, anytime you want.

However, the initial cost of owning the car pushes away many people that have for long dreamt of owning one in their life.

It is arguably quite expensive to buy and maintain a car, depending on one’s income and the kind of car they acquire.

The revolutionization of the motor industry has however brought so many affordable brands of cars, that can be easily acquired and maintained by people in the lower cadre of the economic class.

Here are some of the cheapest cars in Kenya, that can be used for both personal and commercial (taxi) purposes:-

1. Toyota Vitz

The Toyota Vitz is a sub compact Japanese car, available in three and five doors and was launched for the first time in 1998. Currently, the Toyota Vitz is in its third generation successfully, which was launched in 2010.

It is not necessarily the cheapest car right now, but it is one of the most fuel-efficient cars decent enough to be used for personal and commercial purposes.

The car comes in two engine models, one for 1000cc and 1500cc. The latest version of Toyota Vitz is equipped with 1.3-liter petrol engine which provides the highest level of fuel efficiency and consumes 26.5 km per litre, according to Toyota. According to Toyota it is the highest level of fuel efficiency apart from hybrids and minicars for a vehicle powered by petrol engine.

The price of a secondhand Vitz, that has been used abroad, ranges between Ksh800,000 and Ksh1 million inclusive of Taxes.

2. Mazda Demio

Just like the Vitz, Mazda Demio (formerly Mazda2) is an economy car that can be used for taxi and personal business.

Since the release of the first generation model in 1996, the Demio has become one of Mazda’s key models, with global sales totaling 2.5 million units over the past 20 years.

The car comes with two engine types, 1300cc and 1500cc.

With a maximum of 116 horsepower, a Mazda Demio is estimated to burn one litre of petrol in between 16 and 30 kilometres, depending on several factors.

It is rare to find a brand new Mazda Demio in Kenya. Most of the Demios sold in Kenya have been used previously abroad and their prices range between Ksh700,000 and Ksh900,000.

3. Nissan Note

Nissan Note is a 4th compact car released by Nissan after March, Cube and Tiida. It was developed as a “compact car for flexible use” under the concept of “pleasant driving”.

The Note is touted for its comfortable indoor space and capacious cargo room, which involves a 2-layered multi-configurable trunk, which allows passengers to put their luggage separately at the top and the bottom of the trunk.

Nissan Note comes with 1.5-liter engine, and its estimated consumption is 14 to 26 kilometres per litre.

Just like the Vitz, Note’s price ranges between Ksh800,000 and Ksh1 million depending on the model and usage/mileage.

4. Honda Fit

It is one of the “small” cars, for the latest models, that uses both FF and dual pump full-time 4WD transmissions.

Honda Fit comes with a 1.3 liter SOHC engine, which according to experts, was made as compact as possible to enable low-fuel consumption of about 23 km per liter.

Honda released hybrid petrol-electric versions of the Fit in Japan in October 2010 and in Europe in early 2011. The fourth-generation model released in 2019 is currently sold in Japan, Europe, China, Taiwan, South Africa, and Singapore.

A foreign used Honda Fit in Kenya goes for between Ksh600,000 to Ksh800,000.

A brand new Honda Fit goes for between Ksh1.5 million and Ksh2.3 million depending on the period of purchase, model of the vehicle.

5. Toyota Passo

A Toyota Passo, in the same class as Daihatsu Mira and Suzuki Alto, is mostly used for taxi business. In its class, it is considered to be more fashionable, since it can be easily converted to a personal car in case one wishes to quit the taxi business. It wouldn’t be so fashionable to use a Suzuki Alto or a Mira as a personal car, however economical they might be.

Toyota Passo comes with a 4-speed AT transmission and two engine types: 1 litre and 1.3 litres.

Read: What To Look For When Buying A Locally Used Car

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