Car Buying in Uganda

Car plays an important role for transportation in our daily life. Especially car is very needed in Uganda to ensure luxury transport and saves lot of time. In Uganda from low to high budget car is available and most demanding car is the used car which is also called second hand car. However, before buying a car specially used car, one should know the tips to buy a car. But if you buy brand new car that means 0 mileage then just choose the design you like. And when buying a used car just make sure to check the following parts.

1. Engine & Gear Box

2. AC of the car

3. Condition of the tyre

4. Blue book (Digital Registration Certificate of BRTA)

5. Car paper update date

6. Car body

7. Mileage of the car

Which car is best under 100M?

You will find some good models in 100M  because different brands release some low priced cars in the market and they are available as "recondition form" in Uganda. Also, you can get used cars, some of which are popular models such as Toyota Aqua, X Corolla, Probox, T-Carina, Corona, Premio.

What condition Car should you buy?

• New Car: Car with zero mileage is generally considered a new car. In this condition, the price of the car is within the high-budget range. However, when buying a new car, long-term guarantees and service warranties are provided.
• Reconditioned Car: Car that have not been used in Uganda and have been imported from abroad are called reconditioned car. However, the price of a car in this condition is higher than that of a used car. However, the price of a reconditioned car varies depending on the mileage, engine, cc capacity, and model year.
• Used Car: Car that has been used in Uganda is called used condition car. Used car is also called second hand Car in Bangladesh. You can buy car in this condition at low price. The price of a reconditioned car varies depending on the mileage and external condition of the car. Also, the resale value of second-hand car is high in Uganda.

Manual or automatic- which one should you buy?

Both manual and automatic systems are popular. If you have purchased your car for sports and racing, you should go for a manual transmission. It also requires manual transmission for mountain roads and off-road. And you can go to the automatic transmission for normal driving. Automatic transmission is popular for everyone because it's easy to learn and drive.

Which type of Car body style is right for you?

The right body style should be considered when choosing a car that suits your lifestyle, is suitable and comfortable for personal, family, or office staff transportation. Moreover, the price of the car also varies depending on the body style.

• SUV: This body style car is usually large which is suitable for both on-road and off-road use. Moreover, the SUV body style car offers higher ground clearance and an attractive driving position. The interior of this body style car is large enough to comfortably accommodate 5-7 passengers.
• Saloon: The Saloon body style car is usually designed with 3 separate compartments for the engine, cargo, and passenger. This body style car saves fuel. Apart from this, it offers good handling and performance while driving. Saloon body style is also called sedan body style. Most of the saloon body style car can comfortably accommodate 4 to 5 passengers.
• Hatchback: This body style car is designed like two boxes. It combines separate compartments for passengers and cargo. The rear doors and windows of the hatchback body style car can be raised and lowered together. As a result, the rear seats can be folded down when traveling with the family or when additional storage is needed. The hatchback body style car can usually accommodate 4 to 5 passengers.
• MPV: This body style car is mainly known as a people carrier. The MPV body style car offers ample legroom and headroom that is comfortable for family or office travel. This body style car can accommodate 5 to 7 passengers, with some models providing more seats.
• Crossover: The crossover body style is a combination of both sedan and SUV body styles. This style of car offers a high driving position and a large cargo space for transporting goods. The crossover body style car is suitable for light off-road and urban driving. This body style car can accommodate 5 passengers. However, some models provide seating for 7 passengers.

What is the popular car color in Uganda?

The popular color of car is Silver, White, and Pearl in Uganda. During the dry and winter season car gets lots of dust in exterior and these colors help to reduce the dust visibility and look decent in all environment.

Which brand is best in Uganda?

Toyota is a brand car that can be seen on almost every road in Uganda. It is a Japanese car manufacturer headquartered in Japan. Toyota can provide the only car according to the needs of the people of Uganda, so Toyota is undoubtedly the best car brand in Uganda. In addition, other brands of car including Honda, BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Nissan, and Mitsubishi are also popular in Uganda.

Which country's cars are usually available in Uganda?

Japanese reconditioned or used cars are the most popular in Uganda because they are very durable and can be used for a long time. 

What should be my budget to buy a car?

Car price in Uganda ranges from 100M to 1B Uganda Shillings but car price mainly depends on the car brand, car model, manufacturing year and facilities of the car. If you buy a new car, the budget will be much higher because it will provide good service without any defects, in the long run, resulting in lower maintenance costs. On the other hand, if you buy a reconditioned car then the car price in Uganda will be at least 100.000,00 Uganda shillings and you can buy a car of popular brands and models in mid-range quality. Even cheaper cars are available in Uganda and sometimes these cars are quite good for budget buyers and you can buy cars in the country for less than 500,000,000 Uganda . Remember the price of the car depends on the color, condition, brand, model and year of manufacture. Also consider the resale value of the car you are going to buy in the country. If you are a car fashion lover, choose the latest models and the price will start from 2,500,000 UGX and these cars are exceptional good in quality and they are much needed in Uganda because they are equipped with modern technology to prevent road accidents.

What are the advantages of Hybrid car?

Hybrid cars can go 25-30 Km with 1 liter of oil. The hybrid car has two engines. An electric and 1 oil engine. The electric engine is powered by batteries and these batteries are automatically charged while running on the oil engine.

Are 4WD vehicles available in Uganda?

4WD cars, also known as 4-wheel drive cars, are mainly found in the hilly areas of Uganda. As the name implies all 4 wheels have the ability to accelerate. Hence, this type of car is very useful even on muddy roads and provides special convenience for Uganda roads. But some fancy cars and sports cars also have 4WD facility. These cars can be bought for as low as 500M  in used condition and from Uganda Shillings in new condition.

Is used private car good for first-time buyers?

If this is the first car buying then used private car may not be smartest choice because you may have to go to a lot of maintenance process. However, if if you have small budget but eager to get a popular brand car then this is the only option. Remember, if you can buy it directly from car owner then this will save a lot. These car often referred as Private car in Uganda. But if you can buy it from showroom then it will also save you from many repairing hassle because they usually do all required repairing first before selling these old private cars.

Which type of car has the highest resale value - new or used?

If you buy a new car and then want to sale it after some time then the price may be reduced as the time goes. After 5 years the value may be dramatically reduced to 40% if this is the latest model. However, if you buy used car then resale value will not be reduced that much and in some cases it could be only 10% but this depends on how much the car maintenance is done.

What is the maintenance cost of a car in Uganda?

It depends on what type of car you have purchased. If this is very old model low price car then the maintenance cost will be higher because frequent servicing is required. For latest model cars it is the minimal cost just like changing the engine oil, air filters. However, you need to consider the additional cost if you need a driver for your car.