The good and the bad about this family car
Going by the number of Toyota Ipsums on the road, it obviously is a popular buy. Could it be the price? Compared to other seven-seater MPVs like Mazda, Estima, and the Oddysey, it is a bargain but having spoken to some owners there is more to this versatile family car.
It is functional, comfortable, easy to maintain, and affordable. It also has good fuel economy, an important consideration in these times of high prices. A well maintained 2.4cc 2000 model Ipsum will easily give you 14kms on a highway. Not bad for an MPV of that power.
Some say it’s ugly but of course that in the eyes of the beholder.
In reality most people are attracted by its ample luggage space even when all seven seats are occupied by adults. It is quite comfortable. Some have front and rear AC blower. And the 2.4cc engine packs some power.
The Ipsum is easy to service and repair as body and engine parts are easily available in Kiseka, the downtown used parts market in Kampala.
The engine parts are similar though to the pricier Estima, so you could find a few items selling a bit high but they should still be affordable.
Recently, I have noticed that politicians love them for their sun-roof; obviously is it is a cheap way to do a superstar wave to constituents on a campaign trail. Sun-roofs are cool will young families, as younger c h i l d r e n enjoy popping their heads out during a leisure evening drive about. However, if none of the above is a measure issue, avoid the sun-roof Ipsum. They could be hard to maintain as the hardened rubber may crack and cause the roof to leak.
The Estima is more spacious and bigger in size and look really chic. It also sits seven but they are more comfortable leg-roomwise, and it has more luggage space. But someone who owns both says the Ipsum is more comfortable to drive because of its smaller size and lower weight but with a big 2.4cc engine.
So the Ipsum is still a good buy this season. However, this last point is very, very important. To own an Ipsum comfortably, one must throw prestige out of the window, hit the functional button hard, and harden your skin not to be irritated when you see an Ipsum taxi in Iganga, a bread vending Ipsum in Kampala, and a Nsenene ferrying Ipsum in Masaka. Such things do not bother me but don’t buy an Ipsum if they do. Resale value is quite good especially for the lower-end earlier models.
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written by tiffany jewelry, March 31, 2012
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