Africa-Press – Uganda. Janet Nalwanga
I bought my Toyota Allex 2004 model in 2015 after selling a Toyota RAV4. I like the Allex’s small size that makes my town runs very comfortable. It is small, enabling parking and driving on narrow roads where trucks or big cars cannot pass easy. It is more economical in terms of consumption and maintenance compared to the RAV4.
It also has a small engine of 1500cc that I find pocket friendly in terms of fuel. It is suitable for motorists who want to drive without spending much on fuel. For example, I often drive to Gomba District and I spend Shs100,000 to and from Kampala. Surprisingly, although it is a small car, it offers enough driving comfort on long distances.
It also has a spacious interior that provides enough legroom for the driver, co-driver and passengers. The trunk is not as spacious but I can comfortably carry luggage, especially foodstuff from upcountry without a change in fuel consumption.
I take my car to the garage for service once in four to six months. On each garage visit, I spend Shs150,000. This will replace air and oil filters, fill up gas in the air conditioning system, engine oil replacement and a few other repairs.
Jimmy Wagaba
The Toyota Allex disproves popular belief that small cars are light when driving at relatively high speeds. It is a car I can comfortably drive at 100km/hour on the highway and I will not feel any kind of vibrations or it being unstable on the road regardless of whether it is loaded or not.
Much as the Allex is small in size, its off-road capability is good. When accelerating on muddy and slippery roads, its All-Wheel Drive (AWD) system distributes enough torque to enable you drive through the terrain with ease, especially if you have good tyres with treads. I keep my foot on the acceleration pedal and comfortably drive smoothly through slippery roads without causing a big difference on fuel consumption.
I spend Shs200,000 every time I take the car to the garage, which is twice or thrice a year. This is affordable given the fact that it takes long to break down or even covering the 5,000km mileage prescribed on the service manual. The only time I ever spent a lot of money on service was when I replaced the tyres that cost me Shs180,000 for each tyre. I also had to part with Shs200,000 to fix a dent that had been made by a truck. Repainting also cost me Shs500,000.
Benard Asiimwe
I drive a Toyota Allex as a commercial car (Uber) and one of the aspects I like about it is its fuel consumption. When the fuel gauge goes past the red line, I can continue driving for at least five kilometres or slightly more depending on whether there is traffic jam. And when I have fuel, I cover approximately nine kilometres using one litre of fuel in Kampala when there is no traffic jam.
When I have clients to drive upcountry, I cover 12km to 14km using a litre of fuel on the highway. It is dependent on how I accelerate. When I am driving downhill, I shift the gear lever to neutral mode to save fuel. When I fill its fuel tank of 55 litres, it takes me approximately 12 days without refuelling. Because it is my daily drive car, except on Sundays when I rest, I service every two months. I also attend to some repairs as they arise because there are those such as flat tyres, broken or stolen lights that cannot wait. I mostly replace brake pads, replace or top up automatic transmission fluid, brake fluid, engine oil, fuel and air filters and sometimes wipers. I am yet to replace tyres because I have never replaced those with which I bought the car.
It is a strong and durable car that will have a mechanical fault and still be used. It also has raised ground clearance that allows me drive through rough roads while transporting clients in different places, especially those slightly distant from the city centre.
Difference between Allex and runx
Although both the Toyota Allex and Corolla RunX share many similarities, the main difference between these cars is their size. The Allex offers a larger amount of space, therefore making it recommended for growing families and their day-to-day activities.
The Toyota Allex also offers better cruise control capabilities than the Corolla RunX, bringing about a better balance between engine power and fuel economy. However, the RunX is preferable to drive within particular road conditions, due to its slightly improved overall traction and slip differential over the Allex.
Specifications
Seating capacity: 5
Max power: 105 – 90ps
Fuel consumption): 116 – 23km/L
Drive Type: AWD/FF
Engine capacity: 1,496 – 1,795cc
Fuel tank capacity: 50
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