Fresh from reviewing the venerable Nissan Juke, we had a yardstick with which to measure the Mitsubishi RVR. We put it through its paces and in the end the results were pretty close if not tilted in its favor. The RVR wins it in interior space and luggage capacity. We found it to be roomier, comfortable and economical. In Kenya, it competes with the Nissan Juke, Subaru XV, Nissan Dualis and Honda HR-V.

There’s a new kid on the block by the name of Nissan Juke and it’s taking the Kenyan car market by storm. The Nissan Juke looks and drives like an SUV but it’s really an economical hatchback at heart. We drove the Juke and can say without fear of contradiction that it’s one of the best economy cars we’ve driven in a while. Of course it’s not without its faults but when all factors are considered, it’s one of the best.

The Toyota Vanguard is a versatile and functional vehicle that can serve both small and large families. It is a bigger version of the Toyota RAV4 and has been sold in the Japanese market since 2007. In Kenya, its popularity has been gaining steadily due to its off-road appeal and 7 seater capacity.

The Subaru Impreza is a diverse car; from the slow and subdued 1.5L, to the very potent 2.5L WRX STI. It’s the true embodiment of Subaru’s ingenuity in producing cars with a broad appeal. In Kenya, the Subaru Impreza gained traction in the early 2000s when people took notice of its modest fuel consumption and off-road capability. It also benefitted from the good reputation left by its predecessor the Subaru Leone. Now in its fifth generation, the Subaru Impreza has been in production since 1992.

The Nissan Teana is one of the most stylish and elegant Japanese automobiles we’ve driven in a while. It drives so well that for a minute, I was mistaken to think it was some exotic German estate. It actually resembles the Mercedes E-Class especially on the exterior. It competes with the Toyota Mark X, Audi A4, Mercedes C Class and BMW 3 Series.

The Mazda Demio is a small 5 seater hatchback manufactured in Japan since 1996. It competes with the Toyota Vitz, Honda Fit, VW Polo, and Nissan Note. It’s best suited for light urban commute but can be used occasionally for long distance travel.

The Toyota Vitz has been an impactful car in the Kenyan market. We credit it as being the first subcompact to achieve commercial success and widespread adoption in this market. Of course there were others before it such as the Toyota Starlet and the VW Polo but these never impacted the market the way the Vitz did.

Toyota Vitz receives a lot of love and hate on the streets, especially on Kenyan roads. There are some negative stereotypes surrounding it which paint a bad picture of the car. However, the Toyota Vitz is a very reliable hatchback. It has steadily improved over the years to become a highly sort-after car for drivers looking for an economical and practical car. Additionally, the Toyota Vitz ranks highly among its competitors in the market such as the Nissan Note, Mazda Demio and VW Polo.