There's a steady shift towards German cars in Kenya and the Audi A4 is stack in the middle of this shift. People are pivoting from Japanese cars due to their skyrocketing prices and high demand and many see the Audi A4 as a perfect alternative. It's a diverse car that can compete with Japan's finest; the Audi A4 can take on the Toyota Mark X, the Audi A4 Allroad can take on the Subaru Outback and the Audi A4 Avant can take on the Mazda Atenza wagon or the Subaru Legacy wagon. These are very interesting matchups that many savvy buyers are considering but are kept at bay by the fear of German cars and their propensity to fail spectacularly due to an overload of sensors. Is this a founded fear or just an urban legend that's keeping many from enjoying the best of automobiles? Read on to find out.

The Nissan Sylphy is a five seater saloon that comes with excellent interior space and a refreshed exterior look. It's one of the few cars in the market that offers a perfect balance between luxury and economy making it highly recommended for people with families. It competes with the Toyota Premio, Toyota Allion, Mitsubishi Galant Fortis and Mazda Atenza.

The BMW 5 Series is an executive car that bridges the gap between the smaller 3 Series and the swanky 7 Series. In Kenya, the 5 Series appeals to a corporate and upscale clientele that is drawn to its high-end luxury and uncompromising safety features. It's locked in an eternal duel with the similarly loaded Mercedes Benz E-Class with buyers torn between the two. Both are really excellent cars and a choice between either usually boils down to personal preference.

The Toyota Axio is one of the most fuel efficient saloons to buy in Kenya and with the introduction of the new hybrid model in 2013, it's now super efficient. Much as the hybrid technology is making inroads in this market, early signs indicate a slow adoption and it will take time before people fully embrace it. The good news is that the non hybrid models are still available and nothing significant has changed with them.

The Mitsubishi Galant Fortis entered the market in 2007 riding on the same name as the original Galant that was discontinued in 2005 and hoping to inject the sporty appeal of the Lancer Evolution. It was initially offered as a saloon until 2008 when the hatchback version known as the Galant Fortis Sportsback was added to the lineup. It then went on a production run that ended in 2015 when the curtain fell on this respectable motor.

The Toyota Belta was an attempt to reimagine the popular Vitz in a saloon body and obviously the experiment did not work as it was scrapped in a little over 6 years. Before it, there was the Platz which was similarly built on the Vitz platform and suffered the same fate. That aside, the Belta has connected well with Kenyan buyers and is among the most popular saloons in this market. Its key selling points are affordability, fuel economy and utility. It competes with the Honda Fit Aria, Nissan Tiida, and Toyota Axio.

The Toyota Crown keeps getting better and better with each iteration and there's no question it's one of the best Japanese luxury cars. The 14th generation that was launched in late 2012 is near impeccable and it pushed things a notch higher with a futuristic exterior design and a flawless interior that rivals the world's best.  

The Toyota Allion replaced the Toyota Carina to the disappointment of many fans who loved the Carina’s sporty appeal. Over time, the Allion’s elegant design and practicality has slowly won them over. It also has an upper hand in the Kenyan market compared to its competitors thanks to its low maintance costs and availability of spare parts. It competes with the Mazda Atenza, Nissan Sylphy, VW Passat, Audi A4, Subaru Legacy and Mercedes C180.