SUBARU FORESTER 2.0L TURBO KAX – 500K NON NEG
$5,000
Nairobi, Kenya
It’s time for me to part with my beloved Subaru Forester that’s been in my care for 3 years. I’d never sell it if I wasn’t about to leave the country.
Unlike every single expat who has driven their first ever 4x4 vehicle in Kenya I’m not going to refer to mine as ”The Beast” – it’s far too agile and flexible to earn such a horrible nickname.
My friends tell me not to write that I just drove it to Joburg and back – but I think that this 11 000km journey just proves that this is one of the best allround vehicles you can find for East African roads (besides, it shows on the odometer anyway and that distance only on Kenyan roads would be way worse for the car than what we covered).
It could take speedbumps in the 100s in Tanzania, it sailed through Zambia and from Botswana downwards we could push a steady 175km/h for hours over the endless flats. In Joburg, some Boer mechanics with serious muscles and tattoos up to their necks (that’s what their Subaru specialists look like) changed oil filter, air filter and oil and told me I was good to go back. There were no issues whatsoever. I’m doing the same service as we speak.
To me, this car is optimal for driving in Kenya. It’s got constant 4x4 driven by a flat 2.0L boxer engine that gives amazing stability and it has a turbo that kicks in after 3000rpm, giving much appreciated power when joining Waiyaki Way by Safaricom or when overtaking six trucks in a row outside Voi. Though the best roads to drive this car on remains the dirt road through Kakamega forest or the former lake bottom sand tracks along Lake Victoria – it’s just incredibly fun to drive on some decent rally roads. But if you push it past the 180km mark on your way to Namanga, the needle will just keep moving and the engine won’t struggle at all.
The manual gearbox has a wonderful ratio. Push it to 140km/h on 3rd gear and continue to 170km/h on 4th to get optimal power before engaging 5th, but then you’ll burn some extra petrol.
A/C is working just fine, by the way.
The rally brakes are fantastic – four pot caliper brakes on the front wheels, two pot on the rear, that’s double the standard brake power which makes it very smooth to slow down.
The nearest competitor in this price range would be the popular Mitsubishi IO, but I’ve seen those struggle at high altitudes and that’s not going to happen with this turbo.
The car is from 1999 but it’s in great condition and comes with some extras:
Two years ago I replaced the whole engine and since then it’s been serviced every 5000km.
• ”The Midnight Sun” – 10 LED lights in a rack by the radiator. This gives you 10500 lumen worth of light, compared to the standard 1500 lumen high beam. Excellent for punishing those fools who can’t tell the difference between high and low beam. And gives great visibility during night time driving.
• Sound system – Four Sony speakers and a Pioneer subwoofer under the passenger seat. Excellent sound with base enough to create a minor earthquake. USB connection on the Pioneer stereo that can charge an iPhone and play music from all kinds of sources, as well as aux.
• Turbo timer, adjustable engine switch off delay. Currently set to 30s to let the engine cool down after driving.
• And it comes with a real fire extinguisher, a full sized spare wheel, two triangles – and if I sell the car this week I’ll throw in a brand new cooler box from SA that can be powered through the cigarette jack.
Anyone buying this car will look forward to lots of joy. Whatsapp or call on 0715003058, tyre kickers are encouraged to stay home. If interest is high, price might rise to 550K, however I’ll not sell below 500K as I’d rather keep it parked here as I’ll be coming back to Kenya quite a lot.
It’s available from September 10th, 10 percent deposit needed to seal the deal. Available for viewing in Lavington.
YOM: 1999
Engine size: 1999cc
Gear: 5 speed manual
Odo: 170K (new engine in 2014)