One rule of surviving in any type of economic condition is frugality.

One needs to buy articles that are cheap, yet durable and useful for many purposes. That is why Wuzup Naija has compiled a list of cars with the most desirable qualities for use in the present Nigeria.

1. Toyota Corolla 2000-2006. One prominent advantage of cars of this model is their fuel economy. With a 4-speed automatic transmission at 26/36 mpg or 9.0/6.5 liters per hundred kilometers, the car can drive up to 579 kilometers one 50L tank of petrol. This means it can drive from Lagos to Kogi, about seven hours drive on a mere 50 liters of fuel. That would be an advantage in this era of N145 for a liter of petrol.

Many users of the car have reported only having to service it after every 3000 kilometers and that’s all. So one spends less on both fuel and maintenance of the car.  It sells for around N1.5m for a second-hand from Europe but it can be seen for as low as N400k for a good third hand or Nigerian used.

 

2. The Volkswagen Type 2 (T3), also known as  Vanagon is our first recommendation. Popularly known in Nigeriaas Faragon, a corruption of its real name or Danfo, the car is known for its great fuel economy. It is also one of the cars favoured for commercial transportation business in Lagos, the economic capital of Nigeria. Apart from its rugged engine capacity, the roominess of the vehicle would support car pooling, while it may also be used for part-time commercial buy persons seeking alternative source of income in this period of recession.

The Vanagon also has very huge second-hand value such that if one is no longer interested in the vehicle after several years of use, it may still be sold for as much as it was bought. Currently, a ‘Nigerian-used’ Vanagon can sell up to N1 million while ones imported from Europe may cost up to 100 percent more. Because thousands of these brands of vehicle can be found in Nigeria, mechanics who specialise in repairing them are also easy to find.

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3. Nissan Vanette truck 1999-2011 model. The light truck that started out is an excellent option for Nigerians looking to venture into agriculture at this time. The Vanette truck is regarded as a good working van with a fair size engine. It is not fast, but who needs speed on Nigeria’s bad roads in the first place. It is strong and if careful it is safe and easy to drive. It can be used to haul farm products, and furniture and so on. A Nigerian used second hand can be as low as N400k