DEFENSIVE DRIVING TACTICS FOR ALL CARS; What you probably didn't know..

 Ideal for all types of driving-most easy walking shoes or sneakers qualify

                

Defensive driving starts just before you enter your car to drive off. Your clothes and especially your driving shoes should all fit comfortably. Remember your feet are key players in this exercise-your choice of footwear should be designed to offer maximum support to your feet as you accelerate, shift gears or brake, especially in an emergency situation. Avoid slippers or slip-ons as much as possible-they can be treacherous in wet conditions, especially in a manual car since you have to switch your feet  from pedal to pedal. Additionally, take a moment and walk round your car to check your tire pressure. Car and self-vigilance is the general rule of thumb here,and I'm also assuming your ride is in good running condition, all services and checks in good order.

Not for serious driving-avoid this especially in wet conditions

Once on the road, be alert for all types of situations and allow yourself reasonable reaction times. Allocating greater attention on the road and its surroundings is one surefire way of achieving this-try letting your eye span linger at intervals as far as two hundred meters ahead, or fifty sideways where possible, while maintaining attention on the car and it’s immediate surroundings. Immediate surroundings will include other cars if on the highway, pedestrians if on the street or residential areas and wildlife if in the country. Scanning your horizons continuously keeps you in control of your immediate environment, and in a good position to maneuver and escape danger or damage should an emergency occur. Most unhappy situations on the road are caused by motorists' errors, so it is advisable to stay at least twenty meters in front or behind the closest car on the highway, and ten on the street. If anything happens to the driver in front, you are sure to notice and act accordingly since you already have the advantage of distance on your side. This prevents rear-end collisions in many cases. An exception to this rule is when you are around trucks or trailers-my advice here is for you to stay behind trucks when going downhill or in front going uphill. Getting boxed-in between two prime-movers can get anyone nervous. Most accidents involving heavy machinery happen this way-trailers hurtling down mountainsides as a result of brake failure or bad road conditions.

An example of the ideal stopping distance in street driving

Give speeding trucks a wide berth on the highway

Stay away from drivers you deem inconsistent or exhibiting erratic behavior-the chap in front who can’t seem to make up his/her mind whether to go left, right or ahead. Don't forget some could be very new drivers or kids out on the night whose parents are away. Or the lone ranger that stays with you on a lonely highway at night, maintaining your exact speed. This should tell you something-at best, it’s just another lonely soul in need of the reassurance that comes from knowing there’s another human being around. At worst, it’s someone up to no good-carjackers, hired assassins, armed robbers, stalkers, paparazzi. Then you really have to use your sense of judgement in order not to alarm the other driver.With this type of an individual, it’s advisable not to show any signs of panic in order to buy yourself time. That's how distance helps-you have the luxury of time in which to make what would otherwise be a split decision.The idea is to get yourself to more populated areas where you feel safer and where an open attempt on your life or car is unlikely to succeed. The golden rule here is to stay with a group as much as possible so that you are able to communicate your situation to the other drivers should anything untoward happen-by leaning continuously on your horn or flashing your hazard lights to indicate your distress. The driver who weaves from lane to lane is probably seriously indisposed mentally, or is outright drunk. You may not believe it, but there are people who own powerful and fast cars who enjoy taking it out on drivers of ‘lesser cars’ every time they get pissed off, or just for sport.Watch out for that powerful muscle car that’s bullying everyone by thunderously changing lanes-that’s probably a very young Lewis Hamilton wannabe. A dangerous type that you want to stay away from. Especially since youth and drugs seem to go together. In such a case, give way-it’s sometimes the only way to avoid getting tail-ended.

Driving in light rain calls for caution-road surfaces are especially slippery

 Light rain showers play havoc with the road surface, making it more slippery than a heavier downpour normally would. This is because the sparse rain water forms a rough mixture of light mud and oil, a deadly combination, and one that catches many speeding drivers unawares. Every driver needs to slow down in such road conditions. Hard-braking when the road is in this state is a sure recipe for disaster. If your tires are worn, you need to take extra care.

It is highly-recommended that all car owners, and in particular those that spend a lot of time on highways, take up defensive driving lessons in order to stay safe. Employing the tips discussed in this article will often help a driver stay out of trouble on the highway or the street.

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SUVs; WHAT THE RICH IN KENYA DRIVE;TOYOTA, NISSAN, MITSUBISHI, LAND ROVER, BMW,VW

Kenyans with deep pockets, especially newly-minted internet millionaires like Anthony Maina love SUVs, and Toyota, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Land Rover, BMW and VW compete fiercely in this lucrative sector. As usual, Toyota leads the way, outselling everyone both in the new and used car segments. The Land Cruiser VX and Prado models have become household names. Nissan has the Patrol and Pathfinder models. Mitsubishi comes in with their tried -and –tested Pajero/Shogun. Land Rover is easily the most recognizable marque here- the Defender is the darling of all forms of disciplined forces the world over, and the only bona fide offroader to feature here. It is also the only car to retain the same structural design for over forty years! BMW is a relative newcomer but has already proven her popularity with the X5 and X6 models. VW brings the Touareg. The cars are listed based on price, visual appeal and ability on and off road.

This previous-generation Prado is well-sorted in all departments

This old Prado is weighed down by all this armour. Just look at those ghastly alloys and body kit

Not everyone agrees with this frontal look

TOYOTA PRADO/VX; the first generation of the Prado was an eyesore-not only was it underpowered, it looked like a jalopy even when new-big, protruding bumpers that looked ready to fall off at the slightest shake. It was appropriately nicknamed the ‘box’ in Kenya. The new Prado got it right the very first time with sensible engines, design and reliability, making it the default car for most elected public officials, successful businessmen and the emerging breed of ‘internet millionaires’ all over Kenya and the greater East Africa. The car has commendable off road ability, although it can’t be compared to a Land Rover Defender in this respect. I believe people flock to buy them because of their affordability-an eight year old used Toyota Prado car in pristine condition from Japan will set you back about 3,000,000- Kenya shillings or 35,000- USD on the road-a new Prado would cost about $ 75,000-. Parts availability is a big plus as well.

All that chrome spoils an otherwise fine SUV

Smaller, more compact and less shiny, the Pathfinder has many admirers

NISSAN PATROL/PATHFINDER; the UN and aid groups love this car, maybe because of its immense dimensions and space since these things are huge, especially the Patrol. The Pathfinder looks and drives better, of the two. Very competent SUVs, although the Patrol is deemed by many SUV owners as excessively large and lacking in character. The Pathfinder fills that void beautifully-a leaner version of the Patrol that avoids the use of too much chrome on the grille and other body parts. The result is an SUV that would tempt many Toyota customers away.

Cutting-edge body styling makes this Pajero a winner. Parts and maintenance costs are an issue

MITSUBISHI PAJERO/SHOGUN; Pajero is no longer the market leader it was in the nineties. Even though they are fantastic machines to drive, they cost more to maintain in the long run than the average Japanese SUV with her parts being a tad costlier. In my opinion, this SUV looks sportier than its competitors courtesy of its wider wheel arches and shorter front overhang. Older Pajeros may have been blocky and cumbersome, but this new one looks like it could give any other 4x4 here a serious run for their money.

The futuristic Range Rover Evoque is a rich man's toy

Massive street presence-this is probably the best SUV in the world and has all the comforts of a limo

Shape has been unchanged for decades-its rugged look, no-nonsense build and live axle make it unbeatable off-road. It's a nightmare to drive on tarmac, though-a bit like riding a bronco bareback.

LAND ROVER; without bias, Land Rover is the only bona fide offroader here, everyone else is a pretender. It has kept the same body shape for decades, a fact Land Rover enthusiasts don’t seem to mind. Most are found in far-flung rural towns. Missionaries love them as they are able to traverse extremely difficult terrain without breaking up. They last forever- seventy per cent of all Land Rovers ever made are still in operation. Massively expensive to maintain and especially thirsty. Range Rover, the luxury arm of Land Rover has some of the world’s most-coveted SUVs. The Land Rover Discovery is now looking good and shares design cues with the Range Rover, but remains the former's poorer cousin in most people's minds.

The VW Touareg has proved its offroading credentials on numerous desert excursions like Paris-Dakar

An SUV that is more at home on tarmac than in the wild

BMW X5/VW TOUAREG; compared to the top four, BMW and VW are relative newcomers to the Kenyan SUV scene. You have probably heard the term ‘the efficiency of the German machine’ bandied around during the World Cup. These two SUVs are a good example of that. Germans pride themselves on being the best automotive engineers in Europe, if not the whole world. They are also superb performers on tarmac, something most SUVs struggle with.The new X5 can be had for around 16,000,000 Kenya shillings or 180,000 USD. A 2007 X5 could cost between 4-5,000,000 Kshs at dealers, depending on the car's specs.

ALLOYS CAN MAKE OR BREAK A CAR'S IMAGE-TRUE or FALSE?

             CAR ALLOYS FOR TOYOTA, NISSAN, SUBARU, …

 Car alloys on a Toyota, Nissan, Subaru or Mitsubishi improve the car’s appearance in much the same way a nice pair of leather shoes do to a man or woman. A man’s Armani suit or gold Rolex no matter how well worn will not look like much if his shoes are scruffy. A simple, well-laundered suit can, however, be made to come to life by a pair of good shoes or killer heels for ladies. Just trying to paint a picture here-this isn’t about shoes.

That Toyota, Nissan, Subaru, Mitsubishi, Honda, Mazda and most other Asian manufacturers make some of the most usable, economical and reliable cars is not in doubt. Great products in general, but quite bland, if you ask me. If you really want your Japanese car, wagon, or pickup to shine, it makes sense to invest in great looking alloys. Some cars wear them with more panache than others but if chosen carefully, car alloys normally have the power to dramatically alter for the better the way your car looks, from an eyesore to eye candy. And everyone wants their car to look hot, right? Nothing gives grown men more pleasure than the knowledge that they are receiving admiring stares from other motorists and pedestrians. In this article, we’ll explore ways everyone can improve their car’s overall appearance. Don’t forget good alloys can improve your car’s resale value too.

Avoid at all costs

The proper way

Excellent

What's wrong here? Car looks frighteningly futuristic-the alloys seem organic, like giant black pumpkins.

TOYOTA FIELDER; by nature, the Fielder is a workhorse and her alloys should reflect that. Rims therefore should be strong and functional. Most people’s image of her is of a car laden with a family of five and at least five suitcases, leaving for a weekend break out of town. Not lounging around town showing off-she’s a plain Jane, and is unlikely to be invited to any drag races. Her alloys should therefore be stylish, but modest (size 16’). Avoid the temptation to over-style the wagon by adding low-profile wheels and over-blinged rims to her street attire. It simply doesn’t fit her image as a modest, unpretentious and limelight-shy station wagon. But I’ve also found that the Fielder wears black rims very well, especially when the car body paint is silver or blue. With black or white, it’s better to stick with the shiny stuff. I would highly recommend this- it renders a sporty image to an otherwise ordinary car. A Kenyan first-time car owner will feel really good in something like this; The Toyota Vitz, on the other hand, looks just fine in simple, sporty yet modish alloys. The Vitz is a supermini, and this has to be borne in mind by choosing alloy size 14 maximum. Any larger, and you risk making the car look heavy and unwieldy.The Toyota Mark X is a great road tool,  and is, in my opinion, comparable to a BMW 5-Series. However, all that can be voided by sporting alloys like shown above. Unless you are a player in the showbiz business in a third world country who craves mob attention.

Excellent

Of all Nissans, only the Altima Coupe can pull off this look

NISSAN ALTIMA; in both sedan and coupe form, the Nissan Altima is a joy to dress. The car’s wheel arches are wide enough to accommodate up to size 18 alloys in absolute comfort if you wish. However, as the Altima is both an office and fun car, owners should combine some sobriety and imagination whenever shopping for alloys-as with all cars, ugly alloys can ruin a car’s otherwise fine appearance. The Altima’s best look is achieved by alloys that manage to look sporty, yet understated. Other Nissan cars and wagons can be shoed with varying degrees of success. The Nissan Tiida hatch wears 16’s beautifully, and can make most alloys look good. The new Wingroad is a nightmare to tart up because the car itself looks odd with what appears to be a hump on its roof.

Both black and shiny alloys are ideal for this monster

The Impreza looks great like this

SUBARU FORESTER; The Forester’s dual image as a benign family lugger and a demonic speed monster (especially the STI) makes it a hard car to bling. But like with the Fielder, care should be taken when choosing her alloys to achieve a good balance between usability, sportiness and good sense. After all, Foresters are also mild offroaders, so rims need to be strong and durable in addition to everything else. This wagon wears black or gold sports rims well, especially on blue and light- colored cars. Up to size 17 is ideal for a standard, non-modified car. You can strike the perfect balance by getting ones like shown above;The same can be done with all Subaru cars, ie the Impreza, Legacy, XV, Outback and Tribeca- all look great. You might want to stay away from stark-white multi-gilled rims, unless you're an Impreza-it's the only car here that can pull off that look with any degree of success.

 

WHAT'S YOUR CAR PERSONALITY TYPE? MERCEDES, BMW, HUMMER

WHAT’S YOUR CAR PERSONALITY TYPE?-HUMMER, BMW, MERCEDES

When it comes to shopping for a car-money being no object, of course-men and women usually have definite ideas of exactly what they want. A woman wants the car she ends up buying to be functional and aesthetically beautiful, but above all feminine-an extension of herself, so to speak.  A bit like shopping for clothes or jewellery. If a woman lives in the city and buys a Hummer or a Jeep, all sorts of questions may arise, including ones to do with her sexuality (Is she, or is she not?). For men it’s much easier- as much as possible, a man wants the car he drives to make a loud statement about himself. But what drives one to buy one and not the other-after all, most of these cars are priced within range of their closest competitors? Join us to find out.

Meet the original-The civilian version below was inspired by Arnold Schwarzenegger, former Mr Universe, Hollywood action movie icon and California governor

The Hummer is the ultimate macho car

THE HUMMER; with its ‘in your face’ looks and in its original form, the Hummer or Humvee (in American-speak) is an intimidating armored military vehicle. This machine first appeared in Kenya in 2005, just before the heavily-contested 2007 presidential elections between Mwai  Kibaki and Raila Odinga. Kiambu county governor, William Kabogo is said to be one of the first to acquire it, followed by Raila Odinga and a host of other politicians. Media and sports personalities (Denis Oliech, McDonald Mariga) joined the fray. People who own this car are said to be militant and intimidating to drivers of smaller cars on the road and off. I somewhat agree-I’ve been stuck between a Mack truck and a Hummer. It can be quite a humbling experience. Owners are also said to be loud, aggressive, vulgar, and socially dominant, but generally lacking in finesse and decorum, educated as some may be. The Hummer is a symbol of enforcement, whether in the burning deserts of Afghanistan enforcing America’s will, or in the streets of Colombian cities enforcing drug cartels’ interests. I would take care not to cross anyone who drives one. What’s the best adjective to describe Hummer owners?-Aggressive, brawn-over-brain, society ‘bad boys’, real-time gangsters-take your pick. It is definitely not a car for someone with a nine-to five job, unless you are a music producer and can bring bling to the office because you own the bloody company. I wouldn’t mind driving one to Lamu to scare the Al-Shabaab.

BMW; dubbed ‘the ultimate driving machine’ by its manufacturers, the BMW is a car that forks out loads of driving pleasure to those lucky enough to afford it. Owners are a younger set of easy-going, suave, sophisticated individuals who work hard and play equally hard. Most are highly educated and are in high-flying careers—high-finance, IT, medicine and law. The car is widely considered the perfect road tool for drivers who are young enough to enjoy driving just for the sake of it. Owners are therefore mostly thirty-five to forty-five, outgoing and easy to live with. The only problem non-BMW owners can have with these guys is the latter’s tendency to talk about nothing else but cars, comparing their rides with other ‘inferior’ makes. A true BMW aficionado strongly believes a Beemer is the best motor ever made. Unfortunately, a BMW is often perceived by most people as the lesser cousin of the Mercedes, a fact that really irks the owners. Because BMW owners believe they are at par, if not better than Merc. The truth is, a 3-series BMW is almost as good dynamically as a C-class Benz, the same way a 5-series is to an E-class. Lastly, a sizeable percentage of these blokes are said to love their toys more than their women. But that’s just the ladies talking.

MERCEDES; a rich man’s tool, in Kenya and all over the world. This is the car that screams ‘’I have arrived’’ or ‘’I’m old money’’-owners are wealthy of course, a fact that also makes them condescending to owners of inferior forms of transport (knowingly or not). If they work, Mercedes car owners normally  occupy the highest echelons of the corporate world since these cars are both expensive to buy and maintain. Otherwise they are royalty, property owners or politicians. You will very rarely see a Mercedes serviced at a dubious roadside garage; it’s always at the dealer’s workshop as these guys are sticklers to protocol. Because of this, it’s extremely difficult to con a Merc owner, as this is the kind of individual who prefers to let others do their dirty work for them as a habit. They live in leafy suburbs and you can find them hobnobbing with peers at golf clubs on weekends.  Except for C-class  and other sports Mercs, most of them prefer to be chauffeured around, even though they can drive. I would describe them as social snobs.

Has the most space of all the estates I know. For polygamists.

The S80 can compete with Rolls for overall comfort.

VOLVO;  the Swedish luxury car maker has long been seen as the supplier of safe, sedate,comfortable but ultimately unexciting vehicles, especially during the 80s. Of course that has changed with the introduction of the S80, S60, C70, C30, etc-but the perception remains. People who fit this car's personality are highly-paid university dons, medical doctors in private practice and brilliant but slightly eccentric lawyers, to name a few. They shun the limelight, but are extremely outstanding in their fields. Most are guys who could afford a Mercedes or a BMW but choose to go the opposite way just to shun the Benz and Bmw classes who they think are too flamboyant. Most iconoclasts are found in this group. Volvo owners usually have large families and dogs, and the need to transport these has made Volvo's cavernous estates (V50 all the way to V70) especially popular in Scandinavian Europe and states like Utah in the United States.

Jay Leno has one..

JAGUAR; the Jaguar has the aura of the hunter. Funny enough, I always think of Tiger Woods whenever I think of this car. Most Jaguar owners are slightly eccentric, mysterious, philanderers or have been touched by marital scandal. Being a British car (not anymore), this group would also include the English aristocracy. Owners are, in most cases fabulously wealthy sportsmen or businessmen. I say this because very few women prefer this car, unless they are the bossy, corporate, controlling types.You can tell it's a man's car by the way all its bulges and curves are all akin to a big cat's-no offense meant to my female readers-personally I think women who drive Jags are fab and mysterious, all at the same time- In my mind, the car is female-Is there such a thing?

PEUGEOT, CITROEN & RENAULT; two groups of people in Kenya drive these vehicles- one is the brand-loyal Francophone owner who grew up when these cars were dominating the local and international rally scenes. The second group is made up of fastidious individuals who loathe Asian cars, but are not loaded enough to acquire Europe or America's best. France is known for making extremely cool-looking cars, especially small ones-Peugeot 207, 307/308, RCZ, Citroen C4, Renault Clio. Owners of all these are superbly-cultured men and women, who want to flaunt their unique stuff and look understated at the same time. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad-yeah, the highly independent-minded president of Iran drives a 504 to date. So does Chloe Madeley and Susan Boyle. In my opinion, these French guys are underrated- they produce some of the best-looking small cars in the world at the moment. Quality has improved tremendously since Peugeot made the 406. Citroen is a different matter altogether-until only very recently, their biggest achievement was building cars that made people stop and wonder, not with admiration, but to laugh for a few minutes-in other words comical marvels that only the quirky Frenchman could conjure. The Citroen 2CV and  DS, for example.. I would pay good money to be able to understand what was going on in the designers' minds when they made these two.

Car or fish?

Everything about this car tickles my funny bone

One of the best-loved cars of its time, the 205 reignited the hot-hatch battle with VW in the 90's. The 1.6 and 1.9 (GTI) had enough grunt to frighten most cars. Peugeot's small car segment remains its strongest