The Petrol Head Prophet · PHP

A wealthy friend of mine with old money once told me something years ago that I’ve never been able to unhear. People in expensive cars stop for pedestrians because they genuinely enjoy being in their cars. The seats are cooled and heated some even have that massage feature. The AC actually works. The music sounds the way the artist intended. The suspension absorbs the potholes instead of breaking your spine through them. They are in no hurry to arrive because the journey itself is comfortable. Now look at the corona kibina UAP guy. The seat foam is collapsed. The AC blows warm air or nothing at all. The radio is held in by hope. The suspension transmits every pothole directly into his lower back. Every kilometre is mild suffering. Of course he’s in a hurry. He’s not driving, he’s enduring. This is why driver behaviour in this country is more about car comfort than personal character. Put a calm man in a tired Ipsum with no AC in Kampala traffic at 3pm and watch him become a different person by 5pm. Put an aggressive guy in a Mercedes or Lexus with cooled seats and Harman Kardon or Beats audio and watch him suddenly start waving pedestrians across like a gentleman. The expensive car isn’t making them better people. It’s removing the discomfort that was making them worse drivers… This is also why upgrading a car is sometimes the most honest investment a man can make in his own peace of mind. Not for the badge. For the seat. For the quiet. For the cold AC. For the privilege of finally enjoying the time he spends moving from one place to another. Comfort really does change everything.

@AutoTrendzUg This! Very good tip.

I’ve never had an issue with people buying accident cars. Do I recommend them? Absolutely not. If the chassis & main pillars are damaged, it is no longer a car. It becomes a moving coffin. On impact, the welded parts easily come off and can cut you into pieces like a spear. But again, people will always argue that the car was “properly fixed” with “OEM” parts. I have no issue with people choosing to buy them. Each to their own. My issue has always been when someone fixes an accident car, then sells it to an unsuspecting buyer and, even worse, at the price of an accident free car. That is NOT a sale. That is ROBBERY. I’ll be doing a video on how to easily tell if a car has been in an accident. In the meantime, remember to follow our WhatsApp channel for practical car care tips. Here’s the link. whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vb… And if you’d like us to inspect a car before you buy it, reach us on 0729 686 646.

So far, three people I know have had an accident in a C63 AMG in this country. Two happened to walk away. One did not. And every single time the conversation afterwards landed on speed when speed was actually third or fourth on the list. The C63 that's common in Uganda is the W204 generation. 6.2 litre naturally aspirated V8 with about 451 horsepower and 443 lb-ft of torque. All of this going to the rear wheels only because Mercedes never built an AWD version of this car. There is no 4MATIC C63. The power and the road negotiate with two rear tyres only. That is fine when the car is set up correctly. Most aren't. The base C63 came with an open rear differential. The limited-slip diff that should have been standard on a 451hp car was an optional extra. Most units arriving here from Japan came without it because Japanese buyers rarely ticked the Performance Pack box when selecting the trim. Most owners don't know this. Then the factory-staggered tyres get swapped for whatever the old kampala tyre shop had in stock that morning. The car was engineered around specific rubber with specific compounds. Aftermarket tyres in different sizes and harder compounds rewrite the entire grip and stability function of the car. Kenya atleast has an AMG community that teaches itself this stuff with specialist mechanics via WhatsApp groups with guys who actually read the manual. Here, we have tiktok videos.😂 Most crashes aren't because the C63 is too much car. They are because the C63 is exactly enough car sitting under owners who were just sold the car but never handed the manual. If you already own one, three things matter immediately. Fit a Limited-Slip Differential if yours doesn't have one. Run the correct staggered tyres. And leave the electronics on until you actually understand what they are doing. The C63 is a great car but It is also a teacher and the tuition fee is just unusually high for students who didn't or refuse to study...

Nobody has ever sat in a WRX and heard that boxer engine at full noise walks away neutral. You either get it on the spot or you spend the rest of your life mildly annoyed by the people who do.😂

@KatoJameskats2 I’m glad you found it here.

@AutoTrendzUg Wow...the info i badly wanted 🙏

Walking into a Used Car bond this month? Read this first. 5 checks most buyers skip. Each one missed has cost somebody millions. This is the exact order I run them in for clients. Save it.👇

@nmmbabazi @MujuziEmmaK @AutoTrendzUg Most people still think wheel balancing is a luxury and should only be done when going for Christmas

The broker holding the money is where it always starts going wrong. They become the deal instead of just facilitating it. One rule that changes everything should always be that your payment goes to the name on the logbook. Nobody else. If that's not possible, the deal isn't worth it then.

@AutoTrendzUg Like you said, sounds obvious! It cost me a bit not doing this. I gave a broker money, he didn't pass it all to the owner..Next thing is to ask for a transfer, the stories began! Cheeei!

@ricky_isaac9 Thank you🙏

@AutoTrendzUg Well done chief

@ntabaddejm Thank you🙏

@AutoTrendzUg Bookmarked Followed👌🏾✍🏽

@MichaelMuto3 Thank you.

@AutoTrendzUg Whatever you have written is 100% correct and very useful

@best101bits 🤝

@AutoTrendzUg True!😃

The car is driving itself and I'm just here enjoying the view. Adaptive cruise control & Traffic Jam Assist in New Model Vehicles is something else. It follows the car ahead, slows down when they slow down, moves when they move. You just sit there and feel like you made very good life decisions.😅 Nairobi to Kampala used to drain me. This changed that!💪

@DeBobsUg This means a lot honestly. I just try to give people the information they actually need before they make decisions they'll regret... Thanks for the big follow🙏

@AutoTrendzUg You are the person, some people believe there are still good people in this world. Kudos, and I give you a BIG follow.

We're not at land title level yet but we're closer than most people realise. Dial *285# on MTN or Airtel. No internet needed. Search motor vehicle, enter the plate and it tells you who the car is registered to in the URA system. That alone can save you from a very expensive mistake. For a more detailed search including ownership history, go to ura.go.ug, click e-Services then Search and Certification under Motor Vehicle. It costs around 20k but gives you the full picture including chassis, engine number and registered owner. Also check the UPF Mobi App before buying anything. It shows outstanding fines..

@AutoTrendzUg Mr. PHP thanx for this information, do we have any app we can use to check and verify the ownership of a car by just a click on the phone as it is with land titles these days.

With Lane Keep Assist it actually is. The car steers itself within the lane, you’re basically just supervising… Asides from our African trust issues…😂 Most of our roads have sections where the lane markings disappeared, so the car is sometimes working with less information than it was designed for…

@AutoTrendzUg Self-drive isn't hands-free? 🤗