One of the first things I noticed about Central and Southern Africa was the prominence of the Toyota Corolla. They are everywhere and I mean everywhere in every state of repair. They often act as a taxi and have even replaced the once charming presence of London cabs in Nairobi. Instead of exiting the airport to surreal scenes of thorn trees and cabbies, you are now greeted with tastelessly modified...you guessed it, Corollas.Granted, it's a reliable car and the new models are quite sharp. You can even pretend you are driving a sports car if you go for the body kit offered in most countries but in reality, you are driving an econo-box. So my office car here is, naturally, a Corolla.
I'm not complaining though as the ole phrase, 'beggars can't be choosers' reminds me of how lucky I am to have a car at all here (Burundi). Still, the Corolla I drive has perhaps the most lackluster engine I have ever experienced. It's the extreme base model which means plastic wheel covers, no frills interior and itty bitty engine under 100bhp.
Perhaps its redeeming factor is the fact that it's an estate (station wagon) model which we don't have in the States. It's not a bad looking machine at all and remains perfect for zipping around the tiny city of Bujumbura. The suspension is suffering from one too many pot-hole hits and it corners with all the grace of an ox cart but again, I'm grateful to have any wheels at all here and it saves me from having to search from something myself which, in these parts, can be quite a challenge.
If I COULD choose something, it would be the new Toyota Land Cruiser Wagon which is really cool looking in a Safari kind of way. But for now, I'll just be happy with my little wagon, even if the steering wheel is parked in my crotch.
