My two cents worth….Toyota’s in general are a very solid brand. I still own a 1992 AE100 that looks like s*** outside but will outperform most other cars on the road (or maybe its just me with a testerone problem).

Ive also owned an NZE, Fielder, a B15, a C 180, an impreza and a few others that may not be relevant to this discussion.(yeah I’m a car fanatic).

My take is that the Toyotas are very solid cars in terms of the basics but they come with no thrills. Very reasonable to run and operate, decent (not thrilling) performance, will probably last forever no matter what abuse you throw at them (if only the AE 100 could talk) but that having been said they are grossly overpriced in my opinion. In as much as they are solid cars you do pay a reputational premium for Toyotas in my opinion. It’s a two edged sword though as even though you pay more at purchase chances are that you will get a better resale at disposal. I paid 400k for my AE100 in 2001 and Ive had offers of 320-350k as recent as last year but was too sentimentally attached to see her go.

The B15 which is the only Nissan Ive owned felt flimsy and was a little thirsty compared to Toyotas. No idea about the new Sylphy.
My advice – and expect flack for suggesting this-get a slightly locally used and therefore slightly depreciated NZE if number plates dont matter much to you. My upper limit would be 1 year local use and even with that you need to get it thoroughly checked- especially suspension- to ensure you get a quality product. Other than that have you considered the Impreza? Not sure what current price is but suspect it might be cheaper and all Subaru owners I know swear by them. Hope this helps.

The car is unstable at speeds of over 100km/h,its exterior is okay,fuel consumption is okay,has a bland spacious interior and ages fast.Fortunately I sold mine this morning.

VX bado.I got the machine on a promise by an expatriate that he would lease it but it did not work out so I am stuck with it and I need money for an upcoming project.

@mawinder

So you bought the Sylph for 800K on 10.09.2012 and sold it I'm guessing 600-650K on 07.05.2013. So that's a 200K depreciation in 8 months...

What comparable car would you recommend at a similar price point +-150k.

what do you petrol heads think of the galant fortis?
though the duty for that car is ridiculously high, due to high crsp.

http://response.jp/imgs/feed_l/121461.jpg

[quote=Aguytrying]what do you petrol heads think of the galant fortis?
though the duty for that car is ridiculously high, due to high crsp.

http://response.jp/imgs/feed_l/121461.jpg[/quote]
In my opinion, it depends about this car. It's sportish as you said. That means re-sale value might be a problem. Client base is narrower.
And about status, I think it might suit youngsters more.

@Chaka Yes It has a hump/tunnel in the rear seat. The car is very spacious and the hump doesn't inconvienience much.

Regarding stability beyond 100Kph, mine was smooth hence a different experience than @mawinder.. The car drove smoothly beyond 130kph from Mbsa a couple of days back....

Hey car gurus!help here!

2002 VW Golf estate 1.6L at Sh 530k or a 2004 NZE at Sh 700k?