Intermediate Car Rental Options in Uganda

Intermediate cars are the kind of cars whose size is between the large SUVs and the small compact cars. In Uganda, there is still a limited number of intermediate cars for Uganda safaris. The none tarmac roads make it a little hard for most of the intermediate cars to make it to the remote parts of the parks.

It is therefore expedient, that you consider an all-terrain intermediate vehicle. Unfortunately, the list of all-terrain intermediate cars in Uganda is relatively very limited. At the moment, there are only two intermediate cars that most car rental agencies offer for self drive safaris in Uganda.

Nissan Xtrail 2005

The Nissan X-trail is one of the most comfortable and reliable intermediate vehicles available for car rental in Uganda. However it comes with one major challenge, and that is its price. Some car rental agencies price it more expensively than the Land cruiser Prado yet the Prado is a better car offroad.

The interior of the Nissan X-trail 2005 is more appealing than that of the Land cruiser and of the Rav4. But its ground clearance is not as good as that of the Land cruiser Prado. Regarding fuel consumption, it will depend on the engine type. The gasoline engine of the Nissan X-Trail is 2500cc while the diesel option is 2100cc.

Land cruiser Prado 3000cc Diesel engine

Therefore, the Nissan X-Trail is a more economical option compared to the Land cruiser Prado which is available with a 3000cc diesel engine option, 2700cc petrol engine, and 3400cc petrol engine. Therefore, even though the Prado is often priced like the Nissan X-trail, you will have more mileage with the Nissan X-trail than with a Toyota Prado.

5 Door Toyota Rav4 Model 1999

The 5-door Toyota Rav4 is the bigger version of the 3-door Rav4. The 1999 model is still the most popular intermediate car rental option in Uganda for anyone considering a budget intermediate car. The car comes with a 2000cc petrol engine and automatic gear transmission. Some car rental agencies offer the manual gear transmission option but it is not popular.

5 Door Rav4

With the 5-door Rav4, you can visit almost all parts of Uganda including Kidepo valley national park in the dry season. However, most car rental agencies do not allow travelers to take their Rav4s to Kidepo valley national park. If you are to take a Rav4 to Kidepo, you are often not allowed to do a game drive with it.

The interior of a 5-door Rav4 is not as appealing as that of the Nissan X-trail. But besides the visuals, the Rav4 will give you more mileage than the Land cruiser or Nissan X-trail. It has good ground clearance making it suitable for most of the rough roads in Uganda.

Toyota Rav4 Rental in Uganda

It has one major negative, unlike the Nissan Xtrail which has an option of re-enforcing the 4wd, the 5-door Rav4 is a full-time 4wd car. Therefore if you ever get stranded in a Rav4, you will need a tow rope for your rescue. It is therefore highly recommended that you carry a tow rope in case you are to offroad with a Rav4.

The 5-Door Rav4 also has very limited trunk space if compared to the Nissan X trail but again, it is highly recommended to travel light while on your Uganda self-drive safari. Some car rental agencies offer their Rav4s with a mini fridge allowing you to keep your drink either cold or at room temperature more so in hot places such as Murchison falls national park.

In conclusion, the list of recommended intermediate vehicles for self drive tours around Uganda is made up of a 5 door Rav4 and a Nissan X-trail.