The Toyota Corolla Axio
Recently, a customer in Nairobi who wants to import a car from Japan to Kenya e-mailed me saying: “I want a luxury car but I don’t want to spend too much money. I want to import a Toyota Corolla Axio.”
And this got me to thinking: How far the Corolla has come! Is it really a luxury car now?
Well, the Corolla Axio certainly is. Just a quick look at these stock manufacturer’s photos show us that it’s a very comfortable, roomy, high spec and attractive sedan.
Years ago you bought a Corolla for reliable family transport at a good price. But now when you look at the Corolla Axio you see a higher class of vehicle, and people in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda want to buy second hand Toyota Corolla Axios from Japan not as a basic transport car, but as an up-market car for a successful businessman and also for families that want more than a dash of luxury, but also want reliability and a good price, too.
In common with the original Corolla idea the Axio is certainly still a very reliable and strong vehicle and with its front wheel drive (FF) or optional all wheel drive (AWD) layout it is a better car for countries like Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda where, while many roads are quite good these days, there will still be times you’ll be on a low grip surface road like earth or gravel (especially if you go to visit your family back in the countryside or small town).
and you need the better grip of an FF or AWD car for safe driving. It’s on these kinds of back roads where other rear wheel drive (RWD) luxury cars may let you down.
Let’s look at the 2008 Toyota Corolla Axio since next year it will be the right age to have the lowest import tax to import a Japanese used car from Japan to Kenya. (It’s October 2014 as we write this.)
When you want to import a used vehicle direct from Japan to Kenya, or Tanzania, or Uganda, of course you want to buy a quality Japanese used car. And a Japanese used car exporter like us at Japan Car Direct can help you find a good car at the Japanese car auctions or from the Japanese dealers; but you also want to be sure yourself of the specifications and features of the used car you have in mind. There’s no point in hunting for a good low mileage used car from Japan if it is not really the type and class of car you want, with the features you want.
So what are we looking at with the 2008 Toyota Corolla Axio?
For looks: It’s a nice, well proportioned, well balanced sedan.
For outside size: It’s not too big at all and the advantage of choosing to buy your used Corolla Axio from Japan is that you get the Japanese spec size: 1,695mm wide (vs. 1,760mm for the international spec version) and 4,390mm long (vs. 4,540mm). These extra centimeters of external compactness are a great help when parking in tight spaces or when passing on roads that are too narrow for comfort. (Living and motoring in Japan, I am a great believer in narrow cars. It can be really tight here!)
But for inside size: The Corolla Axio really wins here. The cabin is roomy with good leg room for the rear passengers,
and the boot is very roomy indeed.
This is an excellent choice for the man or woman who needs an executive car Monday to Friday, but who wants to go out with the family on the weekends, maybe to stay over, and wants passenger comfort and luggage space.
For a business that needs to cater to executive and management clients, the Corolla Axio is it: Not too pricy and expensive and “in-your-face,” but still tasteful and classy while keeping a bit of modesty.
And then the Axio is still (for all its fancy, classy up-market style) a Corolla, thank God, because that means you get the reliability and low running costs and low purchase price that makes a Corolla Axio a luxury car that you can really afford to have. It won’t drain your wallet at all.
Many parts are shared with other Toyota cars so you won’t have to wait for parts to be shipped from Japan, and the fuel economy is very good:
For the base 1.5 liter that weighs in at an ideal 1,100kgs you’ll be getting good gas mileage at 17.2km/l (Japanese 10/15 mode) if you drive the 5-speed manual, and an even better 18.2km/l is you drive the fuel saving CVT automatic. (The 4WD option will knock about 1km/l off these figures.)
Going for the bigger 1.8 liter motor you’ll still be getting a very good 17.2 km/l with the CVT transmission (the only transmission option on the 1.8 liter Corolla Axio). With the 4WD option you’ll only be getting 14.4km/l, but for a 4WD luxury car, this is very good gas mileage indeed.
You may find the suspension a bit soft for hard cornering, but this is not a sports car, and the slightly soft suspension really helps to smooth out the bumps and give your passengers a comfortable ride.
If you want performance and sporty handling, you can always buy a TRD Axio GT, with the turbo intercooled engine:
With this car you get the big cabin, the big boot, the class and reliability, and you get the sportiness too.
You won’t have any serious complaints with the Toyota Axio, and if you are into features and refinements, you’ll find them: ABS, air conditioning, back view camera, CD/DVD/MD, central locking, power mirrors, power steering, power windows, power brakes, sporty (but subtle) rear spoiler, dual air bags, etc., etc. The Axio is very well equipped.
So if you want to buy a second hand Corolla Axio from Japan, a good unit with low kilometers and well cared for, we at Japan Car Direct can help you find your Corolla Axio to import to Kenya, to Tanzania, or to Uganda. If you need a good luxury car that is not too “over the top,” that gives the safety and good handling of front wheel drive, that takes your clients (or family) in comfort and style, and that does not cost too much money or make you wait forever for parts, you will be happy, very happy, with a 2008 Corolla Axio. (And you’ll love the big boot!)
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