Toyota Noah Minivan-Kenyas Best Family Car

Depending on who you ask, minivans are either the bane of all transportation alternatives or an absolute godsend. Some might even say “I would never drive a minivan,” while others insist “I could not live without it!” All this differ depending on career, gender, use of said car and state of roads within that local area. Assuming that your family, including your extended family and friends, has outgrown the sedan, even those people who think minivans aren’t “cool” enough to be seen in, maybe you’d think the only other option would be a full-size SUV. No, I’m not going to tell you not to buy a full-size SUV, but I’m going to give you a lot of reasons why you probably should buy a minivan. Could I change your opinion of minivans, particularly when it comes to the Toyota Noah? Lemme give it a shot.

The Toyota Noah is a minivan which, depending on configuration, seats between five and eight passengers. The Noah was originally designed and built only for release in Asia but, as the global pre-loved automobile market has grown, it has become one of the most popular minivans in Africa. Since Noah is sold in Africa second-hand, there is very little to go on in the way of statistics, but seeing them practically everywhere should give you a clue as to how popular they have become. In fact, you can find Toyota Noah in Kenya  being used as family-movers, public-transportation, work vans, and even ambulances, thanks to the versatility and flexibility of this Japanese minivan. In particular, how does the Toyota Noah connect with families?

Interior Space & legroom

The first thing you’ll notice getting into the Toyota Noah is the absolutely amazing amount of interior space, which some might even refer to as cavernous. Depending on seating configuration, up to eight passengers can disperse, though none will get out of earshot. Whether it’s picking up your own kids and your neighbor’s kids after school or heading to the local mall, there is plenty of space for scrambling kids, as well as enough space for all their gear .

The Noah’s seats, unlike a full-size SUV or van, are also flexible, meaning you can move them around or even remove them, depending on your needs for the day. This afternoon, you might be picking up half a football team, but tomorrow morning you might be picking up stock for your mutumba business or shop, which you’d be hard-pressed to accomplish in a sedan. Similarly, some full-size SUVs may offer some flexibility, but have you ever tried to load luggage when the floor height is at your waist, instead of at your knees, as it is in a minivan? If you have, then you know the hardships I am talking about."Navumilia kuwa mkenya".

Expediency

If there’s a single word that sums up what it’s like to own and drive a Toyota Noah, it would have to be “expediency-which basically means "Appropriateness to the purpose at hand.” for those who were asleep during English lessons. Some might balk and say that a minivan is difficult to maneuver through crowded streets and parking lots, and it’s true, even if only a little bit, the Noah tends to be larger than other family transportation options, but it also offers a lot more to make life easier for driver and passengers.

For example, two sliding doors means there is no wrong side to park close to the tree. Additionally, available power sliding doors and even power tailgate can make life even easier, so the driver doesn’t even have to get out of the car to open and close doors. Also, have you ever tried to carry a baby, or shopping, and try to open the sliding door with your free hand? Toyota Noah’s remote keyless power sliding door option eliminates that problem.

Perhaps another key point that Toyota Noah offers is the sheer number of cup-holders, cubby-holes, and storage spaces, from the glove box and center- and overhead-console areas, to the doors, and even under the floor. This helps to keep things from rolling around on the floor, aside from the stuff that was already packed into the cargo area behind the last row of seats.

Road Trip!

As our families and extended families get bigger, as well as more mobile, you might have to consider taking your Toyota Noah for a long ride, but how would it handle it? First, you have to get the thing loaded, which, as we discussed, is all manner of easy, with ample cargo space and a low loading deck, and you might be surprised that you didn’t have to use the roof. Personally, I wouldn’t recommend it, because putting stuff on the roof wrecks your aerodynamics and fuel economy. Still, available roof racks can put even full-size SUV storage to shame.

Of course, now that everyone, and their stuff, is loaded, getting on the road is going to be a slow and painful experience, right? Thankfully, Toyota Noah’s engineers thought of all that, and there’s plenty of power to get through Nairobi traffic and onto the highway. Again, the question looms, with such a heavy load, surely you’ll have to find a gas station along the way? Again, no, because Noah’s engine options are surprisingly frugal at the pump. The 2.0 ℓ i4 engine under the hood of the Noah may be able to put out just shy of 160 hp, but also manages to consume just 7.1 ℓ/100km, which is comparable to a Toyota Corolla, which consumes just 7.6 ℓ/100km. On the other hand, the full-size Toyota 4Runner / HiLux Surf consumes almost double that, at 13.8 ℓ/100km.

In the Toyota Noah, even a long trip can be manageable. The seats are comfortable, most of them reclining, and some of them available with leather upholstery. The high suspension is soft enough to soak up most of the road, but not so soft that passengers get sea-sick. Audio and navigation systems are available to round out the driver’s experience "though not many Kenyans find much use for this", and an available rear-seat entertainment system can keep the kids busy in the back seats without interrupting the driver. Keep the windows closed and use the climate control system, and the cabin is just as comfortable as your living room.

Truly, the Toyota Noah is a minivan that’s hard to knock, even by those who swear, at least for “coolness” sake, they’d never get into one. Portrayed as one of the best do-everything vehicles on the road, the Toyota Noah really delivers.