Muhmmad Mustapha’s first car was a Honda Civic, and his second a Honda Accord. He likes Honda cars because it has become a culture to own and drive the brand in Kano and most parts of northern Nigeria.
“The Civic is mostly called ‘fish-eye’ or ‘Panadol-Extra’ and the Accord, ‘End of Discussion,’” Mustapha says, explaining that the brand is usually a wise choice because their spare parts are accessible and easily found at most mechanic workshops.
“You can buy the engine, gear box, glass, fender, grill and other body parts and electrical parts, whether new or scrap, from other wreaked Honda cars,” he says.
This Honda enthusiast, like many other people of Hausa extraction find it difficult to own and actually use any other automobile brand. Their reasons are the following: Honda is user-friendly, has fuel economy, and is easily worked (and bought) by a larger number of mechanics, electricians, panel beaters, and scrap buyers when they get old and are beyond repair after an accident. It is also easily sold when one needs to upgrade to a newer model or raise money when in distress.
This is not all. They state that Honda is used for commercial purposes in Kano city and beyond.
However, some Nigerians who detest the Honda say the brand has a driving-shaft problem which usually pulls out and leads to car crashes or an embarrassing breakdown in the middle of the road.
But some decade-old owners of the brand argue that this is only due to lack of a sound maintenance culture. They add that every good driver should park upon hearing a strange sound and check to detect and fix the problem or find out whether the car can make it to the mechanic workshop for repairs. Instead, some drivers continue driving the car until it breaks down or causes an accident.
Arguably, the most commonly used Honda products are Honda Accord and Honda Civic, irrespective of the year of production. Some of the models of Honda cars are: Pilot, Ridgeline, Prelude, City, Jazz, Quintet, and Odyssey among others.
For Abdulhakim Akoshile, a Yoruba man, his preferred brand is Toyota, especially the Camry model. “I have seen many people among my kith and kin using it and they recommend it as a reliable and durable product,” he explained, adding that Toyota does not have the alleged problem of driving-shaft which leads to the metal rod breaking free. It has a powerful four cylinder engine with good torque, air conditioner and is more spacious than other cars in its category.
Akoshile who uses the Camry called ‘Fish tail’ because of its tail light, explains that Camry hardly develops engine faults. “The only major concern of the brand is the kick starter which needs to be in good condition. Also, the battery should immediately be changed with a new one when the car does not easily start. Camry is commonly used as airport taxi in Lagos,” Akoshile says.
Many Camry owners working in Abuja city and staying in satellite towns say they pick passengers to and from work to complement the cost of fuel, especially during petrol scarcity and passengers prefer it because it is big compared to others. “Toyota is a car you can sell to anybody, be it for commercial, private or business purposes. Also, you can sell to any dealer, friend or relation in Yoruba land and he or she will be contented,” said Akoshile.
Other Toyota models include Starlet, Yaris, Prius, Corolla, Hiace, Celica, Carina, Camry, Picnic, Sienna, Rav4, Highlander, 4Runner, Prado and Land Cruiser.
However, for Igbo the preferred automobile brand is the Benz. “Igbo people have a preference for quality, that is why many Igbos buy a Mercedes Benz car, particularly when they have become rich or to show that they have achieved much in life,” Mr. Emmanuel Morah said.
He said in Igbo land, many people strive to earn a living and Mercedes Benz makes heads turn, especially if it is an A-Class, C-Class, E-Class, S-Class, CLK, SLK and the ultimate high-end SUVs which are in M-Class and the G-Glass categories. The other common Mercedes among the Igbo extraction are Mercedes 200, 230E, 190, 200 (V-boot).
However, it is said that if a Hausa man goes to buy a car he goes with a mechanic and demands that the car be assessed, while a Yoruba man goes with his kit and kin and they asses the car before he makes payment.
But when an Igbo man goes to buy a Mercedes car, he goes alone and demands that the car must have some features different from other cars of the same model. This can be the air conditioner, four head-rester, spoilers, alloy rims, sun-roof, automatic gear, heater, metallic paint, cup holder, keyless ignition, LED reflectors, LED fog light, maintenance booklet, key sensor, and multiple-charger among others.
