Here are the results for place 25 to 4 for the Out of Africa Challenge
Comments/remarks for each entrySMC Panther: A 286HP bullet out of control. But, just like a bullet to the brain: it instantly kills you! Terrible ride, totally off in every way. You would think that the manufacturer of this car would have other motives than transporting people. Maybe nice for dictators who want to give their political opponents a "gift".
Madrias Baron: 2.6L engine with 118HP AWD, but still fairly difficult to drive and not very cheap either. Eventhough it has AWD, stay on the road! Corrosion? That is part of your life if you own this car, and all of that for a hefty price tag both when purchasing it and when you drive it. Don't buy this car new, go for a second hand if you can find it as it loses you money hand over fist.
Rutland Bittern S1600: Overall ok, but nothing exceptional, until you get stuck with RWD in the bush with a broken engine and no spare aluminium head to put on your cast iron engine block. Terrible reliability.
Mercusa Hound L: Nice to race around with cam profile of 90 at max 5700 rpm, burning fuel till you don't have anything anymore on the steppe. Forget about off-roading and if the gas bill doesn't make you bankrupt the service costs will.
Rolev Viking: Steel, Steel and more steel and a 2.5L I4 engine. Paying gas bills should be no issue for the owner if you own it, you can always default (or can you?) and while your at it better avoid those tropical storms. It is spacious however and has 5 seats!
ZSD Roosya 4x4: Nice and relatively comfortable car with radio. Modernish, slightly more difficult ride, but still good on gravel. However, better buy it only if you can maintain the garage bills to fix that rust.
Ponni Olympus MKII E: Safe car, lots of good features there with comfort in mind. Good drive, but please let it stay on the tarmac. Also don't think about pulling other cars, it has enough problems pulling itself. Still good for within African cities though!
Airborne Arthemis: Huge car, almost the size of a small truck. A 3.0L I4 offroad truck that is! However, sadly difficult to control and not exactly fuel economical with nearly 17 MPG, unless you need vehicles for a transport company.
PolMot Gobi: Great drivability, relatively small car, better to stay mostly on the roads with this one. It isn't too expensive either, so for sure affordable, but the seats, well let's not talk about comfort too much here. Eventhough it doesn't weight much it is still made almost entirely out of steel. Engine is small, but fairly modern and made out of aluminium.
Baltazar Atacama 2050 i: This car did a lot of things right. Relatively good comfort, performs well off-road and drives ok. However, sadly it did not have an economical mindset. Gas bills are a tad high, but still ok. Service cost also not bad, were it not for the terrible sensitivity to the environment. If you need and can keep it in your garage you will likely be able to afford something else as well.
Romanov Rodina: Decent car overall, compared to the competition this model offers decent value for money. Off-roading is average and don't expect a car that is particularly easy nor difficult to drive. Gas bills are somewhat higher, but ok. You can help others, as long as their cars are somewhat lighter than yours. However, overall bit too expensive for what it offers compared to some of its competitors.
ManHell Venturi W90: Average value for money here with this car. Can be easily kept under control and the power-steering is a nice feature. Even considers the environment by having a cat converter in it. Service costs are relatively high though, but at least it is quite safe to drive around in the rain with this car. Also again, performs quite bad to pull others or perform some heavier duties.
Ardent Ozette LX: Very easy to drive, has power steering and ABS. Off-road is average to good. Has decent safety features on board. However, it is more of a John Doe kind of car. It is decent in most things, but except drivability it does not stand out enough from the crowd. That said, people can surely buy this car without too many worries.
ZM Agadez 2.1 Rafiki: A comfortable big beast of a car. Eventhough it is big it is still a good off-roader and practical. It is even excellent for off-roading, maybe more than required, but that can be no issue. But being big and strong comes at a price. It's engine is slightly under-powered and the car is mostly steel, which means rust. It will also deliver you some serious gas bills and it not exactly the cheapest of the bunch in terms of purchase, but for sure overall decent and exceptional in some areas.
GSI Kilimanjaro: Something completely different. Not a big lumpy car, but a small compact kind of car with relatively good performance by its 1.1L engine. Fuel bills will be laughable with this one and it offers good value for money when you buy it. Don't think of yourself to be doing heavy duties with this one, it isn't designed to be that. Also it isn't very practical, but at least simple to drive and the sportiest of them all. Could be a hit in Japan, with some more finishing here and there.
PAW Helvum AX: Certainly one of the nicer looking models. Offers average value for money as it is more expensive, but also more durable. Gas bills are cheap for this one, considering its size and class as a station wagon. Offers fair comfort and is overall well made, yet doesn't stand out too much in order to be the great hit that the company hoped it would be for Africa. Still will sell decently no doubt, as it is a safe buy.
SBA Jungler: Nice and cheap model with very good value for money. Quite corrosion resistant for its value and somewhat cheaper service costs. Car suffers greatly in comfort however, which is its biggest shortfall. The floors of the car are only painted and botch-work as well, but if you don't care about that it will be a cheap and reliable buy. Also surviving a crash with this car is doubt-able above 50 km/h.
LHE Düefour: If you think cheap to run, think this car. Exceptional fuel economy combined with low service costs. For the price critical African a car that can be maintained and easy to drive as well. Whether it will actually retain its value over time is more doubt-able though, it has the tendency to show signs of corrosion. Also it is not practical at all and forget about heavy duty and impressing your neighbors with this. That said, as most Africans will be able to buy this it will sell no doubt, especially with those that do not want another jeep.
Bogliq Mouse: This car is not a jeep, that already makes it different. It retains it value very well as it hardly rusts or show any signs of corrosion at all. It has a good fuel economy and very low service costs. A great package for little money. Again, sadly a bit small and therefore not so practical. Furthermore, it is not easiest car to drive and off-roading is not great with this one compared to its competitors. However, overall a good package for anyone who wants a cheap car with great value for money and nothing else.
Mitsushita Jesta Africa 2.0 AWD: Fine looking car, that's for sure. A station wagon too, offers average value for money as it is somewhat more expensive to buy. However, thanks to its design and size it is very practical and offers a good off-road capability, eventhough it is a station wagon. Drives easily and surely comfortable enough for its class. Safety is somewhat low and it doesn't really inspire people to drive it for fun. However, a great car. Especially for those that want to have something else that also looks good and is adequate for everything it encounters.
Desert Motors Olive-ER: A bit antiquated coupe design. Offers good value for money, as it might be a bit more expensive, but is also reliable and corrosion resistant. These things hardly rust! Fuel mileage is bad though, eventhough it has a 1L push rod engine and 5 gears with overdrive. However, money you need to fill your car you save with the service costs. It is a good off-roader for when you need it and offers nice and comfortable ride for this type of car and it has 5 seats. It doesn't invite to take it for a spin, but who cares, it will bring you were you need to be.
Daiki Crosser: The best of the rest and almost made the top 3. This car has great value for money and retains its value well. It is somewhat cheaper than average, but still very corrosion resistant. Service costs are somewhat low and has decent fuel mileage. It scores well in safety and performs adequate in off-roading and easiness to drive. It is also one of the more prestigious cars, eventhough it is not that expensive and offers a comfortable ride. However, we think this car could have been even better. The brakes are overpowered, which helps in the safety but increases costs. 3 piston solid disks are overkill for a car weighing 740 kg and having only 48 HP. Fuel economy could have been even better with a more conservative cam profile. However, still it manages to perform excellent overall though you shouldn't ask it to perform heavy duties. Will no doubt do well in Africa, and who could have doubted that a Kei car from the land of the rising sun wouldn't do well in Africa.
So what forms the top 3 then?The following entries are within the top 3 (in alphabetical order)- Der Bayer: BAM P1100 A
- Elouda: Lightstar Janus 418A
- harizvet1: Infinity Motor QX 10 1.8
Sat Jun 13, 2015 3:46 am 
Actually this is the first time I have not been near the bottom 
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