We know the winner, its always going to be the British Icon, 'the best 4x4 by far',

if thats what you need at more than double the price new, & whats needed for real hard work, passenger carrying, load carrying, towing serious weights etc, or extreme use, and also with some comfort, so a real off roader, or just a status symbol.

and maybe the one to get if you can not afford a Toyota 4x4 that can do all that but better.

 

So just a video of a tiddler you can have fun in, reliable, not very economical, only part time AWD, & obviously with flaws & not to every ones tastes, but pretty much the same as when launched 15 years ago, and not much more to buy new now from then allowing for inflation.

 

http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-video/suzuki-jimny-vs-land-rover-defender

and remember the Jap is on road rubber

I used to own a Jimny (quite a few years ago).

 

It was brilliant off road.....lightweight, big tyres and proper transfer case with High and Low range. Like the defender though, it was very bad at motorway cruising........loud, uneconomical and rough.

 

I have a relative who works in a Suzuki dealership, and last year there was a 1 year wait for a new Jimny! She also told me she had to drive a new Jimny around to the workshop just down the road.........she thought there was something wrong with it....or that the rear tail gate was open....it was that noisy. I told her that's normal!      

 

But for the price, you absolutely can't beat them for off road performance. 

Edited 10 September, 201312 yr by booke23

Sorry but something was very wrong there or people had specced a very special Jimny, there was no 1 year wait on builds or delivery. new unregistered ones were sitting in the UK.

Automatics were a bit scarce and are still in demand, new and used.

 

george

SWMBO's mum, who lives north of Hamburg, has what's called 'winter dienst' (winter service) which means she pays a small sum to the local garage owner to clear her long driveway of snow in the kalt winter months. He has an aged (almost as old as you, George ) Jimny with a snow plough attached to the front and a sand hopper on the back. Winter tyres fitted (it is Germany after all) and he swears by it. Spoke to him once and he told me, apart from regular oil changes in spring and autumn, he does almost nothing to it. In fact he said it's parked up for ~ nine months of the year.

http://www.kapsuzuki4x4.co.uk/suzuki/jimny.php

I have had a snow plough on the front of my pickup and a hopper on the rear.

 

george

Like on the white one here.

When I had Vitaras I got invited to an off road day launch for the Jimny, we weren't allowed to drive them but a team of drivers took us around a bog site. A petite Kiwi lass took me around and drove the wheels off the thing, both her and the Jimny were very impressive. It is/was too small for me though.

lol, You must be tall, i am 5ft,11.3/4"  and 120 kg+ , maybe only 100kg when i first started driving them though.

 

The Suzuki Rhino Club that you used to get Membership of when you bought a Suzuki was great,

and the Driving 1/2 days they held. The Driver Instructors where particularly good and nice to be with.

Usually held at Dunkeld for the Scottish Events.

I think you know I am a fan of the Jimny already sk4gw  I remember a friend back home (total North East) suffered a little with his Niva off road, at least when compared to his dads Defender, mainly due to ground clearance. Solution was to put a bigger diameter tyre/wheel combo on and raise the differential height Not sure if you can get away with that on the Jimny or whether the gearing would be to much for the little beastie? I know I love my Vitara, as it not only looks quite cute (3dr chunky looks-no practical boot at all, so shopping stuff is a back seat affair) but has a proper 4x4 system and even a low ratio know for tackling silly stuff (I don't do that too often though ). Suzuki do build decent little 4x4s

To me there will always be the distinction between having a pint of real ale with Ranulph Fiennes or being cornered in a public loo by a gimp-mask equipped George Michael. 

Sorry but something was very wrong there or people had specced a very special Jimny, there was no 1 year wait on builds or delivery.

 

I don't know what the issue was, but that's what a main Suzuki dealer told me. Might it have been to do with the Tsunami.

I am impressed by the little Jimny.

Dad bought one in 2011, after asking my opinion, i told him not to, but he did anyways. 

 

It was a Brand new SZ4 in Grey.. and it was the WORST CAR I HAVE EVER DROVE.. and i owned a Kia Sorento Mk1 & a Mk1 Mondeo...! 

 

Dad owned it for 900 miles, before we got rid - Terrible Ride, Uneconomical (circa 27mpg) Loud, poor road manners; But i did take it through a very muddy lane, where is did exactly what i asked of it... 

 

That being said, i have a friend with one too - She loves it, because of what it is, but, she is also buying a small van to use for her business, as it's so uneconomical, she can't afford to run it! 

Al. 

I keep expecting to hear any time now there will be no more imported to the UK.

They guzzle fuel, many are high emissions, the VED on an automatic is unbelievable for a 1328cc car.

 

I had hoped they would do ones like the concept from a couple of years ago, Suzuki Landbreeze.

mostly Plastic panels and deformable,

Like with a Smart, on a Frame/Chassis that is light & strong, SWB & Automatic.

Needs to be small, the right size that some need or want for use in the country or winter time.

Or even as a City car and commuter.

Sadly i think it might not be, i live in hope though.

 

george

Dad bought one in 2011, after asking my opinion, i told him not to, but he did anyways.

It was a Brand new SZ4 in Grey.. and it was the WORST CAR I HAVE EVER DROVE.. and i owned a Kia Sorento Mk1 & a Mk1 Mondeo...!

Dad owned it for 900 miles, before we got rid - Terrible Ride, Uneconomical (circa 27mpg) Loud, poor road manners; But i did take it through a very muddy lane, where is did exactly what i asked of it...

That being said, i have a friend with one too - She loves it, because of what it is, but, she is also buying a small van to use for her business, as it's so uneconomical, she can't afford to run it!

Al.

That sounds like everything I'd expect from a Jimny tbh. I suspect your father just bought the wrong car for what he needs.

Dad owned it for 900 miles, before we got rid - Terrible Ride, Uneconomical (circa 27mpg) Loud, poor road manners;  

 

Yep, that's normal. But a Landrover defender is much the same......it's off road where they both excel.  

That sounds like everything I'd expect from a Jimny tbh. I suspect your father just bought the wrong car for what he needs.

 

 

Yep, that's normal. But a Landrover defender is much the same......it's off road where they both excel.  

 

He now Drives an L&K 170 4x4 Yeti.... Need i say more?! 

 

Al. 

Not really,  more than double the price new and very good on road and capable on prepared trails, nice car.

 

After 5 years a Jimny will be worth near half its purchase price so about £6000,

and the Yeti might be worth 1/3 of its purchase price if you wanted to sell or trade it in.  £8500.

Nicer car to lose £14-15,000 on while driving it though.

Horses for courses.

 

george

Not really,  more than double the price new and very good on road and capable on prepared trails, nice car.

Horses for courses.

 

george

He does a fair bit of shooting, and now retired, the Yeti is a great all-rounder for him; and will be a long-term car too, hence the spec. - It'll take him anywhere the farmers go in their LandRovers etc. 

 

Problem is, as most "off-roaders" it was good off road, but didn't spend enough time there, to warrant the extremely poor road manners... 

 

Al. 

lol, You must be tall, i am 5ft,11.3/4"  and 120 kg+ , maybe only 100kg when i first started driving them though.

 

.

 

6'6" and my wife is 5'11", we pulled on a Jimny like a coat.

My friend had an SJ410 years ago and it was fantastic off-road.

 

I once went with him to an off-roading place near Wakefield somewhere and it got through and up stuff where much more expensive things were getting stuck.  This was also on normal road going tyres, nothing too knobbly.

 

I remember it clearly, because on the same day, a bloke turned up in a then brand new Discovery, went sideways across a steep slope and rolled it about three times.

 

Unfortunately the SJ410 being a soft-top it got nicked in Leeds.

Holy Thread revival Batman  

I just sold my 1994 Defender 90 300tdi for silly money.I had it since 2007 but didn't use it enough to justify leaving it on my driveway, it was better off being with someone who would use it.

It was very good at everything but then if you have spent 8 years driving them for a living for thousands of miles then you get accustomed to the utilitarian comfort.

I can understand people saying they are not comfortable if you have been brought up in relative comfort of modern cars but it depends what you want it for.

I also had a Suzuki Vitara in Spain for a few years and for a 1.6 petrol it was appalling for fuel, at the time my normally aspirated ex-military Landrover ninety was a lot more economical(I know it was diesel).

I have looked at Suzuki's very recently but think the fuel economy is still not good enough.

Edited 11 April, 201610 yr by Defenderben

You think the Grand Vitara 1.6 is poor on fuel !!! You should have tried the 2.4. At the time of my purchase I remember the salesman saying "the 2.4 is more economical, honest" :D However my current new style Vitara 1.6 diesel is incredibly economical. Considering I have a heavy foot and it is the 4x4 model, I easily beat 50mpg and can get nearer to 60mpg on regular longer runs (the car is very light though )