Newbie - is the Jimny for me??

The Jimny appeals to a niche market. It is not a car for everyone. Short wheelbase, skittish handling and a bumpy ride ride are not to everyone's taste. In regard to performance, for a petrol 4x4 the MPG is about as good as you are going to get from a 'proper' 4x4. 0-60 is more than enough. if you need more than the Jimny is not for you.

Like others on this forum, I have had faster hot hatches and found that they lack the fun factor that you get from a Jimny (this is my second).

On the positive side, the Jimny performance is not that bad and has never bothered me. To be honest if the Jimny had more performance it would be more demanding to drive and far less enjoyable (IMO).

To answer your questions, the Jimny won't be better in slippery wet and ice than the Ka. The Jimny will be better in the snow and if and when you venture off road.

Suzuki have made a very well balance little car in the Jimny, that rewards the driver in a way that other cars cannot. High seat and a 4x4 performance that beats pretty much all others on the road (and off).

I too have A 10 mile each way commute, but also go further and have no problem with the comfort or performance. If I had a wish it would be for better MPG.

Over the last couple of weeks I travelled from Aberystwyth on the Welsh coast in the Jimjam and this weekend I was on the east coast in Harwich.


Rainbow on the sea front Aberystwyth


Dovercourt Beach, East coast


Jimny in the Suffolk lanes on the way back from the east coast

No other car can combined the pure enjoyment and fun that the Jimny gives you. That is why there is a small but growing band of Jimny enthusiasts.

As they say, you only get one live, so buy a jimny.

Hope the above is helpful.

Regards
Paul
hertford

Thanks for all of the thoughts/opinions!

I have previously driven in RAV4s but I'm not so keen on the whole big car/comfortable ride thing - I'm drawn to something that can get me out of/in to trouble if needed but other than that is not geared around being thrown along country lanes at breakneck speeds! I have previously owned a Jeep Wrangler so the concept of a fairly utilitarian vehicle is not completely alien...

Probably a swear word on here, but is the original Vitara an option? slightly more power, but as I'm not looking for massive amounts of speed, will the 'fun factor' be missing.....

Have you considered the Grand Vitara? superb reliability, far better drive than the jimny, more comfier than the jimny so wishing now I hadn't sold mine




But this is my toy and the Grand Vitara was sitting unused due to my works van.

It's all about compromise and maximising the fun factor.

Sure the Jimny is a compromise on many fronts, but one thing is for sure it has loads of fun! (Especially the soft top )

The old shape vitara is a great little car with just that little bit more space than the Jimny. I was lucky enough to hire one on a trip to South island NZ. It was great all-rounder. Far better than the old shape Honda CR-V we had when on the North island.

The other plus with the old shape Vit, is that you can still get some real bargains.

If you have a little more money to spend, it has to be the Jimny, as long as you are fully aware of the drawbacks that have been pointed out above in this thread.

Start counting your money and enjoy test driving as many as you can.

Good luck.

Paul
Hertford

They certainly are great fun. Get a local map with green lanes in your area and take a few shortcuts home.

It certainly makes your passengers concerned when they don't know what the Jimny can do and where it can go!

Everyone I speak to loves theirs. I just wish they got better MPG (I wish I could get 450 miles to the tank as mentioned earlier. That's more than Suzuki themselves quote, I could do with a few more!!).

With the winter coming and the threat of snow, it's certainly gonna make a change to have something capable on the road!

Let us know what you do.