2019 Jimny - Real Life Experience + Feedback

Thanks Soeley - I'm going to agree with your forensic analysis and I always like when it's backed up by a practical experiment.

On another matter I've been told that confession is good for the soul. I will admit that I've had another couple of 'trying to select 6th gear' moments on the local dual carriageway. Strangely though the gearing is very similar to a 1980's Ford Escort XR3i in 5th gear - 50mph @ 2,500rpm. Although that's about all those two models of car have in common.

I'm astonished that the new Jimny reversing lamp is deemed as poor.
I recall my brother telling me that he considered one of the best features on his old O2 variant was the excellent reversing lamps!

Max Headroom wrote: I'm astonished that the new Jimny reversing lamp is deemed as poor.
I recall my brother telling me that he considered one of the best features on his old O2 variant was the excellent reversing lamps!

Perhaps the design team for the rear reversing lamp were influenced when parking a Jimny at night under the bright lights of downtown Tokyo. Personally I'd suggest that the light is simply not not fit for purpose on a dark, rainy winter's night in the UK - definitely an opportunity for further specification improvement.

Another revelation today - driving in high winds today revealed that the boxy shape and relatively light weight creates a vehicle that I felt I was sailing like a dinghy, rather that driving like a car. Several times I felt that my steering inputs were constantly required to maintain course. Certainly a vehicle that requires constant alert when driving in high winds

Driving my Jimny in strong gusty conditions is not my idea of enjoyment - they leap around all over the road without having a 50mph hit from the side every time I pass a gap in a hedge.

It is possible to ameliorate some of the wind movement by use of stiffer suspension but it's never going to go away. And even then a head wind is still going to zap acceleration and chew fuel. A Jimny doesn't like strong winds.

Lambert wrote: It is possible to ameliorate some of the wind movement by use of stiffer suspension but it's never going to go away. And even then a head wind is still going to zap acceleration and chew fuel. A Jimny doesn't like strong winds.

It is what it is - a light, slab sided vehicle.

Try driving an empty VW LT van in high winds