Going from a Defender to a Jimny

Hello everyone

Just joined the forum as we are looking for a new Jimny. We currently have a 2005 Defender 90 and want something with lower maintenance costs.

I know it’s a long shot, but had anybody else gone from a Defender to a new model Jimny, and if so how did you find it.
We test drove one last week and it’s definitely quieter at speed, but more bouncy.
Performance seems OK it’s not a vehicle we’d be driving fast anyway, it seems to sit happily at 60-70 mph on the motorway.

Thank you for the reply, the car is for my missus so it sounds ideal.
Unfortunately the new ones are not easy to get, as most dealers are selling them for high prices, however l think l may have found a used one at a dealer, they are going to call me back today with a price.
I imagine there won’t be anything to look out for on a new one, with under 5,000 miles on the clock.
I was surprised to find climate control and cruise control on it....what luxury after being glad of electric windows in the Land Rover!
Don’t get me wrong l love Land Rovers, l drive a 110 Defender and my missus has the 90.
But running two as daily drivers is expensive particularly in this current climate.
Also there’s the continued theft worry with Defenders, where l don’t think it’s the case with the Jimny.

Defenders shouldn't really be all that expensive to run. They are simple vehicle. I've grown up with Landy's of various types. The farm ones have covered over 600,000 miles between them.

That said, if you are looking at a new Jimny (as in the current model). Then you are comparing a 15 year old car with a 1 year old car. So there would likely be a difference anyway on this basis alone.

The new Jimny drives and feels very much like a smaller 90 and is quite comparable on road to the last 2.2 Puma Defenders in many ways. Only less leaky still and more refined. I very much like mine, bought in March this year. The SZ5 models are particularly well specced too. While the SZ4's are somewhat more basic.

Really the only real difference is, the Land Rover are permanent 4wd. i.e. they drive all 4 wheels all the time. For a novice driver or someone uninterested in how 4wd's work. This means that most of the time they will go places without the driver needing to do anything. The Jimny is 2wd for road use, so if you encounter snow or want to go across a muddy field. It is down to the driver to know when to use the 4wd system and when not to use it.

Thanks for the replies!

We heard from the dealer today, they want £2,000 over the new list price for their 2018 used one with 7,000 miles.

In the current market (looking online) it’s probably about right, but l don’t really want to spend over £20,000 on one.

I was offered a new green one from another dealer at £24,000.
The same price as a new Volvo VX40.

People must be paying these prices, but l am concerned that once the fuss dies down l would lose a packet if l paid that kind of money.

It was the same with our VW Up GTi. VW suspended production and last year dealers were offering them in base spec at £16,000....list was £13,000

Then the bubble burst and now you can get one for £11-12,000

You probably referring to a years old example.
The new up gti list price is higher now and the discount is not as generous as before. It applies not only to the gti. the lessor variants are the same as the mii and citigo are no longer available.
Back to Jimny, my observation is that decent gen3 still command reasonable resale price. I will expect to see similar trend for the gen4.

I am sure values will remain strong. But l am not sure paying £4,000 over list is sensible.

Up GTi yes l was referring to used ones, new it’s not worth £16,000 in my opinion.
But the actual retail price is irrelevant to 90% of buyers as they buy on PCP.
What’s important is the monthly payments and MGFV.

That’s why people were biffing £16,000 on new ones when our absolutely pristine 6,000 mile used one with panoramic sunroof got no calls at £12,000
It still had 18 months VW warranty
But people don’t want to spank £12,000 on a car, they want a £3,000 deposit and £169 per month

I'm no expert on this. But as far as I know, PCP is 'x' payments with a guaranteed value at the end.

With these new ones at £4-5k+ over list price. Are they offering a +£4-5k higher guaranteed value at the end of the term too? Or are they trying to sucker people into higher deposits and/or payments?

I suppose it depends on how long you plan on keeping the Jimmy? 2 to 3 years, probably not worth spending the inflated price (unless money isn't a problem and you really want it) but if you plan on it being a keeper 10 to 15 years then I would probably bight the bullet!

When my 8 month wait was over and the Dealer phoned me to say he had my Jimny last year he didn't seem bothered how I financed it I thought it would be better for them to get me on a PCP or loan so maybe they don't make much money that way,ended up just paying cash.

I bought a new Defender, ran it, got tired of awful build quality and bought a new Gen4 Jimny. The Jimny wanders about the road more in windy conditions and the lighter weight means hitting puddles can be challenging. The Jimny doesn't cruise as happily on the Motorway at 60 -70mph and lacks a 6th gear. On the other hand I never worry about the Scamera Vans or getting a speeding ticket. The build quality is superb compared to any JLR vehicle and servicing costs are a fraction of the Land Rover dealership. Suzuki dealerships don't do premium coffees and muffins whilst you queue yet again for a warranty claim - because they have learned how to build reliability into their product. On the farm, the Jimny can go anywhere a Defender can go and its lighter weight means it doesn't sink into the pastures and leave the grazing all cut up. Where the Jimny is problematic for some folk is that the interior is fairly small - so not much room for passengers, small animals and work materials. I think of it as slightly bigger than a quad but not a full sized 4X4. Very happy with the Jimny although it is nearly halfway to disposal time at 3 years old and I'm really struggling as to what I will replace it with. .

300bhpton wrote: Defenders shouldn't really be all that expensive to run. They are simple vehicle. I've grown up with Landy's of various types. The farm ones have covered over 600,000 miles between them.

That said, if you are looking at a new Jimny (as in the current model). Then you are comparing a 15 year old car with a 1 year old car. So there would likely be a difference anyway on this basis alone.

The new Jimny drives and feels very much like a smaller 90 and is quite comparable on road to the last 2.2 Puma Defenders in many ways. Only less leaky still and more refined. I very much like mine, bought in March this year. The SZ5 models are particularly well specced too. While the SZ4's are somewhat more basic.

Really the only real difference is, the Land Rover are permanent 4wd. i.e. they drive all 4 wheels all the time. For a novice driver or someone uninterested in how 4wd's work. This means that most of the time they will go places without the driver needing to do anything. The Jimny is 2wd for road use, so if you encounter snow or want to go across a muddy field. It is down to the driver to know when to use the 4wd system and when not to use it.

You are rekindling those nightmares I used to have about leaks in the Defender - If rainwater wasn't turning the interior into a stinking damp petri dish, the transmission fluids were oozing out and defiling the driveway. The Solihull factory never mastered designing, manufacturing and assembling a Defender to meet modern (2014) customer expectations and the dealerships were rather variable ….