Suzuki Jimney????

[tillytime]

Hi All,
I'm looking to sell my car to get a small 4x4 that is good for daily driving and also good 'off road'. What do people think of the suzuki Jimny?

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL XXXXX

 

[Honey08]

My hubby is a mechanic, and suggested this as one of the best small 4x4s.

 

[springer1021]

A lot of the farmers where I live have them so they must be quite good.

 

[tillytime]

Oooo, I'm liking the sound of that!

 

[perfect11s]

Oooo, I'm liking the sound of that!

Yes good oh make that very good off road esp if you get some chunky tyres , then you can show the hagar the horibles in their "Landys" how its done ... however they arnt the best on the road if you do much motorway, you might be better with something like a vitara or a subaru
forrester ...

 

[Kiribati_uk]

I have a grand vitara, and it's fab in snow like proper awesome, and great in mud as long as in 4WD if not its shocking my 106 was better.
Only problem with it is it's got a narrow wheelbase an upright so going into corners fast etc its not great doesn;t hold the road very well and from what i have seen of the jimney its even more upright and boxy.
It's very good on mpg, tax is a bitch and insurance not great.

 

[Jenny_Sinn]

I bought one this summer & love it. No chance to test mine in snow yet, but have seen them cope better with snow than a bigger 4X4. They seem to float over the top of the snow!
As already said, they're not great on the motorway. You need to stay under 60mph to avoid wasting fuel. Off motorway, they're ok fuelwise - not an excessive guzzler, but obviously never going to match a normal small car.
Def not the car to go anywhere at speed (especially not sharp corners!) but v easy drive, good to manouvre country lanes & can take 4 bales shavings with the back seats down! Though, not much space for passengers.
Love my Jimny, though - gives me peace of mind that I can cope when snow comes without costing me the earth!

 

[NeilM]

but have seen them cope better with snow than a bigger 4X4. They seem to float over the top of the snow!

We had very heavy snow last year and thick ice underneath. When I was having to be VERY careful in my Shogun, a lady who keeps horses near us was whizzing about in her Jimny as if the roads were snow free and dry.

 

[Lwhite]

I've had mine for 9 yrs now and wouldn't be without it. It hasn't let me down once and is brilliant in muddy gateways and on snow. We live in the Mendips and it got me up a steep hill every day all through last winter. Very cheap to run and insure.

 

[moana]

I have been told that the Jimney rolls quite easily?

 

[VickyP]

I have had mine for just over 2 years and LOVE it! I don't do many miles or motorway driving, if I did I think I'd feel differently about it! But I do have a couple of kms of off roading in the woods to get to the yard and need something that can get me there whatever the weather. And my little Jimny does the job better than anything. Snow and ice just don't bother him at all, and I also work shifts so when I have to travel in snow and ice before the gritters or ploughs have been out he just gets me where I need to be. Not much boot space and not very comfy for passengers in the back but this doesn't bother me at all as I rarely need either. Not everyone's cup of tea but I only regret not getting one sooner!

Get the heated seats if you can because they take a while to warm up on a cold morning..

 

[spottyfilly]

Dont get a vitara, ive had nothing but problems with mine.its been in the garage every month (sometimes twice) for the last 6 months!

 

[TigerTail]

an offroader is only as good as the tyres its got on - same goes for ice and snow. You cant expect a heavier vehicle to cope well on ice/snow/mud with town tyres on!

I tried a jimny and personally didnt like it, the cabin felt very cramped and boxy and had no more space in it than my micra with the seats down.

I got a freelander1 in the end, being sold cheaply now as the 2nd model has taken over. DO NOT buy a petrol freelander - they are the ones with all the issues.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Sis is now on her 3rd Jimney. I have a Vitara (my 4th). The Jimney as others have said, seems to float over the snow, better than the heavier Vitara. Obviously, I can fit more into the boot of the bigger car. Sis drives (well, crawls) along M62 every morning with no issues. Our lane has been known to take the bottom off 'normal' cars but the Suzukis are fine along there. I am having trouble (even in 4-wd) with slipping in the dreadful mud but the lighter Jimney is coping well. The only drawback, and the reason I don't have one, is that you can only get it in 3-door version. I would also recommend the local dealer - better than any other car dealer I've ever bought from.

 

[mazziek]

i had one, great off road, great in snow. the tires they come with do for all that. it has quite a high ground clearance which is great for off roading thats wat you want. On road its pants! i had mine on 2 wheels going round a round about, not fast!, gust of winds dont fare well with the jimney had to drive like a pensioner in it! but off road its fun. Dont get the convertable, the buttons burst/rust you end up with mould on the inside. cheap to repair, did most things myself. not as cheap on insurance as you would think tho.

 

[frozzy]

I bought my JIMNY in 2003, new and had seven very happy years with it. It was not a family car, not a motorway car, absolutely dire petrol consumption, but it never let me down once. I could get through the deepest snow on our farm road up the hill when my friends Disco couldnt touch it. It got stuffed with haylage in the back and reeked for weeks. I hung eight haylage nets off the roof bars. When starting it one frosty morning (opened the door just and turned the key) with the intention of warming it up to take the kids to school, I didnt notice it was in gear and took off across the yard and knocked over the gas tank. When we moved house to where we are now it got pinched by some young louts who after visiting their buddies thought it a great lark to open our front door and lift the keys off the table. Car was found 80 miles away with minimal damage and I got it back after thinking I would never see it again.
It would never tow anything other than a wee box type garden rubbish trailer, but when the day came when I had to sell the wagon and buy a Trooper to tow the new trailer I had just bought, it was with a heavy heart that I sold my wee Jimny which only had 52K on the clock and apart from brake pads required nothing for its annual test.
Our neighbours bought it for £2500 and still have it.

 

[meandmrblue]

I've had my jimney about 6 years now .not a very powerful car but is good in snow and mud.if you drive to fast around roundabouts can slip also slips on railway crossings.my neighbour bought one this year as she watched me coming up our road in the snow and was very impressed but she does have usual problems as they are so light and boxy.good for collecting shavings or feed though.

 

[Tinypony]

You could also look at a Subaru Justy - a brilliant little 4x4, which because it's a hatchback is actually a bit more practical than the Jimney because you can stuff more bags of feed and tack in it! http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=su...t76Gs_d8QOZktEk&ved=0CD8QsAQ&biw=1280&bih=827
Mine took me through snow, on trips all over the country, harrowed fields and the arena, it was absolutely brilliant. I suspect it would be a bit more stable than the Jimney as well because of the lower centre of gravity.

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

To get along straight level snowy tracks or up snowy hills, great. But my neighbour twice ended up in a ditch with hers last winter because of the narrow tall design. If you're a tall vehicle, then if driving at any speed you need the height/weight to avoid the toppling! So I would recommend them if it is purely as a second winter vehicle and you drive it carefully, but not if it is a sole car and not if you are any kind of speedy driver ).

Also look at Subaru Justy (as already recommended) and Fiat Panda 4x4, just that bit more stable and four square.

Or, get a very light car like a 2wd old Panda and fit it with good winter tyres and you will get just about anywhere, it will skim on top of the snow and grip like a mountain goat. As the saying goes

4x4+winter tyres = best
then 2WD with winter tyres
then 4WD with non-winter tyres

 

[tillytime]

Thank you so much for all your advice. I think I'm gonna have to research more (I hate researching things!!!)
Jimney might not suit me, It'll be my main car, and as a district nurse i'll be using it around streets daily. I also think the need to drive so slow will really irritate me.
I do like the look of the 'traditional' 4x4 more than the car looking ones.
I currently have a peugeot convertible, so I'm sure anything will be better then that!!!

 

[Merry Crisis]

I would rather walk than being seen in a Jimmey, in fact I would rather walk naked than ride in one.

 

[tillytime]

I would rather walk than being seen in a Jimmey, in fact I would rather walk naked than ride in one.

LOL, whys that???? (could be an interesting sight!!!)

I quite like the look of them.

 

[Tinypony]

It rather depends on you budget and how much you can afford on running costs. Any 4x4 costs more to run, even an Justy, but if you want a jeep-shaped 4x4 that's bigger than an Jimney, then your pockets will need to be a bit deeper. I used to have an Isuzu Trooper, which I loved and took me anywhere, but it was replaced by the Justy, saving me loads of dosh! Higher vehicles can "yaw", especially the older ones, the 4x4's that are more car-shaped feel much more stable to drive. Maybe do some test drives of cars in your budget, and that you can afford the running costs.

 

[mulledwhine]

O ar farmer OH says they are great off road

 

[mulledwhine]

Merry crisis - my first genuine laugh in weeks , thankyou xx

 

[perfect11s]

I would rather walk than being seen in a Jimmey, in fact I would rather walk naked than ride in one.

LOL what would you recomend then???

 

[welshcobmad]

My grand vitara (GV1600 SE 52 plate) is awesome in snow, ice, mud, deep eater the lot, never fails no problems & got the extra space. Returns 32-35mpg combined only downside its quite slow if you're doing motorway miles

 

[dalidaydream]

My OH had a Jimney years ago and I think they're fine if you don't want to go far at any speed - I think I could walk up hill faster I had one of the original 3 door Vitaras and it was fantastic, I've heard the new model is heavier and not so good though.

 

[Lwhite]

Hmm, I must drive like a pensioner then. Never had any probs with mine cornering or heavy winds and I regularly go from Bristol to Windsor just as fast as any of the other motorway traffic, but then I do keep within the speed limits. Petrol consumption is good for what it is, and with the back seats down I can get all my horsey needs in it no probs.
Have to add last winter we managed up the yard every day whilst others with their bigger flash 4X4's couldn't.

 

[clip_clop]

I have a grand vitara 07 plate 1.6 and the amount of fuel it uses is ridiculous, it slips all over the field although it was very good in the snow. Looking to sell it now though, fed up of the expense!