Suzuki Jimny Estate 1998-

The Suzuki Jimny is a rugged, but small 4x4 which is able to tackle almost any road or obstacle you put in its way. The 1.3-litre may sound a little unrefined, especially at motorway speeds, but it handles driving around town surprisingly well. The interior is a bit cramped, so it makes more sense to think of it as a two-seater and fold the two back seats forward in order to enlarge the small boot space.

Pros and Cons:

• Is one the most economical 4x4s in today’s market
  The low-ratio gear box and good ground clearance enables good off-road capabilities
  Strong, rugged build quality

• Poor drive quality on the road
  Noisy and uncomfortable
  Shortage of space for back-seat passengers

---

Exterior and Interior

The Jimny is an extremely small vehicle. It’s not only short, but also narrow. It was sold in hard-and soft-top versions. The Suzuki Jimny is a direct descendent of the rugged and basic Suzuki SJ. Built in a similar manner, the Jimny’s interior is dull and doesn’t come close to the class leaders in terms of quality. Even the 2005 facelift didn’t improve it. The space inside is cramped providing only enough room on the back seat for children to feel comfortable. It lacks leg room. The front passenger and driver enjoy a better time, but the seats are far from being comfortable. They lack proper lumbar support, making long journeys uncomfortable.

The boot is also tiny, although the back seats do fold flat and move forward to increase the space slightly. It makes more sense to use it as a two-seater, keeping the back seats constantly folded away to make the boot a usable size. The Jimny doesn’t come with much kit - only a stereo, tinted glass and split folding rear seats come as standard. Further upgrades and options include front fog lamps, twin front airbags and ABS.

---

Engines

There is only one engine available with the Jimny - a 16 valve 1.3-litre petrol engine. It only produces 80bhp, but an upgrade in 2005 added an extra 3 horses to it. It comes with a five-speed manual gearbox as standard but there is the option of a four-speed automatic.

---

Performance and Economy

The 1.3-litre may only produce 80bhp, but it feels agile around town and at low speeds. It’s a different story on motorways where it is very noisy and takes 16.3 seconds to get from 0-60mph (or 13.6 in the upgraded 2005 model). The fuel economy is pretty much on par with rivals, achieving 36mpg in the original model or an improved 39mpg in the post-2005 model. For insurance purposes, it falls between groups seven and nine.

---

What it's like to Drive

The Jimny is not a comfortable cruiser by any stretch of the imagination. The ride is firm and bouncy displaying its worst characteristics on anything other than the smoothest roads. The Suzuki Jimny has scary amounts of body roll that are likely to make you ill on twisting country lanes. The steering is lifeless and at motorway speeds the wind and road noise levels are loud enough to prevent any conversation from taking place. It’s off the road where the Jimny excels with its high ground clearance and low gear ratios making it able to tackle almost all obstacles.

---

Faults and Repairs

The Jimny is an extremely tough and rugged machine with hardly anything going wrong. There was a recall in 2001 for cars produced between 1998 and 1999 due to possible faulty gear changes. The only other faults that have been highlighted are: leaking automatic gearboxes and drive shafts. The Jimny is also extremely cheap to repair and service - Suzuki dealers are constantly ranked at the cheaper end of the scale.

---

Author's Google+ Profile

© 2012 WhichDeal Ltd