Where would you be looking to get a cheap and good Suzuki Samurai from? Not now, in the Summer. What should you budget for it?

Where best to buy a Suzuki Samurai?

Medieval Japan. Hth.

These can be had for peanuts, but are you sure you want one? I hired one on holiday once and it’s the worst thing I’ve ever driven

Are we talking about SJ’s here?

Great wee 4×4’s but you’ll be lucky to find a good one. The youngest ones officially imported will be about 1993ish I think, and they were pretty prone to rot.

I would probs be going for an early vitara if I wanted a suzuki in that sort of price range. More likely you’ll find a good one and nicer to drive on the road.

Spain or South America – there still made there new, I think!

Otherwise check some of the 4×4 (Difflock.com is a good place to start) forums and eBay.

Would a Suzuki Jimny not fit the bill better? plenty of those around in good condition.

Jimnys are a lot safer. And very cheap.

Ok, something for £500 max with a small engine to be used as an emergency vehicle (we’re moving out of town next year) in the winter. If I can’t do it, I’ll either have spare wheels with proper snow tyres OR get a Honda CRV which I have driven and liked a lot (1998 2.0l).
Jimmy cheap? £4k more like it seems.
SJ would be better than a Samurai, I forgot about them. Vitara – engine too big if as a spare car (Irish road tax rates are stupid).
The other appealing option is a proper thing such as a Hilux Surf 3.0td when we set up a business (road tax cheap so can afford one).

Hairy – not 100% sure on this but I think SJs are Samurais. HiLux will cost a lot more to run. Modded SJs (like Jimnys) are incredible off road.

You can get a decentish Jimny for £2k.

We p/xed ours – a 55 reg softop with only 23k miles (i.e. one of the lowest mileage ones in the UK and the newest softop available) for £4k. Would not have expected any more for private sale.

So if that’s as “new” and as low mileage as possible, one with more miles and say late 90s/early 00s will be a LOT cheaper.

Mat, the point is the Surf is my real dream and I can afford the fuel. The road tax would be 1500 Euro per year or so if kept as a private vehicle. Way too much. If my wife’s arty project works out we can buy it as a commercial vehicle and the road tax is about 250-300 per year. Lovely!
Jimmy’s are popular here in Eire but I dislike the idea of even £2000 for a spare car. I like larger vehicles (you know – tiny willy so at least the car’s big 😉 ). As a “let’s go to the shops once a week” space – SJ/Samurai is fine. I don’t care about the mileage/looks/painjob. It’d be like my 456SS – a tool for a job.
A Panda? No, thanks. Certain experiences should only be done once a lifetime.

Yea the SJ413 (the 1.3 one) was the samurai. Before that you got the SJ410 (1 litre)

Much as I love them I struggled to find a good one a year or so ago when I fancied reliving the SJ days (grew up with my dad always driving them)

Even if you find a good one spares aren’t as easy to get (or as cheap) as for a landy.

Good luck anyway, you never know if someone might have a tidy one stashed in a barn somewhere…

HC – fair enough. I’m sure you’ll find a few around for £500. My wife’s uncle had one (SJ410) and fully modded it – will ask if it’s still around!