[Closed] Anyone own a Suzuki Jimney - 2000-2015?

Have you actually driven one...? I had suzukis for years for greenlaning all over the country and I whilst I've never owned a Jimny, I've driven a few. They're not somewhere I'd want to be for long journeys.

Bottom line; cramped and underpowered. Great fun though and lots of ability off road.

I spannered a friend's for a few years, good little things, okay for pootling about locally but otherwise noisy and tiring. Was very reliable and only needed service items.
Rust is a killer of them in the UK.
Perfect for rural Spain though.

I had a suzuki carry van. Absolutely bombproof. But easily stolen 🙁

Used to traveling by bicycle, so any vehicle would be relative luxury. Really interested in the seats.

I picked one up from a dealer in Kingsbridge, South Devon, about four years ago, and drove it back home to Chippenham, approximately 135 miles, a mixture of A-roads and motorway, and my main issue is I couldn’t get the seat back quite far enough to be really comfortable, and the ride is pretty ‘choppy’, but it’s not for long-distance cruising, it’s a, by all accounts, very capable off-roader, and if I lived in South Hams, or owned a property down there I’d have a Jimny, absolutely ideal for the roads and lanes in that area, which are narrow, steep, and very bendy, with very few passing places.

I've had a Jimny 2003 for a couple of years.

To fold the back seats down completely flat, the rear bench folds out and up behind the front seats. This means that you're not going to get a full, front-to-back, flat 'bed'.

What else?

Ride is not the most restful - pretty choppy and they're really not fast - fine for pootling around but I'm not sure I'd want to spend any time at anything more than 50mph. Fuel economy isn't great. There's not a great deal of room in them. I'd describe it as 'agricultural'.

Residuals are really strong - I bought mine for £2K - it was a student's car and used to occasionally run back and forth from London to Brighton. I've serviced it annually and had the underside waxoyled. From looking around at used prices, I'd be making decent money on it should I want to sell. People are buy MOT failures as off-roading toys so should something major go I'm unlikely to lose much (if anything) on it.

They seem reliable - mine's gone through 2 MOTs without issue. Rust can be a problem - check under the boot / rear seats as the back pan can go. Used parts are cheap as chips. Mine will happily sit for 3 months and starts on the button.

We'll be keeping ours until it goes to scrap, whenever that is.  Love it.

Great, thanks!

Easy to unbolt the rear seats and build a flat plywood platform if you just need a 2 seater with bigger boot, then some drawer, then a 12v setup, fridge and you have your own mini overlander!

Easy to unbolt the rear seats and build a flat plywood platform if you just need a 2 seater with bigger boot, then some drawer, then a 12v setup, fridge and you have your own mini overlander!

This. The car is much like my old Mk1 MX5 - there's nothing on that I'd be afraid of spannering myself (the right tools not-withstanding). And like 5s, some people spend a lot of time and money 'improving' their Jimnys - rise kits, snorkels, interior fit-outs etc - the list is endless.

Check out the Japanese brand Apio - they do all sorts of things for every version of the Jimny. Not everyone's cup of tea but I think they're ace;

Love them - wanted one for a runabout and rural dales winter duties. Tried to buy one, but really struggled to find one within a reasonable distance for viewing and under £8k that wasn't modded heavily or rusting away. I would definitely NOT buy without a very close look around and a drive. Why £8k? Didn't want to spend more than that for something that might rust away over the 5 years or so we'd hope to own it. Had a really useful Jimny induction with 'Mr Jimny' who runs out of a garage near Bradford. Seems to have steady flow of stock on eBay. Was told the key place to look for rot seemed to be in the spare wheel well, along with all the usual MOT failure rust hotspots. In terms of spec/comfort - newer ones much better (but that's still relative!). I drove a cheap one, a medium one and a 'HOW MUCH?!' one, and there was a marked difference between them despite being similar at face value. So get driving and keep us posted - we will Jimny vicariously.

ETA... ARGH you've got me looking again now. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2012-Suzuki-Jimny-1-3-VVT-SZ3-3dr-ESTATE-Petrol-Manual/114783665560

I've been so close to buying one of these a few times. Rust is a problem and clean ones are strong money. I've still never driven one but if I was looking now I'd be including the Panda 4x4 and just buying whatever I prefer at the time.

At least I know I can already sleep in a Panda having done it a few times in a pinch.

We have a 54 plate soft top and I'm only chiming in to back up what's already been said...

Around town nipping about, I absolutely love it. I think it's fantastic and feels like the love child of a mini and a land rover defender. I also love it because it is so basic and sparse on the inside.

However.....

It's the last car in the world I'd choose to drive on a dual carriageway or motorway. I took it to work for 3 days this week whilst my car was at the doctor's and getting back into my car was a joy.

The wife had an SJ413 years ago pre kids and that was the same. I did a 150 mile motorway journey in that and was physically exhausted when I reached my destination.