Jimnys - any good ?

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Discussion

Turn7

Original Poster:

24,155 posts

228 months

Monday 18th January 2021
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Considering one for MrsT7.....

Would be a third Gen variant.

Oldandslow

2,405 posts

213 months

Tuesday 19th January 2021
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Yes, and no.

Pros - Reliable (with some known weaknesses), spares available, good aftermarket, built tough, endearing character, genuinely off road capable. Really very small exterior for easy parking, Kei class.

Cons - Poor mpg, small, 4 seater, no luggage space, noisy, slow, poor ride and handling (hey it's an offroader) (just to add, rust, check underneath,especially the chassis, especially if it's been an off roader)

Price - Not sure of the landscape these days but when I bought my Grand Vitara I quite wanted a Jimny but I couldn't bring myself to buy a real dog of a Jimny when I could get a nicely kept, low mileage GV for less money. The Jimny being a proper solid axle off roader is popular and suffers a scene tax. The GV has independent front suspension so more of a soft roader (despite having all other the 4x4 mechanicals of a Jimny). This may have changed a bit with the introduction of the new Jimny or not.

Best advice is to drive one. They aren't at all difficult but will feel different for someone used to a car. My girlfriend hates the GV, "agricultural". She drives a Kuga (I despair)

Edited by Oldandslow on Tuesday 19th January 16:49

Turn7

Original Poster:

24,155 posts

228 months

Tuesday 19th January 2021
quotequote all
Cheers for that.

I should have said, a few years back, MrsT7 happily drove my fully prepped Defender 90 as a daily....

Oldandslow

2,405 posts

213 months

Tuesday 19th January 2021
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Turn7 said:
Cheers for that.

I should have said, a few years back, MrsT7 happily drove my fully prepped Defender 90 as a daily....
Well OK. Compared to a 1950's tin shed the Jimny is a really nice place to be.

Turn7

Original Poster:

24,155 posts

228 months

Tuesday 19th January 2021
quotequote all
Oldandslow said:
Turn7 said:
Cheers for that.

I should have said, a few years back, MrsT7 happily drove my fully prepped Defender 90 as a daily....
Well OK. Compared to a 1950's tin shed the Jimny is a really nice place to be.
Haha.....

Oldandslow

2,405 posts

213 months

Tuesday 19th January 2021
quotequote all
Joking. Sort of. No offence intended but the Defender is actually an agricultural machine and the Jimny is a car. If she was happy in the Landy then she might find the Jimny's opulence too decadent. smile

Turn7

Original Poster:

24,155 posts

228 months

Tuesday 19th January 2021
quotequote all
Im really thinking of one becuase if our house move goes through, then she will face a 40/45 minutes commute , all through country lanes.

Id like to think the option of 4wd if required is a good thing, and also, have a bit more metal around her then the current Yaris.

moorx

3,931 posts

121 months

Sunday 24th January 2021
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Turn7 said:
Im really thinking of one becuase if our house move goes through, then she will face a 40/45 minutes commute , all through country lanes.

Id like to think the option of 4wd if required is a good thing, and also, have a bit more metal around her then the current Yaris.
I have a similar length/type commute, which I happily do in my MR2 or Celica. If it snows, as it has done this weekend, I either work from home or OH takes me in in the Grand Vitara.

I'm not planning to change either of my vehicles yet (Celica has just got through its MOT after a bit of work, yey!) but if I was, I would probably go for a RAV4 or CRV. My best friend drives an older MX5 and thought she should get something more practical, so bought a Jimny, and didn't like it at all (handling mostly). Fortunately, she hadn't sold/traded in her MX5, so she got rid of the Jimny and still drives the MX5.