Suzuki Jimny (1998-2020)

I'm not entirely sure what people expect when they buy these things. It does exactly what it says on the box; no more, no less. I've chewed through about 75,000 km in mine so far, I have had to do the standard amount of service and repair work for how hard it is being pushed off road. I have removed the back seats and put in a false floor, which gives ample space for two persons worth of gear for a long weekend away. If you can't fit 4 days worth of stuff in the back with the seats out, you should probably think about leaving your entire ki...Read more

Missus bought this car in 2016 second hand with 24000k's on it.
Few weeks later started stalling.
Useless Stealership couldnt find problem after many attempts.
Finally they threw parts at it and fluked a result, the Throttle Position Sensor was faulty.
Apparently has become common problem on later model Suzukis.
After 2 years of this fix and out of warranty it is intermittently doing the stalling again.
Easy to drive around town at low - mid speeds and a breeze to park but ask anything of it on the highway and trucks overtake you up hills. The ...Read more

I bought my new 5-speed Jimny in 2001 and have covered 225,000 almost trouble-free kilometres (only a faulty oxygen sensor and spark plug prevented a perfect score). For all that time it has been garaged at the top of a 3km rutted and rocky bush track. In addition to scheduled servicing I renew the engine oil and filter every 5,000km. Although equipment is basic, it has everything a driver needs and is ideal for one or two occupants. Its sole modification has been the removal of the rear seats in order to lighten the car and increase load capac...Read more

In my 50 years of bush bashing in Africa and Australia, I have tried most 4x4's on the market. These would include both big trucks and today's wagons and pickup's. Then in year 2000 I changed from Hilux 4wd to Suzuki jimny it had 40000 km on clock and I put another 140000 on it doing some pretty tough tracks. Apart from normal service's such as oil change, shocks, brake pads the only major repair was the heavy duty clutch replacement for towing a camper. Then I decided to upgrade to a bigger 4x4 because of towing a camper. Six month down the tr...Read more

Bought a used, nice condition ( I crawled underneath with a torch and checked every inch) low km Sierra Jimny with 50,000km on it. It's auto which was because it was what was available and around town is much more convenient too. We have now owned it for 6 months and put 14000 km on it with no issues at all. I'm pretty anal about mechanical stuff so have changed the oil three times to give it a good flush and coz of the short trip running we do. Running full synthetic oil in it as it's cheap insurance in the long run. Performance is good, only ...Read more

Owned a Jimmy from new. It's now 5 years old and has done 90,000 kms.
I live in the city but occasional have to drive to outback Queensland for work. Have been half way up Cape York and the dry dusty lands of western Queensland. I wanted a four wheel drive just in case and it has been a great car. Just replaced the battery after 5 years (the battery didn't die but was on its way out). Tyres will need replacing soon.
I'm 6 foot tall and it is comfortable for all day driving. I occasionally sleep in the vehicle when out bush, I have a board wi...Read more

I have the facelift wich I have owned now for four years. Mechanical, it has been sound, reliability has been satisfying. This is a small load limited vehicle so it's not for a family or the adventurer who wants to travel great distances.
The good: - it's easy to park in a busy city
- the interior is neat and controls all though at a bare minimum are well placed and functional.
- the 4x4 system is effective and well suited for this size vehicle, it makes tackling the beach or the roughest terrain a relatively simple adventure.
The Bad:
-...Read more

I am impressed with my Suzuki Jimny. It was money well spent. Like everything else it has both good and bad points but the good far outweigh the bad. Suzuki Jimny is both stunning to look at and a pleasure to drive. I do not think the looks will ever be outdated. It does lag a bit when climbing hills but that is to be expected due to engine size. The engine is great though. Older and proven technology that outlasts its rivals. This car is great in town, in the bush, in the snow and for moderate distance drives. The blind spots are minimal and d...Read more

This car is honest and easy to work on.

Pros: cheap to run (rego and insurance). It's a proper 4wd with low range. It sits high, so view is really good. It's narrow and short, so it's easy to find parkings in city or pick your best lines when going 4wding. It's simple yet functional. It has front / rear live axels. So far for what it is, I have no complains. Some wishes are listed below.

Cons: 8.5L/100, hmmm, I thought 1.3L can do better. It's not a race car nor I won't use it to tow, but 1.5L would make much better sense. When going uphi...Read more

I've had this little 4wd ragtop for 16 years since new. It now has 470,000 kilometres on first engine and 3,500 k's on the larger (1600) Baleno engine. Love the car, love the reliability. Love its' ability to go anywhere, usually without having to let the tyres down. I live on the Mallee Hwy in Cowangie Vic 3506. Murray-Sunset National Park 15mins north of me, the Big Desert 10 mins south of me so I am always out in the bush on any day ending in y ;) Travel all over Oz, love the Flinders Ranges and the Coorong in South Aussy and the top ...Read more

It's nippy, quick steering in town and good for shopping, that's it. I wanted a change my from Mazda Bravo double cab, something less bulky and easier with fuel. I was told the Jimny will everything the Bravo can, all be it a bit smaller. Ok, it has 4x4, low gearing and low ratio, why, it can't carry anything of weight and it has no room, why? The engine is a gutless 1.3 ltr. I hoped it would do to take me hunting to the edge of the rough stuff, NO. With the back seats out and floored I have to put a rifle in diagonally in the back, so much fo...Read more

It does what it was built to do. For those who want simplicity,reliability and economy for a minimum price and also have the option to drive down any 4x4 track you'll need not look further. I first drove one of these on Fraser Island years ago. It was a hire car and I still remember the instructor teaching the clients how to operate their hire 4X4s in soft sand so as to avoid becoming bogged and burning out the clutch. As me and a mate were the only ones to hire a Jimny he turned to us and said don't worry most of this information won't apply t...Read more

What the critics say
It’s slow, noisy, handles poorly and is small. These are all valid observations, if you “don’t get it”. The reason is on the outside it looks like a cute city SUV a twenty something woman might own, under the skin someone has got an original Toyota FJ land cruiser and built a scale model. So full ladder frame chassis, transfer case with real hi/low range and solid axles. Just like a real 4WD this adds weight and upsets handling (compared to a modern car).

What the owners say
Robust, reliable, cheap to maintain, excelle...Read more

Where do I start?Purchased my first Jimny in 2001.Yes,they are a bit rough suspension wise,but handle better very well for what it is.This 1 did Fraser Island easy,seeing all the sites to be seen.Great on the sand!Drove it to cooktown on the bloomfield track which was a walk in the park!Super reliable,never missed abeat till I traded it for a 2nd after 3 years(cause I could).The 2nd jimny now has 200,000 on the clock.Has been eveywhere!been to the tip(Cape york)twice(and yes did the telegraph track!)Karumba 3 times towing the tinnie,and to top ...Read more

The Suzuki Jimny is an excellent compact and true 4x4 for all the reasons stated by other reviewers (ground clearance, hi-lo gears, a simple robust engine, etc.) As others say, Jimny drive best at not more than 75 or 80 mph on the open roads because of the small normally aspirated engine (1.3L)
One thing the Suzuki Jimny is less good for is the Nordic winter climate, for the following observations:
Damp and condensation are daily challenges (at least in the variant without AC) I suspect because there is very little insulation in the bodywor...Read more