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4X4
The Jimny’s most significant attraction as a used car is that it provides real 4x4 style and off-road ability at a bargain price. Only the likes of the Daihatsu Terios and Mitsubishi Shogun Pinin can come close to the same deal.
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There’s certainly no doubting the Jimny’s ability off-road, but it’s far less happy on Tarmac. It’s very unrefined and, on anything other than a perfectly smooth road, its ride is firm and bouncy, it jolts its passengers around and the body rolls too much in bends. To cap it all, the Jimny is also narrow and very impractical. Drivers over six feet tall will find legroom tight, and both head- and legroom are so cramped in the back it’s better to treat the car as a two-seater and fold down the rear seats to extend the tiny boot.
Running Costs
The Jimny has always been one of the cheapest new 4x4s, and it’s the same in the used market. Other than the Daihatsu Terios, you simply can’t find another 4x4 of the same age and with the same mileage for less. It even makes the Mitsubishi Shogun Pinin look dear, no mean feat. In terms of daily running costs, the Jimny is pretty much on a par with the Terios. It does only a couple of miles less to each gallon (38.7mpg), but the two cars’ insurance costs are virtually identical (groups 7 to 9) and routine maintenance costs are slightly less on the Suzuki. What’s more, if you need to repair your Jimny, there should be no nasty shocks. According to a leading warranty company, both average repair bills and dealer labour rates for Suzuki are among the very lowest of all makes.