Report 1 24/05/24 - Report 2 20/06/24 - Report 3 20/06/24 - Report 4 16/08/24 Report 5 24/09/24
REPORT 5: (24th SEPTEMBER 2024)
Mileage: 4058km
Any excuse really, but we thought our long-term Jimny 3-door presented a great opportunity to get the newer 5-door in again. Partly to bring the family together, but as you might remember, the launch of the 5-door was the catalyst for me to start thinking about buying a Jimny in the first place.
So did I make the right decision? We’re talking about more than one decision, because not only did I choose 3 over 5, I chose 5 over 4 - ratios that is, by opting for the manual over the automatic. So we made sure our test 5-door was a two-pedal model this time.
They look cute together, right? But in very different ways. The 3-door just because it’s a hard-core 4x4 in perfect proportion, scaled-right-down. The 5-door because the extra 340mm in the wheelbase makes it look quite odd, but oddly appealing.
In my 6 months with the 3dr I honestly haven’t wished for larger rear seats, or indeed rear seats at all: mine are folded down and covered with a cargo box. And while the 5dr’s boot is twice as big as the 3dr’s (which is not saying much), mine is much bigger still in its cargo configuration. So it suits me.
Tiny though the 5dr still is (shorter overall than a Swift), I can see the value in the more spacious rear seats for those who need them. They’re a useable size and sitting a little higher than a Swift certainly makes for a more pleasant travelling experience, even if the ride isn’t up to much.
Ah yes, the ride. It’s certainly better in the 5dr, though still not brilliant. So I’m okay with that. Was interested to see that the 5dr is on H/L tyres ("highway luxury" apparently, for upmarket SUVs) while my 3dr wears A/T (all terrain). How much difference that makes to on-road driving, we can't be sure.
On the manual-versus automatic question, I was predictably purist about having three pedals (it does seem right in a Jimny) and a bit dismissive about the automatic, which feels a bit wheezy and quite a bit slower than the manual. Five gears is not enough for the manual, but four seems ridiculous for the automatic; they need at least one extra each.
I probably would have gone auto regardless if I’d purchased the 5-door, because you get adaptive cruise control. And driving it again, it’s not as bad as I’d remembered: quick enough (in Jimny context) and certainly an easier thing to drive off-tarmac. I could even see myself driving an auto 3dr… oh hang on, no I can’t. Three pedals are rare these days. Be proud.
I am very jealous of the 5dr’s larger 12in infotainment screen, which doesn’t seem a whole lot bigger than my car’s 9in on paper; but in a car this size it makes a huge difference. It also has wireless Apple CarPlay and even though it’s not supposed to have wireless Android Auto, every example we’ve driven has that too.
That bigger screen in the 5dr is also paired with a reversing camera and rear sensors; jealous again. You might think you don’t need parking assistance in a car as tiny as a Jimny 3dr, but you’d be surprised. Part of the appeal is squeezing it into tight spaces and visibility out the back is not brilliant. Hanging a very solid bike carrier off the spare wheel doesn’t help either; I’ve been known to park, get out and then gently push backwards into position in tight spaces. Which you can do easily, with one hand.
But really, no regrets. My attitude towards the automatic has softened, but I’m still happy with my manual (got to keep in practice somehow) and still very happy with my Japanese-built 3dr, which just feels more authentic for a car that Im hoping will be a keeper.
A couple of observations to finish: my red mudflaps looked great next to the Sizzling Red Metallic 5dr (the hero colour for that body shape) and we had a lovely day out driving two Jimnys. You might also notice I’ve swapped out my standard-issue white number plate for a black one; just wanted to look nice for the get-together.
REPORT 4: HOT CHILD IN THE CITY (16th AUGUST 2024)
Mileage: 3212km
I am amazed how many people feel the need to act as new-vehicle gatekeepers. I’m a sensitive soul, and as a Jimny owner I’m constantly surprised at how often acquaintances and colleagues feel it’s just fine to lambast me for owning a 4x4 to drive around the city.
My standard response is that I’ll buy whatever car I want, thanks, and do whatever I like with it.
But when the tears have dried, there’s another discussion to be had: a small SUV is absolutely brilliant for urban driving, for a variety of reasons. The enormous popularity of SUV-style cars for urban use isn’t just a fashion thing; they do make a lot of sense.
An elevated driving position is arguably even more useful in town driving than the open road (or off-road, even). Granted, that’s partly because everybody else is becoming more elevated, too. But that’s a fact and if you can’t beat 'em…
The increased ground clearance of an SUV is genuinely useful for tackling aggressively angled driveway entrances or sneaking over the odd kerb.
If this sounds like I’m grasping at straws, I’m not; I get to drive a lot of different cars in the course of a month and with so many (mostly the really expensive ones) I’m holding my breath as the front wheels dip into the gutter at a deep driveway entrance.
If this sounds like I’m being defensive… I am. Refer to the bit above about sensitivity.
But the other thing is that many Kiwi roads are in a semi-ruinous state, even the urban ones. One of the main routes home for me at night is also the piece of tarmac I use to assess a car’s ride, because it’s so appalling and inconsistent. In the tough little Jimny, I simply drive on with no fear. Plus the ride is terrible anyway!.
A lot of these arguments apply to crossover SUVs, of course. You don’t need a proper 4x4 to tackle the mean streets of the city.
But I’d also argue the minuscule exterior dimensions of the Jimny cancel out those concerns, partly because it can park in the most absurdly small spaces (I would love a reversing camera, though) and partly because it’s so cute. If you want people to let you into a line of traffic, drive a Jimny.
REPORT 3: HANGING UP THE PHONE (17th July 2024)
Mileage: 2621km
I think Suzuki has pretty much nailed the look of the Jimny’s dashboard: it’s all clearly made down to a price, but also packed with tongue-in-cheek chunky details that are perfect for its baby-4x4 vibe.
What Suzuki very much hasn’t nailed is storage for personal items, especially mobile phones. There’s nothing up high and only a sliver of a tray down on the floor, which is perfect for a packet of Tic Tacs. The door pockets are about right for a sheet of A4 paper and that’s pretty much it, unless you want to keep everything in the glovebox (which is actually an okay size for a small vehicle).
Cupholders, surely? No, they’re back between the front seats, so they’ve not really much use if you use phone projection, because the USB port is in the centre console and you end up with a cable running along the transmission tunnel. Messy. Unacceptable.
This month has devoted to some phone problem solving. I briefly considered one of those magnetic mounts that clamps onto the ventilation outlets (even though I loathe them), but guess what? The Jimny’s are actually so tiny that I couldn’t find one small enough to actually latch on. I was cross. Then I smiled, because that’s kinda cute.
I also considered a plug-in wireless phone projection unit, which would mean I could just keep my phone in my bag, but I wasn’t brave enough to commit the money to one and be sure it would be reliable. Even some factory systems are a bit flaky.
But it won’t surprise you to learn that there are literally thousands of pieces of aftermarket equipment specifically designed to make the JB74 Jimny interior more practical; it’s that kind of car and, frankly, stuff like this is sorely needed.
I stumbled across a strange, but strangely appealing mounting arm on a UK 4x4-specialist website that clamps directly to the Jimny’s dashboard grab handle - straight onto any place where you can remove a novelty bolt (those little fake rubber screws that hide the actual, much uglier screws).
The cost was an issue, though. Purchasing and shipping were going to total over $200, which seemed like a lot for a few flimsy bits of plastic. I almost clicked Add To Cart anyway, because I thought I had no other choice; the assumption being that this was a clever bit of kit unique to this particular company.
But yet another morning online revealed that it was in fact an item available in Japan that dated back to the dawn of Jimny in 2019. Yes, I had found the “Seikou EXEA Smartphone Holder Toughness EE-213 JB64 JB74 Dedicated For Jimny”, and could get it delivered for $100. Which is still a lot of money for a few flimsy bits of plastic, but still; I’m not sure I’ve ever been happier.
It arrived within a week, and even the packaging was delightful: it showed a Kinetic Yellow kei-Jimny on the box. Some assembly was required, but it was simple enough that even I did it without breaking anything. That’s a huge endorsement, by the way.
It’s hilariously complicated-looking and a bit oversized for the dashboard (isn’t everything with a Jimny?), but it’s brilliant. You can adjust it any-which-way and it places the phone close to the USB port below, for the cable; although to be honest, the mobile can now be so conveniently positioned that I sometimes just use the map on the phone-screen rather than plugging in, because the usable display area isn’t much smaller than that on the Jimny’s 9in infotainment unit. Adorable, right?
REPORT 2: FIELD WORK (20th June 2024)
Mileage: 1321km
Fieldays this month afforded our Jimny Sierra a double-header of sheer excitement: its first road trip of any real length and its first opportunity to head off-tarmac, or at least into the often-muddy world of Mystery Creek parking.
Jimnys are only designed to be good at one of those things, of course. Especially when the road trip in question is basically 300km of motorway.
So here we go: a step into the real world of motoring after largely city running and the initiation ceremony for any new Suzuki: a post-1000km service check at the dealer. All good.
With two of us on board, the Jimny was as you’d expect: noisy (3000rpm at 100km/h, 3500rpm at 110km/h on the Waikato Expressway) and bouncy. But despite/because of all that, also funny: we laughed pretty much the whole way, especially when two elderly blokes (well, more elderly) steamed past us at an estimated 120km/h in another current-gen Jimny. They say the hearing is the first to go.
High-speed directional stability is not this vehicle’s forte. It’s actually fine at 80km/h, gets the wanders at 100km/h but settles again at 110km/h. Motorway driving has never felt so engaging.
Unusually fine weather at Fieldays for the opening day meant off-tarmac parking wasn’t a challenge at all: firm underfoot and not even worthy of a shift from 2WD to 4WD High. Oh well, another time. But our Kinetic Yellow super-kei did cut a fine figure amongst all the working utes.
An overall average of 6.6l/100km for the trip was pretty good considering the car has no discernable aerodynamic quality and the 1.5-litre engine is always busy; the manual could really do with a 6th ratio and indeed seems to be geared with the expectation that there is one. No such luck.
The large cargo tray, which sits permanently over the folded rear chairs, was useful for simply chucking gumboots and bags in, but it’s a bit… slidey on the move. A partition would be good; or hooks for the side panels, which I know do exist in the aftermarket. I will investigate.
We were also somewhat surprised the front seats were relatively comfortable, given they seem to be basically made of two small sponges; my back often suffers even on short trips, but it was fine in this car, on this occasion.
Might have been because you sit so upright in a Jimny; might have been all that walking around at Fieldays. Whatever, the little Suzuki was a colourful addition to the team for our annual rural outing.
REPORT 1: JIM MEMBERSHIP (25th May 2024)
Mileage: 121km
I've just got a hard-core 4x4 in a pretty colour. I’m going to drive it mainly around town. Yes, now I’m one of those people.
Meet the latest addition to the DRIVEN Car Guide long-term fleet: the Suzuki Jimny Sierra 3dr. And just to set the ground rules, this one’s a bit different to our other long termers. Usually they are supplied by car companies, we share them around staff/contributors and report on our experiences far beyond the normal week-long review. They give us a more of an insight into what it’s like to “own” a car.
You have to accessorise a Suzuki Jimny. It's the law.
But I do actually own this one. I bought it. Which is not just my way of saying I won’t be sharing, but also to state that it was purchased at full price (there’s no other way to get a Jimny really, they’re in demand) from a main dealer.
Same financial status for the accessories: all purchased at retail. Fair and square, no consideration given or asked for its future fame within the DRIVEN world.
With a different engine and shorn of its plastic wheelarch extensions, the Jimny is small enough to qualify as a 'kei' micro-car in Japan.
I’ve always wanted a Jimny, I love the heritage and I love the fact it’s pretty much made to do just one thing really well: go off-road. Even though that’s not its primary role for most buyers.
I also love Japanese kei-cars (a micro-car class with restricted engine size and exterior dimensions) and this is the closest any New Zealand-new vehicle gets to one. In fact, with a 660cc engine and shorn of its plastic wheelarch extensions, the Jimny does actually qualify as a kei-car in Japan.
The optional cargo tray renders the rear chairs useless, but they pretty much are anyway in a car this size.
I also feel I can afford to be a bit indulgent/silly with my personal vehicle, given I mostly drive other cars for my job. This is not a daily drive for me, although it still serves as a family car at my house.
To answer your next question, I did consider the new Jimny 5dr. It looks almost as adorable as the 3dr and the extra legroom is useful if you need it. I don't. The rear seats fold completely flat in the 3dr (not in the 5dr) which makes it a much more useful thing for me. Especially with the addition of the optional cargo tray - which renders the rear chairs useless, but they pretty much are anyway in a car this size.
Mine’s the Sierra, but with the above in mind I did consider the JX two-seat van - because I think its steel wheels look awesome and it’s $3k cheaper. However, it’s lacking a few key features: self-levelling LED headlights, phone projection and climate control to name a few. I think it was the very basic-feeling urethane steering wheel that finally put me off. Oh, and you can’t have the JX in Kinetic Yellow.
I was a little surprised to find that in the time between ordering and receiving the car (a matter of weeks), the sat-nav formerly part of the Sierra specification had disappeared. Deleted by the factory across the range starting with my shipment apparently, and not a big deal for me personally because I always use phone projection; but a potential issue given I had signed up and paid for a car fitted with what's presumably a costly piece of equipment. Actually, I didn't care. But some might.
Anyway, here it is: Jimny Sierra 3dr manual with the optional factory two-tone exterior finish (it adds $510 and a black roof to Kinetic Yellow, Chiffon Ivory or Brisk Blue) for $36,500. I had the carpet mats replaced with heavy duty rubber ones (no extra cost) and I also opted for the $899 3-year service package.
You have to accessorise a Jimny: it’s the law. The original grille is now hanging on my office wall, replaced by the blacked-out Wilberforce Tactical Grille, which I think looks great with the yellow. Perhaps more importantly, it’s a $215 aftermarket item (there's so much out there) that’s less than half the price of Suzuki NZ’s own grey/white Heritage Grille.
What could clash more with yellowy-green than red mudflaps I thought, so I got those ($400). That and the cargo tray ($250) are both Suzuki accessories supplied by the dealer (which also kindly fitted my outsourced grille at no charge).
Finally, I need to carry two bikes. I considered and rejected roof racks on the basis of cost combined with limited load capacity on the gutter mounts (yes, just like a 1970s car) and opted for a Yakima Spare Ride 2 ($500), a brilliant piece of kit that’s designed for 4x4s with external spare wheels: it’s locked to the back door through the wheel mount so it’s really safe and strong. It’s also good protection against other people’s errant parking.
Yes, I do know the Jimny is famously crude on-road (beam axles front and rear!), but that’s part of the cheeky character and it’s certainly not pretending to be anything other than what it is. The closest thing in spirit (if not size) is a Toyota Land Cruiser 70: basically a classic 4x4 that you can buy brand new.
To those who taunt me (there have been several already), I am intending to go off-tarmac, because I’ve been lucky enough to experience what Jimnys can do through my day job.
But mine’s not hopping over any rocks until the new-car smell and shine is well gone.
What is the Suzuki Jimny?
Cute looks and city friendly dimensions sell it to many, but the Jimny is also a heritage 4x4 with tough underpinnings that date back decades. It's one of the world's great off-roaders.
Why are we running it?
To see how much the overwhelming emotional appeal of this little mite is undermined by the reality of real-world driving. And to have fun!
