Used Suzuki Jimny 4x4 1998 - 2018 review

People who want a used off-road vehicle that’ll climb every mountain, and ford every stream, have often had to resort to buying a heavy, cumbersome Land Rover or Toyota Land Cruiser to fulfil their needs. However, those looking for similar mountain-climbing abilities but in a smaller package should look at the Suzuki Jimny: a real 4x4 with dinky dimensions and bargain price.

The other point in the Jimny’s favour is that it has few rivals. When it came out, it had to tackle tricky terrain against the likes of the Daihatsu Terios and Mitsubishi Shogun Pinin. But the Shogun Pinin was never replaced when it went off sale in 2006 and Daihatsu left the UK market back in 2009, leaving the Jimny to traverse the small-SUV market with few challengers.

There's certainly no doubting the Jimny's ability off road, but it's far less happy on Tarmac, and this has always prevented it from winning group tests with more road-biased small SUVs. It's very unrefined and, on anything other than a perfectly smooth road, its ride is firm and bouncy. The body rolls too much in bends, so don’t try any enthusiastic driving after lunch, otherwise you’ll be testing out how stain resistant the seats and carpets are.

What’s more, the Jimny has always been lumbered with underpowered petrol engines. The original 1.3 only produced 78bhp when it was launched back in 1998. It was breathed on for the 2005 facelift, but power was only increased to 83bhp. Hardly earth-shattering, and it’s the reason why the four-speed automatic version takes a ponderous 17sec to reach 62mph.

To cap it all, the Jimny is also narrow and very impractical. Drivers over six feet tall will find leg room tight, and both head and leg room 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.

The interior isn’t exactly plush, either, but it is very tough and can withstand abuse and muddy boots better than you’d think. Early JLX cars were spartan in offering merely roof rails, electric windows and electric mirrors. Later SZ3 and SZ4 versions were much better equipped and easier to use, with three buttons on the dashboard replacing the rudimentary separate selector by the gearlever.

Because the Jimny has been on sale for the best part of 20 years, there are examples out there to suit all budgets.

You can find early or higher-mileage examples for less than £1000, but we’d suggest you spend £3500-£4500 to get yourself a decent 2005 and onwards post-facelift car with the improved engine and better interior. Around £7000 will find you a 2009 Jimny, while newer 2012 cars will set you back £10,000 or more. The latest examples start to look a little steep at £14,500 – particularly when prices for the brand-new Jimny start at just £1000 more.

Check the value of a used Suzuki Jimny with What Car? Valuations

In terms of daily running costs, the Jimny will be thirstier than other, more modern small SUV rivals, but considering it has plenty of heavy off-road mechanicals and it slips through the air with all the grace of a garden shed, this is to be expected. It has a combined NEDC fuel economy figure of 38.7mpg and annual road tax will be £195 for the manual or £230 for the automatic version.

Any Jimny registered after 1 April 2017 will cost you £140 a year because it falls under a revised tax system.

Jimny service intervals are annual or every 9000 miles. You can take out a pay monthly Suzuki Service Plan if your car is under six years old, or you could take advantage of fixed-price servicing if your vehicle is over three years old. A 25-point service is £129, while a larger 35-point service is £259.

On paper, it looks as if the Suzuki Jimny range is pretty basic: two trim levels and only one engine for most of its life, with a choice of hard or soft tops. However, that doesn't quite tell the whole story, because a huge range of accessories allowed owners to personalise their cars, so you may well need to shop around to find one that suits you.

Mechanically, all Jimnys are pretty much the same. For most of its life, the Jimny had a 79bhp 1.3-litre engine, which was only updated in January 2005 as part of a major facelift that also brought a revised cabin. These facelifted models are the best ones in the range, but steer clear of the soft-top. It doesn't give a true wind-in-the-hair experience and had to carry on with the weaker, less refined old engine even after the facelift. Avoid the automatic version if you can because it makes an already slow car glacial.

JLX and later SZ3 cars are rather basic, but JLX + and SZ4 ones are more generously equipped with alloy wheels, heated door mirrors, air conditioning and part-leather seats. On the whole, it is the later SZ4 that’s best because of the improvements in interior quality on later cars.

Our favourite Suzuki Jimny: 1.3 SZ4 manual

There aren’t many rivals to the Suzuki Jimny. Cars with genuine off-road ability tend to be quite large and expensive because more modern four-wheel-drive systems are a lot more complicated than the rather rudimentary one used on the Jimny. Also, having full-blown off-roader tech compromises a car’s on-road drive, which is not what most small-SUV buyers want.

The Dacia Duster has a decent amount of mud-plugging ability for a minuscule outlay, but its four-wheel-drive system only engages when it detects the front wheels are slipping. It doesn’t have solid axles, either, and therefore doesn’t have the wheel articulation to match the Jimny. Still, it is a lot more economical and refined than the Jimny, plus it is much more practical as a family car.

For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? Newsletter here