Suzuki is the only company to offer a small, super-light true off-roader. So when a brand new Jimny is launched, you can't just take it to the shops and be done with it. The review needs to include some real off-roading, the kind that a crossover costing twice as much will never attempt.
Autocar magazine pitted the brightly-colored Jimny against a worthy opponent, a stripped out, no frills 3-door version of the new Toyota Land Cruiser. And this video proves you can review two cars by driving just a few dozen feet.
No 4x4 that's described as a "mountain goat" can ever be as good as the real deal. The Land Cruiser has conquered every corner of the globe, but this van-like model is a lot less expensive than the luxury ones we've grown accustomed to. It's got steel wheels, yet somehow manages to cost more than twice as much as the Suzuki.
Which brings us to an interesting point we want to make. For this kind of money, there's not a lot of other cool, attention-grabbing cars you can buy. The Mazda MX-5 Miata... and that's about it.
Of course, Suzuki cut a lot of corners to make it light, capable and yet still a bargain. The interior is funky, but can't hold a cabin to the dash of a modern supermini. And Autocar found water was splashing around the thin sheet metal during the "puddle test."
As for rock climbing stuff, the Jimny is well sorted with low and high range gearing. However, it doesn't have a locking diff and uses the brakes to limit slip. This, combined with the naturally aspirated 1.5-liter engine means you have to give it the beans if you want it to climb. The Land Cruiser is better, obviously, but it doesn't humiliate the little guy. And as we've already established, there are few more interesting ways to spend your money than a Jimny.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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