Suzuki Jimny (1998 – 2018) Review

Few cars remain in production as long as the Suzuki Jimny that was launched in 1998. It was in showrooms for two decades, and is still in demand as a used car thanks to some timeless attributes – brilliant off-road capability, low costs and classic design. Rivals such as the Dacia Duster, leftfield Japanese contender the Daihatsu Terios and popular Fiat Panda 4x4 all work well, but none has quite the same appeal. Read on for our full Suzuki Jimny review.

When the Suzuki Jimny went on sale, Tony Blair was Prime Minister and the Ford Escort was a massive seller.

That means it’s very dated, yet it’s still a charming little machine as a used car, and surprisingly capable off road.

The Suzuki Jimny didn’t go completely unchanged during its production run, of course. Over more than two decades it was lightly tweaked, with different trim levels, equipment and engine options – but on the whole, it remained largely the same.

Latterly, it was only offered with a 1.3-litre petrol engine with a modest 85PS, but it does the job in a loud, unsophisticated way.

Road noise, wind noise and tyre noise are intrusive at anything above 50mph, the cabin is cramped, the ride isn’t great, the steering is ponderous and slow, and the gearchange is stiff.

Yet, despite its flaws, the Suzuki Jimny is tremendously capable in poor weather, on rough roads, and on broken, potholed tracks. It even works in town thanks to its small size, although it requires a little more effort than a modern hatchback. 

Where the Suzuki Jimny really shines, though, is off road. Its light weight, four-wheel drive, low-range transmission and lockable differential mean it will happily tackle the same kind of tough, muddy terrain as a much pricier Land Rover Defender – old or new versions.

For those who live in rural areas, the Suzuki Jimny is ideal, and it has a real cult following among green-laners. 

Of course, its off-road prowess is tempered by the almost endless list of flaws. Some will relish the experience, but most – particularly those used to more modern SUVs – will find the Suzuki Jimny a tiresome vehicle, particularly when it comes to everyday commuting or shopping trips.

However, for a particular buyer, nothing else will do.

Fancy a second opinion? Read heycar’s Suzuki Jimny review here.

On the road, the Suzuki Jimny’s age really starts to show. As well as being slow (and feeling it), it rolls a lot and has a ride that never seems to settle – there’s a lot of bouncing, which is quite severe on rougher roads.

The steering is vague – as is the case on many old-school 4x4s – which can be off-putting at higher speeds and on the motorway.

But when it comes to off-roading, the Suzuki Jimny can rightly hold its head high. It follows a long line of models from the brand famed for their off-road prowess.

Those who buy a Suzuki Jimny tend to need it, rather than want it. And that’s a subtle, but important difference. Those who need a Suzuki Jimny appreciate the low-ratio gearbox, separate chassis and good ground clearance.

Even with road tyres, it performs well off-road and is only limited in its capabilities by the power of the engine.

Between 1998 and 2005, the Suzuki Jimny was powered by a 16-valve 1.3 litre petrol with 81PS. It was a slow, plodding engine with a 0-60mph time of 16.3 seconds and a top speed of 87mph. This was replaced by a more modern 1.3-litre VVTi in 2005.

The 83PS engine offers a bit more power, brings the 0-60mph time down to 14.1 seconds and is a shade more economical.

All cars are five-speed manuals, with the option of a four-speed automatic.

There was also a 1.8-litre Jimny that was sold briefly between 2004 and 2005. It’s more powerful, with 127PS, and gets to 60mph in little over 10 seconds.

But such a large engine wasn’t well suited to such a small car and it never sold well. It’s particularly rare on the used market.

There’s no Euro NCAP crash test score for this generation of Suzuki Jimny. You do get front driver and passenger airbags, plus ABS anti-lock brakes.

Other than three-point seat belts, that’s about your lot.

From 2015, the car gained a tyre pressure monitoring system and ESC traction and stability control.

The Suzuki Jimny might be small, but it’s surprisingly mighty when it comes to towing.

An unbraked trailer of up to 350kg is permissable, while it can lug a braked trailer with a maximum of 1300kg.

The Suzuki Jimny’s driving position is very upright, and despite the compact dimensions, tall drivers shouldn’t have much of a problem with it, as the steering wheel adjusts for height.

Forward visibility is good and the view when pulling out of T-junctions is unimpaired. The rear view isn’t quite as clear, especially with four on board, but large wing mirrors partly compensate for this.

The Suzuki Jimny is only really viable as a second car or for couples, as the boot is incredibly small and the two rear seats are only suitable for occasional use, because there’s very little legroom. As it’s quite narrow, shoulder room is restricted, too.

There’s a reasonable load area with the seats folded and tumbled, but that only leaves seating for two – plus the side-opening door is a bit of a pain in small parking spaces.

The interior is as basic as you’d expect for a car that first went on sale in 1998.

Model from 2005 onwards benefit from a facelift that brought a much improved interior, although it still feels dated.

If you’re looking for a working vehicle, though, the sturdy construction is just the job. The hard plastics stand up well to knocks and scrapes and can be easily cleaned. 

The Suzuki Jimny is lacking any kind of on-board entertainment that’s taken for granted on most modern cars.

You’ll find a stereo in most, including FM radio and a CD player, but only a small number of later models have DAB digital radio and Bluetooth connectivity.

If you can find one of the couple of hundred Suzuki Jimny Adventure special editions, you’ll also get satellite navigation.

A cult following and the Suzuki Jimny’s superb off-roading ability have kept prices very stable and strong.

As a result, you will pay from £4000 for a car in decent nick with 75,000 miles on the clock. That could get an early 1998 model all the way to a much newer one from around 2007.

Expect to pay from £9500 for a 2012 car with the same mileage, while a late 2018 Suzuki Jimny with a modest 40,000 miles on the clock will cost you around £13,500.

There were two 1.3-litre engines offered in the Suzuki Jimny during its lifespan, and they offer combined fuel economy claimed at between 39.2mpg and 39.8mpg, so there’s not much difference between them.

In real-world driving, this works out to 35mpg.

Go for the model with the automatic gearbox and claimed combined consumption is 38.7mpg versus a Real MPG figure of 31.1mpg.

Where the Suzuki Jimny might catch out the unwary used buyer is with road tax. Earlier models emitted enough to attract a yearly payment of £305, although the last-of-the-line cars registered from 1 April 2017 onwards will pay the flat rate of £190.

Also, insuring a Suzuki Jimny will not be as cheap as you might hope, due to its limited safety equipment. As a result of this, it sits in groups ranging from 14 to 16 (out of 50).

This is balanced by low-cost maintenance for the mechanical parts. Just make sure the chassis has no rust or rot, as this can spell the end of the line for this car without significant expense.

Don’t expect too much in the way of equipment and you won’t be disappointed. The Suzuki Jimny SZ3 comes with steel wheels, electric windows, a 12-volt socket, CD player and cloth upholstery.

The Suzuki Jimny SZ4 trim adds synthetic leather upholstery, leather covered steering wheel, 15-inch alloy wheels, tinted rear windows and air-conditioning.

The Suzuki Jimny Adventure special edition of 2016 got Dark Silver 15-inch alloy wheels, synthetic leather seats, air-conditioning and rear privacy glass.

It also featured satellite navigation with Bluetooth connectivity, a hard spare wheel cover with ‘Adventure’ logo and a Pearl White Metallic/Quasar Grey 2-Tone paint finish.