Enthusiast I
Hi all, I figured I would write a little bit on my Jimny. About 15 years ago I started out with a Suzuki SJ 410 (with 1.6 8v shoehorned in) and had a lot of good times out wheeling and camping.\
Fast forward to this year and after a good 10 years of not being in a position to do much (geographically not in a good spot but also financially and mentally not in it) I ended up in a new place, lots to explore all around and finally able to go back out there myself (instead of being a passenger with friends on occasion).
The new Jimny was too hard to come by still, so I settled on the last of the previous models. Still very similar to my old SJ from the 80s :)
Performance isn’t really there but its enough 99% of the time (although could alway wish for more). 1.3 engine spitting about 85hp, weight not much above a tonne though helps. Rear wheel drive but with 4H and 4L options available. Solid axles all round. Interior is basic but heated seats are a nice touch and welcome here in winter.
Reasons I went with the Jimny: 1, love Suzukis, 2, couldn’t fit a Landcruiser in my garage its too small, 3, capability right out of the box, 4, don’t have kids or dogs to lug around with me, 5, value for money and reliabIility.
Mods:
- 2”/40mm Old Man Emu suspension
- 215/75/R15 Grabber X3s
- Horntools rocksliders
- Philips LED spots
- Suzuki original interior rack and plastic covers (turns the rear seats into just a larger usable cargo area)
- Nakatenga spare tire rucksack
- Front Runner roof bars
- Cheap amazon bought inverter under the driver seat
- Sony radio head unit and JBL rear speaker sub (mounted on the wheel arch)
Camping wise I am able to go on a long 2 week trip (as I have done twice since) as long as I am by myself. Fridge sits on the passenger seat (strapped down) and my 2 second tent from Decathlon has done a great job in +30C as well as in -10C. I am able to carry everything I need really. Did 5000km in 2 weeks on a Romania trip and had zero issue hanging with a friend in a 4 door Wrangler :) Highway though was a slight struggle but off road we were both as good as one another.
Long drives can be a bit of a drag, there is a fair bit of noise (the Grabbers didn’t help) but overall its doable. Fuel consumption loaded up and with the maxtrax on the roof bars still stays around 9L/100KM which is about 26MPG (US) if I am not mistaken.
For now enjoying it and getting out whenever I can. Space wise I can only have one vehicle so I use it daily and commute to work and back in it too. I was toying with the idea after 9 months of ownership to change to something else but I’m undecided. The Jimny is more capable than I need so I bought something that is great off road but not so good on it. I am toying with the idea of changing that scenario around and getting something I can still do pretty much everything in that I do but performs better on the road but we will see. Happy enough so not in a rush.
There it is for now. Cheers to all the folks of this fine community, happy holidays!
Roman
Fast forward to this year and after a good 10 years of not being in a position to do much (geographically not in a good spot but also financially and mentally not in it) I ended up in a new place, lots to explore all around and finally able to go back out there myself (instead of being a passenger with friends on occasion).
The new Jimny was too hard to come by still, so I settled on the last of the previous models. Still very similar to my old SJ from the 80s :)
Performance isn’t really there but its enough 99% of the time (although could alway wish for more). 1.3 engine spitting about 85hp, weight not much above a tonne though helps. Rear wheel drive but with 4H and 4L options available. Solid axles all round. Interior is basic but heated seats are a nice touch and welcome here in winter.
Reasons I went with the Jimny: 1, love Suzukis, 2, couldn’t fit a Landcruiser in my garage its too small, 3, capability right out of the box, 4, don’t have kids or dogs to lug around with me, 5, value for money and reliabIility.
Mods:
- 2”/40mm Old Man Emu suspension
- 215/75/R15 Grabber X3s
- Horntools rocksliders
- Philips LED spots
- Suzuki original interior rack and plastic covers (turns the rear seats into just a larger usable cargo area)
- Nakatenga spare tire rucksack
- Front Runner roof bars
- Cheap amazon bought inverter under the driver seat
- Sony radio head unit and JBL rear speaker sub (mounted on the wheel arch)
Camping wise I am able to go on a long 2 week trip (as I have done twice since) as long as I am by myself. Fridge sits on the passenger seat (strapped down) and my 2 second tent from Decathlon has done a great job in +30C as well as in -10C. I am able to carry everything I need really. Did 5000km in 2 weeks on a Romania trip and had zero issue hanging with a friend in a 4 door Wrangler :) Highway though was a slight struggle but off road we were both as good as one another.
Long drives can be a bit of a drag, there is a fair bit of noise (the Grabbers didn’t help) but overall its doable. Fuel consumption loaded up and with the maxtrax on the roof bars still stays around 9L/100KM which is about 26MPG (US) if I am not mistaken.
For now enjoying it and getting out whenever I can. Space wise I can only have one vehicle so I use it daily and commute to work and back in it too. I was toying with the idea after 9 months of ownership to change to something else but I’m undecided. The Jimny is more capable than I need so I bought something that is great off road but not so good on it. I am toying with the idea of changing that scenario around and getting something I can still do pretty much everything in that I do but performs better on the road but we will see. Happy enough so not in a rush.
There it is for now. Cheers to all the folks of this fine community, happy holidays!
Roman
