Suzuki Jimny 1.3 JLX Reviews

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Suzuki Jimny 1.3 JLX
★★★★☆
4.1
83.0% of users recommend this
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Latest Reviews

“Perfect everywhere...except the motorway.”

★★★★★

written by vzMaurer399 on 14/02/2015

I've owned my 2007 Jimny Jlx for a couple of years now and had no faults other than a burst top radiator hose and that's after 82000 miles on the clock, so not bad for such a small engined 4x4 that's worked pretty hard. There are a few rattles from the dashboard now but other than that undue noise is at a minimum and the interior is hard-wearing and as fresh as when it was new. On the outside the headlights need a polish and wax every few months just to stop them yellowing as they are cheap plastic lenses, the rest of the bodywork especially the plastic cladding on the doors is tough enough to withstand small knocks and to protect from car park dings. I personally think the car is ideal for use anywhere, wether off road where it is astonishing or in town where you will be amazed at the tiniest spaces you can park this thing in, the turning circle is great too. Although don't plan a shopping trip in it if you have people sat in the back, the boot is tiny and only suitable for 2 or 3 shopping bags! With the back seats folded flat I've had a large tumble dryer in the back, so not all bad! The only place I'm not overly struck on using the jimny is the motorway...it's short, it's tall and it's light and it hates crosswinds which batter you about like mad. Couple that with the fact the 83bhp engine has a top speed of 86mph, anything over 60mph will have the engine revving at nearly 4000rpm. It's ok for occasional motorway use but it's best where it was designed for, country lanes in bad weather and off road.

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“Wife has one...now for my own!!”

★★★★☆

written by mxGallegos10 on 26/04/2014

I constantly fight with my wife for the keys. Although I drive a Astra 2.0 turbo, her Jimny gets more of my attention!! Absolutely great off road, will beat most standard off road vehicles. Agree not the best on-road but hey we have to get to the dirt somehow. Remember you can go fast, but I can go anywhere. Please do not follow me as you will not get there.

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“Will go anywhere a defender will go for a fraction of...”

★★★★★

written by on 23/11/2012

It's not an urban car..If you live in a city or an urban environment then perhaps you are better with an ordinary car, because ordinary isn't what a jimny is..For the Yorkshire dales and getting home through 3ft snow drifts or tramping across soft ground then the thing is the bees knees. Sure it won't fly round corners at silly speeds but so what? I have driven it up and down the motorway to Malvern from hawes and then up through Wales to Anglesey and found no issues with wind noise or anything else. Never had any issues with reliablity, and just done the normal servicing, replacing the front wheel bearings at 45k ( suprisingly not sooner given the hammering off road it's had ) It's a bit of a bouncy ride and a little firm, but it has to be it it is to be any good off road.

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“dont write it off”

★★★★★

written by on 24/10/2012

nice to see plenty of good reviews about the jimny. for those who are experiencing bad faults with the car REMEMBER !! theres bad cars in every manufacturer. i had a mitsubishi and it ended up costing me a arm and a leg. same when i had a 2009 ford. this is the second jimny ive had and ill tell you its amazing in the snow. even better than my warrior. its eco and reliable. the insurance is cheap and its brilliant to park. what more do you want!!!!!!!

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“My new Jimny”

★★★★★

written by on 23/08/2012

Having had a series of company cars over the years, everything from, Audi's, BMW's, Volvo's and Jaguars, I decided to buy a 4x4 vehicle as my own, due to my change of circumstances,and having looked at most other 4x4's in the lower end price bracket, mainly small second hand SUV's, I decided on a brand new Jimny as my new fishing truck. I paid my deposit and waited, and then I started to read the various reviews, from ones that said the vehicle was a load of rubbish, to others that said they were just plain dangerous, to others that said they were brilliant.....oh dear what have I done I thought. I have had the Jimny now for about 5 weeks, what do i think you may ask? I think it is great, it is the very car I always wanted, brilliant off road vehicle as everyone states, comfortable tarmac slogger, fairly economical, and plenty fast enough for me, Yes it demands a different driving technique on bends and islands due to its short wheel base and High centre of gravity, you basically drive slower around these, but I like that, its calmed me down, I just love this strange little utilitarian tough truck, it has a bigger car feel inside, a great high driving position, brilliant breaks. I thoroughly recommend the Jimny, just remember it isnt no Golf, BMW or Focus, it aint no Freelander, its a Jimny, put the back seats down and its a load lugger, why did I doubt this vehicle, some of the reviews (especially the professional reviews)are misleading and dont do credit to the car, would I recommend it, as I said most thoroughly!

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“SO, SO SAD!”

★☆☆☆☆

written by on 27/07/2012

I bought my 2007 Jimny with just 25,000 k's on the clock (at 7mths old) and I was soooo proud of my beautiful 'new car'. I loved the height of the seat, excellent petrol economy, easy parking, if fact, I really liked absolutely everything about it. Then at around 35,000 k's it developed a bit of a shudder in the steering which got progressively worse and the short story is that over 2 years, 4 different mechanics and 1 4wD specialist all tried to find and fix this steering problem which kept returning after between 1,000 to 10,000 k's. It got so bad the car was a death trap! It has cost me a ton of time, so much grief and over $2,500. just trying to FIND the problem not to mention 2 sets of tyres - a direct result of this problem! By the way, even though the car still had 4yrs 5mths warranty on it when I bought it, I was the second owner and therefore was entitled to nothing - a painful discovery. During this time I took it to a Suzuki dealer workshop, asked for help - they had never heard of this happening and said Suzuki would not cover costs because of the warranty issue and they themselves had never worked on the car so it was going to cost me again. I found on the net that Suzuki put out a "kit" to rectify this problem in both the UK and Australia. I showed them that info and all the copies that I had of 100's of Jimny owner's comments on forums stating the EXACT same nightmare that I was experiencing with my Jimny, which I found by googling various combinations of: jimny, steering wobble, death wobble; you got the idea. I've taken it back twice to them and am now told that this is something that I will constantly be dealing with for the life of the car and I should expect to pay every year for various rectifications to the steering because it is a design fault - and I will need to be vigilant to get it back in before the new set of tyres begin to wear unevenly, again! Two mths ago I had the steering "fixed" again and payed over $500. I was told that my next expected yearly steering problem will be around $700.00 minimum because the tightening that they had to do will cause another part to wear quicker than normal blah..... blah..... blah. The steering was a lot better for about 3 weeks, it's now 8 weeks since then and the wobble is already happening again!!!!!!! But WAIT! Two weeks ago it started jumping out of 4th gear - not fun in the fast lane doing 80 kph in traffic!!!! The first time was a near death experience - I came close to being run over by a truck but after that I fixed it quick each time it jumped out. In the past 2 weeks the car has had escalating whineing and grinding noises, in the front which has been assessed as "the gearbox has s**t itself Love! You'll need a second hand one!" I'll be lucky to get out of THIS PARTICULAR MESS for under $1,200.00 ..... I now have NO CAR! Am desperately trying to find a gearbox! The Steering saga continues! and I forgot to say that it's always been serviced; never been off road and it's only got 90,000 k's on the clock! To be fair I would like to give Suzuki the opportunity to buy this car back from me - at my cost price! I think that's fair. I'm so sad.

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Andyivan74's Comment

Written on: 12/03/2013

Hi, I was talking to someone that owns a 2008 jimny. He put a 2" lift kit on his and then afterwards he said that the steering wobbled so much that it was "indrivable". He took it back to the mechanic who said to install a steering damper that fixed the problem. He also said that there is a special steering column that was install in the newer models that prevents the car from rolling whilst turning at high speeds. A lot of people remove this as it makes the car drive a lot smoother.

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Suzukiowner's Comment

Written on: 16/02/2015

If it is any consolation, I am in EXACTLY the same boat as you. Ibought a used Suzuki Jimny 2007 model.
It was great for a while then it started to have uncontrollable steering wobbles, really dangerous.
Then the gearbox blew up so I paid $2500 for a replacement. Two years later that box is going.
The steering is very dangerous.
Suzuki what is wrong with this model?

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“jinxed”

★☆☆☆☆

written by on 14/06/2012

I am writing this because I have never had such bad experiences with a car.I bought my 2006 jimny in 2008. Since then, the power steering has gone - twice1;the clutch has had to be replaced;the gearbox has leaked; the rear axle has broken and the front axle has also had to be replaced, and , today, it has broken down completely and needed towing for the 4th time - I don't yet know the cause but the gears roared and screeched, something underneath groaned and rattled and it gave out completely. Every car place I take it to, I am told how great it is and how reliable, it will go forever apparently... I consider some of the experiences I have had in my Jimny to have been extremely dangerous eg. when the rear axle broke a couple of weeks ago and the car swerved dramatically back and forth across the road and when the power steering gave out. It's a cute car but my god, it's so not worth it!

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“As others have said, a vehicle that has exceeded all...”

★★★★★

written by on 05/03/2011

As others have said, a vehicle that has exceeded all my expectations! I have a Jimny SZ4 Automatic purchased new in Dec 2010.

Around town the elevated driving position is superb and there is good all round visibility. Compact dimensions,good sized door mirrors and minimal front & rear overhangs make the Jimny a doddle to park or move through traffic.

The rear boot area is modest with the back seats up but drop the seats and there is a good sized stowage area. Although there is some legroom for rear passengers it's fair to say the seating in the rear is more suited to children/ smaller adults or occasional use.

The 1.3 engine is not fast, but it is adequate for the job. Coupled with a smooth auto box & modern stop/start driving is less of a chore! The car is far more refined than I would have expected with very little engine noise in the cabin. Road noise is surprisingly low too. For anyone unfamiliar with 4wd vehicles the suspension/ body roll will feel a little odd but despite the relative height of the car to its width/length I have found the car stable even on motorways & comes to life off road.

Having taken the car out in the winter snows of 2010/11 around the Pennines, Yorkshire dales & through North Wales, the car never missed a beat, coping superbly with snow,ice, mud & sleet, while other cars were stranded by the roadside.Anyone considering the auto transmission should not be afraid- it works really well in 4wd mode!

3 months in and the car still makes me smile- fun to drive, practical & pretty economical- I seem to getting 39+mpg around town now the engine is getting run in- that's as good as I was getting from the Smart Fortwo I traded in.

Anyone looking for a small runaround should give the Jimny some serious thought- it does all the average eurobox urban runaround can do and much more besides!

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“One of the best vehicles I have ever driven !! Since...”

★★★★★

written by on 10/10/2010

One of the best vehicles I have ever driven !! Since the day I bought this amazing piece of machine I enjoyed my life more than ever.

The extreme off-road capabilities together with on-road comfort always made me very confident on "go anywhere - any time - do whatever I want and return back safely". This small rugged mighty 4X4 is far ahead of most expensive SUVs in the market with this hybrid capabilities.

That's true that there are bunch of SUVs in the market labeled as "4X4", but this little monster all-rounder could easily beat most of them with its well focused 4X4 design which has been armed with a strong ladder chassis and front and rear differentials.

However, if you are someone who expect a SUV which is comfortable as a car, this is not for you. However, the key point you should keep in mind is, you can't ever expect "the car comfort" from a true 4X4 like Suzuki Jimny or Landrover - Defender.

Give it a go, you will never be disappointed !

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“My new (July 2010) SZ4 has exceeded all expectations....”

★★★★★

written by paston on 10/09/2010

My new (July 2010) SZ4 has exceeded all expectations. The "exp rts" may not like them but I love it. The engine was a little tight at first but now it has run in the performance is excellent and the engine is quiet and smooth. The ride is far better than I expected and considerably better than my old Terrano. Off road the Jimny comes into its own. I spend a lot of time in southern Spain and I have found its off roading capabilities whether in mud, on steep rutted tracks or in deep dust exceptional. The little car just keeps on going, unfalteringly. Fuel consumption is good at around 38mpg. The interior is well fitted and the seats are comfortable. I love it.

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Cchistodoulou's Response to paston's Review

Written on: 19/09/2010

I found this review very helpful because...I'm going to buy one

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Themaninthevan2001's Response to paston's Review

Written on: 19/09/2010

sounds nice, i might take a test drive

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“Had mine for a little over two years. I use it for my...”

★★★★★

written by Acadian on 07/04/2010

Had mine for a little over two years. I use it for my work driving across the Gulf States all year round. From Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman. Would not drive aqnything else through the desert. It will go places in the desert other 4X4 can`t Even the AC is working fine in the summer 48C +. With proper service this little machine will not let you down.Juat remember it is not a fast accelerating vehicle. At an average speed of 120kph it handles fine. Even on Saudi roads.

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“I do only about 5000 miles/ year and most of that is...”

★★★☆☆

written by on 26/12/2009

I do only about 5000 miles/ year and most of that is local, shifting loads with the rear seats down or towing a trailer, some in 4WD on the moors. The Jimny has been great for that. I am sad that I have had some problems - a brake disc was replaced while in warranty, then a king-pin was replaced. Sounds like king-pins are a typical problem for this short wheel-base vehicle. No other probs though, has been very useful in the snow this last week here in Scotland! Seems like if you don't ask too much then it is fine. Before purchase? Would have liked to know about this king-pin prob. I intend to ask the mechanic how to visually check seals under the front of my Suzuki Jimny JLX+ 1.3, sounds like a visual inspection could be a good idea.

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“Just look at owner reviews to see how good the car is....”

★★★★★

written by on 06/09/2009

Just look at owner reviews to see how good the car is. Great tough little thing. On road Suzuki Jimny 1.3 JLX drives like it should being a 1.3, off road it will take on anything and be a lot better than more expensive models. Whats more, it will put a huge grin on your face when ever you drive it.

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“ The Suzuki Jimny 1.3 JLX excellent for 4x4, it 's...”

★★★★★

written by on 28/05/2009

The Suzuki Jimny 1.3 JLX excellent for 4x4, it 's little inside, but it 's amazing on 4x4

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“I have had my Suzuki Jimny 1.3 JLX now for 2 years. It...”

★★★★★

written by on 15/05/2009

I have had my Suzuki Jimny 1.3 JLX now for 2 years. It is an amazing car. It will just about keep up with traffic if you are good with the gears, but when it goes off road, nothing keeps up with it. It is unstoppable. Unless you get stuck, but then all you need is a mate and a spade. I regularly hit solid objects in it, little damage, it has been on its side, no (little) damage. Most of all, it is ultra reliable. My brand new clio goes to the garage more than my jimny. *which is V-reg (2000).

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“Excellent little 4X4, I used to have a 2006 Nissan...”

★★★★★

written by Tuppar on 15/04/2009

Excellent little 4X4, I used to have a 2006 Nissan Micra, which whilst an great little car,was not what i wanted. Then I traded it in for a 2004 Jimny (My family thought I was Mad) It took me a while to learn how to drive the Suzuki Jimny on road and was somewhat nervous on the bends, but it has that certain something like a Morris Minor or Citroen 2CV that makes you love it. I am still a man though so have not given it a name, but it does make me and the dog smile. I have somewhat of a dodgy left leg so have the auto box, which to my great surprise is fab off road. When I bought it, it came with a lifetime warranty from a 3rd party and that's as long as I intend to have it, in later life I will likey plump for an estate when a young family comes along, but will keep Jimny as my second (fun) car forever. Basic and tough it has a long life ahead of it.

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“I have owned my Suzuki Jimny 1.3 JLX for 2 years now...”

★★★★★

written by dj zimmer on 05/03/2009

I have owned my Suzuki Jimny 1.3 JLX for 2 years now and I love it. It puts a smile on my face. It is not fast, but it is quick enough. It is good on petrol, around 36 mpg is average. I have driven mine to Germany and back, and I never felt cramped. Aircon and leather is a nice touch.

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“I used to have a Freelander-but to be honest im more...”

★★★★★

written by BEXKI on 11/01/2009

I used to have a Freelander-but to be honest im more than happy with my Suzuki. Definately recommend-reliable and tough.

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“Ours is plastered in mud all the time. You can tell...”

★★★★★

written by Alanthebutt on 20/12/2008

Ours is plastered in mud all the time. You can tell which part of Devon we have worked in each week by the colour of the mud. We have hit so much mud on a few occasions that we have had to stop to wait for wipers to clear it.
I love it when we bundle home in it and you pull up besides the big so called 4x4s....The Jimny just seems to say....
"So where did you go to work today then, as you dont look like you have ever been to work"

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“I do a lot of hunting shooting so its great for me I...”

★★★★★

written by garys suzuki on 09/12/2008

I do a lot of hunting shooting so its great for me I need to install larger wheels and a 2 inch body lift kit, a mate of mine has just passed his ds1 (deer stalking) up here in Northumberland and the guy that runs it was telling him that he was stuck in his £35000 Land Rover on a bad muddy road up to their house and his wife that had been shopping at asda pulled up and asked him if he needed a lift home in a Jimny!

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Asked by Elsielyne on 20th March 2017 Report this content
My jimney past mot today, it's a happy car. Except it does not like A road. If driven at 55/60 for a period of time 20/30 minutes has a habit of cutting out stopping, 4th time last week. Engine management. All dash board light flash. Rest it for a while and it starts up again and drives as if nothing has happen. Put on diagnostics today. It was fine. To frightened to drive again on a fast road. Is there history of a fault with this model? 2003 year.

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