[Shoey]

Hi, I am going to trade in my troopy and buy a Jimny. Before anyone says anything about "you should buy a sierra", simply Sierra's dont have air bags and they just saved my mum's life in a recent car accident.

Anyway is there anything I should look for or listen for when test driving. At th moment I am looking at a 2005 Jimny with 125,000 Km's, 15" Alloys and an ARB Bullbar.

Any info would be greatly appreaciated.

Cheers
Shoey

[suzooky87]

hey mate. i just bought one and i suggest you look EVERYWHERE for rust. i found some behind the headlights and in the boot floor and behind both bumpers. also check the transfer works and that 4x4 engages, also put it in low 4x4 and do a swift take off, if there is a clunking sound the transfer chain gears are prob slipping. look under the car and see if everything is straight.

there are three different types:
the first gen - g13 coilover 3 link (much like the coilies) 98-01 i think.
the second gen - m13a separate coil and shock 3 link stick shift transfer 02-05
and the third - m13a vvt separate coil and shock 3 link push button shift transfer 05-now.

any way thats my bit.

[Shoey]

Cheers suzooky87.

If you dont mind how much did you pay for yours and what year. The one I am looking at is advertised for $12,990, seems a bit steep.

[masterA]

Shoey wrote:

Cheers suzooky87.

If you dont mind how much did you pay for yours and what year. The one I am looking at is advertised for $12,990, seems a bit steep.

Just brought one for mum....$12K....they wanted $15K.....2007 Automatic Sport...one owner

Good luck finding one....took me 5months to find an automatic one....manaul should be easier but still expect to pay ALOT as there aren't many second hand

There's one in Perth....lady owner....2008 model for $14K i think (was for sale few weeks ago...not sure if it still is on GumTree)

[Liljim]

They're not that hard to find!!
there's over 100 on carsales now, ranging from 5 grand to 25 grand.

$12,990 is a good price for one with an arb bar and muddies, you're looking at 2 grand + in aftermarket stuff there.

drive it at around 60ks, to see how bad the death wobble is, some do it worse than others, nobody has a surefire way to fix it.

Like suzoo said, try out the 4x4 switch as they can play up.

I'm on my second jimny now, awesome little rigs.

[jimny_timmy]

I'm not too sure bout the prices now, but I bought mine new last year for $20k... 125000kms for $13k is a bit much IMO

[89_tintop]

suzooky87 wrote:

there are three different types:
the first gen - g13 coilover 3 link (much like the coilies) 98-01 i think.
the second gen - m13a separate coil and shock 3 link stick shift transfer 02-05
and the third - m13a vvt separate coil and shock 3 link push button shift transfer 05-now.

any way thats my bit.

First gen arent the same as coiles..
They have run the same suspension from first gen to current.

The first gen also only ran to 2000 .. About midway through the year they changed over to the M series engine, along with that also came airbags.

[monley]

89_tintop wrote:

suzooky87 wrote:

there are three different types:
the first gen - g13 coilover 3 link (much like the coilies) 98-01 i think.
the second gen - m13a separate coil and shock 3 link stick shift transfer 02-05
and the third - m13a vvt separate coil and shock 3 link push button shift transfer 05-now.

any way thats my bit.

First gen arent the same as coiles..
They have run the same suspension from first gen to current.

The first gen also only ran to 2000 .. About midway through the year they changed over to the M series engine, along with that also came airbags.

That's what i was thinking too....

[alien]

get some speed up and see if its got the jimny wobble!

also the auto boxes in some tend to lose the hardening on the gears (or was that the manuals?) either way i'd take a driver and take the plug out for a look at whats in the oil in the box and tcase.

also check the front hubs engage and 4wd works with no odd noises.

[steak_knife]

I'd be looking for a Jimny...


The Vvt is the only way to fly, the ECU will run a swift 1500 eng & the difference is amazing...

Oh, buy a sierra...

[monley]

steak_knife wrote:

I'd be looking for a Jimny...


The Vvt is the only way to fly, the ECU will run a swift 1500 eng & the difference is amazing...

Oh, buy a sierra...

And a m18a to aye stekky

[PanterA]

Somewhere to fit your gear

PanterA ... Forever Stronger Than All

[Liljim]

I gotta say mate, you're gonna get a shock coming from a troopy to a jimny, you could just keep the troopy, put the jimny in the back and take it out to muck around in.

[suzooky87]

89_tintop wrote:

suzooky87 wrote:

there are three different types:
the first gen - g13 coilover 3 link (much like the coilies) 98-01 i think.
the second gen - m13a separate coil and shock 3 link stick shift transfer 02-05
and the third - m13a vvt separate coil and shock 3 link push button shift transfer 05-now.

any way thats my bit.

First gen arent the same as coiles..
They have run the same suspension from first gen to current.

The first gen also only ran to 2000 .. About midway through the year they changed over to the M series engine, along with that also came airbags.

yeh was not sure bot that one

[atari4x4]

watch out for twigs n stuff.

[steak_knife]

monkey wrote:

steak_knife wrote:

I'd be looking for a Jimny...


The Vvt is the only way to fly, the ECU will run a swift 1500 eng & the difference is amazing...

Oh, buy a sierra...

And a m18a to aye stekky

I wouldn't want to....

[BertZook]

yeah like others say test drive it to see if it got the woobles

for me that price seems bit high... ARB bullbar is around 1000$


I pay 9000(ish)$ for a 2002, 120.000km a year and half ago... and it was bit high for jimnys.... I spend few months looking at pics, adds, and stuff... but by the time I got the money I didnt have other options in SE QLD....

all the good ones didnt last much.... so this jimny was the "best" at the time and when I went to see it and test drive it, I notice that the guy actually took really good care of it, so I bought it ...... good thing it didnt have woobles, becose I didnt knew bout that at the time lol

[Halford]

Someone has made a buying a used Suzuki Jimny 6 page mini-pdf guide, as featured in the UK Sept issue of 4X4 Magazine.
available here

watch for wheel wobble vibration felt through the steering wheel at around 43 - 46mph (commonly known as the Death Wobble - don't let the name worry you, it simply sounds "cooler" than the Jimny Shimmy) - often happens after non-standard tyres and or spacers (and lifts of course) have been fitted. Whilst it doesn't cost a fortune to fix, the difficult bit is actually identifying the cause, which could be worn kingpins, failing cv joints, wheel bearings.

Fifth Gear UK Suzuki Jimny review
HANDLING - Short of trying to direct a flock of sheep down a road you couldn't endure a more woolly driving experience. The Jimny suffers from vague steering, poor stability at speed and a woeful lack of grip.
COMFORT - Imagine trying to ride a pnuematic drill pogo-style and you've got a fairly good idea of how well the Jimny deals with bumps and undulations. The cabin feels very low rent too - and the seating position is terrible.
QUALITY & RELIABILITY - Built to last - not that you'll want it to. Cabin materials are cheap and shiny.
PERFORMANCE - The Jimny's 1.3 litre petrol engine needs to be given a pasting to deliver anything approaching respectable acceleration. It's loud when used hard, too.

[BertZook]

Top Gear Review

The Suzuki Jimny is a tiny, cheap and rival-free hardcore off-roader. Does what it does quite brilliantly. Does everything else appallingly.

*
Comfort

Another seriously weak point. It's noisy and cramped inside. The long-travel suspension copes quite well with huge bumps, but shudders on smaller ones.
Rated 4 out of 20
*
Performance

It is just possible to buy a slower-accelerating car elsewhere. Just about. But the plucky little 1.3 engine does a fair job, and certainly delivers all the performance that the chassis can handle. Useful for the occasional bit of towing, we suppose.
Rated 2 out of 20
*
Cool

Seriously uncool when box-fresh. Only has any cred at all when absolutely caked in mud, and ideally with a couple of panel dents and a cracked fog light. Maybe some stickers picked at an obscure Baltic border crossing, and some badly concealed weapons inside. Anything to make you look a little bit hard.
Rated 4 out of 20
*
Quality

The Jimny has superb unstoppable engineering, but a distinctly off-hand approach to fripperies like soft-feel plastics or chrome-edged dials.
Rated 10 out of 20
*
Handling

Read the spec sheet: beam axles at both ends, a high seating position, a short wheelbase. You can speculate on the result. A pogo stick is more satisfactory through a series of curves.
Rated 6 out of 20
*
Practicality

With only four seats and a small cargo bay the Jimny can't carry much but it can carry it anywhere. Oh and it does have one advantage as a town car: it's tiny and boxy so easy to park. Which is just as well as you'll be dying to stop and get out.
Rated 6 out of 20
*
Running costs

It's so cheap it's practically disposable, but actually it'll last for ages and need very little care or attention. Yes there's only a petrol engine, but this is hardly a high-mileage vehicle so fuel costs aren't an issue.

[steak_knife]

atari4x4 wrote:

watch out for twigs n stuff.

Shhhhhhh, not so loud, my daily will hear you & get stuck....