USED Suzuki Jimny 4x4 (98 - )

My car

I bought the Jimny for my wife, she loves driving it because it feels like a baby discovery with its raised driving position. At the moment it is returning 40mpg, she doesn't drive it hard and prefers to cruise between 55 and 60mph.

For a small 4x4 on the outside it is quite large inside. Service parts are readily available from most carpart outlets at reasonable prices. If you are thinking about buying one DO IT! you wont be sorry. We got the estate because the soft tops clips break and they can leak in the wet, also the estate is more secure.

My car

At 21,000 miles a bolt flew out of the engine and put a hole in the cam belt. Then, the plastic holding the windscreen in started to come out and was flapping around in the wind.

Suzuki charged a lot to get it sorted, my car was four years old at the time. My car stopped once, and they thought it was the fuel pump which would have cost £300, but it was a wire that had snapped (this is apparently very rare).

My car has been broken into twice because it is so easy to do so, and it has been in the garage for up to four weeks waiting for parts.

Once someone crashed into the back of me. It took eight weeks to wait for a new back door. I love my car despite this - it's a proper 'Barbie' car, though!

My car

First the best point: the car is very reliable.

Now the bad points: the seats are quite frankly attrocious. If you are driving for more than an hour, be prepared for a numb bum. The fuel economy is only average. The interior layout I find disappointing - the seats don't remember where they are. Rear legroom is dreadful.

Basically, it's a car for short journeys for two. Now I have a baby daughter, it is a nightmare.

By far the worst thing about it, though, is the dealer, who in my opinion charges a lot for doing not a lot to the car. So we now no longer have it serviced at the main dealer.

I wouldn't by another one due mainly to extremely limited space in the car and poor dealer service.

My car

If you are a first time mud trekker wannabe then this car is superb value for the money. It actually out performs the more expensive 15k+ 4x4 school-run off-roaders and has been tested up against the new Porsche 4x4 and in the test driver's own words "after testing both cars i would pick the jimny to get me back round the corse with no trouble". This car can handle some serious mud and will get you out off it back on to the Tarmac, not that you'd want to be there after giving it a go.