[oliver2oz]

Hi all,

I am a happy owner of Suzuki Swift Sport. Due to the change of circumstances, my partner started to use this car for her commute to work and I was left with nothing

This is then a good opportunity for me to get another car, something, with which I will be happy. I have done my own extensive research to see which car would suite you and found the answer - Suzuki Jimny!

The problem I face, that here in the Northern Territory I am not able to find "slightly" (only God knows what I mean with that) used Jimny for the right price. Plenty of them down south, just one available here in the NT on one yard for about 6k in quite a poor condition.

I have been to Suzuki dealership and they offered brand new Jimny 2012 with roof rack and mats (they tried to convince the mats are very expensive and they sold them for 150 here, I told them off and said that they are probably buying them for a tenner) for 19495 - list price with the standard 3year warranty. They did say that any mods I will probably do will void the warranty...

I have checked for some basic mods, but there are not many available for this Jimny 2012, or am I wrong? Not even 2012 snorkel is listed anywhere, please, prove me wrong.

Anyway, yesterday I have spotted one 1999 Grand Vitara type1 with 2.5L petrol engine, manual, 155k, almost stock, just bullbar, in one dealership here in Darwin. They are asking 12k for it? I told them they got the price wrong, but they said no, but as I have purchased car from them before (jeep wrangler) they are now asking me for 9.5k. I still think this is a lot for that year.

I'll be honest with you, I love Jimny and what it can do. The car would be used for short trips to work (5min spent in the car), some shopping and at the weekends my plans are to explore Northern Territory, National parks and from next year I would like to visit other places, like Gibb road and similar.

My big dilemma is - which car? It has to be Suzuki, would the GV do or should I stretch myself and buy the Jimny and keep it for the next 20 years?

Your opinions are greatly appreciated.

And if you have a nice Jimny for sale, send me a PM!

Oliver

[pezz]

Jump on a plane to the big smoke.. buy a low kms jimny and get to know it with a road trip home

[shep]

Mate I am in Katherine and saved 8k when we bought our GV because I spend $300 on a plane ticket and another $600 and 2 days driving it back from Adelaide. Darwin Suzuki wanted more for a 3yo GV then they sell for new in SA, also there customer service is worse then shit.

Tell Darwin dealers to stick it up their clacker and get on a plane.

[Dan85]

So far the only thing I've found that doesn't fit my new jimny is the bullbars I think they are the same otherwise.

[joeblow]

Buy a GV.

[christover1]

GV will be nicer for touring and daily driving.

Jimny better in difficult terrain.

Both have thier known faults and good points, easily found on AZ

[Built4thrashing]

christover1 wrote:

GV will be nicer for touring and daily driving.

Jimny better in difficult terrain.

Both have thier known faults and good points, easily found on AZ

THIS IS DEBATABLE..... as the GV is more stable on angles and doing steep hill climbs. You have to spend lots of money to modify a jimmy.

[atari4x4]

jimny's wobble... gv's don't

end thread

[oliver2oz]

Many thanks everyone for your reply.

Based on what I just read, I feel that your recommendation would be the 1999 Grand Vitara. Am I correct? I just spoken to the dealer again, and they won't drop it bellow 9k, while everywhere else in Australia the price is between 6-8. Yes, this one got only 155k on the clock, but still ...

Of course the new Jimny will have 3 year warranty, but as you siad, I would have to spend much more on it for mods.

I still want to go out for a test drive and try the GV, I have already tried Jimny and I quite liked it. Couldn't fault it much, better drive than my old Jeep Wrangler.

Is it worth to pay twice as much for a brand new Jimny compare to 14 year old Grand Vitara? I am so torn....

[ninjamoses]

Considering you are planning on a bit of touring I'd go the GV for sure just for the extra room.

Why don't you pick one up private sale? There are a couple in gumtree that are on the outskirts that are far better price.
ie.: http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/woodroff ... 1008428733

[jimmy91]

gv is a family shopping bus *waits for jimny haters*

[christover1]

Built4thrashing wrote:

christover1 wrote:

GV will be nicer for touring and daily driving.

Jimny better in difficult terrain.

Both have thier known faults and good points, easily found on AZ

THIS IS DEBATABLE..... as the GV is more stable on angles and doing steep hill climbs. You have to spend lots of money to modify a jimmy.

Yes, I'm finding my Vitara very stable compared to my Sierra.
Expense to modify was one reason I decided to get a Vitara not a Jimny

[joeblow]

christover1 wrote:

Built4thrashing wrote:

christover1 wrote:

GV will be nicer for touring and daily driving.

Jimny better in difficult terrain.

Both have thier known faults and good points, easily found on AZ

THIS IS DEBATABLE..... as the GV is more stable on angles and doing steep hill climbs. You have to spend lots of money to modify a jimmy.

Yes, I'm finding my Vitara very stable compared to my Sierra.
Expense to modify was one reason I decided to get a Vitara not a Jimny

Your early Vitara is pretty much the same width as a standard Jimny.

Ajimny is only slightly narrower than a GV. That argument is a very poor one at that.

[Daz7]

All of this depends on what your deciding to do with either of them.

Jimny. If your only looking to do mods like a small lift and a change of tyres for something more aggressive its a cheap option for a vehicle that will be reliable and under warranty.

GV - any vehicle with 155000km's on it will need work done on it in the near future and unless you can do your own work on the vehicle, its easy to rack up the $$ quickly.

Go drive both, you'll soon suss out what you want.

[Rockhopper]

If you plan on doing any rock climbing, go the Jimny. For touring, go the GV purely for the fact that is has more room for luggage. Contrary to whoever said mods are expensive on a Jimny, they are a lot cheaper to modify than most other cars. Depends what you want to do with it. All mine has is pretty much a 40mm lift kit, a snorkel and mud terrains, and it often shows up the 'more modified' much more expensive Nissans and Toyota's in my club

[cammac]

ill add my 2 cents and say that for the price of a gv you can get a prty new jimny with low kms, the jimny shape has been the same for 10 odd years so mods are not hard to find for them

My jimny as with i assume all or most of them have the steering wobble, doesnt bother me to be honest, was abit unnerving when first happened to me.
but stock offroad capabilities are prty damn amazing considering my last trip, and ive yet to put any mods on.

[Reubs]

My 2c:

If you are interested in offroading - buy a Jimny.
If you are interested in touring - buy a Grand Vitara.

They are VERY different vehicles!

[shep]

Reubs wrote:

My 2c:

If you are interested in offroading - buy a Jimny.
If you are interested in touring - buy a Grand Vitara.

They are VERY different vehicles!

And yet I have seen chops GV smash a modded jimny offroading. And at the same time I was able to get my stock GV3 places that hiluxes weren't able to follow.

[Reubs]

shep wrote:

Reubs wrote:

My 2c:
If you are interested in offroading - buy a Jimny.
If you are interested in touring - buy a Grand Vitara.
They are VERY different vehicles!

And yet I have seen chops GV smash a modded jimny offroading. And at the same time I was able to get my stock GV3 places that hiluxes weren't able to follow.

You guys are good drivers - yes?

I have seen 2WD vehicles in some interesting places too - depends on the driver's skill - but don't you think a Jimny is generally at a disadvantage for touring but in stock form it will go further off-road than a stock Vitara in the hands of a novice driver?

[GeckoXL7]

I had a jimny before the 2002 GV, was nice and compact and was a little pocket rocket, but comfort wise, power and space, not to mention better stability on the road the GV is better. The jimny bounces all over the road, eg in hills going around a bend at 80 and hit a small bump the car feels like it resonates (or wobbles as Atari said) for a bit, i thought it was the steel wheels as drove a jimmy with alloy wheels which wasnt as bad but steel did., it wasnt a nice feeling.. the one i had was stock and for a stock there pretty good, I found the jimny was better on the beach too.

Ive seen some demos of the new jimnys with there new 4x4 system which is pretty impressive, but when compared to the same year GV which can do a hill start on ice that was also quite impressive.

I would take both for a spin and see which one puts a smile on your face. If go auto, A auto Jimny did feel faster than a old auto GV, its either the gearing or just the size and weight of the car.. But put a trailer on the back and you wish you had a GV.

[laurie]

i love my GV (99 2.5 man) on the road and dirt road touring. i reckon it is great.
but my sierra is a better car and my first choice for remote area touring
if you are not planning too many hard core trips get a GV and as Shep said save money by going on a holiday / road trip. win win.

[oliver2oz]

Guys,

much appreciate all your answers.

I am still looking to purchase Jimny or GV, based on what has been said here, both are capable vehicles, with little mods both of them would get to the same places.

Unfortunately, here in NT, there isn't a lot to buy/look at. One yard got GV 1999, 2.5L M with bull bar and snorkel, asking 9.5k with 155k on the clock.

There is a 2011 Jimny with 7k for sale, extra tint, then stock for 17.5k.

New Jimny 2013 would cost 19495 with rack and mats. I am worried to purchase this one as due to the different bonet there is no bullbar/snorkel for it.

I will be looking till I will find decent Jimny here for the right price or GV, which would be older, but the money saved should go to few mods to make it more capable.

I have driven both cars and like both. I understand that each of them got its own pro's and con's and are happy to live with them. Ideally I would want 99-2004 GV or 99+ Jimny. Trip down south is not possible due to no holidays available and shipping is a minimum of $1200, that's without being able to see the car.

Ideally the car would be used around NT, beaches, trips to Kakadu, Litchfield and other parks, to enjoy the life, not extremely hardcore, but want to be able to got o as many places as it is possible.

[joel]

wasnt aware that the new shape cant take a bullbar or snorkel?? is this confirmed?
they look the same as the older modelk just with a scoop and different plastic front bar, as well as the bonnett and grille being separate.

[Built4thrashing]

when doing modes its good to knoe what fits what. GV uses the same lockrights as the Sierra / Vitara. Suspension is very similar to Vit. Shocks and struts are same ...Coils are different.


Jimny and coilys are in a world of their own.......

[Reubs]

Built4thrashing wrote:

when doing modes its good to knoe what fits what. GV uses the same lockrights as the Sierra / Vitara. Suspension is very similar to Vit. Shocks and struts are same ...Coils are different.
Jimny and coilys are in a world of their own.......

Coily maybe to a point - but considering the Jimny has been in production since 1998 it's hardly 'in a world of it's own'.

GV vs Vit coils aren't that different - there are a few early Vitaras getting around with Grand Vitara or XL7 coils... mine will be one of them soon!

Pity you can't put Vit coils in a GV but you can go the other way round!

[BertZook]

my jimny doesnt wooble at all..... and the "GV's are for touring" is debatable.. it all depends on how much gear u like to take and how much "glam-ping" u like to do

a jimny is a 2ppl car with the add of extra seats for special occasions. so ditch the back seats, pack smart and u should be fine.... bigger 4wds like potrools yes, they have more space in the trunk, but when u add more ppl in the car, more gear/food/etc is involved, so at the end of the day its the same, if not less, so pfff

the biggest issue at modifying a jimny (and the reason it becomes expensive) is the gearing solutions for bigger tyres, the transfer swap, gears, suspension, brake lines, castor correction, etc to fit bigger tyres for hardcore 4wd..... for touring ur are perfectly fine with fitting 215's and get a nice 40-50mm coils n shocks.... not a difference at all in mods/price with a GV

the new model should take any jimny bullbar fine, unless the mounts are different, witch I think it was getting talked in other tread.... but the snorkel should be the same as the side panels are the same for fitting the snorkel, unless they changed the air intake

[Built4thrashing]

What i ment by "world of their own " is that jimny parts only fit jimny's and coily parts only fit coilys. GV's use parts from sierra, Vit and X90. Therefor several of the majour mods are cheap to do.

[Reubs]

Built4thrashing wrote:

What i ment by "world of their own " is that jimny parts only fit jimny's and coily parts only fit coilys. GV's use parts from sierra, Vit and X90. Therefor several of the majour mods are cheap to do.

Suspension mods maybe to a point but that's about it - It'd be nice if the diff-drop brackets were the same from 1.6 to 2L!

What Sierra parts (other than coily freewheeling hubs or front locker - which also fits a coily rear) fit a GV????????

In the larger scheme of things though I've either got or had a heap of Sierra bits on my Coilies... from bumpers, glass, softtop, door hinges & soft-top hardware, 1.3 engine, clutch, radiator, driveline seals, knuckle seals & kingpins, steering damper, rear shocks, head & tail lights, filters, bullbar, mirrors etc.

And if I ever need a gearbox, transfer case, drive shafts, doors, tailgate, rear seats, fuel tank, targa bar & rails, carpet, snorkels etc, they are interchangeable too!

IMO A Coily Sierra and a WT Sierra share more bits than the SE416 and SQ625 Vitaras! What else do those Vitaras share other than a few suspension components and some underbody protection?

Why did Suzuki update the 1.6 engine in the Vit in '94? At least an '85 NT and '98 Coil Sierra take the same air filter - unlike my '93 and '94 LWB Vitaras.