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Tell Me Why I Need a Jimny

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T66
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Joined: 07 Feb 2011
Posts: 4
Location: Northumberland

PostPosted: Tue Feb 08, 2011 22:05    Post subject: Tell Me Why I Need a Jimny Reply with quote

I live Northumberland, and parked my Saab up in November while it snowed on and off for 2 months....


Thankfully I own a Lada Niva, which did the business in the snow , it also gets filled full of logs , garden rubbish  and a host of other tough jobs.



I would like to replace both my car with a decent lightweight 4x4, and use it for my fulltime transport, I only drive 15 miles to work and if I go any further the Jimny could be driven happily by the wife. She wont drive the Lada as its a handful...We have a decent Focus for trips away etc


My thoughts are, Jimny - with subtle mods to make it stand out.



Small lift job, decent mt tyres, rear seats removed, blacked out rear windows.



My Niva is awesome off road, off road prowess isnt about BHP & Difflocks , as we all know its about decent tyres ,lightweight and articulation.



Sell me a Jimny, tell me the good & bad bits  - warts and all please.....???
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 08, 2011 22:05    Post subject: Google Ads keep this community free to join!


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2old2tired2scared
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Joined: 06 Jul 2010
Posts: 357
Location: glos

PostPosted: Wed Feb 09, 2011 10:55    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hello & welcome Very Happy
Im no mechanic so this post is in girl-you may need an interpreter!
Love my jimny, no probs in snow even with the slick summer tyres on! Cute, light, easy to drive once you "get" the cornering technique,
Fuel cons not bad for a petrol 4x4 (I get 39mpg local driving), drive position real comfy if you like uprightish rather than "horisontal kid cool").
Next to nothing to clean-takes about 5mins. You can leave the seats in the back with a girlie mod if that gives you enough log space. I have the O2 soft
top & she looks soooocute with the top down(takes about 5mins up or down-is easy). Fun to drive although car drivers tend to think the ride is a bit
bouncy & of course will go just about anywhere!Mine is really quite nippy if you keep the revs right thru the gears but it does flatten out at about
55mph and there is no pleasure to be had in driving her on a motorway (wrong shape you know) althoughI took her to Cornwall last week and she didnt
put a foot wrong- thats a lot of motorwayat 70mph
If I had to be picky, 1300 engine doesnt always "feel" pokey enough (revs required) & the space in the back is quite limited, I cant get niece pushchair in unless
its on an angle but all that is forgiveable when you put it against easy cheapish maintenance and real reliabilty, good looks and fun.
4wd easy to engage/disen. I cant imagine having another sort now. Very Happy  Very Happy  Very Happy
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2old2tired2scared
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Joined: 06 Jul 2010
Posts: 357
Location: glos

PostPosted: Wed Feb 09, 2011 17:05    Post subject: Reply with quote

Of course, someone more knowledgeable will have to advise you about off-road
capabilities cos I havent been offroad on purpose Laughing
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T66
Newbie


Joined: 07 Feb 2011
Posts: 4
Location: Northumberland

PostPosted: Wed Feb 09, 2011 19:29    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the reply,


I am quite intrigued with a softtop, but will probably opt for a hardtop. The mpg is very good, my Lada Niva (Russian Jeep) is physically similar to the Jimny, but is terrible on the mpg . I wouldnt expect much better than 20mpg from a 1600cc engine.

I am paying around £450 a year to insure the Saab, plus about £140 for the Lada plus two road raxes @ £210 each....


A Jimny would save me quite a bit of money spread across the year.



So nothing you have said has put me off...


Thanks
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nickp
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Joined: 15 Dec 2010
Posts: 3
Location: worcestershire

PostPosted: Wed Feb 09, 2011 21:44    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi,

You can't go wrong with this tough little off roader. I've had my jimmy nearly a year now and its great, weekends away and ferrying the kids ect, bikes on the roof as well, it just carries on. I use it to commute to work and its good on the fuel as well, equal to our diesel estate car. My only gripe is the standard tyres, that will be my next job to get all roads.

hope this helps Nick
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T66
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Joined: 07 Feb 2011
Posts: 4
Location: Northumberland

PostPosted: Wed Feb 09, 2011 22:19    Post subject: Reply with quote

Cheers


Ive seen them off road and they are very good, my Niva is also very good but has poor mpg and isnt as reliable as it could be...


Its never broken down, but Im always at it....


tyres will be the first things I change.
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2old2tired2scared
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Joined: 06 Jul 2010
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Location: glos

PostPosted: Thu Feb 10, 2011 17:10    Post subject: Reply with quote

I fitted geolanders this winter, no complaints so far & not 2 expensive.
Actually better than the roady summery ones I took off & fuel cons still good.
Insured last june-2named drivers (1 with speed points)- 4yr ncb= £195.
Forgot 2 mention.....park easily anywhere & you can peep over hedges!
Laughing
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T66
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Joined: 07 Feb 2011
Posts: 4
Location: Northumberland

PostPosted: Thu Feb 10, 2011 20:55    Post subject: Reply with quote

hedge peeping is a big hobby, so call it sold....


had a quick look round a 2007 grey one today, its small which Im not used (Saab Coupe) but looked good to be honest


As long as the radio /cd is a good one, and my blutooth kit fits - I will be fine.


keep you posted and thanks for your reply  Very Happy
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mcjimny
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Joined: 06 Aug 2010
Posts: 20
Location: S/Lincs

PostPosted: Tue Feb 15, 2011 21:37    Post subject: Reply with quote

2old2tired2scared wrote:
Cute,


Cute? i know its not particularly manly but cute?

1 Jimny for sale hair straighteners and playboy stickers included Laughing  Laughing  Laughing

I've had mine for over 2 years now wearing all terrains and i love it, its a workhorse i can put my bike on the back, commute, tow the trailer, play in the mud at weekends. All surprising considering its size. If i didn't need the rear seats i'd soon have them out and board the floor.

Get one there cheap enough now to give them serious consideration, better value than most out there. I paid £3000ish for mine and a landy of the same age would have been 10k. Don't get me wrong i'd love a nice 90 but pound for pound the jimny is excellent value with very few (if any) negatives against it in direct comparison.
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2old2tired2scared
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Joined: 06 Jul 2010
Posts: 357
Location: glos

PostPosted: Wed Feb 16, 2011 10:48    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sorry about the cute!! Got a bit carried away there for a moment.
Must admit, most of the time mines a workhorse- 2 collies in it every day,
coal, logs, rubbish, sheep feed, lambs, fencing .....the list is endless but if I remove the
mod & put the seats up, give her a clean & hide the toolkit you could easily
persuede the most girlie of types that a jimny is the car for her! Wink
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neilio
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Joined: 22 Jul 2010
Posts: 64
Location: Hampshire

PostPosted: Wed Feb 16, 2011 17:54    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just to add my two pennies worth – a bit negative though.  

My Wife owned a well serviced 2001 Jimny 1.3i 16v with 25K on the clock, bought from a main dealer. We only got 25 mpg out of it - it drank the fuel and we hated to go anywhere that required driving on a motorway.  We got rid of it after a year due to its fuel consumption, very bumpy rid and general lack of internal space - a bit of a useless car really.

On the other hand I really enjoyed driving it on weekends and in the snow but basically it was £3,500 car; the same can be achieved with a £800 Vitara or Samurai.

We now have a £300 1997 1.6 Vitara soft top, which is coil sprung so is smooth and by far less noisy or bumpy, it returns 32 mpg and is marginally more spacious.

In summary, and of course only my humble opinion, the Jimny is an expensive ‘emperor’s new clothes’ type of car. Then again I have the same opinion of a Defender, of which I’ve owned three – never ever again.

Discuss but be kind.
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JimnySam
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Joined: 30 May 2010
Posts: 13
Location: Cambs

PostPosted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 18:45    Post subject: Reply with quote

I love my Jimny & wouldn't have anything else! I've got a 2000 jlx which i've had for 5 years & never had a problem with it, starts everytime without fail. I've driven nearly 60,000 miles in it. Like others have said it is a bit slow on the motorway but I do take it on the motorway regularly, just takes a bit longer than others to get going  Laughing
Was travelling 40miles a day in the bad weather with no problems (has winter tyres this year but never has before), been on the beach, up mountain roads, moved house in it (all exept furniture obviously!), I drove it straight out of a muddy car park/field at a horse show that everyone else including bigger 4x4 where stuck in, even put the seats down & cooked pasta on a camp stove in it   Very Happy
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2old2tired2scared
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Joined: 06 Jul 2010
Posts: 357
Location: glos

PostPosted: Fri Feb 18, 2011 13:30    Post subject: Reply with quote

There you go! Its "horses for courses". It all depends what you want for your money!
Personally, almost all my daily driving is on narrow roads (catB or worse) so I can put up with the
drawbacks in main road performance, more than compensated for by the ease of driving in the lanes
as I dont have to move over too much to make room for oncoming traffic- less w+t on the brakes Laughing
It is true that the ride is a bumpy if you are used to an armchair but hey, it keeps you awake. Am
lucky that himself likes bigger vehicles so the space thing isnt a problem for us but I can see that if
it was the only bus in the house you might struggle!
From what Ive read on here, your 32mpg vit is doin really well- got yourself a gem there neilio, thats
a keeper Smile
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neilio
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Joined: 22 Jul 2010
Posts: 64
Location: Hampshire

PostPosted: Fri Feb 18, 2011 13:54    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the Vitara mpg compliment, it wasn't always the case. I forgot (omitted) to say that although the car was only £300, I did have to put in a new clutch and give it a dam good service all round to achieve that figure, including the engine, wheel bearings and brake system to make sure everything was running free and smoothly.

After owning nearly all types of 4x4s both large and small (Jap and British) over the years, only a couple are within my fond memories list; these include LJs (one which I still own), early SJs (one of which I’ve just sold), our little Vitara (still own) and the bright red Jimny!
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2old2tired2scared
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Joined: 06 Jul 2010
Posts: 357
Location: glos

PostPosted: Sat Feb 19, 2011 10:27    Post subject: Reply with quote

Like they say Neilio, you make your own luck in this world!
(actually, I envy all the forum members who can do all the stuff I can only
read about- there's alot of talent out there)
"the harder I work, the luckier I get"- reckon that says it! Very Happy
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