New Suzuki Jimny proves Wranglers are overpriced (and Broncos, and Defenders, and everything else)

[Dave928]

LOL, kinda like the LeCar. That was a whole other piece of French Crap.

you just needed an R5 Turbo.

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[Dave928]

Talk about crap lol. If you jumped them high enough the exhaust would fall off when you'd land and you'd have a (single) side pipe like on an old CJ. That and 3 bolt wheels... kind of miss those things.

old boss had a Fuego. rolled over a RXR crossing and the whole rear axle fell out.

 

[3TV]

The Wrangler is over priced. But I don't think that video proves the Jimny is a better bargain than the Wrangler. In fact, it may prove the opposite, that the Wrangler is a better bargain than the Jimny.

Even if all you look at is the horsepower difference, well, horsepower cost money. Since my wife drives a Challenger, and they are made by Mopar, I'll use that as an example. If you look at the difference in cost between a similarly optioned SRT Challenger that has 495 HP, and a Hellcat Redeye Challenger that has 808 HP, Mopar is charging $72 per horsepower for the higher powered Challenger. Using that $72/HP calculation, the Wrangler that has 160 more HP should cost $11,500 more than the Jimny. Since the difference in price is less than that, the Wrangler is a better bargain, even without counting the higher build quality of the Wrangler.

I certainly wouldn't be buying a vehicle with only 100 HP anyway, even if it was a better "bargain".

 

[00 Trans Ram]

I think the Wrangler is overpriced, but comparing it to that? Not a great argument.

Agreed.

I started watching the video, and had the idea for the thread around when they got to the transmission lever. At that point, everything between the two was the same!

But, and I hope this was clear in my OP, I would still rather have my Wrangler.

 

[Traveller128]

I owned two Suzukis in the past (a Swift and an SX4). Both were reliable cars that were somewhat fun to drive and decent on gas. However, they were quite underpowered and under-featured compared to their slightly more expensive rivals. I suspect the Jimny would be similar.

Have a neighbor that still drives an SX4, still looks good, she loves it. That's kind of the problem with the Suzuki stuff, it was all a little less expensive, but it had fewer features. Good commuters, not great trip cars.

 

[Traveller128]

you just needed an R5 Turbo.

I got a ride in a modified one of those, about 340 PS the owner said (bit over 330 whp) while I was stationed in Germany. It was like a 2 seater F1 car. It weighed nothing. The turbo had lag, but when it came on it was fantastic. Riding in that thing with a guy that could drive was eye opening. Handling like a shifter go-kart with power to weight that was nuts. It was noisy inside, rode VERY stiff, and I wanted one to take home!

 

[Mudduck]

The Jimny is pretty cool. My neighbor has a 80s model and it’s awesome. I still have a 88 Sammy, 4” SPAO and lots of upgrades on the suspension, running 35” tires. 1.6L from a Geo Tracker. As awesome as it is, it’s a dog on highway, Cramped, can’t get out of its own way, it wheels pretty good, and that short
wheel base is as challenging as it is useful.

The Jimny and those alike “tracker, sidekick, Sammy, are in no way (to me) a replacement for the Wrangler.
It’s synonymous with putting leather seats in a Suzuki Swift and comparing it to a Cadillac.

 

[Dave928]

would it be ironic or sacrilegious to use your Wrangler to trailer your Samurai/Jimny to the trailhead?

 

[Tank the Jeep]

Kinda cool. But i would not cross shop a jimney with a Wrangler. I might consider one for my son IF it was sold in America.

 

[Bren]

(Make sure you read my last couple of sentences. I might have changed my opinion.)

2021 Jimny costs $20k. Base Wrangler is $29,725. From the video, here are the extras you get for an extra $9,750:

• Push-button start
• Lighted vanity mirrors in sunvisors
• Better infotainment system
• Small multi-function screen in gauges
• Removable doors/top
• 160 more hp
• 2" larger wheels
• Wheel well liners

But, here is the list of things that the Jimny has that you DON'T get in a Wrangler:

• Side airbags
• Auto down AND up windows (at least driver, not sure about passenger)
• Breakdown kit

Frankly, I'd say that lighted vanity mirrors, wheel well liners, and 2" larger wheels are unnecessary (I'll accept arguments on the wheels - I would be happy to run 35s on 15s, though). Then, I'd say that auto-windows cancels out push-button start. And side airbags would cancel out better infotainment system.

That leaves the Jeep with a 160hp advantage and removable doors/top, for an extra ~$10,000. Is it worth it?

(Frankly, when I started this . . . I was thinking "no way". Now that I list it all out, though . . . yeah, probably. I mean, I paid extra for the diesel. I'd probably pay extra for the Wrangler.)

I spent a couple of months in Iceland last summer and rented a Jimny for a trip up to the west fjords.

I came away with the impression that the Jimny is the Miata of 4x4s. It’s simple, tiny, charming, and very good at its intended purpose. However, problems start to occur when you compare it to a modern Wrangler. The Jimny is not refined. It’s loud, clunky, it feels cheap, and has almost no modern amenities.

Driving the Jimny feels like driving a TJ. Or maybe an old Isuzu Trooper. It’s from another era, they just snuck it into this one. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely loved it. But modern Jeeps have a LOT more refinement and usability than this.

While I was out there I also rented a new Defender, and spent a few days with it. It was a very nice package, but I was bored. Too removed from the world I was traversing through.

I came home to my Wrangler appreciating where it sits - between the two. With the capability and the sense of occasion of the Jimny, but with more of the daily usability and luxury of the defender. It’s the happy medium, and I think the price reflects that.

 

[JLUW75]

You act like the Wrangler is anymore safer than a Jimny.

Wranglers are much safer than Jimnys. The Jimny cabin will get totally crushed with this overlap impact. It is not designed with US crash ratings in mind.

 

[GRXKen]

I like it but it could NEVER replace my Wrangler! That said I couldn't watch the video because the guy is annoying as hell

 

[WorkingMan]

(Make sure you read my last couple of sentences. I might have changed my opinion.)

2021 Jimny costs $20k. Base Wrangler is $29,725. From the video, here are the extras you get for an extra $9,750:

• Push-button start
• Lighted vanity mirrors in sunvisors
• Better infotainment system
• Small multi-function screen in gauges
• Removable doors/top
• 160 more hp
• 2" larger wheels
• Wheel well liners

But, here is the list of things that the Jimny has that you DON'T get in a Wrangler:

• Side airbags
• Auto down AND up windows (at least driver, not sure about passenger)
• Breakdown kit

Frankly, I'd say that lighted vanity mirrors, wheel well liners, and 2" larger wheels are unnecessary (I'll accept arguments on the wheels - I would be happy to run 35s on 15s, though). Then, I'd say that auto-windows cancels out push-button start. And side airbags would cancel out better infotainment system.

That leaves the Jeep with a 160hp advantage and removable doors/top, for an extra ~$10,000. Is it worth it?

(Frankly, when I started this . . . I was thinking "no way". Now that I list it all out, though . . . yeah, probably. I mean, I paid extra for the diesel. I'd probably pay extra for the Wrangler.)

100 horse power?

 

[WorkingMan]

The Wrangler is 20 years ahead of the Jimny in technology and that is worth every bit of $10K to me. But I could be missing something because I could only watch that guy for a couple of minutes.

 

[3TV]

Yeah, I had to stop watching at the 0:40 second mark.

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