Autocar 2019 Jimny verdict

What a load of rubbish.

They clearly didn't "get" this vehicle at all and just reviewed it as an alternative to a generic hatchback/SUV
Even taking that into account, the review is hopeless, no idea who was doing the writing, maybe the office cleaner's 18 year old son after he totalled his slammed Corsa.

If you compare the Jimny directly to, say, a VW Polo (which we previously owned) it doesn't fall as short as this write up.

Guys, it's a specialist vehicle, stop trying to compare it to an Audi A1

Mine comes into it's own over low speed potholes and rough forestry tracks.

I dare say I could even drive a basket of eggs over a ploughed field too...

Cant remember a time when I have disagreed with simething more than this jimny review. In fact there's been a fair few of em.

Its like some people on her saying its boat like on corners. I mean how fast are these people driving!?

It baffles me, and has done since I first drove mine.

Believe me, if it drove like a boat, and was bullied on the motorway I would be the first to moan about it. I have no issue with critiqing my own bought stuff, non at all.


Anyways, this will make ye laugh, im booked in for an OME 40mm lift on the 10th. Im not happy with how it drives! OFF ROAD

The purpose of a magazine review is to provide a comparison. The Jimny is certainly amongst the slowest and least comfortable cars available to buy today, so I'd say their comments are fairly accurate given the context.
The flip side of this is that there isn't really such thing as a truly uncomfortable or slow car these days. Compared to a classic mini, the Jimny is like a rocket ship floating on a cloud. So it's all relative!

Also we shouldn't ignore the high probability of the test car having the tyres set at 40psi. Whilst we are all aware of how important the tyre pressures are and how often they are set wrong no journalist would pick up on this.

Dont agree Busta.

My VW 2018 polo is more jarring, and me old mans hyudai 2019 is like a cheese grater.

People must be driving an entirely different motor to me.

How long you owned your gen 4 for busta?

Sorry my mistake, it's not Autocar it's Plop Car sorry What Car's review

But "Andy2640" above is right, our Jimny rides much better than our VW Up GTi and as good as our Polo Match did.
lt's actually remarkably good on the local hill which is a real test of cars, it's a truly shocking mile of tarmac.
As for motorway driving well it's not an Audi A4 but no way is it one star, l would give it three, and maybe four if you keep to the speed limit or a bit lower.
Rides like a "bucking bronco"? "Woeful" performance?

Maybe the road tester just got out of a Bentley Mulsanne.

Or maybe they didn't actually drive it at all, and made up the review based on what they thought it might be like looking at the specifications.

Two out of five for "quality"
lnterior "utilitarian"

Flippin' get real, it's a utility vehicle..... the interior is very well screwed together and likely to last twenty years.

I agree with Busta and understand why the reviews appear negative. It is uneconomical, does not handle on rails, has cabin noise etc. I know it's unfair to compare it with a road car, but that's life, most purchaser's will be swapping from a modern euro box and have no idea what a solid axle 4x4 will be like. In this sense the reviews are accurate even though it is painful to read this about our beloved vehicles.

I know it's a comfortable, relatively quiet solid axle 4x4 that handles very well for the type of vehicle it is. I like it so much I own one, to me is a much better vehicle than the rubbish VW polo TDI it replaced. However the polo was faster, more economical, etc - you see the problem

Andy2640 wrote: How long you owned your gen 4 for busta?

I don't own a gen 4 Andy, but I've had several Jimnys and the reviews for them from certain parts of the press have always been the same. I agree that the ride isn't bad. But my girlfriends 2005 Citroen C1 rides much better, is much quicker (even compared to my 1.6 Jimny), and handles loads better, and uses half the fuel. I do find the Jimny is very good for road noise though, even with mud terrains. But maybe that comes from spending a lot of time in a Defender.

At the end of the day it's not worth crying about. Owners on here are obviously very happy with their Jimnys and demand still massively exceeds supply so a poor review won't change anything!

Yeah l guess

Reviews are as you say academic as the Jimny has been effectively sold out since it was put on sale at the end of 2018.

But it's still a bit daft to compare it to a regular car. lt's a bit like the old Land Rover Defender, many reviews compared it to regular "car based" 4x4's and it came out really badly of course.

But when you put it to work doing what it was actually designed to do, most "chelsea tractor 4x4's" would fall to pieces.

For instance, one magazine took a Defender and a BMW X5 across Africa
Everyone slated the Defender on road but once they started across the proper off road, the X5 suspension kept breaking, then everyone wanted to be in the Land Rover

That's very true, but most people won't ever take their X5 across Africa and in the same vein most Jimny owners won't ever take their Jimny anywhere more challenging than a farm track. So the magazines have to look at things from the position of the average consumer. I'm always surprised how popular the Jimny is, in spite of it's flaws as a road car. I certainly wouldn't have one if I didn't need the off-road ability.

By the same reasoning we have a Defender because of it's ability to do those very things that few other vehicles can, but I have to say it is a truly hateful thing for day to day use! If there was a viable alternative we would have it, because it surely couldn't be any worse.

Well of course it depends on which model of Defender you have.
I've got a 110 TD5 SW and l use it all day, every day for my business.
Far from being hateful l wouldn't go back to the vans l used to drive.
The 110 is pretty much standard apart from a bit of extra sound proofing, cruise control, and the fact that it's in pristine condition so doesn't rattle or leak.

Perfect review. It will help keep the masses away from the Jimny!