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Suzuki Jimny for Desert


sertac

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As some of you know, i am strugling to decide should i keep my Jeep or sell it. If i sell it and get another old car i will still not have a reliable car. So i start thinking about getting brand new Jimny. It is coming with 7 year waranty and service contract option. In the desert i saw many time people doing crazy things with this little monster but i never experienced it myself. If i get manuel one how it will be in the desert? Is it good enough after 4.0 jeep? Is there anyone tried? 

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They run at 79 BHP per tonne. Respectable. I've seen jimnys side sloping with patrols and the rest of the best.

Plus you get the added benefit of running a 1.3 on the highway which is super economical.

My wife wants one now. Price is putting me off though. Decent ones start around 40k+. I can have the same car for 5-10k back home. Price of them is massively inflated here.

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Sorry Sertac, don't even think of that route knowing because it's 1.3 liter and secondly after your 4.0 Jeep Cherokee.

I agree Jimny's are good in the desert, but they are just borderline good when you see what they can do with a 1.3-liter engine (comparative review based on a dinky engine). I had a chance to recover one Jimny from a deep bowl by circling technique, but that thing never gained momentum in cross track area that in end I come close to the edge and we joined 5 tow ropes to drag that Jimny uphill.

Barry, what you see is DEFINITELY not the case in UAE Desert. I fall for 2 door SWB Nissan Patrol that couldn't climb half of big red, faya and pink rock. People here plonk Denali or LS engines under the different skin to make it look understated and win races for real money.

Barry I love to read when someone talking hp/ton (power-weight ratio) my favorite golden rule to give thumbs up for any desert ride, this is my opinion based on my desert experience and frustration from so many labelled - king of the desert imposters:

  • 60-80 hp/ton - Acceptable
  • 80-100 hp/ton - Good
  • 100-120 hp/ton - Very Good
  • 120-140 hp/ton - Excellent
  • 140-200 hp/ton - Rally or motorsport level
  • 200 hp/ton above - Hill climb competition level
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you've been driving the 3rd most driven car here in the desert and downgrading to a lower car will leave you frustrated and kick you down again to the basics of learning to drive it in desert...

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Real off-roader to consider in any budget (lower the year for affordability)

Listed as per the priority - (From excellent - good):

  • X-Terra, FJ Cruiser, SWB Land Cruiser, SWB patrol from 2012 onwards
  • SWB Prado V6, SWB Pajero 3.8 (both require a bit of front and back underbody protection)
  • LC100 (till 2008), Patrol VTEC (till 2008)

Lesser the weight and electricry options the better it is for the desert.

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Let's root for each other & watch each other grow.

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In addition to power by weight ratio, what is also important is the gearing. I drove a 3.8 LWB Pajero which would have a ratio of close to 100 hp/ton. But it would struggle like hell to climb anything due to it's fancy electronics. @Gaurav, I think you also faced the same issue with the gear ratios in your Patrol, right?

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I agree with Sri, but gearing issue is there in some cars only and it becomes known issue after a while that you can search and eliminate those specific models.

Power/Weight and Wikipedia knowledgebase is king in researching your next offroad ride.

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Let's root for each other & watch each other grow.

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Buy a early 100 series Land Cruiser, for your bashing needs, its a buyers market and prices are crazy low. Just a get a decent and you won't regret it.

Very little goes wrong in these.

As for the Jimny although its a very good and proper 4x4 by which I mean separate chassis, low range transfer case and so on, and very capable for its size and weight. But it's pretty tiny and uncomfortable for any regular road duty.

Look up the local Jimny club, they take thier Jimnysto Liwa too, get in touch with them and Im sure they will be able to answer most questions.

Look for a used one. In todays market and climate really doesn't make sense to fork out for a new car when there are so many deals to be had!

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The used market isn’t great. They really hold their money. You can buy a full size 4x4 for less. The only reason to buy a jimny is if you really want a jimmy. If you looked hard enough, you could probably find something with a Denali engine for the same price. 

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