Old Jimny with low milage or new?

[last1701]

Hi there,

I'm browsing Suzuki Jimny's currently as I've always wanted one.

I have a limited budget, and Jimny's tend to hold their value so my options are fairly limited.

I have found a 2002 Jimny with less the 30k miles on the clock and a full Suzuki service history, no signs of rust and has never failed an MOT and no advisories. The car is listed for £10k from a private seller.

Alternately, there is a 2015 model which has done roughly 15k miles, MOT until Sept and full service history. This Jimny is £14k, but does come from a dealership, with a 2 year warranty available.

As someone who knows next to nothing about cars, which one should I go for?

I need something that isn't going to die on me or cost me a fortune in repairs.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[last1701]

Hi there,

I'm browsing Suzuki Jimny's currently as I've always wanted one.

I have a limited budget, and Jimny's tend to hold their value so my options are fairly limited.

I have found a 2002 Jimny with less the 30k miles on the clock and a full Suzuki service history, no signs of rust and has never failed an MOT and no advisories. The car is listed for £10k from a private seller.

Alternately, there is a 2015 model which has done roughly 15k miles, MOT until Sept and full service history. This Jimny is £14k, but does come from a dealership, with a 2 year warranty available.

As someone who knows next to nothing about cars I'm in need of some advice, which one should I go for?

I need something that isn't going to die on me or cost me a fortune in repairs.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[vikingaero]

If your main concerns are reliability and cost of repairs then the 2015.

£10k for a 2002 Jimny is insane, especially when you can get more used versions for £3k. At the end of the day it's already a 22/23 year old car and things will go wrong.

[trickywoo]

£10k for a 2002 model! Post the link in the seriously over priced thread.

The new ones only command the money they do because of how they look and the limited supply.

I wouldn’t be dropping more than £3k on and old shape one.

[last1701]

I'm sure you could come across that ad easily enough on Autotrader, I won't share as that's a bit harsh.

The new shape ones are really nice but sadly way over my budget, the cheapest one I could find was still £20k, most are more like 25!

Sounds like both are a no go then?

[last1701]

vikingaero said:

If your main concerns are reliability and cost of repairs then the 2015.

£10k for a 2002 Jimny is insane, especially when you can get more used versions for £3k. At the end of the day it's already a 22/23 year old car and things will go wrong.

That's what I thought, it seems impossible to find a newer one with low milage that isn't upwards of 20k!

I think the 2002 is so expensive as it has a full service history at Suzuki garages and has only been driven 1-2k miles per year, but I suppose that can have it's downfalls mechanically.

[GreatGranny]

Get this and save yourself £5k

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202501168...

[trickywoo]

vikingaero said:

£10k for a 2002 Jimny is insane, especially when you can get more used versions for £3k. At the end of the day it's already a 22/23 year old car and things will go wrong.

You can say that again.

While I like how the new ones look I have no idea why people pay £20k + for what is really a £12k car spec wise brand new.

[Speed addicted]

vikingaero said:

If your main concerns are reliability and cost of repairs then the 2015.

£10k for a 2002 Jimny is insane, especially when you can get more used versions for £3k. At the end of the day it's already a 22/23 year old car and things will go wrong.

Agree with this, old cars with minimal milage often cause trouble when you start using them mores and ok mist if that cost is because of the low milage, use it and that goes away.

[drgoatboy]

Do you intend to use it off-road? Or you just like Jimny?
If you intend to use it to get muddy don't buy the garage queen. You'll ruin it immediately and loose all it's value (not sure how it's worth that much anyway).

I love a Jimny but they are not particularly great to drive on the road, the old cars have slightly less power and a rather more agricultural engine. Worth getting a newer one for that alone if it's just a road car.


As I side note...
The 4wd system is fairly rudimentary in the way it works (locks the front hubs via a vacuum)
I would be surprised if such a low mileage car has ever been put in 4wd so it might not work as the vacuum system tends to leak and the hubs get stuck. It's not a massive problem but it still costs money to sort