2009 Suzuki Jimny JLX+ review from UK and Ireland

So far in the month I have owned the car nothing (touch wood) has gone wrong.

I did a lot of research on the Internet before I bought my Jimny. I already had a Ford Mondeo, which I loved and which has done 45,000 in 6 years. I wanted to keep the Mondy, but wanted a vehicle I could use in the snow to get to work, to go camping and drive over muddy fields at festivals and the like, and just to have fun in.

The upshot of all my research was that Jimny owners LOVED them (fanatically so in some cases), but motoring journalists were either scathing or lukewarm in reviews. I decided that the people who lived with the car day in day out were the best judges, and so I went off for a test drive.

The minute I sat in one in the Suzuki dealer showroom I was hooked. A test drive showed me that it had light steering, a willing little engine and was fun to drive. An order followed and I picked it up 2 weeks later.

I had read the review on here where the chap discusses in great detail about how his rolled at a roundabout. In fact the first few miles in my Jimny were anxious one as based on what he wrote I almost expected to crash within a few days!

A month on (through some torrential rain and winding Peak District lanes plus towny roundabouts) I have to say I don't recognise the car he described. My driving style in the Jimny is relaxed - if I need to get somewhere in a hurry I take the Mondeo. I don't race everywhere in it and have not noticed any of the dangerous handling characteristics he and a few others have described. Yes there are incidents on the Internet and local papers involving Jimny's, but there are often other factors involved such as driver impairment though alcohol consumption etc.

In the owner's manual (which presumably the roundabout chap read at some point) it mentions that the Jimny has a different type of handling and specifically mentions that it can roll over if it hits a curb. So in possession of that knowledge I drive to the car's limits.

I like the bouncy ride and high driving position, which makes coming out of our drive a breeze as well as making lots of junctions easier to negotiate. I don't need to carry more than myself and 1 passenger, just a labrador, so the size of the car is perfect. I don't drive much over 50 on the roads I use to get to work, so the small engine is great for that too.

The operation of the CD player/radio is fine, but I don't like the bright red display at night. Having to retract the aerial manually to put car in garage is a pain too, but these are small niggles and wouldn't put me off buying another. However I shall be keeping "Buster" for a long while and having much fun on and off road with him!