The 5 questions you must know before buying a Suzuki Jimny

[PCauto] Although the Suzuki Jimny JB74 has been around for years, and social media is filled with complaints about its death wobble, cramped interior, and lack of power. Yet in Southeast Asia, it remains the most absurdly marked-up, longest-waiting anomaly on the market.

Overly Expensive Price

This extreme tool-oriented nature has been transformed into a luxury item called the "lifestyle" through social media packaging.

The official price of the 3-door version is around RM 158,900, but the price of nearly new cars in the second-hand market often exceeds that of brand-new cars.This markup has long ceased to be about the product itself. It's more about paying for what the car represents. A lifestyle. A statement. A social currency.

As a result, the Suzuki Jimny finds itself in a highly polarized public opinion environment: owners post stylish camping photos on Instagram, only to later search for solutions to high-speed wobbling and noise insulation issues.

Death Wobble

Let's begin where it hurts most: the driving experience. The Suzuki Jimny uses a classic Recirculating Ball Steering System. This design may save your wrists from the kickback during rock crawling, but on city streets or highways, it's an absolute disaster.

Many Jimny owners’ first reaction when driving for the first time is: Does this car's steering have play?

No, that’s not play; it’s the car reminding you that, at its core, it is a mechanical farming tool.

When driving at speeds over 100 km/h, you must stay vigilant at all times, constantly adjusting the steering wheel to correct your course.

And let's not forget its tall, boxy shape combined with a featherlight curb weight. When crosswinds hit on a bridge, the sensation of being sucked toward a passing truck is enough to make any new driver's palms sweat.

Rough interior design

Although Suzuki has tried to increase the wheelbase in the 5-door version, its design remains inherently rough.

You can hardly find any soft-touch materials in the car, and the lack of storage space can drive you crazy. Your phone can only be casually tossed into the gap next to the gear lever, while the cup holder's position seems designed for yoga masters—you’ll have to twist your arm to reach your coffee behind your elbow.

As for that low-resolution touchscreen, which feels like a relic from decades past, its only purpose might be to connect to Apple CarPlay so you can use the high-powered speakers to drown out the roar of the 1.5 L K15B engine during high-speed cruising.

The most perplexing aspect: powertrain

Looking at its specs, its power output isn’t even on par with an entry-level B-segment sedan.

This 1.5 L naturally aspirated engine produces noise that pierces through its ineffective insulation layer and assaults your brain when driving over 100 km/h.

What’s worse is its handling. Though the recirculating ball steering system is durable for off-roading, it offers no road feedback at high speeds, forcing you to constantly adjust the steering wheel to maintain straight-line driving.

With its light weight and blocky aerodynamics, crosswinds are its natural enemy. When encountering a large truck overtaking on the highway, the airflow can pull this car sideways toward it.

However, in the eyes of off-road enthusiasts, Jimny's ALLGRIP PRO part-time four-wheel-drive system, sturdy non-load-bearing body, and front and rear three-link rigid axle suspension are the soul of this vehicle.

It is not designed to provide you with a comfortable cruise on the highway; it is built to let you maneuver effortlessly through rugged terrains where even a Land Cruiser might get stuck because of its weight.

5-door version (Jimny XL): Not only disproportionate but also weaker in performance

The 5-door version, launched to meet market demand, does not solve the core issues.

With the extended wheelbase, Jimny's originally agile proportions now resemble an elongated sausage dog, losing its essence. Worse still, the same 1.5 L engine now has to lug around a heavier body. Under full load, netizens say it performs like a sloth on wheels.

Due to the longer wheelbase, its once-prized turning radius and approach angles have been significantly reduced, and this compromise makes it neither pure nor practical.

Overall, the Suzuki Jimny is by no means a competent daily commuting tool. It is noisy, cramped, and its driving experience is full of challenges.

However, in 2026, when electrification and autonomous driving sweep the globe, the Jimny remains one of the very few vehicles that can let you feel the pure mechanical feedback and spirit of adventure.

It is not perfect and can even be described as full of flaws, but for those who long to escape the concrete jungles of the city, it is still that one-of-a-kind and irreplaceable giant toy.

As long as Suzuki hasn't replaced it with that dull hybrid system, some people will keep paying this emotional premium.