Advantages: Looks good inside and out.
Disadvantages: Light on steering, weak plastic handles, high fuel useage in urban areas

...In 1999, my wife and I gained a Suzuki Vitara on the Motorbility Scheme (my wife is disabled). The vehicle attracted us mainly because of the ease to get into and out of the vehicle, as well as the fact that it is a nice looking car. Within the first year of our three year contract, we could not wait to the day we hand the vehicle back over. In Suzuki`s defence, the vehicle is comfortable inside and all the controls are neatly laid out. The 4x4 has also been useful in winter conditions, especially in the Peak District area where we now live. However, that is all the good points that I have been able to find with this vehicle. The car itself is VERY light on the steering and there have been a number of occasions where a heavy gust of wind has literally taken the vehicle off the road. The rear luggage compartment... Read review

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Advantages: Four Wheel Drive
Disadvantages: No visibility through rear window.

...We bought our Vitara from the local Suzuki dealer a few weeks ago.Its now been used on long and short journeys,round town and on the open road. The engine is 1600cc.It has a 5 speed manual gearbox driven through the rear wheels with the option of 4 wheel drive for icy/snowy conditions. Dont be fooled into thinking that this is a car for the serious off roader...its not.But it will get you out of a muddy field or down an icy road. The interior of the car is basic.There is no sunroof,no electric windows,no air con and no c.d player.Though it does have central locking and an immobiliser fitted as standard. Ours is the 3 door "estate" .Its only called an estate for insurance purposes (which is group 9 ),you only have to open the rear door to see that ! With the rear seats in use you would be hard pushed to get more than two... Read review

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Advantages: Reliability, Driving Position
Disadvantages: Not too good in cross-winds

...I bought the Vitara new in April 2000 at the bargain price of £8000 - to put this in perspective a Mini (original type) was over £1000 more at the time. This is my fourth Suzuki 4x4, previous ones being the SJ410, SJ413 and Samurai Jeeps. Four years and 52,000 miles later the Vitara has proved to be very reliable and fairly economical to run. The fuel consumption hasn't been earth shattering (average 33mpg) but I've not had to replace anything other than standard service parts and one set of front brake pads. The tyres, exhaust etc are all still original. As other reviewers have pointed out, the ride can get a bit tiring on B class roads but it's certainly much better than the SJ series vehicles. I was surprised to find the Vitara was rather susceptible to cross-winds and buffeting from big trucks. Having driven Suzuki Jeeps... Read review

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Advantages: Reliable, powerfull, easy round town and good on the motorway
Disadvantages: Heavy on fuel (V6) and choppy ride on rough roads

...I bought a Grand Vitara 2.5 V6 for my wife in 2000, and have to say that it has been very good. She enjoys driving it as it's not too big for town, she can see over the bonnets of other cars and it has a powerful engine. It's been reliable with the only real problem the replacement of the radiator at 60,000 miles. The alloy wheels still clean up like new and there is no corrosion on the body. It copes well on the motorway and is quite quiet, however it is very heavy on fuel and I doubt if it does much more than 20 mpg on a run. As she only does 3,000 miles p.a. and around town it really isn't an issue. The suspension is a bit too firm on rough roads and. The interior is cheap and cheerful but has lasted well, all except for the rear load cover where the plastic covering to the stays has broken off. Overall it has been... Read review

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Advantages: fun to drive, sturdy and reliable
Disadvantages: Parts are expensive, thirsty if thrashed

...I really did not want my wife to pander to middleclass stereotype of the 4X4 mafia, charging the mean urban streets in there pointless gross trucks. Protecting there own family by endangering everybody else with there bulky petrol swilling tanks. But she wanted a "baby vitara" it was Japaneese so would be reliable, and handy for taking to the beach , camping and the like. And sadly she was right, the Vit has now done 102,000 miles and little has ever gone wrong ( clutch at 90,000 and a new exhaust ) . Its fun to drive , but only if your definition of fun is loosing the rear end on wet islands. And its easy to park, beacause even if you miss judge the space the robustness of the bumpers and panel means you can ram your way in to spaces that a smart car would struggle with. The driving positon is excellant, up high, looking own... Read review

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Advantages: Very comfy seats. Good for WW2 fantasies
Disadvantages: Bouncy, tinny, basic

...I was horrified to learn that my wife's choice as her next car was to be a Suzuki Jeep. I am no fan of 4WD vehicles having had to manouevre round them in my wife's old Micra as they execute their 17 point turns in the Nursery car park. I am convinced people are playing this oneupmanship thing of "mine is bigger than yours" with their 4x4's. I mean for goodness sake ( I would say something stronger but this is a family site), why do you need a 40 foot long 20 foot high Panzerwagen to take a 4 year old to nursery? Anyway rant over. I tried to persuade my wife of the folly of 4WD vehicles. Like high fuel consumption, tendency to roll over while cornering and cost of parts. She was not to be swayed insisting that it was her turn to be indulged. So the hunt for the jeep was on. The vehicle bought was a 1997 Suzuki Vitara 1.6 JX... Read review

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Advantages: Excellent Fun
Disadvantages: Not comfy on long Journeys

...Im the proud owner of a Black Suzuki Vitara JLX. It is my Second Vitara that I have owned after having a Blue JX before this one. I traded my old one in because it lacked the following features: The REALLY wide Wheel arches The REALLY wide Wheels Power Steering Leather interior. They were both Soft tops though. Now, I feel, I can comment on the cars seen as I have quite a bit of experience with them. Build Quality. They look very nice tidy cars on the outside but dont let that fool you. They are quite rattly inside. Not as bad as the SJ413 though. Every bump and hump causes a rattle somewhere. Ride comfort. The power steering on my new jeep make the ride a lot easier from a driving perspective but dont buy one if you intend on doing lots of miles in it on long journeys. They are not built for it. Body... Read review

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Advantages: Elevated position lets you see cause of traffic jams, sometimes.
Disadvantages: Can't type them all out again.

...I bought a brand new soft-top Vitara 4U in September 1998 having always admired them...a 1.6L engine that, as Keith-the-chief also mentioned, is rubbish. After driving it down the motorway to Brighton and Crawley a couple of times the mere thought of going on a motorway with it almost gave me a heart attack. If you think this is exaggeration ask for a motorway test-drive and see for yourself...it is scary. The crosswinds push the car so hard your hands will be moulded into the steering wheel by the time you reach your destination. It drinks petrol...it's not comfortable at all - look at the door panels and judge for yourself how cheaply made it is, it's far too pricey, and the amount you pay in insurance (Group 8/10)should put you off it totally...you'd be better off investing that money in another car! Oh and there is no boot space... Read review

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Advantages: Great service, good deals
Disadvantages: None!

...a year but it had to go. I knew I wanted a 4x4 and I thought Suzuki would be good as they had been around for years. I saw a Suzuki Vitara for sale from another small second hand dealer (I know I should learnt) for about £5000. First Suzuki = It was a Suzuki Vitara 1.5 L reg and it was petrol, nobody told me these could drink fuel. I had problems with the dealer but not with the car and I owned it for four years and except for general maintenance things (Tyres etc) it only cost me £130 for a clutch repair. The major cost I had with my first Suzuki was petrol, it took unleaded and with the amount of miles I was doing per week sometimes my weekly petrol bill was around £80-£100. Despite it's drinking problem it was a very reliable car and I never had issue of it starting, cutting out etc. The other cost of owning a Suzuki... Read review

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Advantages: Easy to manoeuvre, fashionable, very economical and cheap.
Disadvantages: Lack of room in boot and not a great grip on wet tarmac.

...in what to purchase. After a couple of weeks of shopping around I decided to buy a Jimny. I bought a red Jimny. ****Is the Car Economical******* The Jimny is a 16V, 1.3 size engine. At the time a 1.3 was the biggest size available for the Jimny. Being a new model, it had recently taken over the Suzuki Vitara. The Jimny is a city 4x4, which means that it does not drink Petrol like there is no tomorrow. It runs like a car on tarmac surfaces but can be used for 4x4 driving when needed. The Jimny has an extra gear stick for 4x4 driving so you can use it for two different types of driving. I personally know people who drive their Vitara's and Jimny's on very tough 4x4 courses and they cope very well. However, these people are mechanics in the day so they are good at fixing the exterior of the cars, which makes them road worthy by day... Read review

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