Owning a Maruti Jimny: Here's what I think of it after 1 month & 2000km

Enjoying the SUV more than I thought I would, but it does fall short on a few aspects.

BHPian androdev recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

A quick update after a month of use.

My expectations before the purchase of Jimny were very low but I started enjoying the car more than I thought I would. I was worried I might like it so much that I won't feel like shipping it off for rural duty. Fortunately (or unfortunately depending on how you look at it), it has fallen short on a few important aspects, so I can stick to the original plan of sending this car to its natural habitat where I have no doubt, it will serve really well.

Here is what I think of the car after using it for a month and covering close to 2000 km.

Within the city: It's nimble and as easy to drive as a hatchback but, boy, taking U-turns, tight parking or similar steering manoeuvres are a pain, something you don't want in a car of this compact size you hope to take to supermarkets or narrow streets, etc. It's not that bad but if you already have access to a small car that rules the narrow lanes of Bangalore, you will not like the fuss this car creates during tight manoeuvres.

For the highways: Small fuel tank and mediocre fuel efficiency (shouldn't have both together!). My road trips are mostly in south India and I'm a bit OCD about where I stop for food or fuel - doing door-to-door non-stop is my plan-A. With this car, I experience a lot of range anxiety as one needs to start looking for a petrol bunk just after 300 km or so. It may not bother others but fantastic tank range is a very key criterion for all the highway cars I've used.

I have zero problems with the much complained about engine+gearbox - it's fine and one can maintain 90-100 speed comfortably. Picking up speed (acceleration) is poor but it doesn't bother me as the overall travel time remains comparable to other cars.

In-cabin experience: Far from delightful. Left foot ergonomics is bad. I've owned so many cars and never had this issue. I don't think there is a solution because the seat is wider than the footwell. It's not that bad but it does bother you every now and then while on a long drive. This car is a chatterbox. Starts with a rude sounding loud "good morning" type of greeting - kind of spoils your mood for the day. Then beeps for every little thing - a second too late to put the seat belt - beep, put the car in reverse - beep beep, lock the car - beep. And the legendary braindead rear seat belt alerts. Car play hangs too often (navigation freezes and music stutters). Auto start/stop is very lousy - it shuts down the engine during a U-turn manoeuvre! It's like death by thousand cuts.

I don't regret the purchase because I searched far and wide for a small 4x4 AT that's easy to live with and I am glad I have this option in the market. Nobody is going to beat Maruti when it comes to a car that's easy to live in a small town, so I don't think I will find a better car anytime in the near future. My wish list for future updates of Jimny: 1. Better footwell ergonomics 2. Better steering mechanism 3. Larger fuel tank

I do enjoy the freedom this car gives and I hope to try and fit the car into my travel needs.

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