Hi mat, It was myself that came down to buy this car for my daughter who lives in Tiree.. What a fantastic little 4x4 this is. Drove all the way to Scotland without missing a beat. I wanted to keep it for myself lol It was good to see what you done to it in the video
I never fail to be surprised by how relatively simple cosmetic tweaks can make such a huge improvement/difference to a car! Another perfectly useable old car ‘saved’ great job Matt 👍🏻
I have a 2015 Vitara Allgrip DDIS SZ5 and love it. Yes, its got some hard plastics inside, but its got great carrying capacity, comfortable, quiet and economical. Its just all round honest car.
I’d love to see a video where you give an update on what happened to some of these cars after, whether you got the price you wanted and if there was more to the story once they’d been sold
I'm not surprised you sold that car quite easily. Suzuki's are very reliable and that would be an economical little car to run even with UK fuel prices. I'm almost at the stage now where I would only ever consider buying a Japanese car. I can honestly say 50 years ago I would not even have dreamed that this would be the case. I remember visiting a Honda car dealer around about 1977 in Preston Lancashire and thinking to myself, " Why would anyone buy a f----- Honda?" How times have changed. Kia is another manufacturer that seems to have their act together now with an excellent warranty and fixed servicing costs. I don't want unexpected repair bills, breakdowns or ridiculous servicing costs. Good video and a great result. A happy customer and some profit.
I have the exact same vitara but with the added spoiler and alloy wheels. Corners are the vitaras kryptonite! At least they fitted 4wheel drive so you can exit the field you just crashed into. In return the vitara will reward you with years of utter reliability.
Another excellent 'restoration ' on what was a vehicle in pretty decent condition despite its sge & possible rust problems..loved how it now looks after those lads at the valeting place have done their work..they do a bloody great job 👏 love these reviews 💯👌
My dad bought a face-lift mk1 4u2 Vitara from the side of the road for £750 back in 2012 as a stop gap when his car was written off. It was only meant to be around for 6 months but he ended up keeping it for 4 years. When he put it up for sale I was gutted so bought it myself 😂 my girlfriend drove it more than I did but a house purchase forced me to sale it and to this day I wish I never got rid. Can't seem to find them for sale anymore which is a shame
Looked like a long term one owner car . kept up to it mechanically but there's a time where they fell out of love and were ready for a change . That bit of TLC to bring what is a good car back to retail looks well worth it . Nice quip on the telegraph to guardian !
Awwww it looks brilliant. I love the fact it has had one owner and is 19 years old that's true testament to Suzuki. I have bought brand new Fiats and Fords in the past been well cared for serviced etc and yet they didn't make it past 85'000 or 8 years.
When I saw this video I clicked on it immediately! I owned for a few years one in the same color. It was a 4 door 2.0 petrol with a manual gearbox, but it had alloys and pretty wide tires. When I got it it was used and in pretty bad shape. After a full engine service, new clutch, new all terrain tires and some other small things it ran pretty well. They are really reliable these. Only trouble I ever had, and I took mine on dirt tracks through the mountains quite often, was a leaky coolant pipe and some A/C leaks. I was really happy with it and only sold it when I had a kid and wanted something that was safer. Great video, I am glad you gave a new life to that one!
My mum had one of these a long time ago , it was brilliant as we lived in the countryside and we had a long steep single track road to negotiate & it coped with the snow & mud no problem .
Great Ecology, capturing something before it gets dumped, giving it a new lease of life and turning a tidy profit, Excellent ! Also I was looking at 3 door (pretend) 4x4’s for the high seating position; I’m getting tired of contouring myself into my Ford Focus despite the great driving it does. (I’ll have to look thru your back catalogue to see if u’ve review a Rav 4, (2), ). Great video mate, thkz.
Hi Matt, I live in Canada, I can confirm the Vitara is very reliable, I have two buddies that have these, they both have over 500k on them, that of course is KM not miles, and still going strong, one guy does not even plug his in, so it starts regularly in minus 20, as I live in Saskatchewan, the middle and often colder province here. Love your vids, always a good go to vid for honest car facts. Thank you for sharing 😁
That's a great car for someone. Good point about the undersealing. My own Pug will be 26 years old this year and I've undersealed it myself every 5th year, with a bit of extra touchup whenever I notice any flaking off in the interim. Hammerite with added Waxoyl isn't expensive and the new owner of this motor would find it much easier to squeeze underneath than I do with my 40mm lowered coilover and axle setup, should they not wish to pay you to do it before purchase. Edit : I see a gent has already bought it for his daughter, but I hope he'll do the job for her. It's well worth the effort.
@@allankummanadil6298 I did notice, even when my own car was new, that the factory applied underseal was a little thin in a couple of places, where even some of the body colour could be seen. If that's true of your own car, I suggest it's definitely worth attending to it, sooner rather than later, and thereafter just check it occasionally and give it a fresh coating every five years. Be careful not to paint over any drain holes though.
Also repaint the base of the wiper arms since I can see all the paint has flaked off. This car has been cared for by it's previous owner, looked good when you got first saw it with a few minor things. If I saw that original MOT, I wouldn't bother but the car when you walked around it was just much better than the MOT history would allude to, not surprised it flew through it's recent MOT, must have been a very picky garage looking for work previously.
As a car journalist I'm not very used to deal with used cars myself, but a friend asked for help for buying a new used car for her. Thanks for a lot of tips that helped me to at least try to help her. She's now a pride new owner of a 2019 Suzuki Jimny brazilian made with less than 20k miles, full history and good as new. Thanks mate!
I have a grand vitara XL 2.6 automaric. Its 22 years old and just passed its mot again with not one mention of rust on the body. Last year had no advisories but this year its stated that the fuel filter needs replacing as its rusted. It hasn't done 60,000 miles yet. Its an amazing car to drive and tow with. What I love about it is that you can get to parts in the engine and its not like modern cars where everything is crammed in. Only bad thing is it does drink a fair bit of fuel but I still love it.
Respect for Suzuki engineering. Own an Alto with the 1.0 K10 engine and its a peach. Chain driven cam and with regular servicing it's on a faultless 150000 km. The engineering is simple, which is the cornerstone of robustness.
I really like these the petrols are brilliant reliability wise there good off road and actually well made they don't feel like there going to disintegrate inside either after a few miles just the problem of rust
Great find and another fabulous transformation. I had wondered about these as I am considering a 4x4 to cope with the extreme weather and extreme so called roads we have these days
GREAT VIDEO! THANK YOU FOR CONSISTENTLY PUTTING OUT TOP QUALITY CONTENT. VERY INTERESTED! KEEP IT UP! ❤️👍 What is life without money? I think that's irrelevant. When you live, always try to invest for future times like this to ensure profits and growth. So you are not dependent on the government. Investing in the financial market should now be on every savvy individual's bucket list.
@Jerv Carter Investing in the financial markets works for me even if I don't do it alone. I have an expert helping me and his strategies have helped me avoid losses and increase my income.
Excellent! I love these type of videos. Especially as it shows what you did with it. I'd loved to have seen a follow up on the Nissan Navarra. That needed some proper attention and would have been great to see what you did with it.
Took a 2005 2.5 V6 Auto in part exchange back in 2014 with 110k miles. Metallic grey, leather, working air con and a bit of walnut on the dash. Paid £1500 for it and thought it was a perfect temporary dog car until we found something better. It started on the button this morning and ferried both dogs to their walk and will do the same tomorrow morning. Now done 127k and other than oil changes, its only ever needed an aux belt. Love it.
I have had 3 -LWB Grand Vitaras, one of which did near 100K miles in 4 years ( 2.0 V6 ) my last one was a 1.9L diesel 4WD manual and I never had any problems at all ! Rust was not a problem although I agree the Jimny seems a bit prone. Now using a 1.6L S-Cross with CVT , no problems and very economical. great value for money .
A simple basic car that's not a moneypit. Their engines are used in experimental aircraft and their electrics are good but the finish is often not great but a bit of paint, cleaning, rust killer and welding and they go on for a long time. I love Suzuki motorbikes. Great mechanics.
@@HighPeakAutos Predictable, but accurate. Could have been worse, the Vitara could have had Daily Wail steering, directing you in the middle of the road with the resulting carnage being blamed on immigrants
Hi Matt. Nuclear submarines work because they are powered by onboard nuclear reactors. Atoms in the nuclear reactor split, which then releases energy as heat. This heat is used to create high-pressured steam. The steam turns propulsion turbines that provide the power to turn the propeller. So slightly different technology to the standard car radio.
Bought a 52 plate in 2018 for £500 Drove it round Europe in a charity banger rally ending in Barcelona. Bits fell off as we drove but had so much fun in the Vitara before scrapping it and flying home.
Hey Mat, really big fan of your work. I just bought a 21 plate vitara (mild hybrid) last week! Being a 25 year old chap I received a lot slack from the 'boys' for being a grandad. I was undecided between a 2020 VW T-cross and 2021 Suzuki Vitara. The Vitara had all the same spec as the T-Cross but was faster with a 4 cylinder engine (compared to the overstressed 3 cylinder 115ps VW engine) and guess what - it was nearly 2 grand cheaper! Im sure the VW fan boys will come after me but hopefully I havent made a mistake - I guess only time will tell!
The mild Hybrid technology will start saving you money right off the bat. You’ll definitely like the reduced fuel bills and the reassuring reliability of Japanese automobile technology. I’ve been driving only Japanese cars since 2000. 1988 Honda Accord DOHC-16V, 1998 Mazda MX-3 1.6i DOHC and presently 2008 Toyota Prius Tspirit, the latter which I’m refusing to part with - achieved 69.4 mpg last summer on a 45 litre tank of Super Unleaded (Esso) - getting a record 653 miles from the same tank of fuel - and all during the unprecedented UK heatwave.
I had a 18 plate non turbo 1.6 vitara it was ultra reliable never even had to top up oil or coolant only got shut of it as needed something larger as have 4 dogs 🐕 and shifting bigger items.
@@datathunderstorm Yes, its doing 50 mpg near enough with a very nippy engine. Just a shame suzukis are not as fashionable as a VW (brand appeal etc). However, I would argue that suzukis are better cars with more reliability and age better than VW's
@@allankummanadil6298 it’s all down to taste at the end of the day! As many people dislike VWs as they do like them. I’m also 24 and and would take the vitara any day of the week. Would argue a T-Cross is more of a grandad car so as I say, it’s all about personal taste 😂
Cracking cars just a shame about the rust issues , I had a 1993 413 Samurai cost a fortune in sheet metal to weld it up and she's still doing the rounds .
What a brilliant little reliable car. I own a new toyota hybrid and would love something like this as a second run around. I love japanese cars for their reliability and they dont use expensive dual clutch gearboxes. Great video!
These cars are sooo popular in Australia is a cheap alternative to a Landcruiser or just about any 4WD which is not far shy of $100k here. They fetch a tidy sum here second hand, even old and with plenty of miles, because people use them for trips to the beach and as an alternative little delivery van with the back seats ripped out.
You got a steal on that one. I had an XL-7...same looks just seating for 5 adults and 2 kids way, way in the back. Very neat setup and the rig had an extremely willing and ready v6. This is one of the very few cars I've owned that I really, really had a lot of fun with. The FWD was a kick in the pants too. If yours came with a V6, that thing would be pushing 6.5 secs to 60 mph.
See no matter what your eyes tell you Matt your mechanics and techs can give it a new lease of life. And all said and done it is a not bad wee car considering its age and mileage but as DVLA still has my license - no use to me. Plus I am thinking about converting to an EV Trike, so no need for expensive fuel but that could change with this Government think tank??
Just had my E38 DONE MOT , SEATBELT ANCHORAGE points ,2X ciggerette packet size plates on rear of sills cost me £250 then it passed ,you cant see the plates realy nice .Then i drove to jet wash dog sat in front i paid my pound and started to wash the dog loves it ,then he pressed central locking ,NO NO .the cars locked and the keys are in it 20 mile from home .
This is one of those cars that with the right next owner, it could keep going until 30 or 40 years old, just needs all those niggling problems sorting and a bit of extra rust proofing underneath
I always take our cars mine and partners to local council offices maintenance Yard , by law the have to MOT the publics vehicles , they are very fair , only time any of our cars has failed was on emissions, the MOT tester said I darent rev the hell out of it as I don't know when cambelt was done. As you have 2 weeks before repaying for the test he just advised me to put emission cleaner in the fuel tank and drive it harder than usual. 2 weeks later the car went straight through. I've even sent a workmate who Audi claimed it wanted nearly £700 spending on it to get it through an MOT . He took and by all accounts it went straight through.
Had one of these for about six months. Wife said it rocked when going round corners. Swapped it straight away. You know the difference between January and July in the uk. The rain is warmer in July. Come to think about it we had a jimney not a grand vitara. Manual. And it guzzler petrol. 👍👍
MOT Testers seem to vary widely in their interpretation of the rule. For example, I have a car which had several MOTs with 'surface rust' advisories. They suddenly disappeared when a different MOT centre did the tests - no painting or repairs had been done in the meantime......
That’s quite right. I use an independent place so they have no favouritism and sometimes they pick up on certain things which other places miss and vice Versa. I always thought it would better if they were Goverment ran like lots of counties
@@HighPeakAutos Not sure government run stations would perform better - they are government run in Northern Ireland and there's been a long running saga of delays with test bookings to the extent that the MOT was suspended at one point. The main cause was a problem with the the workshop lifts, which were failing, with potentially dangerous consequences......
Not driven the auto but the manual GV1600 is good on fuel but real sluggish & the GV2000 is more pokey but you sure see that fuel gauge go down quick! They drive ok thou, overall not bad & good value in the day! Wheels on them will always go like that with age. In the 90's on the old Vitaras i fitted the spare wheel & holding bracket plus the rear seats & seat belts.....PLUS remove the excessive coating of protection it had all over it 😆 The Supagard is a waste of money! I applied it to lots of vehicles in the day,the fabric spray is useful thou....but it STANK!
Great video Matt, do like those Suzuki's.. 😁 My mum still has her 2003 Ford fusion 1.4 trip and it's still going strong, she loves it..Waiting for you to get one of these on the show to see what you make of it..I still see a few about town..keep up the good work.. 😄
Awesome again, I think a little to much time being spent on car check online review and servicing stamps, just noticed it of late, doesn't seem to be much driving of late, love the channel just love seeing it flow perhaps a little more like a short while back
Webuymouldycars... I like, but don't love, my 21 Suzuki Vitara, which will be going now that my Defender has arrived, but here in rural south west Devon they are the AWD of choice, for very good reason. Oh, and I found the perfect vehicle for you. Single seater with not one but two cupholders, or one cupholder and one family bucket sized holder, a ride on lawnmower...
I would have applied that Colin appleyard sticker on the spare wheel cover when this was new, I used to work for a sign company and we did all the cars for them when they used to be on the corner near IKEA Ashton.
Always amazes me how people can sell the car on without even taking it to a car wash beforehand. Still, well done for having the vision to see that you could make some money on this one and hopefully the new owner will show it a bit more love than the previous one.
Yes Matt I like this Suzuki Vatara nice car .They are good cars Suzuki car company is on the up . I like the new Suzuki Ingus . You will always make a good decent profit on theses cars well done Matt. Kevin from Radcliffe
I use to own the other model Suzuki Ignis 2004, great car and started great on frosty UK mornings. The only time it let me down it needed a new oil filter other than that great car. I would have bought it myself as I know how good Suzuki cars are.
Hi Mat, really enjoy your videos especially seeing all the local scenery as you drive about ( I live in Whaley Bridge down the road... ). The up and down Shiloh Road shots were great, nice views up there. Don't laugh but one of the best cars I have owned was an 08 Fiat Sedici 4x4 ( Fiat 1.9 diesel engine / Suzuki remainder same an SX4 ). Has Cross Climates on it and it was great in the winter, getting through some fairly deep snow around Buxton, Goyt Valley etc. Pretty basic but that was it's charm. This Suzuki reminded me a lot of it.
