Great video! I found my Jimny fine for the school run once my kids were that age. We did always have a second 4 door car for larger trips though, but the kids always preferred riding in the back of the jimny. They never got carsick in the Jimny. Probably because their view out the windows was better. Congrats on the family addition!
I keep seeing people lifting the luggage box by the spring loaded flaps, and I have no idea why. It's awkward and if you have tools in there you run the risk of breaking the hinges or tipping your stuff out. Open the luggage box, and there's a handle on either side to lift it straight up. (on the outside, under the lid). Suzuki weren't stupid. I keep all the maintenance gear for track and trail in the box - 1L brake fluid, 1L oil, battery tester, jump box, puncture repair, multimeter, spare bulbs, torque wrench adapter, rags etc to stop things rattling and wipe the grime off. The 1/2" drive extendable shaft wheel-nut brace sits underneath on top of the OEM tyre equipment (I'd never want to have to rely on the OEM tool). A satchel tool kit goes under the driver's seat (3/8" and 1/4" drive and other stuff). The only thing I don't have a good permanent spot for is the air compressor, so it floats around on the floor at the back. I might make a bracket for it to mount at the rear. Congrats on the new addition to the family. That doggo looks like he's going to be baby's best friend. Good luck managing with a Jimny though... when children come along all the plans you thought you had taped down go out the window at mach 2.0. You'll need that spare space just for the nappy bag, the rubbish bag, and the toy bag. Just to go to the shops ;-D
Hey Chris, thanks for the advice, I’ll take a look for the handles in the luggage box. I might have to have a permanent spare wheel bag hanging on the back for all the extras.
I’m considering getting the 5 door Jimny here in the Philippines. I’m originally from the United States, I bought a 1991 Jeep Cherokee Sport 2dr 4x4 manual. After my wife and daughter arrived from the Philippines, I kept the Jeep. However, when my son was born in January 1993 I wasn’t happy with trying to get my kids in back especially the car seat for my son. Plus my wife wanted to get her drivers license and didn’t know how to drive a manual. That next month, I traded in the Cherokee for another Cherokee Sport 4dr 4x4 automatic. The Jimny reminds me of the Cherokee, hence my desire for one.
I’m also on the verge of getting the 5 door. I’m just thinking long term, 2 kids (hopefully a second one in the future) and a dog would fit better in the 5 door. I guess if it were not for the pet, the 3 door would be ideal. I did a test drive in the manual 5 door today and it was great. I haven’t driven stick for 5 years.
Congratulations Johno on your first child. I have 3 boys plus a step son is well. But mine are all living in Brisbane I don’t get to see my kids. The Jimny would be way more comfortable when you’re child gets to a curtain age then the seat can be turned around then you and your wife will have way more leg room
We have a Model Y and adding a jimny to the family! Probably won't fit the entire family of 5 but we have the MY for that. Can't wait to get it next week.
This video is so helpful for us!! We have a jimny and our baby is coming soon. Changing the car is not an option for us. Also, we loved the video because we ❤ NZ. We studied there our PhD. In Otago uni. Regards from Colombia. Congrats for your baby😊
I’m glad you found it helpful. I know I had all the same questions before I made it. If it’s just 2 adults and a baby, it can definitely be done. It might not be super practical or spacious but it can work. Because of our dog, we actually traded in for a 5 door. Also did it for future proofing incase a othe baby comes along. If you’re ever back in Nz, there is a great company that has a few Jimnys for rent on the South Island.
Jonno, first a shoutout, Kudo's for all your videos, I find them very informative and enjoy watching. I have recently purchased the 5 dr, but there are some advantages as well as disadvantages. The 5 dr rear seats in my model do not fold fully forward to form a flat load floor such as yours. I think Suzuki went this way to draw more for the family orientated buyer. As my wife and I are still active and are pet owners with large dogs I would have preferred the rear seat as you have shared. My reason for the 5dr purchase was for more space and we plan to do longer trips - in South Africa and to Namibia, Mozambique. However, with 3 Grandchildren the seats also may be more comfortable as Suzuki intended? Still, I think a trailer will be a future option. Please let us know of you trips and challenges, as we are not new to 4x4 and camping, I am still very fascinated by the Zook approach and challenges. p.s. I now need to go look for the Zook rule book. Luv your work and will most definitely watch all the videos. Thanks, from Peter aka “little4by4” (On South African 4x4 Forum)
Hi Peter. Thanks for the awesome comment. Even after testing all the seating options and configurations in the 3 door, we also just sold our 3 door and bought a 5 door. With the dog and the baby we decided to future proof our Jimny (incase another baby arrives in the future). Having the 5 door allows us to keep the rear seats folded up and have our one dog in the back at all times. I made a fun video about dogs in Jimny’s, you might have seen it. I think the boot of the 5 door might only fit one large or medium size dog. You are correct, I think the biggest drawback of the 5 door is the seats that don’t fold down flat. But I’m aware that there are a few companies who are busy designing flat shelf inserts that fit over the rear seats. This will allow 5 door owners to create that flat area in the back without taking the seats out. Ive yet to see one though. We’ve really enjoyed the 5 door so far. We’ll definitely be getting a camper trailer in the future. Possibly for next summer, but we might delay camping for one season with the baby. There is a facebook page called ‘black mamba trails’. His name is Ian, he has an awesome camper trailer setup for a Jimny.
I bought the net online from “Jimny Style”. It’s a company based out of the UK I think. I got the net before there were shelves available. I think a solid metal shelf might be better.
Yo tengo un jimmy 1.3 , tengo un bebé, somos tres en la familia y he usado el Jimny como auto familiar, creo que se debe ser práctico a la hora de cargar cosas, nosotros solo llevamos lo estrictamente necesario, aunque mi esposa si se queja un poco de lo incómodo que es viajar atrás al lado de la silla del bebé.
That’s awesome to hear. You are correct, you need to stick to the basics and the care minimum when driving around in the Jimny with kids. I’ll keep everyone updated on how things work out once baby arrives.
I really love the Jimny a lot, but it is definitely not a family car. A Tazz, for example, has a 280 L boot while the Jimny offers just 85L. It's a very impractical car but you shouldn't always do what's practical or you'll turn into a German.
Thank you. When it was stock I think I was getting 6.9 to 7.1 litres per 100km. With the Roofrack and boxes I recall around 8L. I have the 5 door now. That’s a little more. I’ll check today to confirm a comparison.
