Best choice for an Auto SUV/Car

Zinger · June 12, 2018

Hello experts,

I'm interested in buying a COMPACT auto 4WD SUV/car (something that would fit well with the small roads and parking spaces in Sri Lanka).

I would prefer a vehicle which would give me a smooth and a comfortable ride on regular tarmac roads and an effective drive when I'm off-roading or riding through potholes.
It also needs to have a clear and an elevated view of the road.

My budget is under 4 million LKR for a new/reconditioned vehicle. So far, the only car that seems to fit my requirements is the Suzuki Jimny 2 Door.

Please let me know what you think. I would very much appreciate your suggestions on this topic!

So to summarize, I'm looking for a car with the following requirements:-

- 4WD
- Auto Transmission
- Compact Body
- 4 Seater
- Smooth / Comfortable ride on regular roads
- Good for occasional off-roading
- A Vehicle with a Clear / Elevated View of the Road
- Under 4 million LKR
- Preferably New or Reconditioned (Used is fine too)

Thank you so much guys!
I'm looking forward to hearing your responses.

Dave

Edited June 13, 2018 by Zinger

nisala4423 · June 12, 2018

i would recommend the hilux to you any year is fine you can go offroad and its comfortable as well ( newer models 2005 and up) Mitsubishi pajero, rav 4 if you are into old cars a land cruiser box will also work great hilux surf just some suggestions good luck

matroska · June 13, 2018

I assume you mean the Suzuki Jimny 2door 660 cc version which IMHO doesn't justify the price tag. Plus it lacks rear space.

I would recommend the Daihatsu Terios. It's not a hardcore off roader but you can get a 2009/10 specimen for your budget. Its a solid and simple vehicle that is suited to bad roads but not for serious off roading.

The other options mentioned above such as surf etc will not fall in the "compact" category.

AbeysinghE · June 13, 2018

I would say Suzuki Jimny 2 door is very compact and ridiculously overpriced. I don't think you will get much more feel than a Wagon R except 4WD. If your budget is 4 million, I also agree with matroska's suggestion of Terios. You could even find bit older but decently used Rav4, Rush or Escudo for that budget.

dantoddd · June 13, 2018

What is the purpose of this vehicle? Why does it have to be 4WD and compact at the same time?

Zinger · June 13, 2018

2 hours ago, matroska said:

I assume you mean the Suzuki Jimny 2door 660 cc version which IMHO doesn't justify the price tag. Plus it lacks rear space.

I would recommend the Daihatsu Terios. It's not a hardcore off roader but you can get a 2009/10 specimen for your budget. Its a solid and simple vehicle that is suited to bad roads but not for serious off roading.

The other options mentioned above such as surf etc will not fall in the "compact" category.

Thank you Matroska! This was really helpful. I've been considering the Daihatsu Terios as well. Thank you very much for your input.

Zinger · June 13, 2018

28 minutes ago, dantoddd said:

What is the purpose of this vehicle? Why does it have to be 4WD and compact at the same time?

I live in the suburbs of Colombo. The roads here are tiny. It's almost impossible for two averaged sized vehicles to pass by each other. That is why I would prefer something compact. I also need a car that's suited for travelling across beaten paths (as my job demands me to travel to rural areas of the country at least twice a month).

Crosswind · June 13, 2018

2 hours ago, AbeysinghE said:

I would say Suzuki Jimny 2 door is very compact and ridiculously overpriced. I don't think you will get much more feel than a Wagon R except 4WD. If your budget is 4 million, I also agree with matroska's suggestion of Terios. You could even find bit older but decently used Rav4, Rush or Escudo for that budget.

Seriously have you ever driven a Jimny????

@Zinger actually you found the best option to suit your requirements. Jimny is actually a full-fledged 4WD (I am not sure about the 660cc version but the older 1.3 version is). If you don't mind, go for the older one.

Terios is a soft roader so if you don't do any hardcore offroading, terios is also fine. However, Jimny can handle rough terrain better than the terios.

Indrajeedez · June 13, 2018

26 minutes ago, Crosswind said:

//Terios is a soft roader so if you don't do any hardcore offroading, terios is also fine. However, Jimny can handle rough terrain better than the terios.//

True that. The terios cannot really handle any hardcore offroading. I took it to both Weviyathalawa and Devils Staircase. Could not complete the journey. It just could not handle it. But yeah it is a handy soft roader. Relatively easy to maintain and will get you from a to b without much trouble.

AbeysinghE · June 13, 2018

47 minutes ago, Crosswind said:

Seriously have you ever driven a Jimny????

Yes mate, of course i have driven. But not the 660 cc model available in Sri Lanka. I recently drove 1300 cc A/T model in Malaysia. I would say I personally didn't feel anything good in the vehicle. The space is very tight, Very hard acceleration is required to get up the speed that generate enormous engine noise.It's bonucy and uncomfortable and It has very basic interior. But as i said I agree that with 4WD it does ok while handling off road. Just what i felt personally. With that experience, I would imagine that 660cc engine won't do any good than a Wagon R. As OP is going to use the vehicle mostly on regular roads and expected to use occasional off road activities, my suggestion is to look for a vehicle that suits mainly for regular roads and occasional off road drives. For me Jimny is just a compact off road vehicle only.

Zinger · June 13, 2018

@Crosswind @AbeysinghE @matroska What are your thoughts on the Mitsubishi Pajero Junior compared to the Jimny? My brother owns a 1991 Landcruiser Prado, and to be quite frank, I dislike it for several reasons. I would prefer a vehicle which could give me a much smoother ride on a tarmac road compared to the landcruiser. Do you think the Jimny or the Pajero jr would be a good fit?

Thanks guys! I really appreciate your comments and help.

Edited June 13, 2018 by Zinger

Crosswind · June 13, 2018

The difficulty is finding one. From what I know, Pajero Jr. too has selectable 4WD. However, the vehicle itself is quite old (whereas Jimny is still being produced). So you may have a tough time finding spares (not that finding spares for Jimny is easy).

And dude, if you need a smooth ride on tarred roads, mini SUVs are not the way to go. You need to decide what you are going to compromise.

BTW if SUV is not your need, but a clear, elevated view of the road and an overall comfortable ride, take a look at Suzuki SX4.

Edited June 13, 2018 by Crosswind

AbeysinghE · June 13, 2018

@Zinger , Considering the fact that you are looking for quite a new vehicle for your budget, unfortunately not many SUV's fit into your budget. As Crosswind pointed out Pajero Jr is a good choice but you will get pretty old one and maintenance could be a bit of a challenge with a old vehicle. If you have set up your mind to go for a Jimny, go for it. But i suggest you to buy 1300CC one and I don't really know whether it's available with the new arrivals to Sri Lanka. But If you prefer bit older Jimny, you will find 1300cc one easily. I really don't have a good idea about the 660 CC version as i have never driven that model. But for sure it will handle better in off road situation.

Zinger · June 13, 2018

Do you guys think it might just be a bad idea to purchase a 1996 Auto transmission Pajero Junior with a mileage of 143,000 km compared to a reconditioned 2015 Jimny?

I feel like I'm set on buying a Jimny, but I'm trying to weigh my options here. The last remaining contestant in my list is the Terios. However, I'm not sure if the Terios is any match to the Jimny (mainly in terms of off-road capabilities plus regular roads as well).

What do you guys think? Jimny or Terios?

Indrajeedez · June 13, 2018

Terios is no good when it comes to serious off roading. I took it to Meemure once and it managed to go most of the way. But then it was no good when I took it to Weviyathalawa (Did most of the journey but could not go up to the transmission tower) and Devils Staircase. It is pretty decent on regular roads. Not extremely comfortable and has a bit of body roll when going around corners at speed. Cause of its fulltime 4wd system it does feel a bit grippy and gives you that added sense of security when its raining or driving through a bit of mud. If your planning on doing serious off roading forget the terios. Unless modified, it is not possible.

Zinger · June 13, 2018

@Indrajeedez Devils Staircase is actually a decent ride, its surprising the terios couldn't handle it. Which model was it?

Indrajeedez · June 13, 2018

@Zinger It was a 2007 Manual. The road was pretty bad at that time. It was just after the rains. I don't think it will be that easy even now for a terios.

matroska · June 14, 2018

@Zinger it all depends on what you want out of this. Crosswind made a good suggestion with the SX4. For your budget you can get a 2011 sx4. But these are a bit rare.

The jimny is a capable off roader no doubt plus it will suit your narrow road. But before you commit have a look at one and see if it has enough space especially if you travel with family. And hey its new... I also saw a 2016/17 Pajero mini 660 unreg advertised for your budget not sure if it's 4*4 capable like the suzuki tho.

The older pajero mini well you can buy 2 for your budget ?

iRage · June 14, 2018

You do seem to have conflicting expectations of this SUV. You say the box Prado is uncomfortable but then you think the Jimny would be ? You are in for a rude awakening....The Jimny will be getting thrown all over the place. The 660cc engine is not going to get you through any challenging roads/courses. Because it has a proper 4WD system it will at most do as well as your average crossover (RAV4, Terios, XTrail), but not always. If you must o for a Jimny..go for a larer capacity variant.The Pajero Jr. is pretty much the same. FYI...you guys seem to have a confusion between the Pajero Jr. and Pajero Mini.

The Pajero Jr. came with a 1000cc engine and was manufactured from around 1994/1995 till 1998/1999 ish. The Pajero mini came with a 660cc engine from 1994 till about 2012/2013ish. So you are not going to get a Pajero Jr that is 2002 and nor are you going to find a Pajero Mini that is 1000cc. <at least not a JDM variant, which is what 99% of the Pajero Jr/Mini are from in SL anyway...). In 1998 they came with the updated new body Pajero Mini whilst they retired the Pajero Jr. The series was pretty much the same (A50), so it was mainly a body refresh and a few tech updates.

So, finally....I would say forget about the Jimny unless you are just looking for a city use jeep (can be useful during the rainy season ?). If not stick to the Terios/Rush..and perhaps look in to something like an old CR-V/RAV4/X-Trail. The eraly generations of the latter are not as huge as the current variants.

Edited June 14, 2018 by iRage

matroska · June 14, 2018

Oh and one more suggestion I don't know that much about Ssangyongs But I see there are many Korandos (2012) for below 4 million...if any Ssangyong users can shes some light on that might be another option for OP. You get a lot of bells and whistles compared to all other choices I know the agent sucks big time though.

Edited June 14, 2018 by matroska

iRage · June 14, 2018

32 minutes ago, matroska said:

Oh and one more suggestion I don't know that much about Ssangyongs But I see there are many Korandos (2012) for below 4 million...if any Ssangyong users can shes some light on that might be another option for OP. You get a lot of bells and whistles compared to all other choices I know the agent sucks big time though.

Aren't these Micro assembled vehicles ? If it is...then build quality might be a bit of a concern...but I honestly have no idea what its like...

but seriously the SX4 does seem to be the better option for the guy right now...

Edited June 14, 2018 by iRage

matroska · June 14, 2018

30 minutes ago, iRage said:

Aren't these Micro assembled vehicles ? If it is...then build quality might be a bit of a concern...but I honestly have no idea what its like...

but seriously the SX4 does seem to be the better option for the guy right now...

not quite sure iRage - does the locally assembled one have a 'micro' badge somewhere ? Don't really know about this heck who knows might be a good ride just something for the OP to consider. http://www.autolanka.com/view/ssangyong/korando/57593.html

and I'm just curious there seems to be a LOT of them for sale within the last few weeks all over websites and papers

Zinger · June 14, 2018

@iRage Thank you so much for your informed comment. I should be considering the SX4 as well. It certainly excels in terms of comfort.

I have one concern. Do you think I'd be able to get a good view from it? I have a long torso and a short upper body so most of my height is stuck in my legs. The box Prado gives me a perfect view of the road but it's very difficult to drive or maintain, given how its prone to constant breakdowns. I prefer a new vehicle just so I could be on the safe side more or less.

The SX4 and the Jimny are both looking good right now. The terios is out of the question based on what @Indrajeedez has mentioned. The car should be capable of doing some occasional off-roading but it should be able to handle much worse than devils staircase. I do end up visiting camping zones in places like Ohiya and Yala at times, and the roads have not being good to my prado. During my last two visits, both the axles and the gearbox broke down. I would prefer not to be in such a predicament every time I go off-roading.

@matroska It will mostly be me and 2 others at best in the car so I don't think space is an issue.

What would you guys suggest? I know it seems like I'm asking for a lot, and I understand that I may need to make a few compromises for my final pick. But there are a few mandatory conditions.

A. It needs to have a decent elevated view of the road to complement my freakish body
B. It needs to be as compact as possible (Preferably the size of a Jimny or Pajero Jr)
C. It should have off-road capabilities

I'm willing to go above 4 million LKR if there's another option out there. Also anything that's even slightly better than a box Prado in terms of comfort would be nice.

Thank you so much for the comments everyone! I really appreciate your feedback.

matroska · June 14, 2018

42 minutes ago, Zinger said:

@matroska It will mostly be me and 2 others at best in the car so I don't think space is an issue.

ok then you are in jimny territory - Try to find a 1.3 L one instead of the newer Kei car - an early 2000's one for below 2 Million. If you have any off-road aspirations forget the SX4 since what the Terios can't achieve the SX4 certainly can't.

iRage · June 14, 2018

What you are missing is....if a Terios with a 1.3L (90hp and 123Nm of torque with a 1000kg body) or 1.5L (100hp and 146Nm of torque with a 1100kg body) can't make it up a certain gradient...what makes you thikn a Jimny with a .6L engine with 60hp and 100Nm of torque on a 930kg body would make it ? The 1.3L will still have only like 80hp and 110Nm of torque and weighs 1000kg or something....

If you are willing to consider a full size SUV why not look in to something like an Isuzu Trooper/Mu/MUX or a Hilux (if you can find a decent speciment) as well ?

Edited June 14, 2018 by iRage