No, You Can’t Buy This Cheap Jeep Wrangler Alternative
When it comes to being an off-road SUV, the Jeep Wrangler has long been a popular choice. From the base model to the iconic Wrangler Rubicon, this vehicle is made for the road less traveled. In other parts of the world, there is a smaller and notably cheaper competitor to Jeep’s 4×4 SUV. And that is the Suzuki Jimny, a vehicle that you probably won’t see in the United States any time soon.
Is the Suzuki Jimny available in the US?
If you want this cheap SUV, you’re going to have a hard time finding a Suzuki Jimny in the USA. Suzuki no longer produces vehicles for the domestic market, and that means its Jeep Wrangler rival is not available to us Yanks.
If Suzuki were to sell the Jimny in the United States, it would undoubtedly be a hit. The Jeep Wrangler has a starting cost of around $30k, the Jimny has a much more affordable entry-price. Although, it is certainly more sparse when compared to the Jeep.
Some dealerships seem to be selling Suzuki Jimnys in the United States
Although the legality is questionable, it looks like some American dealerships do have Jimny SUVs listed. According to The Drive, the dealerships are coy about how exactly they are doing this. Because the Jimny does not meet regulations, titling one is not going to be an easy task.
It’s easy to see why Americans want the Suzuki Jimny; it has old-school looks, legitimate off-road capability, and somebody is telling us we can’t have it. If you look at some of the listings in The Drive’s article, this 4×4 SUV is marked up significantly. But, if folks are willing to pay over $40,000 for one, it makes sense that a dealership would shoot for a profit.
How does the Jimny compare to the Wrangler?
Simply put, the Jeep Wrangler is the nicer of the two SUVs. It actually comes with usable back seats and a far longer list of features. It might be easiest to view the Jimny as a sort of budget Jeep. At the same time, the Suzuki is much cheaper while retaining the capability of an off-road SUV.
Unfortunately, because Suzuki no longer sells no cars in the United States, there really is not a good way to buy one. Although if one thing is true in the car world, where there’s a will, there’s a way.
The Jimny is the off-road SUV you can’t have
At the end of the day, there are always going to be great vehicles that we don’t get in the United States. You either have to wait 25 years to import them, or find a loophole. The Suzuki Jimny is certainly one of these vehicles.
Americans love their off-road SUVs, as demonstrated by vehicles like the Jeep Wrangler and the new Ford Bronco. But, a truly cheap and simple 4×4 SUV is missing, and the Jimny could fill that hole. It doesn’t look like that is going to happen any time soon, no matter how much folks want it to happen.
