Ford Focus or Suzuki Jimny or Neither?

Lexie

I am buying a car and I dont know what to buy. I was thinking about a '99 1.4 Ford Focus or a '99 1.3 Suzuki Jimny. Anyone had any good or bad experience with these cars? Cant go any higher than a 1.4.

Canis Lupus

i have a 00 focus 1.6 saloon while not a 1.4 my opinion of my car:
-looks good
-superb and responsive handling.
-nippy (but obviously a 1.4 engine won't be as fast)
-smooth ride
-quiet car
-excellent driving position IMO and interior looks a lot nicer than many other cars

cons:
-Heavy on petrol (again 1.4 wouldnt be as bad) when driven aggressively. I only add that point cos I used to drive a Carina which had much better fuel effeciency if I put the foot down all the time but they are still very comparable.

Thats my opinion of my Focus if it helps

Lexie

Would a 1.4 not be heavier on petrol than a 1.6 because the smaller engine would be carrying the same weight?

ravenhead

Don't go for the Jimny, they're grand for just nipping around the place but try taking it out on a main road & go over 55-60 mph & the whole back starts the sway!! Nearly sh@t myself!!!! So if you do a lot of driving like I do, don't go for it.

Lexie

The Jimny is out so!

Gurgle

There is no excuse for anyone over 17 or male to ever consider buying a Suzuki Jimny.

As for the focus, ask Honest John

If you're going for a '99 out of relative poverty (like the rest of us) I would recommend a Corolla / Almera, they last better and cost less to maintain.

Gmodified

Jimny is uncomfortable and impractical. Used 1.3 Jimny will burn more petrol then 1.4 Focus

trotter_inc

Was in a Jimny once - not sure what their engine is like but they're rotten inside and out!

trotter_inc

Gurgle wrote:

There is no excuse for anyone over 17 or male to ever consider buying a Suzuki Jimny.

Can I ask why?

Interceptor

trotter_inc wrote:

Can I ask why?

Because all the hairdressers have bought the entire stock....

'c

Canis Lupus

trotter_inc wrote:

Can I ask why?

its called Jimny..... nuff said

Gurgle

trotter_inc wrote:

Can I ask why?

Its a little car pretending to be a jeep.
Badly.
It doesn't have any of the advantages of a car, or of a jeep.

It doesn't look like a car, it doesn't look like a jeep. It looks like it came off the shelf in Smyths. The only possible justification for Suzuki making the things is for rich Californian daddies to buy them for little precious when she gets her driving license on her 16th birthday.

Interceptor

Lexie wrote:

I am buying a car and I dont know what to buy. I was thinking about a '99 1.4 Ford Focus or a '99 1.3 Suzuki Jimny. Anyone had any good or bad experience with these cars? Cant go any higher than a 1.4.

Comparing apples to oranges will polarise opinion - Mondeo vs Discovery, Jet Ranger vs Millenium Falcon etc. If you need to carry surfboards, bump up onto pavements(?), drive on dirt tracks or deliver hairdressing supplies at high speed in rural areas, then the Jimny (don't forget the also maligned Daihatsu Terios) is appropriate though tedious. The engines are unbreakable, the gearboxes easy to use and the view is good due to the driver being a little higher.

The Focus handles well, carries four in comfort and will always start, stop and protect in an accident. It won't win any beauty contests though.

How about a 600cc Honda Beat or a Suzuki Cappucino Buy a slightly older one, pay feck all tax and smile every time you even *think* about driving it.

'c

samo

I have a 00 (old type) almera and not very impressed with petrol consumption compared to other 1.4'sI have driven. I drove a 1.4 focus estate a couple of years ago (was an 01) and was great for handling and very nippy - surprisingly so for an estate and is one of the better cars in this range. Again wasnt fantastic on petrol though - if you got a zetec they are meant to be excellent for petrol (I know a couple of drivers that tell me so but no exp myself!)

The almera is grand for space but does feel like its stretched a bit on the motorway. If I could go back in time would go for a 1.4 or 1.5 honda civic saloon as the other half has one and is great car, really nippy and if v-tech brillian on petrol €30 gets near to 350 -40 miles at a push which is best I've come across compared to almera, focus or corolla,

A 00 almera privately will be the cheapest bet though (maybe not the best but!) and isnt bad looking in a saloon. Apart from that had a yaris which was great car, cheap tax, incredibly cheap on petrol and was very nippy, not very trendy but did the job and better than a jiminy!

Lexie

Would a 1.4 focus or a 1.6 focus be harder on petrol?

Interceptor

Lexie wrote:

Would a 1.4 focus or a 1.6 focus be harder on petrol?

It depends on your driving style and the loads you carry. The 1.4 would be more economical but the engine is underpowered for a car of this size.

If you need a small engine, don't buy a huge car!! Or go the other extreme and buy a Skoda Octavia with 1.4...

You can't buy a Focus with smaller than 2.0 in the US and even then they are considered 'shopping cars'. Economic factors find a market for small engined, big cars in Ireland and it makes little sense from a comfort/economy/performance point of view.

'c