[bijims]

A friend of mine who recently settled in Kerala, an avid Jimny fan is now lambasting Maruti for not launching the Jimny sooner, he was in need of an upgrade for his old Swift and felt that the Sonet Diesel AT would be the best pick from the current crop of sub 4 meter SUVs and took the plunge to book the car in October 2022, with booking periods told to be in the 6 months range, he decided to wait, however, things took a turn and the car was allotted to him before Diwali and he decided to go ahead with the purchase as he had a good offer for the Swift as well.

He never expected Maruti to launch the Jimny so soon, and he is now lamenting his purchase decision. He loves the looks and overall packaging of the Jimny and is a fan of the Allgrip setup. He had driven the Jimny abroad and found it to be a "cute and small car that can do it all". He is now contemplating whether or not he should let go of his Sonet Diesel AT and get the Jimny once it launches, He has already booked the car, but is unsure whether it would be the best decision to let go of a brand-new Sonet in favor of the Jimny. He is now literally in a Heart against Head dilemma where his heart yearns for Jimny while his Head says to keep the Sonet.

With this dilemma, I wanted to get the opinion of the BHPians on what would be the best course of action. Kindly provide all your valuable insights on the issue.

Thanks.

[Engine_Roars]

This is one of those decisions where no one can help your friend. Financially, it does not make sense but the heart wants what it wants. Overall it all comes to how desperate he is. He will surely lose money but then money is not everything. It all comes to what is more important and if he can afford to lose some money without feeling a pinch of it.

[SoumenD]

Unless he has absolute need for the 4X4 capabilities I don’t see a point letting go of the Sonet D AT in favour of Jimny petrol All grip. Both are poles apart and there’s literally nothing in common except for the length maybe (sub4m). Both cater to different set of clientele IMHO. That’s coming from the ‘head’ though.

But when it comes to heart, all that logic goes for a toss. The heart wants what it wants & no amount of discussion helps in this case.

P.S: I am in a similar position where my heart says go for the Thar RWD because YOLO, while head says stick to the perfectly fine 16k run Jazz CVT. Just sleeping over it for now

[bijims]

Originally Posted by SoumenD

Unless he has absolute need for the 4X4 capabilities I don’t see a point letting go of the Sonet D AT in favour of Jimny petrol All grip. Both are poles apart and there’s literally nothing in common except for the length maybe (sub4m). Both cater to different set of clientele IMHO. That’s coming from the ‘head’ though.

But when it comes to heart, all that logic goes for a toss. The heart wants what it wants & no amount of discussion helps in this case.

P.S: I am in a similar position where my heart says go for the Thar RWD because YOLO, while head says stick to the perfectly fine 16k run Jazz CVT. Just sleeping over it for now

I can relate to your situation here, he was also contemplating the Thar when it launched but he felt 20 lakhs for the Diesel AT Thar, and that too a 3-door wasn't worth it. The fact that Jimny is a globally acclaimed product and probably the only Suzuki that has a fan following the world over, moreover he has a liking for small cars too. He likes to have a car that can do it all as the roads in his area are the worst you could get, and he likes the option of going for off-roofing too.

Moving on to why he chose the Sonet, According to him, "with the Thar AT being the only real SUV with a proper automatic transmission under 20 lakhs, he felt that he had no choice but to go for a crossover sub 4 meter SUV, so he decided why not get a powerful and torquey diesel, so his options were limited to Sonet, Nexon and XUV300, with XUV300 and Nexon having AMT gearboxes (he doesn't like the jerkiness and head nod of AMTs), he decided to go with the Sonet Diesel AT (which by the way has the same engine in the same state of tune as the Seltos, Creta, and Alcazar)"

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by bijims

ould let go of his Sonet Diesel AT and get the Jimny once it launches, He has already booked the car, but is unsure whether it would be the best decision to let go of a brand-new Sonet in favor of the Jimny. He is now literally in a Heart against Head dilemma where his heart yearns for Jimny while his Head says to keep the Sonet.

With this dilemma, I wanted to get the opinion of the BHPians on what would be the best course of action. Kindly provide all your valuable insights on the issue.

Thanks.

I have always gone with my heart on everything in life. If he loves the Jimny then ask him to blindly go for it. The Sonet diesel will command a great resale value especially in Kerala. He wont lost much - in fact he may even break even! If I were he, I would go for the Jimny because there is no price that one can put on one’s happiness. It will indeed be that one all purpose vehicle as compared to the Sonet.

[bijims]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

I have always gone with my heart on everything in life. If he loves the Jimny then ask him to blindly go for it. The Sonet diesel will command a great resale value especially in Kerala. He wont lost much - in fact he may even break even! If I were he, I would go for the Jimny because there is no price that one can put on one’s happiness. It will indeed be that one all purpose vehicle as compared to the Sonet.

Yes, Resale should be great and with "proper Diesel ATs" hard to find and Diesel getting more expensive with the RDE norms, he feels he can fetch a good deal for his Sonet, by the time he gets the Jimny if he does indeed go for it.

[yedukrishnan199]

I for one, feel it would be a terrible decision to let go of a Sonet, especially a fully loaded Diesel AT. With Sonet Diesel AT prices hiked around 40k in January and surely another price hike in April following the RDE norms, he has gotten his car at a great time, with diesel ATs being hard to get and he is able to get his car in less than a months' time, whereas others are still on the waiting list for 6 months, I think he should value what he's got and keep hold of it.

Moreover, the Diesel AT is an excellent performer too with excellent tuning as well. Moreover, it should really be fuel efficient too. However, if your friend doesn't value all these and wants a 4X4, that too a 4-seater (which in my opinion would cost as much as his Sonet), then it's his choice, let him go for it.

By the way, if he is indeed selling his Sonet, I have a relative of mine who has been waiting for ages to get his Sonet Diesel AT (the dealerships are quoting low dispatches of the Sonet Diesel AT due to RDE norms kicking in). He would be more than happy to purchase your friends' car.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by yedukrishnan199

I With Sonet Diesel AT prices hiked around 40k in January and surely another price hike in April following the RDE norms, he

By the way, if he is indeed selling his Sonet, I have a relative of mine who has been waiting for ages to get his Sonet Diesel AT (the dealerships are quoting low dispatches of the Sonet Diesel AT due to RDE norms kicking in). He would be more than happy to purchase your friends' car.

@bijims
See what I mean?
Ready buyers. Good price.
Good time for your pal to follow his heart on the Jimny and sing the Sonet GoodBye!

[yedukrishnan199]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

@bijims
See what I mean?
Ready buyers. Good price.
Good time for your pal to follow his heart on the Jimny and sing the Sonet GoodBye!

Yes, there are ready buyers and that's also the reason why I feel the car is worth keeping, It's an excellent car for what it offers and I feel your friend must think twice before selling it.

PS: I own a Sonet myself and I see @bijims also owns a Sonet as well, so you should be able to convince your friend of the pros and cons of selling such a brand-new car and why it's not the best decision.

[GTO]

Wait first and let him take a LONG test-drive of the Jimny. I recommend anyone considering the Jimny or Thar to take multiple test-drives before deciding. These 4x4s can be very bumpy on regular roads (unless Maruti tweaks the Indian Jimny for a bit more comfort). The Jimny's cabin is narrow & I don't think its interior part quality or driving experience will match the Sonet Diesel AT which has a superb engine + gearbox combination.

Cars like the Jimny & Thar are amazing, but they are not for everyone.

[Shreyans_Jain]

Originally Posted by GTO

These 4x4s can be very bumpy on regular roads (unless Maruti tweaks the Indian Jimny for a bit more comfort). The Jimny's cabin is narrow & I don't think its interior part quality or driving experience will match the Sonet Dieset AT which has a superb engine + gearbox combination.

It will be unreasonable to expect the ride and handling of the Jimny to be anywhere close to mainstream cars. With a tiny wheelbase, narrow track and rigid axles front and back, it will take a miracle for it to ride better than even the bumpy Thar. And when was the last time we had any car with a recirculating ball type steering?

Thar has a lot of its fundamentals optimised for urban usage, no doubt helped by the learnings from the ultra utilitarian Gen1. That’s so not the case with the Jimny. People expecting this car to be a stylish alternative to mainstream sub 4m crossovers are in for a rude shock.

[RijuC]

Originally Posted by Shreyans_Jain

With a tiny wheelbase, narrow track and rigid axles front and back, it will take a miracle for it to ride better than even the bumpy Thar. And when was the last time we had any car with a recirculating ball type steering?

***

That’s so not the case with the Jimny. People expecting this car to be a stylish alternative to mainstream sub 4m crossovers are in for a rude shock.

I guess the Jimny will be similar like an S-presso or old generation WagonR Stingray from inside with respect to space. And the ride will be like the abused condition Amazon delivery vans, steering will be like the Gas cylinder supply vans.

The urban buyers do need certain level of comfort for their daily commute and for the long highway/ expressway drive portion of their mountain trips. Jimny will have to face lots of bully from the big cars and SUVs and the new menace on road, the Scorpio N! And then we have all types of traffic like cycle and bikes cutting in, speeding cars and PCR vehicles coming from wrong side, suicidal human and cattles and autorickshaw. This recirculating ball steering may not be good to zip through this traffic. The turning radius is 5.7 meters.

Hence, as seniors have advised, we need a proper and multiple test drives before signing off the final cheque.

[gsferrari]

Originally Posted by GTO

Wait first and let him take a LONG test-drive of the Jimny.

Cars like the Jimny & Thar are amazing, but they are not for everyone.

Gospel!

I was in a similar quandry after selling the Fortuner late in 2019. Thanks to Covid I put off the purchase until mid 2021. I always knew I wanted the Jimny but Maruti kept everyone guessing. I was getting increasingly frustrated but happened upon a very clean, late model Pajero SFX which is my current vehicle.

The moment the Jimny launched and bookings opened, I booked one. Despite how much I yearn for it, lust behind it and devour every bit of content I can find about it, I will still reserve my final decision until I get a nice long test drive on the road.

I know how it will perform and feel off-road so I have no concerns in this use-case. I have just become so accustomed to large japanese IFS SUVs that I fear the Jimny has arrived too late. This anxiety will haunt me until the day I step inside the vehicle and give it a good look-see. U decision will be instantaneous and irreversible.

The Pajero is fantastic, albeit a bit hard to keep looking showroom fresh with parts becoming scarce. It does the job and is "young" enough to see me through into the EV era.

Your friend needs to know that if he is as I am, financially unable to keep both vehicles, then practicality trumps passion every single day. There is no point living with a bouncing bronco for 360 days of the year for the 5 days when it will actually leave tarmac behind and do what it was built to do.

[Guna]

I thought Jimmy only comes with a manual transmission.

[padmrajravi]

Let the Sonet go and purchase the Jimny. If he can sell the Sonet to a private buyer, he may not suffer a big financial hit.

Jimny is one of a kind. A five door 4x4 AT that looks great and backed by Suzuki's reliability reputation. Logic does not work in case of such offerings. It does not have any competition in the foreseeable future. I feel the Jimny will appreciate in value atleast for initial buyers since waiting period will be so high.