4500 km in my Jimny AT: Why it's a worthy replacement for Polo DSG

Had anybody told me that I would be using a 4x4 as a city car, I would have laughed at them really hard.

BHPian androdev recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Have clocked 4500KM on my Jimny AT

City driving:

It has comfortably replaced my Polo DSG. Different cars but the small footprint, smooth auto, and good suspension make it a good city car for those who are uninspired by crossover deluge. The rear seat is bouncy but our distances are short and kids don't mind. Had anybody told me that I would be using a 4x4 as a city car, I would have laughed at them really hard. Some drawbacks exist (tight turns are painful but that's not like an everyday thing and not so good FE)

Highway driving:

It has to compete with my S Class. I have some trips where 400KM is on the highway and the last mile 30KM is on rural roads/non-roads. I am forced to take Jimny on such trips (reason for buying it). When I was in my 20s and 30s - my driving was just one-dimensional - go very fast and always used European sedans. Now in my mid-40s, I use my brain more sensibly and drive according to the traffic and drivetrain at hand.

Power is the least of my problems in this car - it's a comfortable cruiser between 80-100 kmph speed, that's the max speed one should do anyway with this type of body. Pick-up is slow but the highways I visit are 2 lane dual carriageways so I can take off at my own pace. Sometimes I put the OD button to good use to get out of truck congestion, etc. In general, I pace myself to cruise at 80-100 kmph without trying to outgun anyone and it was a comfortable drive. Used only the front two seats and we had comfortable non-stop 6 hr drives - we both are used to very comfortable European sedans and we found Jimny to offer a very compliant ride. No experience with rear seats on long drives.

One major drawback is the safety aspect. It's not stable if you have to do panic braking and manoeuvre your way out of trouble - the margin of safety needs to be very high - lack of power is really a boon! I would have hated this in my 20s but now I have a better sense of anticipation and drive very defensively - kind of enjoy and take pride in doing it. Unfortunately, to reach remote areas, I have accepted this compromise till I come up with a better plan. This is one reason why I would say go for a safe crossover if you intend to do a lot of highway driving.

Rural roads/no-roads:

Simply the G.O.A.T. and it looks so good doing it.

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