Heart vs mind: Get the Maruti Jimny or retain my Kia Sonet?

He is now literally in a Heart against Head dilemma where his heart yearns for Jimny while his Head says to keep the Sonet.

BHPian bijims recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

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.

Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:

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.

Here's what BHPian Engine_Roars had to say on the matter:

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.

Here's what BHPian SoumenD had to say on the matter:

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

Here's what BHPian shankar.balan had to say on the matter:

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.

Here's what BHPian Shreyans_Jain had to say on the matter:

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.

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.