Buying Guide
It might be small but it’s got attitude by the bucketload. If you want to go off-road without breaking the bank, then look no further than the Suzuki SJ
Suzuki SJ
Suzuki’s reputation for small but tough 4x4s goes all the way back to 1970 and the LJ. Its current small offering, the Jimny, is still in production after almost 20 years, but the model we’re focusing on here is the SJ, which arrived in 410 form at the beginning of the 1980s.
Suzuki’s aim was to retain the vehicle’s legendary go-anywhere ability but in a slightly more civilised package – it certainly achieved the former, but the latter not so much. And there was also the small matter of iffy stability if drivers got over-exuberant in corners. On-road performance was glacial, with just 45bhp on tap, although the more powerful 1984-on SJ413 addressed that to some extent, bringing further refinements such as a five-speed gearbox, front disc brakes and a revamped cabin; the 1986-on Samurai featured revised axles and suspension for improved stability, and later gained fuel injection. But if a twisty B-road isn’t the SJ’s natural habitat, there are few cheaper ways of enjoying a spot of off-road mud-plugging. Pay £1500 or so for a decent one, take to the rough stuff and you’ll soon realise why this refreshingly simple and tough little package has such a strong following. It’s far more capable than something with such humble underpinnings has any right to be, and that’s before you start indulging in the plethora of upgrades that enable the SJ to go further into the boonies than many a more sophisticated 4x4. To sum up, it’s a real treat off the road in standard form, but the price to be paid is on it. You and your passengers will have to put up with plenty of mechanical noise and the ride is never less than bouncy and uncomfortable – potholes and scarred urban roads have to be endured with gritted teeth. What makes it all worthwhile, though, is that the first sign of mud will have you grinning all over your face.
‘There are few cheaper ways of enjoying a spot of off-road mud-plugging’