5 Alternatives To The Suzuki JImny

The no-frills Suzuki Jimny mini 4×4 has been turning heads across the globe for more than five decades. Since its release as the LJ10 in 1970, the Jimny has served its purpose quite well — offering an inexpensive yet highly capable off-roader with mostly basic features.

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Now that Suzuki is discontinuing the Jimny after 2025, there’s no more reason for the American market to feel like it’s missing out on such a great vehicle. The Jimny was banned from American roads, although the similar Samurai was available in the U.S for about a decade. 

If you are saddened by the impending demise of the Jimny or looking for a similarly agile and fuel-efficient off-roader, here are five Suzuki Jimny alternatives that are worth checking out. Just bear in mind that while most of them don’t quite provide the unique appeal of the Jimny, they are all available for purchase in the U.S. and legal to register and drive in the country.

The Ford Bronco Sport is a good stateside alternative to the Suzuki Jimny. The compact SUV is only available with four-wheel drive, so it can be an adventure companion just like the Japanese 4×4. However, don’t expect it to provide true off-road capabilities like the Jimny. The Bronco Sport is best suited for light off-roading, like on gravel roads, fire roads, or mild trails.

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Two EcoBoost engines are available on the Bronco Sport: a 1.5-liter three-cylinder that produces 180 horsepower and a 2.0-liter four-cylinder that generates 238 hp. Both are mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission.

Compared to the Jimny’s off-road focused chassis that can feel bouncy when running on a paved road, the Ford Bronco Sport offers a smoother ride on city streets and highways. It’s also larger than the Suzuki, so it can comfortably seat five people compared the Jimny’s limit of four. The Bronco Sport also has more cargo space, which is helpful if you’re hauling outdoor adventure gear.

The Bronco Sport starts at $31,590, which is a good value for a small and versatile SUV. However, higher trims can be quite expensive. The Badlands package, which has a lifted suspension and upgraded shock absorbers, adds an additional $10,000.

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Another alternative to the Jimny is the Subaru Crosstrek, a compact crossover SUV that has decent off-road capabilities and retails for only $25,810 in base trim. Its symmetrical all-wheel drive system provides solid grip and control on rough or unstable surfaces. However, it’s not suited for serious off-roading adventures. For moderate trails, it can do the job quite well thanks to its nimble handling and 9.3 inches of ground clearance.

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Just like the Ford Bronco Sport, the Subaru Crosstrek is bigger than the Jimny and can comfortably carry five people. Cargo space is ample in the Crosstrek, with 19.9 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 54.7 cubic feet when the rear seats are folded down. On the other hand, the three-door Jimny only offers 3 cubic feet of cargo space in the rear and 13.3 cubic feet when the back seats are tucked away. Even the five-door Jimny can’t hold a candle to Crosstrek’s numbers, only offering 7.5 cubic feet of rear cargo space and 11.7 cubic feet with the seats folded.

Ironically, the factor that gives the Crosstrek an edge over the Jimny also makes the Jimny shine brighter in other important areas. Since the Suzuki is smaller and lighter, it can handle tighter and more challenging off-road situations with greater ease. This is in spite of the Jimny only producing 102 horsepower through its 1.5-liter four-cylinder K15B engine. The Crosstrek has two four-cylinder engine options: a 2.0-liter that generates 152 hp, and a 2.5-liter that produces 182 hp.

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The Toyota RAV4 is also a good Suzuki Jimny alternative, and passed the Ford F150 to become the best-selling vehicle in the U.S. last year. It’s available in 15 different forms: six gas-powered, seven mild hybrid, and two plug-in hybrid . All variants are available in front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive forms, but the RAV4 Adventure and TRD Off-Road have been dropped for 2025. The RAV4 — which starts at $28,850 — is classified as a compact SUV, while the Jimny is a mini SUV. The RAV4 measures 181.5 inches long, 73.4 inches wide, and 68.6 inches high, while the Jimny is smaller in all three dimensions at 143.5 x 64.76 x 67.91 inches. With its bigger form, the RAV4 can accommodate five people, and it boasts a roomy 37.6 cubic feet of cargo space.

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With the RAV4 Woodland and TRD Off-Road versions now gone, the Jimny remains a more capable off-roader than any of the holdover RAV4 trims. If it’s any consolation, though, the RAV4 rides much more comfortably on paved roads, where most of us spend nearly all of our driving time.

Through the Jeep Wrangler’s four generations, it has proven to be a genuinely capable off-roader. The Wrangler ticks all the boxes in terms of go-anywhere fun, and it’s a worthwhile alternative to the Jimny.

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Though the Wrangler Rubicon — introduced in 2003 — is made specifically for tackling tough trails, all Wrangler trims have a reputation for impressive off-road performance. The Wrangler is significantly bigger than the Jimny at 188.4 inches long, 73.9 inches wide, and 73.6 inches high. It also has a much larger cargo capacity of 31.7 cubic feet, even without folding the rear seats.

The Wrangler’s highway ride tends to be bouncy like the Jimny’s, and constant adjustments to the wheel are needed to stay in your lane. The Wrangler’s two-door and four-door models seat four and five people, respectively. The two-door is only 166.8 inches long — almost two feet shorter than the five-door but still longer than the Jimny.

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The 2025 Jeep Wrangler offers four engine options that provide between 270 and 470 horsepower. However, the Wrangler can be expensive, with the two-door starting at $33,990 and the four-door at $38,590. To get the maximum output provided by the 6.4-liter Hemi V8, you’ll have to shell out six figures for the Wrangler Rubicon 392 Final Edition.

Although it was discontinued in 2012, the Mitsubishi Pajero Mini is still a noteworthy alternative to the Suzuki Jimny because it matches the Jimny’s mini-4×4 form factor. While vehicles in its kei car class aren’t sold outside of Japan, you can import one to the United States if it’s more than 25 years old.

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The Pajero Mini handles off-road adventures quite well because it is similar in size to the Jimny. The two were considered direct competitors when the Mitsubishi-branded mini SUV was still in production. Both are designed for off-roading with their high ground clearance and rugged styling, but the Jimny fares better in terms of performance. The Pajero Mini is powered by a 659 cc four-cylinder engine that generates 51 horsepower — 63 with the optional turbocharger.

The three-door Pajero Mini is a four-seater like the Jimny but has a bigger cargo capacity of 10 cubic feet. Due to its smaller engine, it cannot handle big hills or very rough terrain like the Jimny. However, it’s capable of delivering combined fuel economy of more than 40 miles per gallon. It’s also easy to find an import-eligible Pajero Mini for well under $10,000 on the secondhand market.

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