suzuki grand vitara jeeps?

Question

how safe are they how expensive to run ,in respect of parts fuel economy etc any known probs to look for ? my stepdaugter wants to buy one

Answer 1

For a start, its not a Jeep - its a Suzuki.
Suzuki build Suzukis.
Jeep build Jeeps.

See http://www.parkers.co.uk/cars/models/?model=855 for details of what to look out for.
In terms of safety and fuel economy, it is an SUV so is bigger and heavier than a normal car, with a higher centre of gravity and a separate ladder-frame chassis. This means it will cause more damage to a smaller vehicle in an accident (which reduces injuries to its own occupants), but doesn't have as good accident avoidance or crumple zones as a normal car, and will use more fuel than a normal car.

Answer 2

My daughter actually bought a Vitara (not Grand, but the same principles apply) and had great fun with it. Safe , yes, so long as you bear in mind they have a high centre of gravity, and don't try doing a square left at ninety mph! Indeed, with the choice of 2 or 4 wheel drive, and high or low ratio, there is very little it can't get you out of. Expensive in parts, yes. Fuel economy? What's that? Expect 15-20 mpg, or less in low ratio 4whd. However, my advice is let her go ahead. She will learn by experience, and have fun along the way. The Vitara IS a fun car. Like my daughter, after her fun she will probably end up with a VW Polo.

Answer 3

the grand vitara is a reliable , safe, but juicy vehicle, having said that its pretty run of the mill for a 4x4 fuel wise, very comfy, bags of room (except wen you put the extra seats down in the 7 seater models) easy to maintain and drive , its a good choice of vehicle if you want unbiased opinion look in www.whatcar.com, it has only been given a two star raiting here, but i have actually owned one it was 6 yrs old low mileage wen i bought it, and i found it twice the vehicle my two yr old daihatsu fourtrak was (mind you i owned the fourtrak 15 yrs ago so the model has improved slightly)

Answer 4

Obviously not a serious off roader, too low, wrong type of suspension etc, but safe, economical and good to drive. Parts not too expensive. Much the same as other medium sized soft roaders. Go ahead, more class than the usual boy racer cars!

Answer 5

They are reasonably reliable, and pretty safe. I think it is a great car for your daughter to buy. It's a Suzuki Sidekick/Geo Tracker, but they changed the name. The new 07's are really nice as well.