The Samurai and the SX4

About 25 years ago, Suzuki introduces the Samurai to the American market. Known internationally as the Jimny and produced since 1968, it was a small alternative to the larger Land Rover 90, Toyota FJ40, and Jeep Wrangler. Unfortunately it quickly earned a reputation in the US Market for being prone to tipping over. Consumer Reports gave it an unsafe rating, causing the company to scramble to fix the damage to its reputation. Suzuki widened the track of the Samurai and later replaced it with the Sidekick, its slightly more civilized successor.

In spite of this stigma the original Samurai, and to a lesser extent, the Sidekick, developed a reputation for being simple, rugged, virtually unstoppable vehicles. A fact that was highlighted in the Top Gear: Bolivia Special when an unmodified Samurai completed all of the challenges, including blazing a path through the rain forest and climbing the Andes mountains.

Over the years, I’ve driven a number of Samurais and Sidekicks and have always found them to be honest, capable vehicles that will go anywhere. The only downside to their charm is their antiquated suspensions which cause them to ride like an oxcart filled with rocks. A trip of any significant length on paved roads is like sitting atop a piece of plywood strapped to the top of a vibrating bed from a motel that charges by the hour. And going off-road is like having your back and legs pummeled by a welterweight boxer.

But I like the Samurai and the Sidekick. I wish Suzuki still made a cheap, simple four-wheel drive vehicle. Then I realized, they do.

It’s called the Suzuki SX4.

Pocket Rockets

One of the classic philosophical questions car nuts ask themselves is, "Is it better to drive a fast car slow or a slow car fast?"

The answer to that question changes ever few years, but today the answer is "both".

Allow me to explain.

Today is the "good ol' days" of the internal combustion engine. At the far end of the spectrum you have supercars producing upwards of 700 horsepower. In the middle, V6 sedans and coupes produce around 300 horses and at the bottom, cars like Fiat 500 Abarth producing over 140 horses from an engine displacing less than 1.5 liters.

The choice then really comes down to personal preference. Either way you have fun.

Beater Challenge: $800 to $0

It's been awhile since I posted to this blog. It's not from the lack of ideas, but a lack of time. Occasionally, reality intrudes on my Walter Mitty escapism...

For now, I'll just post the results of the Beater Challenge. By this point, I would have paid $800 in car payments for the Honda. $800 is about half of what I paid for the Cutlass, which has cost me exactly $0, except for gas and an oil change.

That's not to say there aren't things I could fix on the Cutlass. But it's a question of spending money on minor annoyances. The door lock and power window on the driver's side occasionally stick. Like a toilet, you have to jiggle the handle until the door opens. It's probably just a loose electrical connection somewhere inside the door.

Then there's the stereo. The tape player stopped working, so I can no longer listen to my iPod in the car. Fortunately the stereo does have a CD player and I've burned a number of CDs to listen to. It doesn't have quite the nostalgia of cutting a mix tape, but it serves its purpose.

If I had either of these problems on a new car, I'd have them fixed under warranty. On a thirteen year old car, they are an annoyance but ones that can be tolerated. I suppose if the Cutlass were an MG or some other interesting old car, these issues would be part of the charm of the car. But on a beater, they are simply something to live with, like a scar or old wound which hasn't quite healed.