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Equal parts cute and rugged, the lightweight 4×4 Suzuki Samurai beat Jeep at its own game before bad press led to its premature demise.
A Bonsai 4×4
The Suzuki Samurai charmed American car buyers with its combination of diminutive dimensions and legitimate off-road capabilities. Beginning life as the second generation of the Suzuki Jimny, the Samurai debuted in Japan and overseas markets in 1981 and made its way to the US in 1985 as an ’86 model year.
The Samurai proved a uniquely capable off-roader with its 4WD system, complete with low gear and transfer case, and its light weight, at just 2,125-lbs. Its small stature meant that the Samurai was both charmingly compact and inexpensive. Its starting price was just $6,200.
The result was a sales winner for Suzuki. In its first three years, the Samurai moved approximately 150,000 units, even outselling the long-reigning off-road champion Jeep Wrangler in 1987.
Nuts and Bolts
Four-wheel drive may have made the Samurai a favorite out on the trails, but on pavement the little Suzuki was, shall we say, underpowered. The 1.3L four-cylinder featured a two-barrel carburetor and came paired with a five-speed manual transmission. This powertrain provided the Samurai with just 63 puny horsepower. Even the low curb weight wasn’t enough to allow the Samurai to accelerate any faster from 0-60 mph than 17 seconds. But then, the Samurai was built for conquering hillsides not dragstrips.
Consumer Reports Sinks Samurai
The Suzuki Samurai is perhaps best remembered for its chief flaw, a tendency to roll over when forced to corner at speed (as in evasive situations like dodging a deer in the road). The narrow wheelbase and ride height did indeed make the Samurai more prone to rollover than average. This problem was brought to light by a 1988 Consumer Reports review that said the Samurai “easily rolls over in turns.” In fact, a Consumer Reports test driver did just that, finding the issue easily repeatable, too.
After an impressive first three years, the Consumer Reports review tanked the Samurai’s sales by 70 percent, never to fully recover. Suzuki actually filed suit against Consumer Reports for libel in 1996, calling for some $60 million dollars in damages. The suit wouldn’t be resolved until 2004 with both parties mutually acknowledging a difference of opinion on how to parse the statement of “easily rolls over.”
Suzuki finally called it quits on the Samurai in 1995.
World Record Holder
Regardless of how it may behave at top speed, the Suzuki Samurai holds a particularly impressive world record. The Guinness Book of World Records credits the Samurai with the highest altitude driven by a car. In 2007, Ganzalo Bravo and Eduardo Canales drove their lightly modified Suzuki Samurai up Ojos Del Salado Volcano in Chile to an elevation of 6,688 meters (21,942 ft.).
Our Cool Car Find
Despite its faults, the Suzuki Samurai is best remembered for bringing fun, affordable off-roading to the masses.
Our particular Cool Car Find on Carsforsale.com is a 1986 model year Suzuki Samurai with a couple of choice modifications. First is the additional lift to accommodate the huge 33-inch Goodyear Wrangler MT/R. The weak 1.3L and five-speed manual have been replaced with a 3.8L V6 and a TH350 three-speed automatic transmission. Needless to say, this Samurai has a considerable leg up on the original factory build. Like the Wrangler it competed against, the Samurai offer the option of a hard or soft top. This listing has the added bonus of the adventurous soft top. The package is rounded out with a crisp maroon paint job and grey interior.
