Someone clearly loves their little Suzuki-built SUVs and it’s not hard to see why. Compact, rugged, durable (enough), easy to maneuver and park in town, and cheap as chips (when new). Both of these look set up perfectly for Colorado with the hardtops in place for year-round use but featuring removable front roof panels for the nice days (300 days of sunshine!). The Samurai was a big hit when it arrived in the States for the 1986 model year, until the Damning Report That Shall Not Be Mentioned which took the bloom off the rose, perhaps unfairly so, still, it hung on until 1995.
The Sidekick overlapped and eventually replaced it in our market starting in 1989 and was born with a Geo, eventually Chevrolet, twin named the Tracker. Also body on frame, these seem just as rugged if not even more so. While Samurais are relatively uncommon in the junkyards today, when they are seen they usually arrive with most parts already missing and the rest is quickly devoured, whereas the Sidekick/Tracker is very common and usually quite complete, a shopper’s paradise if you will.
Here in Canada, it was badged as a Geo in 1992 and before that as a Chevrolet and GMC. There was also a later Pontiac variant named Sunrunner.
Didn’t you guys get this as the Asüna Sunrunner for a couple of years? Asüna was a failed GM exercise in badge engineering a badge engineered Sidekick, and featured a logo that looked like a hieroglyph for septum piercing.
A pity that their equivalent is no longer available in the US, as those were the only real SUV’s that ever interested me. The size is perfect (have you looked at the current Wrangler lately?), they’ve got enough basic capability for more than a gravel parking lot, and the frame/driveline/suspension means the can be easily modified II to something off-road serious.
But this is America. Of course these kind of cars (or, more accurately, their replacements) just had to get bigger.
In addition to taking out the Samurai, Consumer Reports also did a hit piece on the Omnirizon where they would fling the wheel at highway speeds to see what would happen. It didn’t do nearly as much damage to the Mopar’s sales as it did to the Suzuki.
Ironically, it would seem that both of these episodes did more to damage CR’s reputation than anything else. In today’s age of nearly instantaneous information dissemination, a bad report on a vehicle or product by CR doesn’t seems to have nearly the impact as it once did.
With that said, it’s a shame Suzuki couldn’t make a go of it in the US after they and GM parted ways. Stuff like the odd little X-90 coupe didn’t help.
Still, to this day, the Tracker (and the few Sidekicks Suzuki sold) are definitely a Cockroach Of The Road in that many are still prowling the streets, one of the last of that slew of abbreviated ‘cute utes’ that proliferated for a while.
To be fair, Chrysler did make improvements to the Omnirizon’s handling at the limit for ’79 at the latest – whether it was a crash program or simply a matter of putting the suspension tune meant for the “sporty” 024/TC3 under the four-doors as well – and CR repeated the test on the second-year model with much better results which they duly reported.
I miss these. I briefly owned a Samurai in the late ’80’s until I got a “Real Job” and had to let it go in favor of something less punishing (and equipped with A/C) for my commute.
My mother owned a Sidekick for over 20 years, originally as a daily driver, then as a seasonal 3rd car, in Barbie pink with a white soft top. “Pinky” was like a family member, and was eventually sold to a neighbor, so Mom could keep an eye on her. She was ultimately nearly totalled when the kid hit a deer, but still towed home in hopes of being put back together. Alas, I have no idea what happened after that. Tough little vehicle, in spite of looking like a kiddie toy.
I shopped 4-door Trackers and Vitaras in the late 90’s, looking for a basic 5-speed 4WD model with nothing but a radio and air conditioning, but gave up, as by then they were marketed more like entry level wannabe Explorers and Cherokees, and I couldn’t find one without automatic and power accessories in the right price range. The “Explorification” of the SUV market killed vehicles like this. When everyone expected car-like ride and creature comforts in UTILITY vehicles there just wasn’t a market left for them. Much like the pickup market more recently.
I so badly wanted to rent one for our Costa Rica honeymoon in 2017, alas, despite selecting it from Budget’s menu, when we showed up there were only Diahatsu Begos 4×4, I was at least able to get one of those with a manual, and it turned out to be a super fun little rig. No longer a classic “jeep” style SUV (unibody, independent front suspension, single speed transfer case), but it did have a longitudinally mounted engine, solid rear axle and a “real” center diff with a locking function. The lack of low range didn’t stop us, but I really had to work the clutch and gun it to get us going up our steep driveway in the jungle. Thank goodness we were there during dry season. I think Paul would really appreciate a Bego, it’s like a xB with slightly higher limits offroad without getting into SUV territory
Okay so we scooped up the Forester as planned. The car was driving on gravel roads daily and was smoker owned, the interior was completely disgusting on first glance. I gave the car a good wash with some dish soap and hot water and Oziumed and vacuumed/wiped down the interior just to make it less of an eyesore in my neighborhood and make it less disgusting to work in. I gotta say, she cleaned up… a bit too well. Part of me wants to fix it up and keep it as a winter beater/flip it. As you can see my son is also rather fond of it.
On the mechanical side of things we’ve got sticky front brakes, rusted rear brake lines (common spot where they pass from under the back seat to under the car to a union). We’re also at a no-start right now, PO suspected a bad fuel pump so he started to replace that, broke the quick connect on the nylon fuel line, and that’s where he threw his hands up. Car came to us with a dead battery, a quick trip to Wallyworld for one of their $50 (N)everStart Value line units and we’re set. I’ve got a Dorman fuel line repair kit coming in the mail tonight, I blew through the in-line fuel filter that’s under the hood to make sure there’s no restrictions, and the fuel pump seems to prime just fine, though I can’t confirm what sort of pressure it’s creating.
My biggest concern is the condition of the headgaskets: ’99 is the first year of the SOHC EJ251. We’ve got external oil weepage by the look of it. PO said he changed the coolant and had always used the Subaru coolant and Subaru prescribed coolant conditioner additive.
The rack and pinion also somehow peed a nice puddle out despite the car not even running yet. Perhaps just accumulated fluid in the torn boot that slowly accumulated then ran out when I cranked the steering wheel.
So first order of business is to get it running, double check cooling system, then I’ll move on to rear brake lines.
Back about 30 years ago when the Samurais were new, I went Jeeping with some friends who had bought one of them for a DD. This was light/intermediate Jeep trail driving, and the Suzuki did everything asked of it with flying colors, in the open air/top off way that real Jeeps do it. My flat fendered Jeep of the day was like a 7/8 version of what new Jeeps looked (and look) like, and the Samurai was a 7/8 version of the flattie. Very small. Very, very small. Like an MG Midget, many people are going to fit in it, but some not.
My impression back then was that if I wanted a capable, light, small 4×4, in the spirit of a true old-style Jeep but new, then the Samurai was as worthy as a new, heavier, bigger Jeep. Keep in mind I am not talking about severe rock face climbing, massive articulation, ground clearance like a Bigfoot, or all the various ways that 4x4s get put to extreme tests. No, this is for slow/medium paced trail driving, and enjoying the trip as you go. The Samurai is a perfect tool for such a ride, IMO.
Edit—I looked up the specs of the Suzuki vs. the early CJ. Same wheelbase and weight. Suzu 2 inches wider, five inches longer, three inches less high. They are the same size! The Samurai is styled to look smaller than it is, and the CJ2/3 has styling that makes it look bigger than it is. That’s the only explanation I have. Side by side, one would swear the Suzu is smaller.
The original Jeep is mighty small. Our sense of size and scale has changed over time.
It’s unfortunate that their successor (Jimny) is not available in the US.
It is too bad. It was roomy enough inside when I got the chance to check one out. (as was the Samurai, my wife’s family used to own one in the early ’90s and we drove it around a fair bit.)
Seen a few of these new Jimnys around Europe. They look really good IMHO.
I remember a remarkably high number of sidekicks and trackers in the Chicago burbs in the 90s, so these pique my nostalgic childhood memories. It reminds me that even SUVs can actually have fun packaging and colors.
I heard from enough people back then that these wore out their welcome pretty quickly as a DD, but I would still love one for running weekend errands when I am in a mood to really drive something (rather than just steer and step on pedals).
Bought a 1992 Suzuki Sidekick JLX 4-door wagon right off the floor. It had all the options and the 5-speed stick, which made it engaging and fun. Narrow, yes, yet could handle four adults pretty well. The only shortfall at the time was the self-locking front differential do-se-do engagement dance.
Traded it in on a 1997-refresh Jeep Cherokee which I ordered with Selectrac, essentially a full time all wheel drive system with locking center differential. In the end, that type of system was far more useful all the time.
I’ve seen some four door Jimny illustrations, and would love to see something available again with that sort of sensibility and design philosophy, just a bit more “Loose Fit”
I think I could appreciate one of these little squirts for off road duties. I have had more than one instance where I’ve had to turn around and head back the way I came due to the road being too narrow for my full size truck, and that’s a crappy feeling even when you’re just out casually exploring, let alone needing to get somewhere.
I looked for the smallest street legal 4×4 available new in the US today, it looks like the Jeep Renegade Sport. Yes, it is unibody and automatic-only, but this is 2021. The smallest Wrangler is still too big, even if it doesnt look that way from a distance.