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If anyone owns this vehicle, can you please answer the following?

1. Any known problems and issues
2. General feelings about its Drive and Comfort
3. Availability of parts (in Bamboo)
4. Re-sale value.

Your opinions, inputs and experiences will help me out a lot.

i dont own one but i just have one input, if u buying one new it doesnt make much sense seeing that the model running for soo long already. the model is due for a change soon. sooooo the resale value will drop significantly once the newer model is out. (my 2 cents)

ng357 wrote:i dont own one but i just have one input, if u buying one new it doesnt make much sense seeing that the model running for soo long already. the model is due for a change soon. sooooo the resale value will drop significantly once the newer model is out. (my 2 cents)

I don't know where you're getting your info from, but the 4G model isn't due until 2013/14.
A final face-lift of the 3G model shall appear 3Q 2012.
And, its a fallacy by saying "the resale value will drop significantly once the newer model is out", can you substantiate that claim?

well i wasnt sure about the dates of the new model but i still think that 2 years max is a bit short, I am of the view that once the nw model is out the older ones value will drop due to it not being the current model again. As I said thats my 2 cents, i could be rong.

I currently have 2 Grand Vitaras, both purchased new from Lifestyle. (one 5 years old, one 5 weeks old)

Here is my experience. I've owned 2 mitsubishis (one local, one foreign), 1 toyota (local), 2 hondas (one foreign and one local from dealership).


Ride/comfort: acceptable/decent but you wont get the quality of a sedan. New SGV seems more car like compared to what i remembered from my first one. But that could just be because its new? Not sure if the suspension was upgraded

Reliability/Maintenance: excellent. Tune ups are inexpensive compared to other brands, I was a Honda loyalist, but their service turned me off after spending close to $30,000 in maintenance last year (dealership told me I must have got a lemon :\ ). I've had to change a power window switch at a cost of TT$500 in my 5 year old SGV. Nothing else has been changed.

Resale value: not sure, but seems as if they are fetching a higher price than Korean vehicles, and has a higher resale percentage of any other Japanese vehicle. For example, equally equipped rav 4 costs 100K more new and sells used for just 20K more used.

Other: I like the fact that it is the only true 4x4 small SUV, I think at one time it was the only trail rated small SUV, its the only one with a ladder frame chassis in its class, I like the interior compared to Korean, Nissan and Toyota. The only interior I think is nicer is the CRV and Tiguan. It has a lot more cargo room than Korean & Tiguan. My golf clubs and gear do not fit in them. SGV has decent storage space in the front and rear. Its not as popular and the demographics of owners are a couple of reasons I purchased the SGV. Less popular = less risk of theft. (similar benefits to Euro vehicles, without enduring high maintenance and low resale)

Dislikes: The side mirrors are powered, but only fold in manually. Field of vision is not as good as I would like in the rear (when reversing). This would be better in SUVs which are curved and weird shaped in the back, which I don't like; so I accepted the tradeoff.


I would definitely recommend.

rolandk wrote:I currently have 2 Grand Vitaras, both purchased new from Lifestyle. (one 5 years old, one 5 weeks old)

Here is my experience. I've owned 2 mitsubishis (one local, one foreign), 1 toyota (local), 2 hondas (one foreign and one local from dealership).


Ride/comfort: acceptable/decent but you wont get the quality of a sedan. New SGV seems more car like compared to what i remembered from my first one. But that could just be because its new? Not sure if the suspension was upgraded

Reliability/Maintenance: excellent. Tune ups are inexpensive compared to other brands, I was a Honda loyalist, but their service turned me off after spending close to $30,000 in maintenance last year (dealership told me I must have got a lemon :\ ). I've had to change a power window switch at a cost of TT$500 in my 5 year old SGV. Nothing else has been changed.

Resale value: not sure, but seems as if they are fetching a higher price than Korean vehicles, and has a higher resale percentage of any other Japanese vehicle. For example, equally equipped rav 4 costs 100K more new and sells used for just 20K more used.

Other: I like the fact that it is the only true 4x4 small SUV, I think at one time it was the only trail rated small SUV, its the only one with a ladder frame chassis in its class, I like the interior compared to Korean, Nissan and Toyota. The only interior I think is nicer is the CRV and Tiguan. It has a lot more cargo room than Korean & Tiguan. My golf clubs and gear do not fit in them. SGV has decent storage space in the front and rear. Its not as popular and the demographics of owners are a couple of reasons I purchased the SGV. Less popular = less risk of theft. (similar benefits to Euro vehicles, without enduring high maintenance and low resale)

Dislikes: The side mirrors are powered, but only fold in manually. Field of vision is not as good as I would like in the rear (when reversing). This would be better in SUVs which are curved and weird shaped in the back, which I don't like; so I accepted the tradeoff.


I would definitely recommend.

I agree with you except for the highlighted part. I actually think the Vitara might be one of the more popular small SUVs out there. Of course that could just be the "I just bought something and only now notice that everyone else has it," syndrome
As far as complaints go, I suppose my main one would be our lack of a diesel option down here. I don't care too much for horsepower with a vehicle like this, but I do think a nice torquey engine would suit the Vitara very well .

btw OP, what other vehicles are you considering?