In manualul pentru Jimny in limba romana este o fraza interesanta "asa cum nu este recomandat sa conduceti un autoturism sport pe o poteca, nu este recomandat sa incercati sa conduceti vehiculul dvs. in curbe ca si cum ati conduce un autoturism sport." 
Absolut corect!
Jimny (ca si Samurai) este o masina de teren (si nu un SUV cum pretind cei de la CU), deci se foloseste la altceva decit la luat viraje cu viteza. Sper ca nu-si imagineaza cineva ca poate lua curbele cu o masina de teren (sau SUV) la fel cum le ia cu o masina sport.
Pe vremea cind nu aveam inca Jimny, dar ma documentam despre, am gasit si acest aspect al rasturnarii Samuraiului.
Ei bine, totul nu este decit marketing. Sa analizam putin contextul: la vremea respectiva, Samurai-ul se vindea la un pret foarte bun in State, in conditiile in care oricum la ei masinile sint mult mai ieftine decit in Europa. Probabil ca asta a stricat apele (si bonusurile) unor constructori, care profitind de naivitatea consumatorilor, au lansat bomba: Samurai-ul se rastoarna foarte usor. Cum multe in societatea vestica se bazeaza pe obsesia sigurantei si cultura fricii, efectul a fost cel scontat. Practic Samurai-ul a fost scos de pe piata in urmatorii 2 ani.
In 1988, Consumer Reports announced during a press conference that the Suzuki Samurai had demonstrated a tendency to roll and deemed it "not acceptable." The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) declared that its tests showed that the Consumer Reports charges were invalid. In spite of this finding, Samurai sales plummeted from over 81,000 in 1987 to barely 5,000 units just two years later. Suzuki filed a lawsuit against Consumer Reports in 1996, when the magazine reprinted the 1988 results for The Samurai in their anniversary issue as well as in promotional material to help advertise and ask for donations.[10] Video tape footage shot by Consumer Reports has since surfaced showing the Samurai successfully maneuvering the standard "emergency avoidance" test. The video footage also shows David Pittle, Consumer Reports' then technical director, behind the wheel trying 9 times to roll the Samurai. In the video,[10] Pittle was able to get the vehicle on two wheels, but only after being turned so sharply that it went off the test course with onlooking Consumer Reports employees celebrating.[10] At the request of Pittle, Consumer Reports then constructed a new test course that would allow them to duplicate the maneuver that Pittle had made to get the vehicle to tip up. During the press conference, Pittle claimed that the Suzuki displayed an unusually high propensity to roll over during "routine driving maneuvers" stating "these are very limited steering inputs, this is not turning the wheel like a stunt driver might do to try to whip around and head in the other direction."[11] However Suzuki experts released a video replicating Consumer Reports' test runs that showed that Pittle and other Consumer Reports test drivers did in fact use the very aggressive motions that he claimed were not necessary to get the Samurai to tip.[12]
The Samurai was also subjected to Consumer Reports auto test 71 times while The Jeep Wrangler (54 times), Jeep Cherokee (35 times), and The Isuzu Tropper II (29 times) were not only tested less, but did not have to run the modified course that Pittle had set up specifically for the Suzuki.[13]
Suzuki criticized Consumers Union's test of the Samurai, saying the group was so determined to roll the Samurai over to gain publicity that it reran the test again and again until it did so. Suzuki filed its suit three years after NBC acknowledged rigging a G.M. pickup truck to catch fire for a report about its safety on the network's Dateline program.[14]
In July 2004, after 8 years in court, the suit was settled and dismissed with no money changing hands nor a retraction issued, but Consumers Union did agree no longer to refer to the 16-year-old test results of the 1988 Samurai in its advertising or promotional materials.[15] Consumers Union also released a statement that said its published description of the Samurai's performance was limited to the severe turns in its test, and may have been misconstrued and misunderstood. The group never intended to state or imply that the Samurai easily rolls over in routine driving conditions, the statement continued. This however goes directly against David Pittle's original statement during the 1988 press conference, that the Suzuki would roll even during routine driving maneuvers.[16] Suzuki also retreated from earlier accusastions, recognizing C.U.'s stated commitment for objective and unbiased testing and reporting
Sursa:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumer_Reports#Suzuki Si acum o mica discutie tehnica: Suzuki Samurai are punti rigide fata/spate. Deasupra puntii fata se afla motorul, dar la o distanta apreciabila, pentru ca cursa amortizoarelor este mai mare decit la un turism. Asadar motorul ajunge sa se afla la o distanta apreciabila de sol, lucru binevenit in off-road, dar centrul de greutate ajunge foarte sus, ceea ce nu e bine on-road.
Nu am Jimny decit de citeva luni, dar in acest timp am fost nevoit sa fac niste manevre de evitare bruste si cu toate astea masina nu mi-a transmis ca ar fi la limita. Toate aceste manevre au fost facute pe sosea, folosind doar tractiunea spate.
Aceasta strategie a fost folosita si in sens invers de cei de la Renault. Neavind nici masini fiabile, nici design, au batut moneda pe ideea sigurantei si in final au detronat Volvo de pe podiumul securitatii.
Putina istorie: In US, vehiculele de tip pick-up truck (Samurai nu se incadreaza aici, iar Jimny nu s-a vindut in State) sint exceptate de la o gramada masuri de securitate, inclusiv lipsa airbag-urilor pentru ca sint considerate mai degraba utilaje, si nu autoturisme.
Cind a aparut Logan-ul, o revista germana a tinut neaparat sa-l rastoarne, iar anul trecut, tot o revista germana facea praf Loganul pe motiv de lipsa de dotari. Prima data nemtii s-au temut ca Loganul le va strica vinzarile (un Golf era dublu la pret), iar a doua oara, tot Loganul le-a stricat socotelile nemtilor in programul lor Rabla.
Deci la mijloc, sint numai si numai banii. Daca revistelor auto sau asociatiilor consumatorilor le-ar pasa cu adevarat de siguranta noastra, atunci un bun inceput ar fi sa ceara ca frinele masinilor sa fie numai cu disc, iar cele pe tamburi sa fie eliminate. Eu unul nu am auzit de o astfel de cerere si nu cred ca o sa aud prea curind, pentru ca nu cistiga nici un constructor sau alt grup de interese.
