Suzuki Samurai Hunting Vehicle

Hunting Tipster Gear Reviews,

1988 Suzuki Samurai Convertible 4×4 1.3L

Quick Ratings:

Ride quality: poor

Handling: poor

Power: Poor

Room: Poor

Reliability: Moderate (just carburetor issues)

Off road ability: Excellent

Turning radius: Good

Fuel efficiency: Moderate (I get around 25 liters to 210 km’s or 5.5 gallons to 130 miles for 23.63 miles a gallon)

As you can quickly see this vehicle excels in off road ability and is not meant for on road luxury. What makes this vehicle one of the best options for an off road hunting rig consequently affects it’s on road performance. The vehicle is very small as the bumper width is under 5’ and the length from bumper to bumper is approximately 10’. It is not much

bigger than a quad which makes it excellent for navigating tight trails and ditches. I have taken the Samurai on some precarious trails and have been surprised on how well it does. On the road the Samurai gets blown by the wind side to side, is very loud in the cab, has no real vehicle security, a small 25L gas tank, stiff suspension, and revs to the max to stay at highway speeds. For a hunting vehicle I do not think you can beat it though. It is like a quad or side by side but with the added comfort of heat! There is nothing worse than getting chilled to the bone on a cold hunting outage only to walk back to your quad and drive back to camp with freezing

wind chilling you even further. A Samurai is a great alternative to a quad or side by side, plus they are cheaper. One downside of the Samurai is that since it is a little bit of an older vehicle. The best of both worlds would be to drive to your hunting location in a full size 4×4 while towing or trailering your Samurai to the hunting camp. I would not recommend a Samurai for a daily driver but you cannot beat it for a hunting vehicle. I have recently completed a CJ/RUF conversion on it (CJ front springs in the rear, then moved the Samurai Rear springs Up Front.