Honda CR-V vs Suzuki Jimny 5-Door

A proper head-to-head in South Africa — we cover price, performance, petrol economy, safety and what it'll actually cost you to own each one long term.

Honda CR-V in South Africa

Honda CR-V

2.0 Hybrid e:HEV Hybrid Automatic
ZAR 819,900 ex-showroom
⚡ 204 kW 🔧 335 Nm ⛽ 20 km/l
VS
Suzuki Jimny 5-Door in South Africa

Suzuki Jimny 5-Door

1.5 GLX AllGrip AT Petrol Automatic
ZAR 489,900 ex-showroom
⚡ 75 kW 🔧 130 Nm ⛽ 15.9 km/l
Add a 3rd car

At a Glance — Who Wins What

Performance CR-V
Fuel Economy CR-V
🛡 Safety Tie
📦 Practicality CR-V
🔑 Ownership Jimny 5-Door
Jimny 5-Door starts ZAR 689900 cheaper CR-V from ZAR 689,900 · Jimny 5-Door from ZAR 439,900

Key Specs Side by Side

The specs that matter most — highlighted where one car leads.

Spec CR-V Jimny 5-Door
Engine Power 204 75
Torque 335 130
Engine Size 1993 1462
Claimed Mileage 20 15.9
Ground Clearance 200 210
Boot Space 497 85
Airbags 6 6
Kerb Weight 1750 1170
Seating Capacity Available 5
Warranty 3 5

= leads in this spec

The Overall Score — Here's How They Stack Up

🏆 Winner
#1

CR-V

77
/ 100
+24
pts
#2

Jimny 5-Door

53
/ 100

Moderate difference between the models.

The Bottom Line

CR-V holds a noticeable edge over Jimny 5-Door, especially in key ownership areas.

Where They Actually Differ

Performance CR-V +11 pts
Efficiency CR-V +16 pts
Safety Equal
Practicality CR-V +5 pts
Ownership Jimny 5-Door +8 pts

Score Breakdown by Category

🏆 Overall Winner

CR-V

Performance 17/20
Efficiency 16/20
Safety 18/20
Practicality 14/20
Ownership 12/20

Jimny 5-Door

Performance 6/20
Efficiency 0/20
Safety 18/20
Practicality 9/20
Ownership 20/20

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

🏆 Overall Winner

CR-V

Strengths
  • More powerful engine output
  • Better fuel efficiency
  • More practical for daily use
Weak Spots
  • Shorter warranty coverage
Best suited to: Highway Driving Fuel Efficiency Family Usage

Jimny 5-Door

Strengths
  • Better long-term ownership value
Weak Spots
  • Less powerful engine setup
  • Lower fuel efficiency
  • Less practical in daily usage
Best suited to: General Use

Which One's Right for You?

CR-V

  • Drivers who prioritise strong highway performance and overtaking power
  • Buyers looking for better fuel efficiency
  • Large families needing more practicality and usability

Jimny 5-Door

  • Long-term owners valuing warranty and ownership peace of mind

Full Specs, Side by Side

Spec CR-V Jimny 5-Door
Ground Clearance 200 210
Wheelbase 2700 2250
Length 4690 3985
Width 1860 1645
Height 1690 1720
Kerb Weight 1750 1170
Gross Vehicle Weight 2250 1555
Seating Capacity 5 4
Boot Space 497 85
Towing Capacity 1500 1300
Number of Doors 5 3
Boot Space Seats Folded 1500 377
Front Track Width 1550 1265
Rear Track Width 1540 1265
Turning Radius Available 4.9
Load Bed Length Available 0
Load Bed Width Available 0
Front Legroom Available 900
Rear Legroom Available 600
Front Headroom Available 990
Rear Headroom Available 910
Front Shoulder Room Available 1270
Rear Shoulder Room Available 1155
Max Payload Available 455
Boot Volume Available 332
Doors Available 5
Seats Available 5
Front Overhang Available Available
Fuel Tank Capacity Available Available
Rear Overhang Available Available
Spec CR-V Jimny 5-Door
Engine 2.0L Hybrid Petrol 1.5L K15B 4-Cylinder Petrol
Engine Type Inline 4 Cylinder Atkinson Cycle with Dual Electric Motors Inline 4 Cylinder Naturally Aspirated
Displacement 1993 1462
Cylinders 4 4
Valves per Cylinder 4 4
Power 204 75
Torque 335 130
Fuel System Direct Injection + Electric Motor Assist Multi-Point Fuel Injection (MPFI)
Top Speed 195 140
0-100 km/h 8.5 15.5
Cylinder Layout Inline 4 (I4) Inline 4 (I4)
Engine Aspiration Turbocharged Naturally Aspirated
Engine Code Standard K15B
Compression Ratio 10.5:1 10.5:1
Cylinder Bore 82.0 74.0
Piston Stroke 92.0 85.1
Fuel Grade Required Petrol 93 RON Unleaded Petrol
Power @ RPM 150 6,000 rpm
Torque @ RPM 400 4,000 rpm
Turbocharger Available Not Applicable
Engine Position Available Longitudinal Front-Mounted
Engine Oil Capacity Available 3.7
Power 150 100
Variable Valve Timing Available VVT on Intake Camshaft
Maximum Engine RPM Available 6800
Engine Type Config Available Available
0–100 km/h Available Available
Battery Capacity Available Available
Charging Port Available Available
AC Charging Time Available Available
Engine Displacement Available Available
EV Range Available Available

So, Which One Should You Buy?

🏆 Honda CR-V wins with 77 pts vs 53 pts for Jimny 5-Door

In structured scoring, CR-V emerges as the stronger overall package. However, Jimny 5-Door may appeal to buyers prioritising different factors. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in South Africa.

Buyers Also Looked At These

Other comparisons that people in the same boat tend to check out.

Questions Buyers Usually Ask

On our scoring the CR-V edges ahead overall. That said, the right choice depends on what you actually use the car for — the breakdown above shows exactly where each one wins and loses.

Efficiency scores: CR-V 16 vs Jimny 5-Door 0. In the real world, diesel variants of either car will beat the claimed figure on long highways and fall short in Joburg traffic.

Safety scores: CR-V 18, Jimny 5-Door 18. Check each model page for NCAP ratings and which trim levels include AEB and blind-spot monitoring — those features aren't always standard.

Long-term ownership scores: CR-V 12, Jimny 5-Door 20. Service intervals, parts availability in SA, and whether a service plan is bundled all factor in — check the individual variant specs for that detail.

Practicality scores: CR-V 14, Jimny 5-Door 9. This covers boot space, seat flexibility, and day-to-day usability — not just interior dimensions on paper.

Performance scores: CR-V 17, Jimny 5-Door 6. This looks at real-world pace — 0–100 kph, highway flexibility, and how either car feels when you actually need to overtake on an N-road.

Resale varies with colour, spec, and market timing, but Japanese brands — and Toyota specifically — have a strong track record in SA. Check current used prices for both on AutoTrader to see the real gap right now.

Ground clearance and 4WD availability are what matter most here. Scroll to the spec table above to compare both side by side — if either model offers a 4WD variant, that's the version worth comparing.

Fuel, insurance, and service costs are the big three. Diesel variants of both models typically save R800–R1,500/month in fuel at current SA pump prices. The CR-V edges the overall ownership score, but check whether either variant includes a service plan — that changes the monthly maths significantly.

The CR-V scores better overall, but neither car is a bad buy here. It comes down to what features matter to you — check the full spec table above to see exactly what you gain and lose at each price point.

In Depth — Breaking It All Down

The comparison between CR-V and Jimny 5-Door in South Africa evaluates performance, efficiency, safety, practicality and long-term ownership value.

Performance: CR-V scores 17 vs 6.

Efficiency: CR-V scores 16 vs 0.

Safety: CR-V scores 18 vs 18.

Practicality: CR-V scores 14 vs 9.

Ownership: CR-V scores 12 vs 20.

Final structured scoring gives CR-V the advantage in this comparison.