Autotrader Find: 1988 Suzuki Samurai With 23,000 Miles

If you’ve ever lamented the fact that Suzuki stopped selling the Samurai, here’s your chance to get a new one. This is a 1988 Samurai JS — I have no idea what that means, and I had no idea the Suzuki Samurai even had trim levels — and it’s traveled just 23,500 miles since new. And now it’s cheap.

Yes, really, it’s cheap: This 1988 Samurai is undoubtedly the nicest one left, and it’s offered for just $5,200 by a private seller in Buffalo, New York. This is far less than its original MSRP, which was something like $8,100. That was pretty cheap, too. But this is cheaper.

Then again, the Samurai has reason to be cheap: Sold new in the United States from 1986 to 1995, the Samurai had a mere 63-horsepower 1.3-liter 4-cylinder, and the original base price in the first model year was just $6,200. While the Land Rover Defender that came late in the Samurai’s run was an attempt at a luxurious Jeep Wrangler, the Samurai was the Wrangler for people who couldn’t afford a Wrangler — and it showed, with a tremendously basic interior and virtually no features.

But there’s a big following for the Samurai, simply because it’s so sure-footed, tough and durable — and because its small size means it’s easy to take basically anywhere on the trails. The Carfax report on this particular Samurai shows that it was sold new in May 1988 in Buffalo and rarely driven, achieving the 23,000-plus miles on the odometer by 2005. It’s probably been put away since then, suggesting it may need a little work if you plan to use it. Find a Suzuki Samurai for sale

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