Overview & Reviews

No matter how you slice it, the departed Suzuki Reno was basically a Suzuki Forenza wagon with a slightly more stylish body. It shared that car's basic architecture, engine and transmission. A four-door compact hatchback, the Reno should make for an affordable used car with plenty of interior space and lots of features. Don't expect class-leading performance, however, as the Reno lagged behind the competition in virtually every driving-related category -- even fuel economy.

Most Recent Suzuki Reno

The Suzuki Reno debuted for the 2005 model year. With its emphasis on value, the Reno's long list of standard features took center stage. Many modern compact cars come standard with power door locks and windows, a tilt wheel and other convenience features, but the Reno went a little further by offering such features as a micron air-filtration system for the cabin, a CD stereo with MP3 capability and a height- and lumbar-adjustable driver seat -- all without requiring the buyer to check a single box on the options list.

Clearly the Suzuki Reno has excellent value as a used car. Still, "excellent value" doesn't exactly mean comfort or power. While the EX trim level was loaded and included features like leather seats, remote keyless entry and cruise control, the Reno in any trim offered barely adequate performance. This was particularly true in the acceleration department, with subpar fuel economy adding insult to injury. Handling was also less than spectacular, as Suzuki endowed the Reno with a soft, smooth ride at the expense of cornering ability. However, this is a trade-off that the average consumer will likely appreciate.

Because the 127-horsepower, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine has to work so hard to keep up, a good deal of engine noise makes its way into the cabin. Competitors like the Mazda 3 are more refined and quicker by comparison.

The Reno's interior came up short as well when compared to other domestic and import-branded small cars. The materials were of low quality and many panels simply didn't fit correctly. We suggest that shoppers looking for an inexpensive used hatchback skip the Reno and check out more viable choices.

Changes were minimal during the Suzuki Reno's run. Model year 2006 brought the addition of a standard tilt steering wheel and new seat fabrics, while '07 saw the inclusion of a standard tire pressure monitoring system for all trim levels. Unfortunately for audiophiles, the formerly standard eight-speaker stereo was dropped altogether for '08, leaving a meager four-speaker unit in its stead.

User Reviews:

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  The Most Power and Style for the Money - 2006 Suzuki Reno
  By JC - October 18 - 4:30 pm

  The Reno is a great car with Italian design. It has more power than the Toyota Yaris, Honda Fit, Scion xA or XB, and the Chevrolet Aveo. It has more standard features and a longer warranty as well. I bought this car for well below invoice. I love this car. You can not find a better value. Compare it piece by piece to the others and you will see.

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  Great Car for a Low Price - 2006 Suzuki Reno
  By Wunderly - July 25 - 11:03 pm

  I bout this car used at 4600 miles for about 6 grand at an auto auction. I have had this car for almost a year and I have have no problems with it so far, engine is easy to maintain. one issue is that the dashboard can glare on to the windshield, but other then that small detail the car is a good one to own for high school and college age kids.

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  No problems in 30,000 Miles - 2006 Suzuki Reno
  By PSJ - May 15 - 3:20 pm

  Love the car. Got what I expected which was reliable service with no a problem to date at 30 thousand miles. Car has good vision fields and ride is tight and solid but it is a small car ride so if you think youre getting a Lexus at this price wakeup... although with all the radio and cruise controls on the steering wheel you will feel like you got more than you paid for. Oldest kid going off for college this fall. She wants and will get one for graduation.

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  Good Little Car - 2007 Suzuki Reno
  By Glenn - April 18 - 1:33 am

  So far my Reno has been a good solid car. I have the manual transmission. Its power is OK for a car in this class. The interior is a little uncomfortable, but with an 8-way adjusting driver seat and plenty of front leg room, its OK. It sounds good, I havent noticed excessive wind noise yet. Backing up is a little troublesome. Coming from a Ford Ranger with a very open rear view, it feels a bit claustrophobic looking out the rear window. Overall, at the price I bought it, Im very satisfied.

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  2005 Suzuki Reno LX - 2005 Suzuki Reno
  By KansasCity - February 18 - 6:06 am

  Hello, I purchased my Suzuki Reno just about a month ago and I have had nothing but great compliments from everyone. If you are looking for a good reliable car this is it. For all the standard features that came with it, it was a great buy. I realy enjoy driving it. For as small as it looks it has a lot of room in the inside. I looked around at a lot of cars , but the Suzuki Reno had everthing that a lot more expensive cars didnt for the very reasonable price. Yes it may not get top gas mileage, but it gets good mileage. I live where it snows and it just snowed a few days ago, it drove and handled very well. All I can say is before you make up your mind on a car, do yourself a favor go test drive a Reno!

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  I Love the Little Car - 2006 Suzuki Reno
  By David - February 15 - 8:30 pm

  I looked at the Reno as a way to save gas money and miles on my "toy" that is horible on gas and was racking up too many miles. I like the usefulness of the hatch, the features, and best of all the price. I have not had any real problems with the car with the exception of a computer reflash that fixed the idle problem. I hit it a bit on performance (see below), but the car is fun to drive and performs up to expectations and then sum when compared to the direct competition. I still like to drive my expensive sports car, but dont miss it too much on comutes in the reno. Oh, its gas milage is realy good. I keep track of it. I geuss Suzuki doesnt overblow the numbers like most do.

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  fun small car - 2008 Suzuki Reno
  By rc - December 31 - 2:33 pm

  We bought this car with a sonata in mind but the price point was to much to pass up. Its peppy and quick for such a small engine. Plan to put on wheels, Cruise, tint and keyless with an alarm. Love it get lots of second looks in the parking lots. Put on a coat of turtle wax ice and it looks great. Only problem was pass seat airbag light but was resolved in one visit. 12k out the door cash and we are really happy with it! Lots of room for a small car and with some things like new wheels and tires maybe springs it will handle even better. Also try a k&n airfilter it will bump up the hp and gas mileage! Had a Suzuki motorcycle and this lives up to the name!

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  Reliable Little Buggy for 2 Years Now - 2006 Suzuki Reno
  By Harvester - September 30 - 1:43 pm

  This has to be one of the best deals Ive ever gotten on a used car. Bought it less than a year old, with 8500 miles. The cost was already 2/3 of a new one. All the complaints Ive read about have never happened to me. There were 3 recalls that the Suzuki dealer performed - one for a wiring harness, one for a seatbelt thing, and the other for the running lights. I took this car on a road trip across Texas and back and was very good on gas. For $200 I put a Pioneer radio and it made all the difference in the world. The speakers are actually very nice sounding if you put some wattage behind them.

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  manual transmission - 2007 Suzuki Reno
  By Ellen - September 8 - 12:50 am

  I am not happy at all with the transmission in this car. I am already repairing the clutch. the transmission has too much play and is very finicky with RPM to get a shift at the right time for "economy" I have always driven stick shifts. I have 48,000 on the car right now, as I commute a good distance to work. Would not be my choice again. I miss my KIA !!!!

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  Better than experts say it is - 2008 Suzuki Reno
  By Don - August 27 - 2:20 am

  I just purchased this vehicle but thought it odd there were no reviews from users on this vehicle (expert reviews are unkind). It truly is a bargain and drove every bit as well as a Ford Focus. Yes it is basic but for $240 a month for 60 months and 0 down how can you go wrong especially with the warranty this manufacturer offers. We all are facing some realities with gas prices escalating and while the given mileage specs arent overly impressive most people are getting better than posted mileage. The interior is very nice a pleasent surprise This is the first time I have considered a compact car and I will be ok with this. I didnt feel silly in it and the Suzuki moniker adds intrigue