Overview & Reviews

Despite spending an impressive six years on the market -- and enjoying advantages like a roomy cabin and available all-wheel drive -- the compact Suzuki Aerio remained nearly invisible to most consumers. If you ask us, it probably had something to do with the Aerio's average-at-best overall report card. To use a football analogy, it was like a second- or third-string specialty player that Suzuki forced to suit up against several heavy-hitting, all-purpose first-stringers. This wasn't a game the Aerio was likely to win -- yet it was a better car than its sales numbers and anonymity would suggest.

Most Recent Suzuki Aerio

The compact Suzuki Aerio debuted in 2002 as a sedan and four-door hatchback wagon. Initially, there were S and GS (later called LS) trim levels for the sedan; the hatchback came in SX trim only. Later Aerios were offered in either base or Premium trims. Versatility was always a strong point for the hatchback -- with the rear seats folded down, it could carry an impressive 64 cubic feet of cargo.

Aerios were initially powered by a 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder engine; displacement was later bumped to 2.3 liters, with a commensurate increase in power. A five-speed manual transmission was standard on entry-level cars, while a four-speed automatic was optional on those models and standard on higher trim levels. The Aerio was available in either front-wheel or, beginning in 2003, all-wheel drive.

With either transmission, the Suzuki Aerio was sufficiently responsive for running errands around town or commuting. However, although the Aerio provided a soft, smooth ride on the highway, we found there was a penalty to be paid: excessive body roll around corners, which was exacerbated by the car's relatively tall, tippy stance. Opting for AWD settled things down a bit, and of course it improved the Aerio's traction in wet weather as well. Indeed, that optional all-weather capability was one of the few compelling features the Aerio had to offer.

Thanks to its high roof line, the Suzuki Aerio boasted a surprising amount of interior room for its size, and we found ingress and egress to be an all-around cinch. The Aerio offered a generous 14.6 cubic feet of trunk space, too. Unfortunately, interior plastics quality, execution and overall refinement were below average compared to the economy class leaders.

Some notable changes occurred after the Aerio's debut. In 2003, it received a slight power boost to 145 horsepower (from the initial 141 hp) and minor interior trim refinements; uplevel GS and SX models got a six-disc CD player and could be had with all-wheel-drive traction. The 2.0-liter engine was replaced by a 2.3-liter unit in 2004, and horsepower rose to a rather impressive 155. Suzuki added more standard features in 2005 and redesigned the instrument panel, which we had previously criticized as having hard-to-read gauges and a lack of storage compartments. The wagon was dropped for 2007, leaving the sedan to finish out the Aerio's production run by itself.

As a used car, the Suzuki Aerio does have a few things going for it. Its attractive price when new looks even better now that depreciation has taken its toll, and its peppy engine and optional all-wheel drive were pleasant qualities. But the Aerio was never particularly enjoyable to drive and generally came up short in terms of refinement and features.

User Reviews:

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  My Suzuki is the worst purchase ever - 2004 Suzuki Aerio
  By dawn martin - February 19 - 5:56 am

  My Suzuki Aerio is not even two years old. and we have had it in the shop 8 times now. We are talking major stuff here. The transmission has been changed,along with the head and new pistons. The front axle fell out while my husband was on the interstate. We had the car one month and it went in the shop for the first time. My advice, dont buy this car. We are being told there is nothing we can do about the car. This was by the district manager.

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  Great 11 years - 2004 Suzuki Aerio
  By Ralph - April 22 - 10:37 am

  Lucky if the tires last 25,000 miles

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  Many repair issues - 2005 Suzuki Aerio
  By Ava Todd - December 25 - 8:33 pm

  I like the look of my car but the amount of times I have had to have it repaired (many times for the wheel bearings) and number of tires and other mechanical problems I would not recommend it to anyone. I have been a proud owner of 3 Suzukis before this one. I will not recommend anyone to buy these anymore. This has been a nightmare, including the Suzuki repair service causing more problems also. I am also only getting 17 miles to the gallon and my cruise control doesnt work either.

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  Upgrades - 2002 Suzuki Aerio
  By djcs - November 9 - 3:33 pm

  The Suzuki Aerio seems to have no power and no leg room. The engine size needs to be a 2.8 liter or larger. This will give much better gas mileage and power to pick up speed due to the wieght of the vehicle. The steering wheel needs to be raised more up words. The dash board could have more features. GPS maybe. This is a family station wagon. The family needs to be safe and know where they are going.

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  Sub-Toyota Quality - 2002 Suzuki Aerio
  By tucsonics - September 20 - 3:56 pm

  The quality sucks. I had to have the water pump replaced, engine mounts replaced, right axel replaced, and only have 99k miles. The front spoiler is too low, and got hooked on many curbs. Its trashed and costs $800 to replace. Not worth it. Poor paint job, scratches off easy to reveal black primer on bumpers.

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  Dont Buy One! - 2005 Suzuki Aerio
  By MESX - October 19 - 12:56 am

  I have had nothing but problems with my Suzuki Aerio. Its bushings came out of the sway bar four times before it was finally fixed by having new modified ones installed. I had the viscous coupling replaced for AWD, had power door lock fail, had all four tires replaced due to factory alignment defect destroying them, and the rims are all scratched and gouged from several attempts to repair all the defects. I still have a clunking noise from the front end. Also, the styrofoam is detached from the rear bumper (behind exterior plastic) and the gas mileage is poor.

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  Beware - 2003 Suzuki Aerio
  By Dinslaken - January 18 - 11:30 pm

  This car has a lot of value for the money and the first 48,000 miles were trouble free. The engine needed oil frequently, which is not that bad, but despite more maintenance than required, the engine blew at 48,560 miles, then the transmission went at 54,000 miles. The axle seals were replaced twice, and the brakes need replacement about every 10,000 miles. The worst part is that Suzuki refused to honor their "Best Warranty" on both occasions due to "lack of proven component failure." According to other owners, this problem is increasing. Suzuki was sued for both instances, and we were reimbursed by court order. Other than that....nice car!

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  Not a Happy Customer - 2006 Suzuki Aerio
  By AERIOSX - September 20 - 5:10 am

  The brakes in my Aerio went out the month of Nov. I had to wait one week to get this fixed I had to rent a vehicle to drive. I am not a happy customer. I do not like this car. I have spent more more on repairs in six months than I did on a used vehicle in a year. This was suppose to be economical for me, so far I have spent over $1,000. I still need to get an oil change again. I drive a lot. I need my car to get to my grandson. This is not a good vehicle for me. It is not acceptable that dealers do not keep parts in stock when they know no one else can get these part for a year before they release the correct specification.

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  Extremely Dangerous on Highways - 2005 Suzuki Aerio
  By khunt2 - April 25 - 1:50 pm

  The 2005 Suzuki Aerio is a danger on the highways because the front axles may suddenly break without warning!! In July 2011 while in a parking lot about to make a left turn from a stopped position, the left front axle broke. The dealers shop replaced Control Arm only. Two weeks later, went someplace else & had wheels aligned because car vibrating badly. Found CV joint damaged & boot ripped. CV joint replaced Sept. 2012. Oct. 2012, while stopped at a corner about to make a right turn, the right front axle broke. Called Suzuki in Calif. but they arent interested in the danger. Owners should stay off of highways and have front end carefully checked at once under strong light.

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  Very Bad Paint - 2004 Suzuki Aerio
  By Jessie0405 - November 13 - 10:00 am

  I have had trouble with the paint job in the first year and again now. Paint chipped in places that would not normally be touched by hands, rocks or anything else for that matter. On the trunk edges, by the driverside back window. Large chips that rusted. Many tiny rust spots. Big ones were fixed at the local dealership. Told it could be the pearlized paint as it is softer than normal. Having the same problems again. Chips in the paint that are rusting, tiny pinholes all over that are rusted. Took it back to dealer, they advised me that was normal wear and tear. It is not!!! They just want me to buy a new car. Left dealership very unhappy!