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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  ENIGNE, TRANSMISSION & PAINT - 2005 Suzuki Aerio
  By Bonzar - August 19 - 9:13 pm

  This car is junk. At less than 100,000km the paint began to chip, the muffler and exhaust rotted completely, went through 2 sets of tires, and im pretty sure my rotars are long overdue. At 105,000km, I had the engine replaced because of a manufacturers defect. A Piston rod snapped firing the remaining pieces through my block, into the oil pan. At 120,000km, My transmission goes (M.T.). My synchros is finished causing severe grinding when decelerating during a downshift. The stock battery is terrible. I left my stereo on for 10 minutes while the car was off. DEAD. My airbag light came on at 85,000km. The road noise is terrible, the electrical motors in the windows are failing. enuf said?

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  Buy the Toyota Echo instead - 2002 Suzuki Aerio
  By Bett1e - August 15 - 10:00 am

  I have become a career test driver. In the past two (2) weeks, I have test drove at least 5 or 6 cars. The Aerio is by far the least impressive of the whole bunch.

  The handling was pretty good, but the car is just ugly and, if ugly is what you seek, I would recommend the Toyota Echo.

  The salesperson acted like he knew I wouldnt like the car and thats why he didnt try to sell me on the car. Its sad when your own salespeople dont believe in the product.

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  Kooky looks, but proves itself. - 2003 Suzuki Aerio
  By maxandcassiesdad - February 12 - 10:03 am

  I picked this car up with 87,000 on it. It was cheap, and I needed a second car, that was small, economical, and a hatchback. We take our Shepherd and Boxer with us, ALOT!. I didnt give too much thought to it when I found it, except that it was in good shape, was a hatchback, and had a/c (we live in Florida). To my surprise, Ive found this little car to be a real trooper. Strange looking, yes, and it does garner strange looks from passer-bys, but, the fold down rear seats, high roof line and enormous front doors have been much appreciated. We are not small people, Im 6, partner is 64", and getting in and out is a breeze. Headroom is fantastic. Its been very reliable too. Good bargain.

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  Good car till you need a repair!!!!! - 2006 Suzuki Aerio
  By shankus74 - March 12 - 9:25 pm

  Beside changing tires and brakes the other repairs are laborious!!! Try to replace a ball joint, all the bolts are rusted and you need to replace them all!a job of 30 min takes 4 hours in labor. wait and youll see those major flaws!!

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  Great little car - 2005 Suzuki Aerio
  By Bkent - December 27 - 1:56 pm

  My only complaint about the car so far is its handling and turning ability at high speeds.

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  Nightmare Suzuki Aerio - 2003 Suzuki Aerio
  By jlfresearcher - March 3 - 5:50 am

  I purchased my Aerio new in Feb. 2003 & absolutely love the way it handles in snow but it has been a lemon since the day I bought it. So far I have replaced the automatic transmission, California air emissions controls,the rear rim,I am not hard on a car. My front passenger side has been filled with rain water 4 times as the drainage hose from the hood to under the car keeps letting go & dumps the rain into the car. The base of my battery cable corroded & has taken over 2 weeks a new factory part. I feel like I have been on timeshare with my dealer. I should have relinquished the car after the 4th trip for the transmission prior to replacement. Im out of warranty & it is getting expensive!

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  175000 and still runs great - 2002 Suzuki Aerio
  By Mike - January 25 - 12:03 pm

  I use this car for work. Stop and go driving. I start and stop the engine approx 41 times a day and the car runs for 10-12 hrs at a time. I have beat this car into construction sites, drilled a guard rail doing 65 mph backwards, and drove it off road nailing rocks and going over logs. I replaced tires, two front wheel bearings at 150,000 miles, 4 front brake rotors, a serpentine belt. It now needs a full exhaust system and a radiator, its not the most comfortable car on the market or the most fuel effecient but keep good fluids in it and it should provide you with adaquate transportation. I wouldnt hesitate to buy one again.

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  LOSE 1/3 of price driving off lot!! - 2004 Suzuki Aerio
  By SCHWAB - October 21 - 10:00 am

  This car is fun to drive if you change the cbs and a couple of things off the front suspension.If you dont It pulls dramatically whenever you accelerate or when you go over any type of dips. I would even consider it dangerous if it was being driven by a teenager as a tuner car,because of the handling before aftermarket adjustments to the front end.Problem#2 If you are looking for a car to change the body kit and all the fun stuff forgetit NO AFTERMARKET BODY KITS AT ALL ! AT least the last time I called 500 parts suppliers ) Problem #3- I had the car 2 months and was going to trade it in for an STI to go with my EvoVIII and with only 1800 miles$16

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  Poor exterior - 2003 Suzuki Aerio
  By OkByMe - September 19 - 6:10 am

  The car is fun to drive and has been reliable. I like the standard features. Ive put an additional 70,000 without a mechanical problem, however the body integrity is poor. The bumber is too low and scapes on too many things. The bumber is ready to fall off. Also the 6 CD play no longer works, some dash lights dont work properly. Gas mileage is so-so. It has worked well but I would look at a Toyota first.

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  Tire Eating Machine - 2005 Suzuki Aerio
  By Jose Hernandez - February 1 - 2:50 pm

  This car has eaten three sets of tires in 70,000 miles. Something is wrong with the rear end. The dealer says that nothing is wrong, yet it eats tires. Im on my 4th set of tires, good tires Michelens Symmetri. It also has worn out Goodyears and two sets of Bridgestones.