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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  Liked my Elantra, LOVE this car. - 2004 Suzuki Aerio
  By 5spdlvr - November 22 - 10:00 am

  I am so happy with my Aerio. I had doubts having never owned a Suzuki, but Im glad I took a chance. I am baffled by Edmunds reviews, which are, in large part, luke-warm. But I read other great reviews and test drove it anyway. I traded my 02 Elantra for my Aerio. The Elantra,it was comfortable, a good value and performer. But the Aerio has more personality, HP and better safety scores. As for the handling being "sloppy"....not so, it does lean a lil more at times than the Elantra (taller profile) but it grips the road as well. The steering feel is similar.... nimble with being too light. Getting in and out of the Aerio is easier too

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  I love this car!! - 2004 Suzuki Aerio
  By christinaBee - November 15 - 10:00 am

  This is a great car. I thought it was a hatchback and so did my teenage daughter. She was surprised to find out it is a wagon. It is still "cool" enough for her to drive.

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  Good Pick 2002 SX 5M - 2002 Suzuki Aerio
  By Cary - November 4 - 8:13 am

  Bought this 2002 in Nov 2003 as a "temporary" car after the one I was dring was totaled. Four years later, still going strong. No real problems from SX at all. Good room inside, plenty of head room for me (63"). Nice design touches: reclining rear seats, arm rest in rear, cargo cover, height adj front seat, tilt steering, storage tray under pass seat . Not a huge fan of digital dash, but function cant be faulted and forward visibility is excelent. Easy to maintain, good on tires and brakes. MPG good but not great (28-29 most of the time), that bigger engine has its downside.

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  Excellent, Fun and Cute! - 2004 Suzuki Aerio
  By Alexis Vargas - October 31 - 9:53 pm

  I can tell my Suzuki Aerio is an excellent, fun, and cute car. It hasnt given me any problems so far. I have only changed the tires this month and I have been monitoring its oil and filter.

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  Excellent for city drivers - 2002 Suzuki Aerio
  By tomgunn711 - October 27 - 10:00 am

  I did extensive research and test drives of the competition (Matrix, Protege5 and Focus) before settling on the Aerio SX AWD ABS. Basically, with the best crash rating from the IIHS and incredible value for an AWD car, I couldnt resist. The seating position and terrific views are perfect for the city. Also, the handling is good although highway stability was prob. best in the Protege5. There is more seating room than the others and the reliability has been Lexus like. I have had no issues whatsoever in 6 months.

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  Fun Car - 2006 Suzuki Aerio
  By MO - September 20 - 8:23 am

  I just love the fact that the Suzuki Aerio is so roomy and comfortable, but still handles like its a sportscar. I have tons of room for road trips with friends, trips to the grocery store or just moving one large object with the fold down seats. Being a tall person, I have plenty of head and leg room without stealing it from the others in the car. This is a must look at if you love to travel or just like looking good wherever you go.

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  Great Car, Great Price - 2002 Suzuki Aerio
  By Jesse2040 - September 14 - 10:00 am

  Great Car with 140HP+, VERY reliable. my friends with their focis(focuses) and cavaliers laugh at my choice to go over-seas. I laughed at both of them last week when their crappy american made cars were in the shop for sensor failures and oil leaks. Gas miliage is great. It has a lot of pep to it.

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  Excellent AWD economy car - 2005 Suzuki Aerio
  By cmquimby - September 1 - 2:03 am

  I have owned my Aerio LX AWD for about 8 months. It gets great gas mileage, I average about 29 mpg in combined city and highway driving. The climate control works perfectly. The six disc in-dash Clarion CD changer and seven speaker stereo (including subwoofer) make up a high end system for such an inexpensive car. The Aerio has decent power (155 hp), but I do wish that they offered the AWD version with a manual transmission. Dry weather handling is very good, I have improved the handling of mine with a larger than stock rear swaybar.

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  Good value, exactly what I expected - 2003 Suzuki Aerio
  By brian - August 25 - 8:26 pm

  This has been a good car, mostly short range commuting first few years now my college kid son has it and puts few hwy miles on it. Excellent fuel economy, sporty ride and looks. Had to put a new clutch in at 53k. Possibly due to some student drivers learning to drive a manual trans. The wobbly side mirrors are a recall item I have not got to yet. CD player has a disc stuck in it, outside temp light is burned out... minor things that can go after many years of good service. Never let me down mechanically. As is probably the norm, wife gets the nice ride, kids get the safe, dependable ride.

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  best sport-cross for the money! - 2003 Suzuki Aerio
  By jcargile - July 2 - 2:00 am

  I bought my yellow Aerio SX two months ago and I have never had a regret. The room in such a tiny-looking car is unbelievable. Awesome standard features, like alloy wheele, a great 6-cd Clarion stereo, power everything, cruise, tilt, and storage galore. And ho-boy did I save money compared to a Protege5, Vibe, or Matrix. All of these cost so much more with the same equipment, yet do not have the pep of my Aerio.