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:

• 

  Hawaiian Aerio SX - 2005 Suzuki Aerio
  By aeriohawaii - August 18 - 7:23 am

  I have had the Aerio SX for about 1 month now. The mpg has improved to about 28. The ride is a little firm. But it is Nice to sit up High in the car. Everything has been pretty good, Except it seems that the Left-Side of the car doors, not Not Close and Latch well. I Really Enjoyed the stereo witht he Suwoofer and the 6 CD changer. I Wish that he wheels were a little Bigger, 16 inchers would be nice.

• 

  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.

• 

  131,000 And Going Strong - 2004 Suzuki Aerio
  By groundhogrev - August 12 - 1:08 pm

  Ive just now finished using my 2004 Aerio Sedan and will now pass it to my daughter. I bought it brand new and put almost every single mile on it myself. Other than utterly routine stuff, Ive done virtually nothing to this car. Even the routine repairs may well be more due to my driving style than defects in the car. As a matter of fact, I think Im still using the original batter on the thing. This has been a super car in almost every way that matters.

• 

  Fun Car, Has Everything I Wanted - 2004 Suzuki Aerio
  By yoyobob - July 12 - 5:30 am

  This little car has everything I wanted including power. If I was to improve it I would reduce the power a bit and try to get a bit better gas mileage. I can fit all the camping gear, bikes and freinds I want into it. Im now hauling my new Kayak on top and it has worked out great. I love this car.

• 

  My Suzuki Areio SX - 2004 Suzuki Aerio
  By ronjoanlo - July 11 - 2:00 am

  Purchased the vehicle to replace a 9 yr old four door sedan and that had past its usefulness My wife fell in love with the SX. We purchased the vehilce in Memphis Tn and drove it to Las Vegas, Nv where we retired. the ride accross country was uneventful and we got 32mpg which was terrific. The handling is more than expected from a small car.

• 

  Suzuki, Im Impressed!!! - 2004 Suzuki Aerio
  By Rob in UT - July 11 - 2:00 am

  This vehicle has fantastic bang for the buck! The Aerio SX comes fully loaded - - options that cost extra on the Toyota and Mazda cars. The Aerio is a fun to drive, reliable, economical vehicle -- offering room for 4 full size adults (5 in a pinch). Ive had many people ask me about this car... its sporty and functional.

• 

  Enjoying the Suzuki Aerio Premium AWD - 2006 Suzuki Aerio
  By Hazel - June 12 - 12:26 pm

  The Suzuki Aerio Premium AWD is a winner. It has been navigating icy roads and hills with ease. It has good acceleration and stopping power which I consider important for safety. All of my family members love it. The trunk has a wide opening and plenty of room for an oversize stroller and lots of other items. It is getting good gas mileage, too.

• 

  Bring Back The Aerio - 2006 Suzuki Aerio
  By UW2012 - May 15 - 4:50 pm

  My Aerio has been a great car, bought it new, only 5 miles on it. Some initial buzzing in door panels, but dealership fixed that right away, just tightned some nuts. Gas MPGs started out low but kept improving with more miles. Now gets 25 city if I drive reasonably and as high as 41.5 mpg hwy with avg hwy mpgs around 33 mpg. Storage capacity is outstanding, specially with the back seats down. Only 1 warranty claim so far, the water pump bearing, and the dealership treated me like royalty, free loaner car and fantastic attitude. I constantly get compliments on the looks of the car interior. Has its minor quirks just as all cars do but none of them are serious. I recommend it to anyone!

• 

  Happy Aerio Owner - 2003 Suzuki Aerio
  By Pastor tom - April 20 - 3:16 am

  This car is a joy to drive. It has handling on the highways I drive that is comporable to the European cars I have owned in the past. It has plenty of get up and go, the gas mileage is not as good as my Swifts was, but it doesnt do badly at all. I get about 32 miles per gallon on highway. I live in the desert and I drive the state highway all the time. I do not do any city driving at any length. I have had no repairs done except for scheduled maintenance. I now have had nearly 50,000 miles of touble free driving, which is very important in the middle of the CA desert.

• 

  Midsize Manners - 2004 Suzuki Aerio
  By andy - April 19 - 4:30 am

  A significant improvement over the 2000 Esteem which I traded in. So far: 7000 smooth, fun/peppy, trouble-free miles. As smooth as a Camry and quieter than a Civic sedan on highway. Solid handling even in inclement weather. Handling in high gusty wind is manageble and not troublesome. I have the off-white pearl color which hides dirt well. So far, no paint issues. Stereo is hi-fi quality, not sizzly/boomy. AC cooling is adequate. Engine tends to ping in hot weather (85% plus) under load conditions (hills with AC on, or steep hills in general). 89 Octane alleviates problem. Otherwise runs fine on 87 octane. Why are the critics so down on this car? I wonder if theyve actually driven the sedan