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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  Overlooked Treasure - 2005 Suzuki Aerio
  By Tony - December 14 - 7:56 pm

  This is one great little car. It has room in back and space is flexible between cargo/luggage with the fold-flat seat. Front seat comfort is outstanding for the class, and the performance for the money is in a class by itself. Its the little touches that make it so very nice, like dampening on the sunglass holder.The interior is very upscale for the price, except for the carpets underfoot in the cargo area. Comfortable seats, and the switching has a high quality feel.I use this as my daily driver, and I consider myself fairly critical of cars - my other car of comparison is a Porsche. Again, I repeat - this is one great little car.

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  Love my little mobile bubble - 2003 Suzuki Aerio
  By mmaddalena3 - December 10 - 3:45 pm

  If you dont mind looking like youre driving around in a gigantic bubble-then this is the car for you. Im 511 and my husband is 64 and this car has enough room for us and our family of giants. I have had this same car for about 7 years now, used, and I havent had trouble with driving in the snow. I owned it through the summer in South Florida and through the "sno-maggedon" in Virginia and found it to be a great vehicle for either location. I will agree its basically plastic but I was side swiped a few years ago and it kept me safe. The cables on the battery though do fray so keep an eye under the hood ever so often. Otherwise its money well spent.

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  Excellent Little Car - 2004 Suzuki Aerio
  By ortorres627 - December 1 - 2:00 am

  It is a nice little car. It is fun to driver, and has a lot of power. This car is an excellent buy.

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  Perfect For What I Do - 2005 Suzuki Aerio
  By Dan - November 30 - 9:50 pm

  Im a regional sales manager and cover at least 25,000 miles a year. When fuel prices started to go up, I traded my Suzuki XL-7 (88,000 troublefree miles) for an Aerio SX wagon. Never liked the Aerio SX wagon design, but it grew on me; now I love it. I wanted AWD, but its not offered with the manual transmission. I had to have the manual. After my first test drive, I said, "This is a blast." And it is unbelievable how much room is in this car! I haul a lot of stuff. I even bought a rooftop carrier for those extra big loads. Im 62" and could wear a Stetson hat in it. It seats four passengers very well. I always get at least 33 mpg, even when city driving is mixed in. 37 mpg is the most Ive gotten, and it has plenty of power.

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  2006 Aerio SX AWD - 2006 Suzuki Aerio
  By Crs1122 - November 25 - 6:46 am

  My Aerios gas mileage started out low at about 20 mpg highway, but after 3,000 miles its up to 25 mpg. So far this car has been very dependable! I receive compliments on its comfort and style from lots of people.

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  Very happy with my Aerio SX - 2003 Suzuki Aerio
  By Jim - October 22 - 8:30 am

  After 2+ years and almost 40,000 miles we are still very happy with our Aerio SX. Oil changes and other fluid changes are the only money that weve spent other than a burnt out light bulb in the dash, (which was fixed in 15 minutes under warranty). This is a lot of car for not much money. Its gas mileage is a steady 27 - 29 in mixed city / freeway driving. We will purchase another Suzuki product when the time comes!

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  gotta have it - 2004 Suzuki Aerio
  By cactus flower - October 19 - 2:00 am

  i had this car as a rental for one week. I was totally thrilled with it. Has great torque for the mountains I had to go over (from Salt Lake to Reno)- wouldnt pull down, would downshift and kept right up with the big dogs when ascending. For an economy car, there isnt anything I didnt like about it. Its cute and sweet, fuel efficient and powerful. Id buy one in a minute for toodle-ing around in, if i could.

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  Great All Wheel Drive - 2004 Suzuki Aerio
  By Scotty - October 9 - 2:40 pm

  I drive my Suzuki Aerio SX mostly for the 11 city highway miles to work. I took it up the mountain to snow ski and it exceeded all expectations on icy roads. We got 3 snowboards, a pair of skis, and four people inside comfortably. If you are used to high-powered imports, then this car will disappoint, but all four wheels really take you around the corners quickly even when conditions are bad.

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  1 year, 24k miles and Still LOVE IT! - 2005 Suzuki Aerio
  By Josh P - October 3 - 7:33 pm

  I purchased my Aerio SX one year ago this month after a ton of researching and comparison shopping. I have been nothing but satisfied with this car! I absolutely love driving it. My wife and I have to take turns driving it to work every other week, even after having it for a year now. It is roomy enough for my family of 4 in the passenger area, and has plenty of room for a couple of weeks worth of groceries, or the dog crate in the back. I have been nothing but pleased with this fast and fun little car. This was my first ever import car, and I plan on buying another Suzuki. You cant beat the price when it comes to warranty and features. I would say go for it! You wont be disappointed!

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  Affordable Fun Car! - 2005 Suzuki Aerio
  By slsawyer - September 30 - 10:00 pm

  The Suzuki Aerio wasnt my first choice, but it was definitely the right choice! It has a roomy interior and lots of head room. It is great for going uphill with overdrive off. I am still breaking in the gas mileage rate. The first comments from everyone who sees it is "Cute!" So far it has been very reliable. I put it in the league with Honda/Toyota, only affordable. The interior seat fabric could be upgraded though. Also, the sway bar and passenger mirror had to be replaced right away, but that has been the only problem. I love this car!