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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  Reliable car with great features - 2004 Suzuki Aerio
  By scott morgan - February 9 - 12:43 pm

  I bought my awd aerio brand new with 49 miles. It was loaded with climate control and ABS, I paid $15,000 for it. At first I had a minor hiccup with balding tires (tires went bald after 14,000 miles! dealer fixed it with alignment or something and its been golden since). This was my first new car and I am so glad I bought it. I have treated it well and changed the oil every 3,000 and got a tune up(spark plugs and stuff) at 100,000. I have went through some brakes and a few tire changes. The car has 140,000 miles on it and will be 6 years old next month. The car is great in the winter and I hope to get another 3-5 years out of the car.

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  Snow Eater / Summer Racer - 2004 Suzuki Aerio
  By IBOT - December 8 - 5:36 am

  I love my Suzuki Aerio. I have not had any problems with it. We had snow last week it is fantastic in the slick stuff. I wish the interior came in a differant color though. More storage would be nice as well. The climate control works very well. The heated mirrors are a very nice touch. For the price no one can touch it. Plus it has a great warranty.

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  So far, so good.... - 2003 Suzuki Aerio
  By jontyrees - December 8 - 2:00 am

  Im finding my 02 Aerio SX, (wagon), to be a very pleasant companion so far. I have the 5-speed, 0-60mph in the 8.0- 8.4 sec range will let you scoot past most of the behemoths on the road. Its incredibly manouverable, and the handling is ok if a little bit too softly sprung. Interior design and space management is excellent - with cargo space matching that of small to mid-size SUVs like the Saturn Vue and Nissan Xterra. The seats are comfortable and supportive, controls are well placed, and the digital dash is terrific for visibility and speed of comprehension. Overall, I really like this car.

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  Great Car - 2006 Suzuki Aerio
  By Patrick - December 3 - 10:36 pm

  I had a couple of TSBs to take care of on my Suzuki Aerio, but since then the car has been great! I am getting better than the rated mpg and I love the amount of room it has for such a small car. The interior is a little weak or "cheap," but the rest of the car seems great.

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  Fun and Practical SX - 2003 Suzuki Aerio
  By misterc - November 21 - 10:00 am

  Have had my Electric Yellow SX for about 3 months now and for the most part I am quite happy. Definitely a great value, lots of fun to drive and lots of room for 4 adults. Seats are very comfortable, acceleration is good although it gets a little noisy in the higher revs. 5 speed isnt as precise as Honda or Toyota, but its not bad. For the money / features - cant complain!! Much less than a Cruiser or Vibe / Matrix and more features. Have added console, dash cover, front air deflector, door protection mouldings, rear cargo carpet and bumper strip - looks good !!!

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  Love it - 2004 Suzuki Aerio
  By dok - September 16 - 10:00 am

  I love this car! 155hp is more then enough. Lots of options, all wheel drive, 30 mpg, tons of room! Nice job Suzuki!

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  Decent car, great value - 2006 Suzuki Aerio
  By N. Smith - September 14 - 6:06 pm

  I purchased my Suzuki Aerio new for just over $15k. I drove it until the fall of 2008 when I went to a Nissan Frontier. I put almost 50k catastrophe-free miles on it, and believe I got more than my moneys worth. Though not as refined or well-designed as its competition, the Aerio is a terrific value and, at least in my case, a reliable, versatile vehicle. If you can deal with its quirks, and dont mind a rough ride, its definitely worth a look. I dont regret going to a pickup, but I do miss the fuel economy of the Aerio. My mother has the car now, and has been using for over a year with no issues; the AWD is a great safety feature, and a real plus here in snowy N

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  Love this car - 2003 Suzuki Aerio
  By joe - September 5 - 10:40 pm

  This car is the best car on the market and no one realized it, I own the 2003 aerio sx and I cant tell you how reliable this car is.

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  Best for the money - 2003 Suzuki Aerio
  By aerio_sx_man - May 22 - 2:00 am

  Well, its only been three days since I purchased it, but I spent probably 40 hours researching this vehicle. What I needed was a second car that could get me to the airport weekly, make an occassional cross state drive (3 hours), and have the room for 2 adults and 2 small children when needed in a pinch. NOt mention the ability to drop the rear seats and create a huge bed for furniture, supplies or whatnot. This is that vehicle. I got rid of a 95 Taurus sedan for the Aerio SX AWD. Its economical, its inexpensive, and with the 0% interest from Suzuki, it makes a compelling story to buy new vehicle versus used. Just my .02 cents.

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  A good car that could be better - 2002 Suzuki Aerio
  By quickg - February 24 - 10:00 am

  Engine is powerful, but loses luster with AC on. Automatic transmission shifts well. Brakes are generally good, but tend to lock up on wet roads without ABS. Stereo is good. Standard tires on the S are low grade. Handling is stable, steering feel is about right. Interior is spacious in front and back, seats are very comfortable, seating position is tall and provides great forward visibility. However, rear visibility is poor because of a very high rear end. Trunk is huge. Side mirrors are large and folding. The S has power windows, but not power locks. The car is distinctive looking, but side and rear extensions make tires look small and the car look overweight and ungainly.