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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  AERIO IS WONDERFUL - 2003 Suzuki Aerio
  By magnum1 - October 18 - 2:00 am

  Its the best car I have ever owned. I love my 2002 Suzuki AERIO GS. I purchased it in July of 2002 and now have 35,000 miles on it and havent spent a dime on it except for oil changes and general maintenance, which is very little. This includes changing transmission fluid (standard) and flushing the radiator.

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  Can Anyone Get Parts for These Cars? - 2003 Suzuki Aerio
  By dnrportch - October 3 - 9:33 am

  You cant get parts for the Aerio in a timely manner. Example one: the transmission went out in 2006. It was still under extended warranty, but it took 6 weeks to get the parts and it had to be repaired twice. We have a great dealer. Its the car and the factory. The car runs fine now. Example two: after a low speed collision with a deer (he jumped on the hood while chasing another deer across the road in front of us!) we had two dealers try to order replacement parts on three separate occasions. The parts never arrived! Its been eighteen months. You should also know that the car is terrible in wet snow or snow over ice. It is geared too powerfully relative to the weight of the car. I like the gas mileage it gets, but would not buy another.

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  What a surprise! - 2003 Suzuki Aerio
  By d.a. - September 18 - 1:23 pm

  Well, its like falling into some "parallel" universe when you get in this car. It looks quite small, but once youre in, it feels cavernous. I like the way I feel like Im sitting "high" even though its a small car, and not an suv. Im a BIG guy, 61", 230 pounds, and I have NO problem getting in and out. The drivers door is quite long, it opens wide and entry/exit is a breeze. Amazing little car. Didnt expect to fall in love with it like I have, it was just a "second" car purchase to have an extra car. Love, love, love it!

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  I love this car - 2006 Suzuki Aerio
  By Adam H - September 15 - 4:20 am

  We were shopping for a fuel efficient car that had good safty ratings, warraty and an affordable price. We bought the all wheel drive automatic version of the Aerio. It drives great. Its not as peppy as the 03 Mustang we traded in but its a lot of fun to drive. The best feature of this car is the roominess inside. Its very deceiving!

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  Great Car - 2004 Suzuki Aerio
  By DUDE - September 5 - 2:00 am

  I REALLY DO ENJOY MY 03 SX ITS A FUN CAR TO DRIVE AROUND. LOTS OF EXTRAS FOR THE PRICE, TOO. I HIGHLY RECAMEND FOR ANYONE WHO DOSNT WANT TO SPEND ALOT OF MONEY AND WANTS A PROFORMENCE ECONOMY CAR THIS IS IT. ITS POWER TO WIEGHT RATIO IS NOT TO BAD 145HP TO 2600LB COMPARE TO OTHER VEHICLES IN AND OUT OF ITS CLASS. BUT MORE HP IS ALWAYS O.K.

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  Tough car - 2006 Suzuki Aerio
  By Frank - September 2 - 2:00 am

  I liked the room and AWD. Car does great in all conditions. Milage OK avg. 27plus MPG commute. When there is no traffic 30 MPG at 65 to 70 MPH. Stero system terrible in the PA mountains. Only complaint is that it goes through factory front pads every 12k. Goes 30k with after market pads. I have over 175000 miles on the car and it shows no signs of giving up.

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  Wish I could buy another!! - 2005 Suzuki Aerio
  By leigh2 - August 29 - 8:02 am

  I bought this in January 08 with 35k miles on it. After having a Caravan & Suburban..... I could not be happier!! It is finally getting ready for semi-retirement with 206k miles on it. I drive 500-700 miles/week. Outside of regular routine maintenance {Oil changes, tires, brakes, transmission flushes} I have no other issues with this car until recently and that would be due to "old age." The seats are not that comfortable for my frame but I have enjoyed every minute of this car. The cargo space is unbelievable for the size! I can fit 2 people, 2 - 90 lb. dogs and gear for an overnight hiking trip without issue. Id go for the SX4 in a heartbeat if they hadnt made it smaller.

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  GREAT VALUE, PRICE, FUN AND RELIABLE - 2003 Suzuki Aerio
  By Tom Thompson - August 6 - 10:00 am

  We have owned 5 Suzuki products and this is the best yet. Cute, fun to drive, low price with good warranty, comfortable, well laid out and reliable as usual. We checked out 5 other brands but kept coming back to the Aerio and are glad we did. It gets more economical each month and we have done some things to help this out. Keep up the good work

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  Good Car - 2006 Suzuki Aerio
  By nevadaboy - August 5 - 2:43 pm

  Its a good car. Although, when we went on vacation and unplugged the battery cable and came back and plugged it back in, the stereo was locked. Now we cant use the stereo - its locked forever!

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  Killa Deal - 2005 Suzuki Aerio
  By Kyle B - July 20 - 11:20 am

  I had a Grand Vitara and wanted to look for another that was automatic. When I saw the SX it immediatley started to grow on me. I paid 15,500 loaded including ABS and climate control. For the money you cant beat it. It is fun to drive, easy to operate, and the car does turn heads. A warranty that takes the pain out of ownership is also a big plus. I love the way that it handles and it is very peppy while still maintaining good mileage. If you are looking to have a great little road rocket without emptying your pocket this is a great choice.