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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  Nice car - 2002 Suzuki Aerio
  By ra2dale - February 13 - 10:00 am

  Ive been driving my Suzuki for four months and Im pretty happy with it. It has good power and gives me great gas mileage - a much as 30mpg on some freeway drives. For the price and compared to other cars in its class Its a good buy.

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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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  Good Overall Value - 2006 Suzuki Aerio
  By todd - May 31 - 1:23 pm

  The car has had numerous rattles and trim defects, but has been otherwise reliable. It has fabulous fuel economy, up to 40 mpg with the five speed manual transmission.

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  Great Car! - 2002 Suzuki Aerio
  By Curtis - March 23 - 11:20 pm

  I got this car 2 years ago with 45,000 miles on it. I have been in 2 accidents with it and it still runs great. It has 94,000 and Ive never had a problem with it besides now-a-days it doesnt want to shift right away when I get above 50 mph and my radio has a short. Other than that it is a good starter car. I am looking to get rid of it thought because I want a SUV.

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  SX - 2002 Suzuki Aerio
  By steven Netti - January 18 - 10:00 am

  Not Bad The dealer was bad==not the car I would buy again elsewhere

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  nice design but needs refinement - 2003 Suzuki Aerio
  By lngtonge18 - August 21 - 10:00 am

  Maybe I got a bad apple but I traded in my 03 SX 5 speed after 9500 miles. Front brakes clunked. Front door panels buzzed constantly. A loud dash rattle occured twice. The fog lights and hood were loose. And the car had an annoying driveline bucking problem combined with a loss of power. Fuel economy on the highway was a disappointment (29.5) and so was the power. The engine is way too loud (it isnt smooth either) and wind noise is loud starting at 60mph. The doors have a tinny sound quality to them and the fabric on the door panels started showing wear after only 3k. The Aerio is extremely roomy and comfortable though.

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  Gets me from here to there, no problems. - 2004 Suzuki Aerio
  By jeffrok - August 14 - 10:00 am

  $3,000 cheaper than the competition and a 7 year warranty! Pros: Good mileage in automatic or manual. Different looking, making it easy to find in a parking lot. Nice seats Great stock radio (6 CD changer, 6 speakers) Tons more head and legroom than the Protege5.. Cons: Narrow, tall styling makes it lean quite a bit in sharp turns Different looking, making some people smirk at your car Engine is a little growly at highway speeds, but not too bad.. No factory sunroof option You have to remove the headrests to fold the back seats down Dash isnt sporty enough. Hopefully its a good winter car.. I hope I dont regret not opting for the AWD.

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  Love it - 2002 Suzuki Aerio
  By Franklin E Soto - July 14 - 10:00 am

  I have an SUV 2002 Ford, Explorer and was not into buying another new car for the moment. but my wife was needing a car to do small things around and close to our home. We shopped around,Focus, Rio Cinco,Vibe, Protege,Saturn L200 etc. She fell in Love with The Silver Aerio SX 2003. We drove it as all the rest 2lt. 145 HP sure makes a difference, beautiful on the inside, great air condition, great CD sound, excellent movements, great space front and back,outstanding price.Man we bought it ,now the problem is I want to swap, Ford Explorer for her Susuki Aerio SX.

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  Suzuki Aerio SX Wagon is good - 2003 Suzuki Aerio
  By T.F. - June 19 - 4:20 pm

  You pay less for Suzuki up front but you have to upgrade them to your liking. For example, the suspension needs to be upgraded, the engine needs a performance boost but the overall car is fine. The only complaint I have is the Suzuki should have promoted the Aerio for the long haul but instead they dropped the model just like the Esteem model line. The transferable warranty is makes them a good used car buy.

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  Very good car - 2003 Suzuki Aerio
  By A. Smyth - May 31 - 11:23 pm

  I have put 36,000 miles on this car. So far it has been very reliable, but I have had some minor problems. The catalytic converter had to be replaced, and its rattling again. Also, the overhead light shutoff failed twice. I had better replacement brake pads installed by dealer better than the originals. However, I enjoy every minute that I drive this car, Its handling is very good (did the Edmunds reviewer even drive it?), It is a better value and has a smoother ride than the Subaru Impreza. The all wheel drive is great. I would definitely buy another.