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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  OK car but bad for the cold weather and snow driving - 2003 Suzuki Aerio
  By denis18 - June 22 - 10:17 am

  I bought this cat at 55K and sold at 92K miles on it when the bearing and brake pads needed change. The car is OK, but the engine light was on and off several times during my ownership of the car. Nothing serious was found and it looked like a computer glitch. The worst part is that the car is simply not designed for the cold weather and snow driving. At freezing temperatures all pneumatics go off, like locks, windows etc, and driving under snow is a lot of stress. Overall, the cars worth its price as long as you live in the warm climate all year around.

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  GREAT CAR - 2003 Suzuki Aerio
  By mysticcrab - June 16 - 2:00 am

  Bought our 03 SX AWD in 8/02, now have over 30,000 on it and no problems. Made a trip from NY to NC and TEN., performed beautifully on road, hills were no problem for the peppy engine, also great gas mileage. Lots of leg room, and with back seats folded there is ample cargo space for larger items. We love our 03 and are will be going back to Suzuki when it is time to buy another one. We are very happy with this car and recommend it highly.

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  Good Bang for Your Buck - 2005 Suzuki Aerio
  By AL - June 7 - 5:36 pm

  Overall, this car is excellent for its price. It sure has power and can haul some butt on the road. At first, you may not expect it to be too great for being a new car on the market, but try it and youll end up liking it.

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  used 04 aerio - 2004 Suzuki Aerio
  By gamb99 - May 30 - 10:00 am

  just bought used aerio sx and drove it 3,000 miles. loved it !! handled the mountains with ease, comfortable and smooth.

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  Great value for the money - 2006 Suzuki Aerio
  By vasu m - May 2 - 4:36 am

  Everything in my Suzuki Aerio seem to be of good quality for a vehicle in this price range, including the audio. The dash plastics seem to have been upgraded in the 2006 model to be semi-soft. The tires pick up a bit of road noise - probably replacements will help. It is a bit narrow compared to its peers (especially the MINI Cooper and Scion Xa) and the track is actually less than the width. Thus the Scion and Cooper exhibit a bit less roll and slightly better handling, but the engine and wealth of features make the Aerio a much better choice in its class.

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  Love this car - 2002 Suzuki Aerio
  By ccox - April 26 - 3:20 am

  Bought this car because I really like the way it drove. Very comfortable, quick response, roomy. At the time I really wanted a Chevy Monte Carlo, but when I test drove it, I decided on the Aerio. Much more room! I have had this car for 4 years and have no complaints, no problems! Its a great car.

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  Great 11 years - 2004 Suzuki Aerio
  By Ralph - April 22 - 10:37 am

  Lucky if the tires last 25,000 miles

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  Fun to drive! - 2005 Suzuki Aerio
  By kathy - April 10 - 4:53 pm

  Love it!!! Roomy, easy to handle, fun to drive, nice cd, lot of car for the money.

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  I LOVE MY AERIO SX - 2003 Suzuki Aerio
  By PAUL CHESNEY - April 8 - 2:00 am

  GREAT BUY MY OTHER CAR IS A 1994 FLEETWOOD WITH A LT1 CORVETTE MOTER AND I WILL HAVE TO TELL YOU MY AERIO IS A BLAST TO DRIVE ITS SO HARD TO BELEIVE HOW THEY MADE SO MUCH ROOM INSIDE OF THIS LITTLE CAR LOTS OF SMALL STORAGE PLACES. IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A REALLY NEAT LITTLE CAR WITH A GREAT COMFORT RIDE AND DRIVE TEST DRIVE AN AERIO SX BEFORE YOU BUY

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  Aerio - 2004 Suzuki Aerio
  By augoct221 - March 23 - 2:00 am

  This Vehicale is great in snow. The gas milage is a little disapointing for its class.