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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  My Aerio - 2004 Suzuki Aerio
  By Yvonne08 - March 16 - 2:00 am

  I love my little Aerio. At first, when i saw the car i was hesitant, but as soon as I got inside and saw all the cute original features that the car has, I fell in love. Ive had my car now for four months and Im so happy. I hope it lasts a long time with me. =)

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  2004 Suzuki Aerio SX - 2004 Suzuki Aerio
  By Vinnie Torioalleo - February 25 - 4:46 am

  Very, very quick but needs better suspension. Theres a lot of noise in the cabin area. Brakes are very, very, very noisy. Everything else about the car is great, buy one or youll have to get an sx4 because this fast and furious baby as been discontinued.

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  I love it! - 2003 Suzuki Aerio
  By mic5000 - February 25 - 2:00 am

  I love my new car. I dont know what the deal is whith consumer reports, car and driver, etc. I feel as though this car is solid and will last me the next 10 years. Suzuki, will you make a hybrid version please! That would make the car perfect (well, that plus different upholstry)!

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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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  Excellent - 2004 Suzuki Aerio
  By Fred - February 8 - 1:43 am

  A very nice car im suprised it didnt sell as much as corolla and other cars in class. It fits big rims plenty power a all around fun car.

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  My new Suzuki - 2006 Suzuki Aerio
  By Theresa - February 6 - 3:26 am

  I went from an SUV to the Aerio and am in love with it, especially with the gas milage! It has great pickup plus it is easy and fun to drive. Its only been just under a month that I have been driving this car and so far so good.

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  Excellent Car - 2003 Suzuki Aerio
  By N.H. - January 19 - 2:00 am

  Just got the car in September. It is a very nice looking car with good build. It has a powerful engine for a car of its size. It handles well and allows for very comfortable and exciting ride. Good amount of space available when needed. Nice hidden compartments to put away little things under the passengers seen and in the back. It has a modern look to it from the outside and the inside while still feeling like a good sold quality build unit. Nice numeric dash, exact numbers and clear (very clear) even when the sun is shining directly one it. A lot of room is available for the legs in the front and the back seets.

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  Best price/quality ratio in its class - 2003 Suzuki Aerio
  By yurets - January 9 - 10:00 am

  roomy enough, peppy enough, surprisingly good cornering and breaking, not really noisy for 4 cyl. car

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  AERIO - Excellent value for the money - 2002 Suzuki Aerio
  By micndom - December 25 - 2:00 am

  Good acceleration and breaking (ABS). Power steering is effortless without being too sensitive. Relatively high sitting position. Plenty of interior space. A lot of fun to drive !

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  My Yellow Submarine.... - 2002 Suzuki Aerio
  By Florida_AerioSX - December 19 - 10:00 am

  Ive only had my car two months- but its been a great "ride" so far. Im finally getting used to the stares that my "yellow sub" gets. I love all of the standard equipment and the power that the engine has. I wish it got better mileage (appx 25 mpg mostly highway), but I guess if you want "pep" something has to give. It feels very stable on the road and seems well built. I cant wait to several years of fun with this car.