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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  Fun and economical - 2002 Suzuki Aerio
  By MGJ - August 7 - 2:53 pm

  I bought this car with 27k miles on it. I now have 115,000 0n it. So far the only major thing thats happened was I had to put a clutch kit in at about 87k. My daughter was trying to learn to drive a stick & I attributed that to her slipping the clutch so much. Before I retired I drove this car almost 1000 miles a week for 3 years. It gets between 28-35 mpg on highway and a little less in the city. It is roomier and peppier that the new Honda Fit which looks like the Aerio SX.

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  Very good - 2006 Suzuki Aerio
  By Jim Gunning - August 1 - 4:33 am

  The Suzuki Aerio is a very good small car. It gets 27 mpg average on highways and 24 mpg city.

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  maybe my bad luck - 2003 Suzuki Aerio
  By suzuki user - April 13 - 2:00 am

  We have replaced the transmission just after drove it for 4 months.And now we got a engin oil leakage.The dealer is aweful here.

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  Americas best kep secret - 2003 Suzuki Aerio
  By Dave7001_ - February 16 - 2:00 am

  Got a 5Sp- hard to find but worth the perseverance (not that the auto is bad, I just like to shift).

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  Overlooked Treasure - 2005 Suzuki Aerio
  By Tony - December 14 - 7:56 pm

  This is one great little car. It has room in back and space is flexible between cargo/luggage with the fold-flat seat. Front seat comfort is outstanding for the class, and the performance for the money is in a class by itself. Its the little touches that make it so very nice, like dampening on the sunglass holder.The interior is very upscale for the price, except for the carpets underfoot in the cargo area. Comfortable seats, and the switching has a high quality feel.I use this as my daily driver, and I consider myself fairly critical of cars - my other car of comparison is a Porsche. Again, I repeat - this is one great little car.

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  Love my little mobile bubble - 2003 Suzuki Aerio
  By mmaddalena3 - December 10 - 3:45 pm

  If you dont mind looking like youre driving around in a gigantic bubble-then this is the car for you. Im 511 and my husband is 64 and this car has enough room for us and our family of giants. I have had this same car for about 7 years now, used, and I havent had trouble with driving in the snow. I owned it through the summer in South Florida and through the "sno-maggedon" in Virginia and found it to be a great vehicle for either location. I will agree its basically plastic but I was side swiped a few years ago and it kept me safe. The cables on the battery though do fray so keep an eye under the hood ever so often. Otherwise its money well spent.

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  2006 Aerio SX AWD - 2006 Suzuki Aerio
  By Crs1122 - November 25 - 6:46 am

  My Aerios gas mileage started out low at about 20 mpg highway, but after 3,000 miles its up to 25 mpg. So far this car has been very dependable! I receive compliments on its comfort and style from lots of people.

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  gotta have it - 2004 Suzuki Aerio
  By cactus flower - October 19 - 2:00 am

  i had this car as a rental for one week. I was totally thrilled with it. Has great torque for the mountains I had to go over (from Salt Lake to Reno)- wouldnt pull down, would downshift and kept right up with the big dogs when ascending. For an economy car, there isnt anything I didnt like about it. Its cute and sweet, fuel efficient and powerful. Id buy one in a minute for toodle-ing around in, if i could.

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  Great All Wheel Drive - 2004 Suzuki Aerio
  By Scotty - October 9 - 2:40 pm

  I drive my Suzuki Aerio SX mostly for the 11 city highway miles to work. I took it up the mountain to snow ski and it exceeded all expectations on icy roads. We got 3 snowboards, a pair of skis, and four people inside comfortably. If you are used to high-powered imports, then this car will disappoint, but all four wheels really take you around the corners quickly even when conditions are bad.

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  SUZUKI AERIO SX FUN - 2004 Suzuki Aerio
  By bevierose - September 1 - 10:00 am

  The Suzuki Aerio SX is more fun with comfort. I wanted a car where the seats went down in the back so that I could have room for plants, dog & more. It is roomy, great looking, very comfortable for my bad back & isnt too high like an SUV or a gas guzzler either! MPG is great; it looks hi-tech; it has everything inside you need; a great CD/radio sound quality. I owned luxury cars, but do not drive long distances anymore & wanted a car that is smooth driving, easy to handle and fun to drive. If youre looking for a good deal, happy motoring days ahead & savings, go for this baby! Many other cars like this are overpriced too.