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:

• 

  Decent car, great value - 2006 Suzuki Aerio
  By N. Smith - September 14 - 6:06 pm

  I purchased my Suzuki Aerio new for just over $15k. I drove it until the fall of 2008 when I went to a Nissan Frontier. I put almost 50k catastrophe-free miles on it, and believe I got more than my moneys worth. Though not as refined or well-designed as its competition, the Aerio is a terrific value and, at least in my case, a reliable, versatile vehicle. If you can deal with its quirks, and dont mind a rough ride, its definitely worth a look. I dont regret going to a pickup, but I do miss the fuel economy of the Aerio. My mother has the car now, and has been using for over a year with no issues; the AWD is a great safety feature, and a real plus here in snowy N

• 

  Love this car! - 2003 Suzuki Aerio
  By flboy_2008 - September 8 - 12:10 am

  I bought my car in October of 2004. It had about 22k miles when I bought it and currently has 114k. I really love this car. It drives like an expensive european car. Since I bought it I replaced the battery in the keychain and the cars battery. I also flush out the transmission ever 40k which I do to all the cars I own, and I change the oil every 3500 miles. The car requires low profile tires (because it handles like its on rails), I recommend Goodyear traction t/as. Ive been able to get 70k miles on them before replacing them. The original tires only lasted about 30k.

• 

  Much more than expected - 2005 Suzuki Aerio
  By Jess - September 6 - 6:16 pm

  I bought the Aerio SX after surgery because it allowed easy in and out access, and have ended up falling in love with it over the last four years! This car is exceptionally well made (the Japanese are famous for this!) and outperforms many of the more expensive autos Ive owned such as Volvo, BMW, Cadillac, VW and MG. Great gas mileage, ultra reliable, has remained tight and rattle free, and shows little wear over the years. Yes, the front bumper is low, and Id prefer larger tires, but hey, overall no complaints at all with this little gem! The anti-lock brakes and AWD are life savers over and over again. Transmission smooth as silk. Best value for reasonable price!

• 

  Love this car - 2003 Suzuki Aerio
  By joe - September 5 - 10:40 pm

  This car is the best car on the market and no one realized it, I own the 2003 aerio sx and I cant tell you how reliable this car is.

• 

  My suzuki - 2005 Suzuki Aerio
  By john phillips - August 30 - 6:53 am

  This is a perfect second car. Great interior room,im 6 ft 1. excellent mileage and great dealer service.The standard features on the Sx model are great,a/c,5 disc, stereo,cruise,etc. Im very happy with my little car.

• 

  Most AWD bang for the buck. - 2005 Suzuki Aerio
  By Terry in KC - August 23 - 7:43 am

  Looked for second car for wife to complement her Lexus LS400. AWD was a must for KC winter commutes. We looked at just about everything under $20-22K, and kept coming back to this thing. It provides the best combo of power, equipment, warranty, interior, ride, etc near its price point. Better ride, gas mileage than small SUVs, plus quieter & cheaper. Interior style nice, exterior different but we like it. Build quality not Lexus, but neither is price. Very peppy, amazingly little wind noise at 80 mph. Handling wont wow anyone, but not a big factor for us. Resale poor, but should improve with increasing popularity. Biggest complaints: really lousy OEM tires. Spark plugs may be too hot for moderate or warm climates.

• 

  Thumbs Up for the Aerio SX - 2006 Suzuki Aerio
  By wayne morgan - August 16 - 4:23 pm

  I have put 5,500 miles on my Aerio SX so far and everything is working great. I like the room that it has for a car of its size and the way its gets around in traffic.

• 

  Making My Friends Jealous! - 2003 Suzuki Aerio
  By Pilar Garza - July 22 - 10:00 am

  I just bought the 5-speed Aerio SX in silver less than a week ago and I love it. This car has tons of room (my previous car was a Geo Metro), tons of standard features, and a great warranty. I got mine for a little over $13,000 with tax and title. My friend who has the Toyota Matrix is jealous because she spent $3,000 more and didnt even get keyless entry!

• 

  Comfort beyond believe...... - 2003 Suzuki Aerio
  By Ronald Hill - July 16 - 10:00 am

  This vehicle is exceptionally comfortable to drive it took me by suprise the way it handle on the highway,this is a nice car to have for road trip.

• 

  So you thought they only made cycles! - 2003 Suzuki Aerio
  By hkufahl - June 14 - 2:00 am

  Bought the base model MSRP $14,999, $12,999 after $2,000 rebate and dealer cash. What more could you ask for, mileage, interior room, performance, driveability, and warranty? All areas better than I expected. It seems that you either like the styling or hate it. Keep an eye on Suzuki, they are going to give Toyota and Honda a run for their money.