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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  What a fun little car!! - 2003 Suzuki Aerio
  By ACERANGER - April 2 - 10:23 am

  I purchased my Aerio with 67k miles on it and man what a great little car! Great price point and good gas mileage. It is fun to drive and as a bigger guy I found myself strangly comfortable in this car and not pressed up against the window like some other cars. Overall a great and dependable car. Only thing I did was get 15" rims and tires, which helped with road noise and turning performance.

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  Great Start Suzuki! - 2003 Suzuki Aerio
  By naima - March 7 - 10:00 am

  The small footprint makes it easier to park and to get around. Even though its small on the outside, theres ample leg and head room and plenty of space for hauling people and stuff inside. The engine is quite peppy. I have no problems merging on the highway or passing others. Some might find the digital dash a little distracting but its easy to get used to. All in all, I find my SX to be a GREAT car for the price. If youre in the market for a great vehicle with lot of standard options, awesome safety ratings and is inexpensive to boot, the Aerio SX is a fantastic buy. Its a nice for a new family too. Hopefully Ill be driving my Suzuki for years to come.

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  Love It So far - 2006 Suzuki Aerio
  By TR528 - December 16 - 12:43 pm

  I am surprised at how well the Aerio rides. The 2.3L engine provides plenty of power. The car seems very tight, it has a good solid sound when you close the door. It has plenty of room.

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  Basic car... Awesome reliability - 2003 Suzuki Aerio
  By aerio1 - November 19 - 12:36 pm

  I bought this car off my buddy who sold it to me with only 30K miles on it. I have put 20K on it so far. I agree that bumpers are kinda low. The interior is basic. It has a surprising amount of head room despite looking small from the outside. I disagree with Edmunds mileage assessment. I ALWAYS get above 30 mpg. (I have the 5 spd manual). I plan to drive this car in to the ground and hope to get 300K miles. The only bad thing about this car is that if you get dings and such, you can only get Suzuki parts (can be expensive relative to Toyota/Honda). If you have a Civic or Corolla, there are TONS of aftermarket companies that make parts.

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  What a surprise! - 2003 Suzuki Aerio
  By d.a. - September 18 - 1:23 pm

  Well, its like falling into some "parallel" universe when you get in this car. It looks quite small, but once youre in, it feels cavernous. I like the way I feel like Im sitting "high" even though its a small car, and not an suv. Im a BIG guy, 61", 230 pounds, and I have NO problem getting in and out. The drivers door is quite long, it opens wide and entry/exit is a breeze. Amazing little car. Didnt expect to fall in love with it like I have, it was just a "second" car purchase to have an extra car. Love, love, love it!

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  I love this car - 2006 Suzuki Aerio
  By Adam H - September 15 - 4:20 am

  We were shopping for a fuel efficient car that had good safty ratings, warraty and an affordable price. We bought the all wheel drive automatic version of the Aerio. It drives great. Its not as peppy as the 03 Mustang we traded in but its a lot of fun to drive. The best feature of this car is the roominess inside. Its very deceiving!

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  Tough car - 2006 Suzuki Aerio
  By Frank - September 2 - 2:00 am

  I liked the room and AWD. Car does great in all conditions. Milage OK avg. 27plus MPG commute. When there is no traffic 30 MPG at 65 to 70 MPH. Stero system terrible in the PA mountains. Only complaint is that it goes through factory front pads every 12k. Goes 30k with after market pads. I have over 175000 miles on the car and it shows no signs of giving up.

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  Good Car - 2006 Suzuki Aerio
  By nevadaboy - August 5 - 2:43 pm

  Its a good car. Although, when we went on vacation and unplugged the battery cable and came back and plugged it back in, the stereo was locked. Now we cant use the stereo - its locked forever!

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  happy/unhappy - 2003 Suzuki Aerio
  By terry goins - July 11 - 10:03 am

  miles good/gas good ride is great.body work could have been better,bumpers front and back had to replace both too low to ground.radio,cd player out sometimes the radio will come on but not stay on station.has to replace four other parts,i change my all my oils and fluides on reg basis.wheel bearings out on front wheel hard to find parts.

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  My New Aerio - 2006 Suzuki Aerio
  By mrmmac - May 6 - 2:33 am

  I purchased this car three months ago and am still very happy with it. The only problem is the driver side does not have enough leg room.