Overview & Reviews

At some point in their lives, most people find themselves in need of a small, inexpensive car that gets them around with minimal hassle. While the names "Civic" and "Corolla" come up in most every small sedan buyer's research, the trouble is that you often pay dearly for these household names. In hopes of attracting people on a tighter budget, Suzuki offered the Forenza from 2004-'08.

This value-oriented compact came in sedan and wagon body styles. It boasted a low price of entry, a roomy interior, European-inspired design, a host of standard features, competitive power figures and a seven-year, 100,000-mile warranty.

At a glance, the well-equipped Suzuki Forenza appeared to offer terrific value. But in our evaluations, we found that it fell short of the segment leaders in terms of performance, fuel economy, handling and interior refinement. Unless you really need the extra space of its available wagon body style in a used car, we recommend that you focus on one of its more worthy competitors.

Most Recent Suzuki Forenza

The Suzuki Forenza debuted in 2004, with the wagon model following in 2005. The Forenza was actually built by the Korean automaker Daewoo and rebadged as the Forenza for the American market. It was offered as a four-door sedan or wagon in a single trim level with various available packages. Standard equipment included four-wheel disc brakes, air-conditioning, front seat side airbags, full power accessories and a CD/MP3 stereo with steering-wheel controls. Notably, ABS was an extra-cost option.

The Forenza was powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 127 horsepower and 131 pound-feet of torque. This engine performed adequately with the manual transmission but felt burdened and underpowered when saddled with the four-speed automatic. To make matters worse, it wasn't particularly fuel-efficient or refined, either.

The Forenza's cabin was something of a mixed bag, too. It was spacious, with lots of stylish metallic accents, but this was offset by inconsistent materials quality and an overall lack of refinement and quality compared with class leaders. If you can get past that, there was lots of rear legroom for adults and a 60/40-split-folding seatback for extra utility. The sedan provided 12 cubic feet of trunk capacity, with the wagon offering nearly 62 cubic feet of space with the rear seat folded.

On the road, the Suzuki Forenza exhibited soft, rubbery handling and a poor ride quality compared with its competitors, as well as excessive wind noise on the highway. Although it was compliant enough, it exhibited little suspension control over bumps and ruts. Handling around corners was loose and unsure, with excessive body roll and minimal grip from the tires. When merging into traffic, automatic-equipped Forenzas accelerated weakly, and any such maneuver took some advance planning.

Changes were slight during the Suzuki Forenza's run. For 2005, side impact airbags became standard for all Forenzas. The Forenza was freshened up a bit for 2006, receiving a new front fascia, redesigned seats, new wheels and revised trim levels. Bluetooth became available for 2008.

User Reviews:

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  Dependable - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By spainishkat - February 22 - 6:03 pm

  We purchased this car for our son who was going to college in 2008. We have never had any problems. It is not a sports car or a chick magnet. If you want a dependable gas saving car this is it.

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  Style Without the High Price - 2004 Suzuki Forenza
  By Pat in NEPA - February 22 - 4:53 pm

  My 2004 Suzuki Forenza in fantasy black looks great, even when it is dirty. It handles well and accelerates with ease. It has lots of room and the seat front tilts down to take the preasure off the upper legs. This is a new design for 2004, so look forward to the introduction of aftermarket parts to upgrade my car. It does need mud flaps. Its only down side is the road noise, but this may be cured with a tire upgrade.

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  Great car for the money - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By Jason - February 19 - 5:50 am

  When you get down to it, it is hard to beat the Forenza. Power everything, reliable, good handling, and plenty of cash to spare. Far better then the Spectra which doesnt even come with A/C standard unless you move up to the EX trim and Honda quality for less then its Korean counterparts....ie Hyundai and Kia.

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  Pretty Good For The Money! - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By Money Maker - February 14 - 3:56 pm

  At first I doubted Suzukis quality but I was wrong. This car has been for the most part reliable. Ive had few minor issues but nothing major such as recalls but other than that not much of anything. I found out GM Daewoo created these cars for Suzuki and I guessed theres a pile of junk but Ive seen much improvement through Daewoo. For the price you get a decent car with a good amount of features.

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  New Car - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By lbgirl - January 19 - 8:46 am

  I recently traded in my honda civic. I love my suzuki.

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  Only gas saves this car - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
  By M - December 5 - 6:06 pm

  This owner not satisfied with his purchase at all. At best the car is mediocre. Great gas mileage and a decent stock stereo makes this car tolerable.

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  Learning to Like - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
  By not decided - December 5 - 12:00 am

  I went from a luxury Toyota to an economy Suzuki. Except for power seats and a premium stereo I have the same features. The ride is adequate. My insurance is cheaper. The warranty is great. Its an inexpensive car with a lot of the little options that we have come to want. It has tons of storage, and I had an SUV before.

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  Takes a beating - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
  By Takes a beating - November 26 - 11:03 pm

  I am in sales so I am always on the road. I drive a lot of miles. This car us great! Always dependable. Has trouble starting from time to time but I just give it a minute after a couple of tries and she starts right up.

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  Drive for a living - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
  By Stacey - November 13 - 5:53 pm

  I drive for a living 300 miles a day in my forenza. Yes I had to change the selt belt but that was free. Other then normal required maintance; my car has been perfect. Gas mileage is great for the size of the car since I fill up the tank everyday. Although the tires come in one size; you can actually have one size bigger put on and its been cheaper and has gotten better gas mileage. For someone who drives for a living; it has been a great vechile.

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  Piece of crap - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
  By lynn28 - November 12 - 12:10 am

  Omg, I have had nothing but problems with my car ever since I have owned it. Had the problem of it not starting then the passenger seat belt light coming on and I have gone threw tires with it left and right. I just found out my car needs front struts with only 60,000 miles on it what the heck?