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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  I like it. - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
  By crisp - November 11 - 8:23 am

  The dealer told me to buy this car new over a used Honda Civic. Im actually quite impressed. It did have the not-starting problem for a week, thats gone. 2 recalls. 1 for the seatbelt latch and another for the headlight wiring harness. I put 87 octane in it and get around 30 mpg combined. Stellar if you ask me. Very quiet car at rest. The a/c freezes. Perfect. Spins the tires when I want. Brakes could go for 100k miles. I paid 11k for this car new and other than bad resale its an awesome commuter for sure/

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  Just Fun and it is About Time! - 2004 Suzuki Forenza
  By michael b. - November 8 - 10:26 pm

  This car is like a fun little James Bond car! It is always easy to drive and fun to get around in. Everything about this car is ergonomically correct. The design under the hood and inside the car are too cool!

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  WOW! Dont wait, BUY ONE! - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
  By suzukirocks - October 26 - 7:26 pm

  Second time Suzuki owner (Vitara) and have fallen in love with my new one! I have around 15k on my Suzuki Forenza sedan. The 5 speed tranny is easy to use and I especially like how you cant accidently put it into reverse. I am a large 61" man and fit into this car without a problem. The engine is peppy and the fuel economy is fine. The car has a luxury car ride feel especially on long trips not typical of cars this size. Trunk is large. Getting a car seat in and out is easy. We can even get 4 people in this car with one in! 8 speaker stereo literally ROCKS! Power windows, locks, tilt, and power sides for this price. What a deal!

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  Very Satisfied - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By AlanJ - October 21 - 3:56 am

  I bought this car almost two years ago and am closing in on the 36,000 mile mark. It had a few minor initial quality problems that the dealer happily fixed in the first month. Since then its been flawless. It is a great value, and is comfortable for a big tall guy like me. It hauls a big load without complaining and it has a great stereo and nice styling. Its handling, acceleration, and fuel economy are adequate, but not stellar. High speed highway cruising is fine though. The automatic transmission shifted harshly at first, but a simple reprogram has it shifting like butter. Overall this is a nice car, I wish it was more popular.

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  Dependable - 2007 Suzuki Forenza
  By summer - October 14 - 3:26 am

  I have had this car for 10 months and put 20,000 miles on it. Its very dependable and very spacious in the back seat for my two toddlers, I even have room for a third child, if needed. The trunk is huge for lots of storage. Sometimes when you go over 85 mph, it starts to shimmy a little. The gas mileage is alright, not the best, but not the worst either. Overall, a great car at an affordable price.

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  Door Handles - 2007 Suzuki Forenza
  By L. Fago - September 30 - 6:46 pm

  We are also habing issues with the door handles, three of the four have broken off already. Our inside light does not work and our Air bag lights will come on weather some one is in the seat or not. I would NOT purchase a 2007 Suzuki Forenza.

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  Best Wagon for Your Buck - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By Tato - September 25 - 12:56 pm

  My experience with this wagon has been marvelous. It is sturdy and very reliable on long trips. It is the best value for the money compared to any other brand. It is very economical it gives me 31.27 mpg on highway. It is highly underrated.

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  Forenza "S" - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By Barry - September 14 - 4:33 pm

  The car isnt too fast on accelration, it crusises well at 70-80 mph. I mdisappointed the "S" model I bought didnt come with cruise. The next model up is well worth the money, I also felt I got a great deal on the car. $12,000 for the 05 model and the selling dealer told me he still made $2000. on the sale.

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  #1 Car in its Class in the in US, Hands Down - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
  By Geni - September 10 - 6:13 pm

  I bought this car having had great experiences with Suzuki in the past. I was the owner of a 1986 Forsa in Puerto Rico until 2005. The three cylinder wagon was all I payed for it. This new Forenza is just as good. It is as fast as any Honda, Toyota, Mazda, Nissan and it is economically super. I have so much fun driving it, too bad its so under rated. Its worth every buck I payed for it.

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  Cant get more for your dollar - 2004 Suzuki Forenza
  By Doc Luigi - August 28 - 10:00 am

  From the styling to interior comfort, its been a real joy to own. It would be hard to find more for the price paid, and Im very happy driving it!