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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  Never Thought I would Like a Suzuki - 2007 Suzuki Forenza
  By KDawg - March 4 - 9:50 am

  I bought this car for my 60 mile one way commute to work. I only bought it because it was cheap as it was a 2007 I bought in 2008 from a new dealership. At this point I would definitely reccomend this car to anyone. It has decent pickup (No race car) great highway mileage, and has cruise, cd, MP3, A/C and the works. No reliability issues either. I am still a truck guy, but for a compact, I love my Forenza.

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  Decent Car - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By AznFineDude - January 28 - 9:43 am

  The Suzuki Forenza is a good value and a great looking car. Its gas millage would be better if a more powerful engine is in place.

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  Cant fFnd Parts! - 2004 Suzuki Forenza
  By Billy - January 27 - 2:53 pm

  Ive put about 36,000 miles on this car and would have recommended it to anyone looking for economical yet fun transportation. That is, I would have right until I found out nobody sells parts for them but the dealer. Before you buy one of these give your local parts store a call and ask if they carry Forenza parts. Anything beyond something simple like an oil filter and its back to the dealer youll go, and you know the prices they charge. Yup, I love the car all right, but the lack of repair parts means Ill get rid of it soon, and I wont buy one again unless that changes. Too bad...

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  Big Bang for your buck - 2004 Suzuki Forenza
  By dbean - January 21 - 10:00 am

  A lot of car for a very reasonable price. Packed with features that are optional on other cars. Great ride and handling and plenty of power for me.

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  suzuki forenza lx - 2004 Suzuki Forenza
  By sue h - January 9 - 10:00 am

  i was just in a horrific car accident this last thursday and was hit in front & driver side going at least 65 and the car being destroyed however, Saved my life. i was NOT taken to the hospital and when it is time to select another one i am HIGHLY considering buy it again.. its a great car, roomy,luxurious,comfortable..just wish it got better gas milege as the corolla.@38 MPG!. its a great bang for the buck!...

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  2006 Suzuki Forenza - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
  By mark - January 1 - 10:56 am

  My car gets me where I need to go. Forenzas and other Suzuki cars can be had at a more than reasonable price with no haggling.

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  Great Hauler - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By Drumdonald - December 22 - 3:30 am

  I bought this wagon when my pick up died (of course in front of the dealership). I looked really smart because the price of gas went through the roof right after I bought it. The only problems I have had was first it eats tires which I remedied by going to a 60 series tire instead of the 55 that it comes with. The other problem was when a critter ate the wire harness. The dealer fixed and was able to get most of the cost covered under warranty. I get over 30 mpg and drive the care everyday to work and to drumming jobs. The car holds so much that we take on our vacations even though my wifes car is bigger. It is great car but too bad Suzuki has discontinued it for 09.

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  Exceeding expectations - 2004 Suzuki Forenza
  By Brianhutchins - December 14 - 2:00 am

  After careful comparison shopping to the point of driving every car salesman in town crazy, I chose the Forenza LX . The fit & finish are better than the Nissan Sentra & the Honda Civic in this class. The refinement of the ride and smoothness of the engine, along with lower levels of wind & road noise, made the choice a no-brainer. I found the Sentra too cramped, the Civic was too sparse & noisey for the $$$. Standard 4wheel discs & steering wheel mounted audio controls are a big plus. Interior design & plastics are first rate. The Corolla was lighter on features for the price. Suzuki is well equipped to gain loyal repeat customers along the way.

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  Ok Vehicle, would rather have different - 2008 Suzuki Forenza
  By PM - December 11 - 3:53 am

  This car has been dependable since I got it, of course it only had 6 miles and was new. I dont like the slow acceleration, and rough handling on bumps. I think the car gets good speed once it is pushed and broken in. The gas does not justice, I had way better usage in my V6 Pontiac Grand Prix then this little 4 cylinder. I wish I would of taken better looks into it and not have let the warranty win me over cause now I want another car so bad and I dont want this car.

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  Rides too low - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By d..a. - December 9 - 4:43 am

  The Suzuki Forenza rides very low, plus there is a obvious lack of respect from other drivers on the road. I feel inferior. The gas mileage is disappointing at 24 mpg overall. I expected 27-28. If I had a do over, I would have purchased a Suzuki Aerio SX. It is really nice and is much taller and made better, in the US instead of in Korea. Or perhaps I would have bought a Toyota Matrix. Also, I have learned that Suzuki dealerships, I have gone to three of them, are not very professional or knowledgeable about their vehicles. I had questions about synthetic oil and some other stuff and they gave me the wrong info. I tried to trade my Forenza back in after only four months and Suzuki wouldnt give me anything for my car. They did not want it back.