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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  Suzuki Forenza 2005 - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By sascydharan vasudeva - August 29 - 2:26 pm

  Noisy engine. Needs more power specially in hill area. Fuel economy is not so good. Interior is good and more spacious. Power steering is good. Heated side mirror is an advantage.

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  Please dont buy a suzuki - 2008 Suzuki Forenza
  By need new car - August 12 - 10:00 am

  i bought my car about 2 years ago. it seemed ok at first until it started turning off out of nowhere. That is when all my problems began. i took it back over and over again only for them to look at me like Im stupid tell me they couldnt find anything and sent me home. now my check engine light stays on all the time, my air bags wont turn on and quite frankly this car is worse than the 92 buick lesabre that i got rid of to get this. my sister has an 07 forenza and we seem to have the same problems within months of each other. coincidence i think NOT!

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  Gas A Holic - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By Steve - August 7 - 3:30 pm

  Purchased a 2005 Suzuki Forenza Wagon , LX with 4 speed automatic trans and 4 wheel abs. Compared the vehicle to Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback Ralliart wagon 2004. Mitsubishi has better build quality , better engine, overall better vehicle but the dealers here do not want to move the existing 2004 vehicles. The Forenza has an amasing list of standard features. The vehicle is pleasant enough to drive with the fact it is under powered and should have the Aerio engine in this car. City driving brings on the first knowledge this was a poor choice. Gas mileage in city driving with 1000 miles on the vehicle is 13.5 to 14.5 Miles per gallon. I could be driving a motorhome and be less disappointed.

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  Get rid of it - 2007 Suzuki Forenza
  By Sherrie - August 4 - 3:23 pm

  I was doing quite nicely with this car for about 1.5 years. Then the transmission started slipping. Dealer did diagnostic, found nothing. No Check Engine light ever came on. They unplugged battery to reset computer. Didnt work. Said was Transmission Range Sensor probably. So I bought the part for $60. Had a mechanic friend put it in as dealer wanted $230. Took 1/2 hour. Ran fine for about 20 miles then it slipped out of Drive and wont go back in. Its been sitting in my driveway. Dealer is clueless. Suzuki wont talk to you. I bought this car because it was in the cheapest price range I could afford at the time. I have learned my lesson. My inside door handle broke too.

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  This car is a lemon - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
  By THEDORK - August 3 - 6:00 am

  I own a 2006 forenza with 60,000 miles. I have had the timing belt go out at 36,000 mile which caused the engine to be replaced. It was replaced with a daewoo engine, they dont even make these cars anymore. My check engine routinely comes on and the dealer tells me its nothing. Now the transmission range sensor is needing to be fixed but it is not covered under the extended warranty. This car should never had been sold after the first model. Do some research, and dont me one of the numerous disappointed Suzuki forenza owners. This car should be taken off the market and destroyed

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  Nice Car - 2004 Suzuki Forenza
  By Baz - August 2 - 2:00 am

  We just bought our Forenza this past Saturday, and we are very impressed. Suzuki cars are not well known in America, yet, but they rank up with Hondas and Toyotas in Pakistan. We love this car, and the way it is made. We have a 2000 infiniti G20T, and for an entry level model, the forenza is impressive. Get em before the price goes up, as people will soon realize how good of a car this truly is. Good Luck

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  Transmission - 2007 Suzuki Forenza
  By lilmama0o7 - July 30 - 5:07 am

  I just recently bought this car in nov 10 and it had 37,000 miles on it and now a month later the transmisson went out when my husband was driving home from work...... The paint on the handles is gone but they are still attached atleast. We noticed the indicator light for the tire pressure was on and so when checking the tires on the car werent the right size but after reading the other posts i can see why. I cant believe i just spent $8000 on a car ((all i had)) to have it break done with such a major issue a month later!

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  Sweet Deal - 2004 Suzuki Forenza
  By z28missy - July 22 - 10:00 am

  This vehicle offers the BEST value in its class. I test drove a lot of cars before this one, and just by sitting in it you will notice the difference in the quality. It feels sturdy and substantial. Not to mention it is quite good looking.

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  Fantasy Black Forenza - 2004 Suzuki Forenza
  By Kathryn M - July 22 - 10:00 am

  Very fun car to drive. I love the buttons for the radio on the steering wheel. It looks and feels like a very pricy car when its not!

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  Suzuki, for the price - good car - 2004 Suzuki Forenza
  By EJLowerre - July 5 - 1:03 pm

  Bought the car for price/gas mileage. For 12K (tax,title,interest on loan included!) great value for the $$ Only one problem with the gas pedal being a little sticky otherwise not too bad. did get hit by someone going about 10 mph and it ripped the bumper off but still Im happy overall. Gas mileage could be better with the rubber band they put in for an engine though, I get 25 around town and 30.5 on the open road which to me is not good enough.