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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  Review - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
  By hortega - July 1 - 10:00 am

  I bought my Suzuki w/19,000 miles/Jan of 2007,I have about 95,700 miles now with same transmission problem at this minute.I have driven this car with no problems to Texas twice.I got good gas mileage and smooth comfort I did change to better tires,I also did a lot of LA street driving with no problems up until last Oct when I first felt the jerk of the car when I put the gear in reverse.I have been driving it on and off.If it jerks I turn it off and wait a few minutes and start it up again listening for the idle to come down thats when I put in D. Looking for the part so I can get someone reliable to install in the Los Angeles area any hints. I love it except for transmission problem.

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  JUNK - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
  By floyd93 - June 25 - 1:48 am

  The rest of the reviews pretty much cover it, but so you dont think maybe there are just a few bad ones let me add my 2 cents, 1 cent more than I would pay for another Suzuki! This thing will rip through brakes and tires faster than I thought possible. Had a transmission issue at less than 30,000 miles that some how was not covered under their great warranty. Dont even bother with their customer relations department, that is a joke in itself. Another Transmission problem at 70,000 miles, oh this was covered by the warranty but somehow the radiator needed to be replaced at the end of the service. Dont ask me???

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  Inexpensive but reliable - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By Bryant - June 14 - 4:56 pm

  Suzuki has come a long way with design and quality of its vehicles. The Forenza met all of my expectations and then some for this vehicle class and price range (base $10,499). I own a 5-speed and an automatic S-model version. The automatic shifts smoothly but lacks HP. The manual trans is peppy in comparison but stills lags behind its competitors (Honda, Toyota, Nissan). Fuel economy is better with the manual trans. My opinion remains high of this car. Needs a few improvements to be more competitive.

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  Beats a Honda Civic & I luv Hondas! - 2004 Suzuki Forenza
  By naoko5 - June 10 - 10:00 am

  There is no comparison! The style, quality, price..it beats the Civic hands down. Forenza has more features better warranty and better selection. I was very impressed and bought my last Thursday. We just love our new car & believe we had made the right choice. You have to go & test drive it yourself, you will be amazed. The price is incredible compared to what youre getting. Mine is blue & has all the features anyone could ask for. I would recommend this car to anyone. So much more room than other cars in its class. Handles great & sound system is excellent & I dont listen to the radio..I do now. Im VERY pleased with my Suzuki Forenza.

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  I got a deal - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By minewasadeal - June 7 - 9:30 pm

  Paid $11,060 out-the-door for my Forenza. I needed a wagon and it turned out that I couldnt find anything else comparable for the price. The price I got it for is actually better than youll get for any econo car. I dont expect it to be quick so Im content. I average 27 mpg in city/hwy driving. It never gets less than 25 and I got 34.2 once on the highway. As far as the ride comfort, handling, braking and road feel go, theyre fine and will only improve with top grade performance Michelin tires. The Kumhos it has are admittedly mediocre. If you need a wagon its a great deal. HAGGLE with the dealer. This is my 17th car and I know how to get a good price. Im sure you can too. Its well worth $11,060.

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  LMT/CLT - 2007 Suzuki Forenza
  By neo - May 19 - 10:00 am

  To be nice to other buyers here is a few words, dont buy this car! It will break down on you over and over again! I Bought the extended protection plan and the dealership still cheated me after the transmission went out at 28,000 miles! I called Suzuki of America corp. and they told me I had to pay the dealership fee of 600 dollars to replace parts that were supposed to be covered through the warranty! Here is everything that has gone wrong since i bought this car brand new in 2007. Valve cover seal, cooling fan bolts fell out, continuous oil leak from the oil pressure sending unit, shocks and struts worn out, bent rims, intake induction system seal split before 3000 miles, cup holder.

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  What a steal - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By Thomas Edwards - May 18 - 1:16 am

  I cant believe what I paid for this car and what the options are. Very quick, no power problems. I just talked my mother in law into the forenza station wagon. Dont spend the extra money on the Honda or Toyota you would just be throwing it away. Two children fit nicely into the back with the travel tv, have taken long trips with no probs and how about the warranty? I paid more for a new car in 1991 that didnt have half the options. Wife loves it and we will be looking at the XL 7 to replace the grand cherokee because of the quality and cost of our first suzuki.

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  Nice car, but not on gas in city driving - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
  By james - May 14 - 12:30 am

  The Suzuki Forenza is not a bad car. It is sharp looking and has lots of nice features. It is priced nicely for a family wagon.

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  Dont do It, Dont Do It - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
  By Nikki - May 12 - 9:23 am

  I originally wanted to see if the problems I am having was just my car or a dud from the dealer. But seems everyone has the same problems. This car has the worst electrical system. It has been in 3 times for electrical problems. And now the interior lights and trunk lights no longer work. So here is time #4. The door handles are weak. All have broken off except the driver door. In the winter is the worse. The engine light stays on and after 4 mechanics and ranger switches and what not. Turns out condensation builds up on motor and that is way it is build or something. It has trouble accelerating. So dont pull out in front of someone may not be pretty cause it may stall. anyway dont buy it

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  daughters car - 2004 Suzuki Forenza
  By jazz3308 - May 4 - 10:00 am

  purchased the lx auto. handles and acceleration is very good for a small car even a 70mph. interior is nice and roomy with a exterior that is well finished (i am 62" 240lbs). according to my daughter sound system is very good. under the hood everything is easy to find. plugs and wires can easily be replaced. oil and filter is ok to change.