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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  Lots off Car for the Buck - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
  By michael n - April 12 - 5:36 am

  I purchased this car with iffy credit and the need for a good car at a good price. It is quite lovely inside and out. It drives acceptably, although not remarkably. I have enjoyed it thus far.

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  Death Trap - 2007 Suzuki Forenza
  By zmama - April 6 - 10:00 am

  We purchased our Forenza in 2008. A month later 3 interior door handles broke off. Ever since we bought the car I have had to put air in the tires everyother day or so. Cheap Tires. Low Tire pressure signal constantly. Took car to dealership they replaced doorhandles, let me know about seatbelts, fixed those. About a month ago my transmission started slipping. Me and my daughter are in the vehicle all the time. The transmission trys to slip into another gear. We have almost been in SEVERAL accidents because of this. I say a prayer everytime we get in the car to make it to her school or the store safely. this care is NOT SAFE!!!!!

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  Great Car for the Money - 2007 Suzuki Forenza
  By antonio rodrigez - April 3 - 8:10 pm

  OK gas mileage, but very reliable. Great look and space for my family. Taken two long trips and has been great. Love what I got for the price. Most likely getting another Suzuki for my wife.

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  more problems than its worth. - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
  By rgunn1 - March 30 - 8:01 am

  While i do like the looks and comfort of this car, and initially thought it was an excellent car, my opinion rapidly changed. The throttle sensors have gone out twice (at my expensive of course), the check engine light comes on & stays on its nothing says suzuki who then reset it, only for it to come on a day later. and now, i have a rattle that they cant give me a straight answer on. one mechanic says wheel bearings, another said its the transfer case (its front drive and doesnt have a transfer case!!! good job suzuki training your mechanics), another says its the exhaust shielding. but no one will put it in writing what the problem is. the car is junk, better off with a bicycle.

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  Very Dependable - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
  By firebirdz - March 11 - 10:40 am

  I have had this vehicle for 3 years and I couldnt be happier. I have never had a car work so great for me. It has never broken down. I have had to take it in for a couple of repairs/recalls but all in all spent maybe $600 in the three years for maintain (Well that isnt counting registering the auto which is expensive). You would think a car that looks so small would be small on the inside but it is so roomy!! I do have an issue with the paint on the plastic door jams it chips very easily. So I had so sand them and re paint them myself which is okay. The biggest thing for everyone to remember, take your auto in or perform 10,000 mile check ups and it will take care of you regardless.

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  nice and new - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By rafael - February 21 - 10:13 pm

  really nice vehicle for the money great service only paid $12000 after rebates

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  Good Start Bad Finish - 2007 Suzuki Forenza
  By hawtsauc3 - February 11 - 4:34 am

  The negative reviews on this are pretty accurate. I bought mine in 2008 (its a 2007) with 17500 miles on and it was great up until i paid it off. Over this last year its slowly deteriorated along with a massively depreciated value. The negative reviews say between 60k and 100k miles problems start and lo-and behold on my day off yesterday the check engine came on the the transmission started acting up. Got the system re-set and was told it will probably break again. Traded it in today. Its a decent care for the price but once problems start its all downhill.

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  Very Very Nice Car - 2004 Suzuki Forenza
  By Colin Mack - February 1 - 10:00 am

  This is a great car, never really knew that Suzuki built these kinds of cars, but I am glad they do. Very happy with my purchase. Car runs great, excellent price for everything you get.

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  Transmission and value - 2007 Suzuki Forenza
  By triniprinces76 - January 4 - 7:53 am

  I bought this car brand new back in September 2007. I was desperate for a car, and it was all that I could afford. I should have resorted to taking the city bus! Right around 60,000 the transmission started slipping, and the gears dont go in right away... And if youre fed up of it, bull still making payments, dont try to trade it in. Its worth NOTHING! Lesson learned...I will stick to the cars that have been tested time and time again.

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  Everything Breaking - 2007 Suzuki Forenza
  By Crystal - January 2 - 1:30 pm

  Ive had my 2007 suzuki forenza for a year and a half, since then,3 of my door handles have broke off, which i had to pay to replace, said they werent under warranty, my transmission is slipping from drive to neutral,about wrecked the other day, going into shop on monday, paint came off all 4 wheels during a paid car wash, they said not under warranty, as they said transmission not under warranty as well, i bought this car with the feeling of not being broke down for a long time, i still owe 9,800 on it, I have taken extremely good care of my car, but it was so cheaply made its unreal, I feel suzuki should pay for the replacements of these parts, i would never recommand this car toanyone