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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  Death Trap - 2007 Suzuki Forenza
  By yolanda Meadowcroft - August 12 - 8:23 pm

  My car has been in the shop many times for the transmission and other defects that could of caused death to me and my daughter I felt I was pushed into the vehicle. These cars are the worst rated vehicle god help you when you purchase, say a prayer every time you drive the highway

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  Suzuki Forenza - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By Matthew - July 20 - 2:06 pm

  The Suzuki Forenza is one of the best vehicles I have owned or driven. It is very comfortable to ride in and to drive. The vehicle looks like a top notch ride, but it comes at a fraction of the cost. The interior comes with plenty of places to store any items that might need to be placed out of the way. In all, this is a very roomy and comfortable vehicle to own.

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  Peice of S@#$ - 2007 Suzuki Forenza
  By JC - July 19 - 10:16 am

  I am also having transmission problems, door handle problems, and one i havent seen on here is the brake lights are coming on randomly and staying on and killing my battery, I expect the brake switch is faulty, Im thinking about just outing a master disconnect on the main battery cable and shutting it off when the car is not in use, sure cure any electrical pull Rather it is the brake switch or not!

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  Cheap car - 2007 Suzuki Forenza
  By Angie - July 14 - 12:43 pm

  Bought the car in 2007, I Had the transmission fault issue, the door handle issue, the paint on the wheels issue, the seat belt recall issue. the acceleration issue. Now I am buying my second set of tires, why put these expensive tires on this cheaply built car? It does get me from point A to point B, I do feel safe.

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  I like mine. - 2008 Suzuki Forenza
  By brian171 - July 10 - 2:33 pm

  I bought my 2008 Suzuki Forenza last October with 30,400 miles on the odometer. My car has the 2.0 liter 4cyl and 5 speed manual transmission. I use the car daily for a 33 mile commute. I am pleased with the gas mileage I get. I am averaging 29-30 mpg and my commute is includes mixed city/country driving. The car now has about 36,800 miles. A few things have required repair - two new rear struts, new drive belt on the engine and new valve gasket on the engine. All of these items were repaired at no cost to me under the warranty.

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  Our Suzuki - 2004 Suzuki Forenza
  By del rogers - June 26 - 4:36 am

  The car handles great for a car of its type. Its looks are great especially in black. The interior is way better than the Aerios lint trap. The lighting resembles that of Lexus and Mercedes. I did have a few problems such as the ssps going out shortly after I bought it, and had it repaired three times. The headlights also went out completely. I have also put four headlights in the car in the last year. The center console / armrest really bugs the heck out of me though. I eventually broke the plastic latch, it has been bent both ways from getting in and out of the car and putting weight on it (imagine that, putting weight on an armrest). The stereo is OK and the headlights dim when you push the brakes.

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  Doing fine with me! - 2007 Suzuki Forenza
  By lisa - June 22 - 5:26 pm

  I love my Forenza! I have the 07 black/premium package with leather interior and spoiler. I havent had any problems with it. If you are the type of driver who likes to zig-zag in and out of traffic this car is not for you because the acceleration speed is moderate. I was a little disapointed with the gas mileage at first but I now put mid-grade gas to get better mileage and ride. The good really outweighs the bad. You cant have luxury expectations when driving a economy car! This car is doing just fine for me

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  I love my 2005 Suzuki Forenza Wagon EX - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By FGS - June 16 - 2:13 pm

  I bought this car for my daughter to drive to college in Tampa while living in Tampa. She put 150 miles of highway driving every day for four years. She graduated and gave it back to me after graduation with 102K miles. There were a couple of highway accidents, two recalls and all the required maintenance checks, but overall this car is outstanding for the price I paid. If it had Bluetooth technology, it would walk on water. I am convinced that this car could not do better for its price tag. Yes, theres that Air Bag light issue, but hey, nobodys perfect. I rate it five stars. Too bad they discontinued making it. It was a great little station wagon with all the comforts of a luxury sedan.

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  My 4th Suzuki...another winner - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
  By ric1000 - June 10 - 12:40 am

  As a long time Suzuki owner, I would have been disappointed at anything less than a great value. I was not. The 2006 Suzuki Forenza reminded me why I bought my 2nd and 3rd Suzukis (and now my 4th). It has an excellent price, excellent reliability, all in a beautiful package. I am sure that this is not my last Suzuki.

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  Best Value for Your Money - 2004 Suzuki Forenza
  By Mario - June 4 - 4:13 am

  This car is really great on gas. I have no complains. It has a lot of features for the price.