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:

• 

  My Forenza rocks! - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
  By SurlyMae - August 2 - 11:26 pm

  I love love love this car. It was obviously well taken care of by the previous owner, had 41k miles on it when purchased. Zero problems so far. I am 510" & it is roomy enough for me. Averages 27 mph, city driving. So fun to drive that I honestly drive more than I should.

• 

  So far So good - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By Forenza005 - July 15 - 8:20 pm

  I bought my 2005 Suzuki Forenza and the dealership failed to give me a car fax and tell me it had been in a tiny wreck prior to purchasing it. I have spent money on it for 60K tune up, cost me 2K, at least that and the tire rims well they bend easily and cost 150 bucks each and can only be purchased at the dealership. But its paid for and NO I will not buy another one. I want a Ford or a Honda next time. My car makes odd sounds and groans like I do when I have to go to work. But at 116K miles and going and the gas mileage is excellent 35+ on the highway, I will not give her up unless my little silver money drainer dies first.

• 

  Love this car - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
  By veaja - July 10 - 12:40 am

  We just got our Forenza wagon. We love it. It has room for our family. The stereo system is great. We travel on the weekends to ball tournaments and it hold all my sons ball stuff. Drive like a dream. It has lots of extras for not a lot of money. I would buy one all over again.

• 

  The Best car for your money - 2004 Suzuki Forenza
  By Matt Holbrook - June 30 - 10:00 am

  I have had the car less then a week so far but love driving it the engine is so quiet and at a stop just purrs I love the car and will recommend to anyone

• 

  Suzuki Costumer - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
  By proud costumer - June 29 - 7:10 pm

  This car has a lot of complaints and I dont think that they are necessary. Its a $13000 car, what do you expect, a tuned engine from BMW and Mercedes and Audi? This car is not built well but should last you a good 3 years. I dont like the gas mileage but it is a great upgrade from a 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee. 14mpg city 17mpg highway so I think it is a good car, even though it wont last you 10 years like a Camry. I would consider it if you are looking for a good used car.

• 

  Served us well - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By firstimebuyer - June 27 - 11:33 am

  We bought our Forenza new and have been driving it for 5 years. Its not as comfortable as our older bigger car but we expected that. Its always been reliable, no issues. Never noticed a problem with the power and I spend a lot of time on freeways. Dealerships keep selling out and we end up making a day trip to get checkups, warranty stinks - charge an arm and a leg just for normal stuff thank God nothings gone wrong.

• 

  So Far So Good! - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
  By Dean - June 24 - 6:30 pm

  I have 2,000 miles on my 2006 Forenza wagon with an auto transmission. Im 5 11", 265 lbs., and am VERY comfortable in this vehicle. Mag rims are a must; the standard rim / hubcap setup cheapens the look of an otherwise handsome vehicle. I am impressed by how quiet a ride the car has, and doing 80 mph happens without effort. The ride is comfortable, the stereo is supreme, and the warranty, safety features, and other standard features that come with the vehicle are an incredible value in comparison to other imports of its class. I have no complaints whatsoever. I am very happy so far with my purchase.

• 

  Hate this car! - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
  By tamip8400 - June 8 - 5:16 pm

  This car is junk! I havent had the car a yr and the door handles broke off, the key is constantly stuck in the ignition which runs the battery down, the gears wont shift at all, wont start in cold weather, terrible on tires! There are hundreds of people online with the exact problems and no recalls for any of it! BEWARE!

• 

  love to drive my Forenza - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
  By julie wisler - May 25 - 9:56 pm

  I enjoy the way it handles. Its great on gas and so much fun to drive. I had a truck so its a nice change, especially with the gas mileage it gets. Its very roomy, which I like because a lot of small cars dont have a lot of room. My husband is over 6 feet tall and hes very comfortable driving it and being a passenger.

• 

  Decent.... - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By MIke - May 24 - 3:40 pm

  This car is very fuel efficient. I can usually get almost 400 hundred miles on a full tank of gas. The engine is a little rough, but its only a 4 cyclinder so that is expected.