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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Great car for the price - 2004 Suzuki Forenza
By kentan - August 12 - 2:00 amThis is a great car to buy for a first time buyer.It has a lot of great features like power windows,locks,it has a CD changer and cassette,controls for the radio on the stearing wear.I also like the brake pad on all 4 wheels instead of drums on the back.I handles great.I would buy another one in the future.
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Ive had no problems... - 2007 Suzuki Forenza
By liljohn32 - August 6 - 3:37 pmIm sorry to the people that have had bad luck with this car, but I cant say the same thing. My wife and I bought our car in 2007 and it has about 95000 miles on it now. We have had to replace the tires twice and two of the indoor door handles broke off, but that wasnt the cars fault, that was stupid peoples faults. We just had to put it in the shop and have to have a sensor replaced on the transmission, but besides that, it hasnt given us any problems.
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Dont purchase - 2007 Suzuki Forenza
By dwebb28 - August 1 - 6:36 pmTransmission knocks when it is put in drive (just not when at the dealership), inside door handles break off, my valve cover gasket was leaking, my hood keeps popping open when driving, I keep going through tires after numerous alignments and rotations, and during an oil change when the vehicle was coming down off the lift the struts magically failed. Not a very impressive car. I do not recommend buying this car. Biggest mistake that I have made, should have spent a little more money on a Honda
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This car has been great! - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
By Emily - July 6 - 2:00 pmI own the base model manual 5 speed when I bought it I compared most cars in its class. I found the brakes and airbags seemed to be extra on all the other cars. I needed a good reliable car to take me around the Western US. I am not technical or know much about cars but I think I did great for the cost, quality and warranty.
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unhappy with car - 2007 Suzuki Forenza
By unhappy customer - June 3 - 6:40 amOk, so continuing from back in Sept, my car went back in again to the dealer for a 3rd time replacing the transmission sensor for a second time on 10/12/09 and also had a drivers seat ordered as the lumbar is broken. Well to date, no call yet that the seat is in and we are now in December and the car still rides like it has a hesitation. Suzuki rep has decided not to return calls as well. Its no wonder they stopped making this car. They are nothing but junk!! Transmission should have been changed according to other mechanics, but Suzuki doesnt want to honor the warranties!! Rip offs!!
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Fun commute - 2004 Suzuki Forenza
By Randal K. Smith - May 14 - 10:00 amAn easy to drive, well handling car. Contrary to what Ive read, the engine has plenty of pep. So far Im averaging 29 mpg on mostly rural/in town driving.
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WOW - 2004 Suzuki Forenza
By cece331 - May 14 - 10:00 amGreat car. More upscale features than you would expect for the sticker price. Great warranty.
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Suzuki...if only! - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
By kungfuking - May 11 - 4:35 pmThis car is made by 3 (thats right 3) different motor companies. This vehicle is part Suzuki, part Daewoo and part Cheverolet....all LEMON. Dont believe me look under the hood you will see American and Asian parts put together attempting to work in harmony with each other. If you need a cheap car dont look here the maintenance is just too much.
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Awesome! - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
By Marty Charette - May 7 - 2:50 pmI just bought this beautiful car and I love it! I havent had it for long, so I cant say much, but I am so far satisfied! But what does that hold button do next to the shifter?
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DOOR Handles - 2007 Suzuki Forenza
By Door Handles - April 18 - 4:53 pmIve had my 2007 Forenza for a year now, it runs good and gets good gas milage but 2 of my door handles have allready broken off and i treat my car very good, both broke on the inside of the car, i think that this is a defect in the materials. whats the chance of breaking off two of them?
