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:
Showing 331 through 340 of 426.00-
EXCELLENT VALUE - 2004 Suzuki Forenza
By ANDEC - March 26 - 10:00 amI bought this car after I looked at civics, elantras and sentras and believe me for the money, the warranty and the features you just can not beat my forenza, I Love It....
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This Car has been Good to Me - 2007 Suzuki Forenza
By Kerry - March 22 - 7:36 pmYes, this is a cheap car, but I paid a cheap price. I got what I paid for. Never a break down, always reliable, NO problems at all and I have driven this car hard since Nov 2006 when I bought brand new. I didnt know there was a recall on seat belts, was not notified. Guess I should check on that. I have never had one single problem. Not sure why everyone else is.
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Great car - 2007 Suzuki Forenza
By john - February 28 - 2:36 pmI have a 2007 Forenza With 28000 miles on it. It gets great gas mileage 32 -35 miles a gallon on the road 26-30 in the city. Plenty of power and except for a warranty alternator that went bad the first day I bought it no problems. Great car. Would buy another if they still had them .
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Things that go wrong - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
By Forezna - February 18 - 11:13 amI have my Forenza for 3 years with no problems. Until now in the last 6 weeks I have replaced my battery ($100.00), emc chip ($1200.00). A transmission chip ($1200.00) brakes router redone ($277.00) all 4 struts ($1154.00). And transmission assembly ($280.00)-- I have never had a car with so much problems in such a short time Spam -- I am getting rid of the car and never going back to it. I thought it was a nice car -- I have 50,128 miles on it -- its only 4 years old! I can understand the brakes and maybe the battery but not the others this early in the life of the car. Most people dont have this kind of money to spend on their car. It took all my savings I am getting a new car asap!
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Transmission Range Sensor - 2007 Suzuki Forenza
By qwooten4u2c - February 16 - 6:23 amNot all to bad of a vehicle, but it has numerous write-ups of transmission issues. My wifes Forenza has the check engine light on now. The code presented were PO700and PO705 (Transmission Range Sensor) This part is dealer only and cost $50-$60. Getting it fixed at the dealer would have cost us about $300-$400. $60 part, thirty minute change time, $400 cost. Yeah right! Did it myself.
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I LOVE THIS CAR! - 2004 Suzuki Forenza
By choco - February 11 - 10:00 amI just love this car. I had a Hyundai before this and I did not like it from Day 1. This car is a great looking car, fun to drive and pretty good on gas. There is nothing I dislike about it.
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Great first car - 2004 Suzuki Forenza
By NIUman - February 7 - 10:00 amI really like this car. It is fun and easy to drive. I do not like the gas milage, but I guess that expected when I drive 80 miles a day. $20.00 a tank every four or five days is pricy, but the overall price of the car is unbeatable. It is not much more than to buy a quality used car. Great car, I would definatly buy another.
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Loved my Forenza (yes LOVED) - 2004 Suzuki Forenza
By DF - January 14 - 1:30 amI bought my Forenza new and have had little problems with it. Replaced the headlights within two years and just recently one taillight. The reason I say loved, is that I totalled it this past weekend. I was involved in an accident and the whole front end of the car whas demolished. Yes this is good news, the whole passenger compartment was fine. The officer said he was amazed that the four of us walked away. Ive heard good things about Suzukis safety and now I can say that they are true.
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Forenza EX - 2004 Suzuki Forenza
By JayPol - December 31 - 10:00 amOverall, a great car for the $$. No problems so far. I wish the vehicle came in V6, it needs a little more pep. The radio is great w/ controls on steering wheel. Leather interior is very comfortable. It could also be a little better on gas. Great buy for the money.
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nice car - 2004 Suzuki Forenza
By Dookie7777 - December 31 - 10:00 amI just bought one, and im about to put 18" chrome wheels and ultra thin tires on it. im also installin 2x 10" subs and ill be tinting the windows... its gonna be sweet
