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 341 through 350 of 426.00-
Great Car - 2004 Suzuki Forenza
By Jim Dolbare - December 26 - 10:23 amI bought this car because it looks good and the warranty is great, and when we test drove it we like the how it drove. After 43,000 miles, we can say it has been very dependable and caused us no problems. This one is going to our daughter next year for school and we will likely buy another for the wife.
-
Good bang for the buck! - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
By Ken - November 24 - 6:26 amIt has the style and standard features of cars costing 3 or 4 thousand dollars more. Very comfortable ride for this size of car. This is my first foreign built car and am well pleased.
-
A Sleeper thats a Flat-out Steal! - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
By SmallWagonDriver - November 24 - 3:46 amWe absolutely love this car! And I hate cars (wheres those jet-packs that those futurists said wed have by now?). Anyway, after extensive internet research, my wife and I decided this was it (first ever new one). It looks great, drives great, feels great, and it didnt break the bank. Though its only got 30,000 miles on it, it has not let us down once nor has it been in a shop except to get oil and tires changed. It has plenty of room (hauls an upright bass just fine), has great safety features, has a decent stereo., and has plenty of power. Its a superb, solid highway cruiser! Folks, if you want an inexpensive wagon that sure doesnt look and feel like one, the Forenza is it!
-
Excelent Economic Car - 2004 Suzuki Forenza
By Josi - November 23 - 2:00 amExcelent Car for Price, nice design, very good futures and powered in manual transmission..
-
Transmission - 2007 Suzuki Forenza
By unhappy with car - November 22 - 12:33 pmSo, bought the car in Aug 2007, first month it was in shop 3 times for a vibration/shake. They finally after first aligning, rotating and balancing tires, then supposedly replaced tires because they claimed there were flat spots figured out it was bent wheel axles!! Then again in the shop 3 weeks ago as the engine seemed to have a strain on it and then wouldnt drive. They claimed it was the sensor in the transmission, then got it from the dealer and that same day they had to have it towed as it would not shift into gear at all!! They told me they replaced the shifter cables. On the first time into the shop for the transmission they told me the radiator was never bolted into the car!!
-
Satisfy buyer - 2004 Suzuki Forenza
By Janet Peeler - November 18 - 10:00 amI brought this car without even test driving it.I really wanted a Toyato Camry but the Forenza was a better buy for the money and monthly payments. I just want know whats the best gasoline. Book says 87 or 89. I use 93 in my 1989 Corsica.From day one thats what I used. Dealership put 87 in my Forenza. Im in question about this.
-
Wonderful Purchase - 2004 Suzuki Forenza
By Mkoz777 - November 18 - 10:00 amObviously a consumer may get turned off by the fact that Suzuki is not really known for sedan cars, but this car is wonderful. The fuel economy isnt too bad, and the amount of features that are packed in the car make it worthwhile. I can not find very much wrong with something for such a good price.
-
Alot of car for the money! - 2004 Suzuki Forenza
By forenza in NC - November 13 - 10:00 amWell just got this new forenza this past thursday....and Im loving it. Its alot of car for the money, love the 8 speaker system and the radio controls on the steering wheel. Its a nice riding car! Im enjoying driving it alot!
-
Hunk of Junk - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
By Pat Hillyer - October 27 - 6:30 pmIt has ten thousand miles. It started not starting correctly at 4 thousand. At ten thousand just quit entirely. They put in nes software. That lasted one day. Then it would not start again.It has been the shop a week and while I am paying $300 a month---I can ride the bus. Would I buy another? No. Would I take another as a gift--doubt it. The only good thing is the guarantee Te rest is a hunk of junk
-
Great Car for the Money - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
By mike - September 27 - 7:00 pmI love this car. I got it dressed out for $13,300. It is a well thought out car that looks great and I havent had anything go bad.
