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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  forenza rocks =) - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
  By forenzalovr - April 30 - 10:36 am

  I have owned the car for 2 weeks and it has 30,000 miles on it. It has no problems, no not starting issues, or any other issues. It rides and drives great, it is very comfortable, you do not feel like you are squished in a compact car. Looks great, i have the summit white paint color. Love the interior design and feel, looks above and beyond what you would expect. Everyone throws down on this car, I dont know why, its a great car, if you treat your car the way it should be treated, it will work just fine! With 30,000 miles on it, i am pretty sure i would have experienced a problem if there is any by now.

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  Cant go wrong - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
  By Chuck Scott - April 15 - 1:13 pm

  This is the best car on the market for the price, if you want a no-frills, compact sedan. I dont mind shifting, so the 5-speed gearbox is fine for me. The downside to opting for a small, light vehicle is that you dont have the comfort or heft of a larger sedan. Consequently, it can get a little uncomfortable on a road trip. But for local trips this makes a good second car. My only criticism is that the flow of air from the heater to the floor is insufficient. I had this checked out by the dealer, and was told that everything is operating normally. Although gas mileage could be better, I am very satisfied with the quality of workmanship, performance and reliability of this vehicle.

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  Nice, but work on MPG - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By brad - April 13 - 12:53 am

  I bought the 2005 Suzuki Forenza S. I think the main reason I bought this car was because of the 100,000 mile warrranty with full transfer to the next buyer. The gas mileage on mine around town and a little freeway is about 25-27 mpg in Utah. My 2002 protege gets about 29 avg. so they need to work on that. The car has very good standard features that most base models do not come with. Mine is having some issues with the air bag sensor and some dashboard noise while diving. All and all, this is a great car for the price!

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  Airbag Issue? - 2008 Suzuki Forenza
  By denise_from_sc - April 8 - 3:56 am

  Our Suzuki was totaled out after an older Ford Explored hit the driver side on March 19th of this year. None of the airbags deployed. I loved my car. I doubt I will ever buy another just for that fact. A co-worker has an 07 Forenza...was hit by a deer...twice, within a a few months of each other. Practically the same spot on car, and location within her community; and neither time did the airbags deploy. How can you trust a car that isnt protecting you?!

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  Bang for your Buck - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By Chris - April 7 - 3:40 am

  Great price on a well built sedan. We were reluctant at first even consider a Suzuki, but after taking it on a long road trip, we were pleasantly suprised about how well it handled, gas mileage, and its smooth ride. The only drawback is the lack of cruise control. By far, you get a lot of car for your money. Very satisified with this purchase.

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  Baby Bert - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By Doug - April 2 - 4:43 pm

  Excellent little car to drive and fun too. Ive only found one drawback to the car, when driving,if your passenger who is sitting in the front seat happens to raise up off the seat for a few seconds, the air bag will turn off. This little design flaw could be fatal if the air bag sensor does not reset itself properly. My Forenza only resets when the car is turned off and then restarted.

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  A Lot Of Car For The Money - 2004 Suzuki Forenza
  By regulatorone - April 1 - 7:40 pm

  My fiance and I were in the market for a new car when we stumbled across the Forenza. We began to research it and others in its class. We were amazed at how many standard features came with the S! No matter which car was compared (again, in its class) with the Forenza, time and again the Suzuki won hands down. Its a sprightly little car thats fun to drive. Really. Even with the auto. This will be our first car together and our first Suzuki. Needless to say, we bought the S and cant believe how much we saved over the competitors!

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  So unreliable it is scary - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
  By Jessica - March 22 - 3:23 am

  I bought the car a little over a month ago. About two to three weeks after I bought the car, I went into the store for groceries and came back out to have the car not start at all. When I turned the key, the car didnt even make a sound like it was trying to turn over. Had to get car jumped. Bought new battery thinking that was the problem. Hours later I went out for something and it did it again. Had car into dealership the next day and they couldnt figure out what was wrong with it. I traded in a Ford Escort for this. I miss my old car. I drive with a jump box now and have to use it to start the car sometimes. Im scared Ill get stranded somewhere.

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  Forenza- the first year - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By 4986er - February 13 - 3:10 pm

  I got my Forenza on June 20, 2004, and I have absolutely loved every minute of owning it. I have noticed some minor things that could use improvements, including the air conditioning, the brakes, and my stereo, which seems to have a delay when I play CDs. The fuel definitely has taken a chunk out of my pocket change,because the gas milage isnt that good.

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  A car you love to drive - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By Robbey Bagwell - February 12 - 8:36 am

  I just love the five speed manual transmission, it really takes the corners like a sports car, when you down shift too third gear and then up to fourth gear arounding the corner. I have been truly happy the car all around. Im a big guy about 280 pounds and dont have any trouble with getting in and out.