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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  My first foreign car! - 2008 Suzuki Forenza
  By s.d. - January 29 - 10:00 pm

  Hey, this is my first foreign car. I was drawn in to the show room for the price advertised. I traded in a 2004 pontiac sunfire. I can tell you, after driving a mitsibishi at work, american cars stink. This car is alot like the mit,and I really like it. The gas milage is fine, pleny of room in car and trunk, rides smooth, I have no problem at all with the acceleration. Not used to the zig zag on the stick, but Im ok with it now.Great lights inside, no way to lock yourself out,latch for gas cap,soft interior,MP3 is great,stereo sounds awesome,did not like the 100.00 for mats,tight over bumps, would have liked nicer rims, power windows are super fast, has the lock for window control,heated mirrors

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  Alot for your money. - 2004 Suzuki Forenza
  By Coyote2004 - January 17 - 10:00 am

  I recently purchased a Suzuki Froenza after looking at other vehicles. I was impressed with all the standard options and the warranty. This vehicle has road side assistance and comes with a rental if it is to be in service for more than 24hrs. This is a plus when you need a vehilce to get around everyday. The standard options are so great to list i would run out of room.

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  Adaptive Transmission Malfunction - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By Mr. Martin - January 12 - 1:23 pm

  Avoid this car at all costs. The bugs in the adaptive transmission software isnt worked out. This results in hard shifting and the car looking for the right gear. This car is a safety hazard waitng to happen.The dealer has trouble getting parts!

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  Wow! What a GREAT CAR!! - 2004 Suzuki Forenza
  By RCrowell - January 12 - 10:00 am

  Just purchased my new Forenza and so far I love it! Lots of fun to drive and lots of great features. I traded in a 99 Acura 3.0 CL. I can honestly say I like the Forenza as much or better. Took it on a 400 mile trip 2 days after I bought it. Very comfortable and lots of fun. I almost hate to pull into the driveway and get out of it.

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  Fantasy Black Metallic - 2008 Suzuki Forenza
  By Tony - January 7 - 12:30 pm

  I have just the basic model of the Forenza, but if you would just look at it you would not be able to tell. My car has chrome wheels on it and the rear spoiler. If you have a Forenza add the spoiler it will make your car look even better. I love my Forenza(Lucy), but having a car like mine you will get a lot of people who are hate on it. My car handles very well in heavy rain (change out the wipers and get the new air dynamic ones they work way better than the ones that come on the car). Why go get a basic Toyota or Honda with crank down windows when you can get a Forenza for about the same price and get all power stuff.

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  2005 Suzuki Forenza S - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By sam culp - December 26 - 6:06 am

  The 2005 Suzuki Forenza S is a solid car, it has good handling, nice interior features, which are unexpected at this price. It beat Hondas price by $6,000. It is fun to drive, but most importantly, it does not rattle or creak. The engine is set back from the front of the engine compartment, so there is less damage to the engine in the event of an accident. This car is a good value!

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  poor value - 2007 Suzuki Forenza
  By chatpaltam - December 22 - 6:14 am

  bought brand new 2007 in march of 2008. the air condition sucks. the dealer even recharged it Its garage kept. I dont drive in snow and ice Ive yet to pay this car off , and there is surface rust on the roof and door. the paint job is very poor. the very first time i took it to a auto car wash, swirl marks got all over it. now I always hand wash . the gate is heavy hard to open and close. this car has no cruise control. i assumed was on all cars now. that would have been a deal breaker. its tiring to drive when on trips longer than 45 min. stiff petal. road noise is loud, the radio has to be turned up the tailgate latch twice screwed up. uncomfortable seats

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  not impressed - 2004 Suzuki Forenza
  By sad owner - December 11 - 7:13 pm

  I had a 100,000 mile or 7 year warranty. Right after 100,00 miles everything broke! I have to get new struts on all 4 wheels, new wheel bearings, the electrical is bad and the cigarette lighter is broken, Its going to cost thousands to repair, and of course not under warranty anymore.

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  Gas Milage is Horriable - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By brad - November 29 - 12:36 pm

  I bought a 2005 Suzuki Forenza S. There are many things that I like about the car. The great warranty is nice to have and its standard features are nice, most base line cars do not have a CD player or steering wheel stereo controls. The main thing that I am not happy with is the gas milage. I only get about 24-25 which is horriable and thats with babying it. I think that the main reason is the engine is overworked so it needs to use more gas to get it going. I have a 2002 Mazda Protege and driving that pretty hard gets about 30 mpg.

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  Good Inexpensive vehicle - 2007 Suzuki Forenza
  By pops - November 29 - 12:16 pm

  I have read reviews detailing problems with starting, fuel economy etc.. This has not been the case for me. Fuel economy is better than EPA est. and the car has been very reliable and comfortable. One of the best cars I have ever purchased. The fit an finish of the car are excellent.