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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  a lot of car for a little money - 2004 Suzuki Forenza
  By peaceful bismillah - May 24 - 2:00 am

  Shockingly, this is a lot of car for $13,500. At first I was looking at the Verona, but I saw the Forenza in a brouchure. I loved its look better than its older brother and kept asking when it would be available. It just so happens that the first shipload came in the next week. So instead of buying the Verona, I saved a couple thousand and bought what I liked better. Now Im eagerly waiting for aftermarket products to personalize my Forenza.

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  Fun - 2004 Suzuki Forenza
  By Lots of Fun - May 18 - 10:00 am

  Enjoyable to drive, the LX comes with everything. Good buy for the money.

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  Dont Buy One - 2004 Suzuki Forenza
  By Sarah - April 18 - 12:20 pm

  This car was purchased primarily because of the cheap price & options. If only I had been wiser. It worked well for about the first 2 years. However, city MPG is usually 20 or less, which doesnt make much sense for a car of this size/class. Ive had numerous issues with the car alarm randomly sounding & the engine not turning over at all. At one point, it took over 30 attempts to turn the engine over. It was in the shop 5 times, yet the Suzuki dealer couldnt solve the problems. Go figure. The paint job is cheap & chips/scratches way too easily. Buyer beware: you can get a brand-new used Corolla for about the same price as a new Forenza. Get the Corolla, avoid the hassle.

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  Good Value - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
  By Karen - April 14 - 7:06 am

  I bought my 2006 Forenza as a 2nd car but in a week, it became my only car. I love this car. It is a great value for the money, looks good and is easy to drive. I wanted to buy an automatic but decided to stay with a stick since this is the only type of car I have owned. I choose to have leather interior installed and really think that I paid too much for my car. The gas mileage could be better but I was so glad to have a new car, it doesnt matter. My friends say that there is lots of leg room. This car rates high on my list as an economical investment for the money.

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  Chevy Optra = Forenza - 2004 Suzuki Forenza
  By GuyT - April 10 - 2:00 am

  After comparing all data the Chevy version of the Susuki Forenza ( Optra LS ) in Canada. The choice was easy. The most for the $: 1- Best Price for the fuly loaded. Sun roof Audio MP3 Mag Leather Fog light, electric mirrors Steering audio control, electric doors AC Automatic Trans 4 disc Break etc... With GM rebate $1000 loyal customer and 0% financing. Best price in town. 19,000.00 CANADIAN dollars 2- The ride: Quiet car on highway. Transmission feel as it is electric motor driven. Sussp like a mini Cadilac Break very well. 3- This not the best acceleration but is well enough for city driving.

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  Sporty Compact - 2007 Suzuki Forenza
  By boao2k2 - April 7 - 3:53 pm

  I just purchased my Forenza, and love the fact that its a 5-speed manual. I replaced the factory tires with the rims off my trade-in. Big leap for me from a 92 accord with 347,321 miles to a brand new Forenza with 54 miles. Love the car for the price. I looked into a newer model Honda (04,05,06) but they were just as pricey but without the warranty, so I chose the Forenza with the warranty. With the way I drive itll be 10 years before I hit 100,000 miles.

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  Buyer Beware!!!!! Cheap paid, cheap made - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
  By Alisha - March 30 - 5:20 pm

  I purchased my Suzuki in 2007. I have enjoyed the vehicle until just recently. I have started to have transmission problems and I have not even hit 50,000 miles yet!!! The only place that will touch it because of the "great" warrenty is 60 miles away. The Suzuki dealership told me to just drive it in and if it breaks down then I will have to pay for the cost of towing as the warrenty does not cover towing costs that far away. The dealership that sold it to me flat out lied to my face and said they work on Suzuki, but when asked today they said they meant giving oil changes and such. This will be my last Suzuki, next time Im going American and will save myself the stress and headache!

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  I Love My Suzuki - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By Stacie - March 28 - 3:56 am

  I love my Suzuki Forenza! The only issue I have is that I cant find the fun accessories for it...if anyone knows where I can get Euro tail lights (majority silver with little red- opposite of maufacture) Please let me know! Anyway...the Forenza is a perfect size that easily fits 5 people. I am glad I went with it and not a high name brand because the funny thing is...Ive only seen two other Forenzas around where I live and I live in a major tourist destination!

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  I Love Driving This Car - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
  By One Satisfied Custom - March 25 - 10:23 am

  The Forenza Wagon is a great driving experience. It handles well on highways and in street driving, has a great turning capability, and gets OK gas mileage (there are more fuel effiecient wagons out there). The exterior styling is great, it looks like an Italian import. For price and overall value, I could not be happier.

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  Best test-drive yet - 2004 Suzuki Forenza
  By Bazman - February 27 - 2:00 am

  I am still looking around, but from the three cars that I have test driven, Matrix, Elantra, and Forenza, the Forenza made it out ahead. I cant speak much for the fuel economy or reliability on this model personally, but I can say this: Forenza is roomy, handles well, great interiors, very nice exteriors, and a great price. Listen, the toyotas are nice, but their sales volume is not giving them much to work hard or be nice with me. The elantra may be a little cheaper but the Forenza handles well. I would definitely recommend buying this while it is costing less.