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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  Beware! - It May Not Start - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
  By ShenValleyGirl - February 13 - 7:40 am

  If you’re considering buying a Suzuki Forenza, test drive it more than once. “Beware” of the Intermittent "no start" problems occurring on many 2006 models. The A/C output is not good nor is the acceleration. If you’re 5’8" or taller, you may find it’s a bit difficult to get in and out of, especially when wearing high heels. I bought mine in late May, had it all of 7 days and190 miles before the “no start” problem occurred. In fact, it happened two days in a row. I took it back to the dealership (35 miles from my home) for diagnosis and repair after the second incident. I thought the first one was just a fluke. It was there 7 days. I have it back now and the engine revs high and idles rough every morning.

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  Loaded with fun - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
  By bErTo - January 30 - 11:56 pm

  After comparison shopping, the 2006 Suzuki Forenza Premium w/ABS was my pick. It has a lot of headroom for my 6 body, loads of standard features, and a nice ride for an ecomonomy car. The expensive looking exterior and interior add a touch of class that make you wonder if you are driving an economy car. I love to drive it and recieve many compliments.

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  I love this car! - 2007 Suzuki Forenza
  By H - January 29 - 6:13 pm

  Very fun to drive - zippy, handles well, good pick up, small turn radius, parks easily. Great entry-level vehicle. Only disappointment has been gas mileage. I expected low 30s combined city/hwy, but getting only mid/high 20s. Bought mine brand new - last one on the lot, I have almost 18,000 miles on it - its been great. Kids can get in and out easily, huge trunk fits baseball and lacrosse bags easily. Drives Colorado mountains with ease. Radio/CD player is OK - its whats expected in this type of vehicle. Comfort is average. Although I sprayed Scotchguard on the interior myself, interior cleans up easily.

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  Great Car - 2004 Suzuki Forenza
  By Dmoore - January 26 - 1:16 pm

  I thought I would give the Forenza a shot when I bought it. The stereo was good and was the most comfortable out of all the cars I test drove. This is my work vehicle so comfort is important. I have over 106K miles and the only thing I replaced is the brake switch. It took two days to get from the dealership and cost me $15.00. I replaced myself in their parking lot. It is not a luxury car but it has definately met my needs. It will run for another 100K miles.

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  Bad mpg - 2007 Suzuki Forenza
  By justonemike - January 20 - 9:56 pm

  Ive driven the Forenza now for 6000 miles and the mpg on it the last 3 months has been awful. 12mpg 3 tankfulls in a row(unacceptable) and thats city driving. Summer highway driving was ok (27-29) but if I were to buy it again I would get a manual tranny. Ive read it does better on the mpg. Other than that cars been ok. Power is enough for my needs. Just one issue with an engine light had it checked when I went for oil change.

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  Good car, low price for options provided - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
  By hoogie - January 3 - 1:56 pm

  This has been a reasonable economy car for the money. I did experience an occassional unnerving vibration until the tires broke in. Both headlights went out at the exact same time at 20,000 miles. Replaced those with no more problems. The car is an econobox so dont expect Honda/Toyota handling and performance. The features are good but dont expect to easily fit and aftermarket stereo or speakers in the car. It was a pain, trust me. Overall you get what you pay for.

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  Worst car Ive ever owned - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
  By jerushah - January 1 - 12:32 am

  I bought the car new from the dealer and have had problems with it from day one. The interior handles broke off, it rattles, jerks when put into reverse, check engine light comes on all the time, dents easily, paint started coming off within a week, have had to put over $1500 into repairs, and now I have to pump the accelerator to get the thing to start. I will never buy another product from them. The car is total junk and should be recalled.

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  Never Again - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By Very Unhappy - December 29 - 11:46 am

  This vehicle has been a problem from the first month of purchase. First it would jut die while driving, then it idled all over the place, transmission (automatic) is rough and jumps a bit coming out of 2nd gear. And now the engine began making alot of noise so I took it in and the repairs are not being covered by that oh so wonderful warranty. I have been told three different causes for this trouble from the samw dealership mechanic. I dont believe they know what they are doing there. I will never own another suzuki again! Poor quality and poor customer service!

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  Not an Econo Auto - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By Cliff Ray - December 23 - 12:53 am

  The Forenza is not a bad car. However the gas mileage is not good. In the city the best I was able to get was 15 MPG.

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  I Love My Suzuki - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By gigindaut - November 19 - 1:06 am

  The Forenza has plenty of power, awesome stopping ability, and a great suspension.