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 81 through 90 of 426.00-
... - 2007 Suzuki Forenza
By D - January 12 - 1:26 pmI bought this car new over 2 years ago, have 61K miles on it. its a base model with a manual trans. only problem i have had was bent rims, and check engine light for throttle sensor (unplugged and replugged sensor and was fixed). I get 28-30 MPG on average. I havent had any real troubles, dont have any real complaints on my car except for dealers (all suzuki dealers are nightmares) the interior is not great but havent had anything brake, transmission isnt great but dose its job just fine. never had an engine problem, or any of the problems most other people seem to have and i tend to abuse my car.
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This car is garbage - 2007 Suzuki Forenza
By Ray Rivera - January 1 - 12:53 amI have had this car for two years and i have had nothing but bad things to say about it ever since. It was labeled as getting 31 MPG highway, estimated. It gets 24 MPG highway. With the fuel costs over the past couple years, it almost killed me to drive this car. I had to fill up about every 3 days to get back and forth to work. The inside passenger door handle broke off in my wifes hand a few weeks back. High quality plastic that stuff is. Now the break pedal gets stuck and makes my taillight stay on and drained my battery the other night. The fans inside the engine well came loose when 3 of the four bolts fell out, now the hood release wont work either and I cant keep my hood closed. JUNK!
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goodcar - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
By duggylee - December 29 - 8:13 amgood car for the money that i paid for the car i am very happy and my wife is also happy with are car
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Edmunds, get your facts straight - 2007 Suzuki Forenza
By kingston4 - December 21 - 5:52 pmI bought this car back in APR 2012 with 61K miles. Ive now got 81K miles on it and Im lucky enough to have 2 relatively close Suzuki dealerships that still honor the original warranty on it. Edmunds says this car has 127HP, no, it has 137hp. Edmunds says this vehicle has a loose handling system, NO, it has a McPhereson (one of the best) strut system up front, and multi-link in the rear with SSPS, being a test/pro driver for 2 years I find this suits the FF layout of this vehicle perfectly. Edmunds states all these strange facts yet they have no road test review, nor do they have any proof that anyone even drove the thing!
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I tired of it - 2007 Suzuki Forenza
By jody - December 19 - 12:23 amDoor handles broke off, needs constant tire balance, rotation, alignments. Interior lights quit working, passenger seat airbag sensor quit working. Cig lighter quit working. Car is only 3 yrs old (Dec 2007 purchase date). Been through more tire and alignments in 3 yrs than I did in 10 yrs on my Chevy 1500 used to pull horse trailers and hauling hay and driving dirt road looking for a camping spot.
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What a Big Surprise in such a little Car - 2008 Suzuki Forenza
By What a Surprise - December 3 - 9:40 amThe car performs well, and is quite comfortable - even for my 61", 250 lb son behind the wheel. His girlfriend is 59", neither of them could fit well in my Sebring. Acceleration is impressive for such a small car, and with the italian styling, Ive had people ask me what type of car Im driving. With a 100k 7 year warranty, I know I can drive this car for years without a worry. Its definitely worth consideration.
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Just bought! - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
By KillerInstinct - November 25 - 5:13 amWe needed a small car with some features for the son, and we found it to be an attractive vehicle. The Verona looks good. It doesnt have too much horsepower, but it has a nice body style and its good on gas. The premium package has a power sunroof, alloy wheels, fog lights and remote keyless entry. Plus a big trunk for storage. If youre lookin for ecomony, this is the car, if youre lookin for power, this isnt the car. The 3yr/36,000 mile bumper to bumper and 7yr/100,000 mile powertrain warranty are great. Its an affordable car, good for first time buyers that cant really afford a whole lot. The dealership offers free tires for life. The was kinda the kicker! ) Enjoy your new car.
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great - 2004 Suzuki Forenza
By CBB - November 4 - 10:00 amrides great and is a solid car, great value for money
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Car is fair. - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
By wayne6372 - November 4 - 7:21 amThis is a nice car but parts are more expensive then usual.Has some major issues under passangers side dash that need fixing.Gas milage is very poor for a 4cyl
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Great Car - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
By MissPinUp - September 28 - 2:06 pmIve had my Suzuki for 3 years so far. I havent had one problem with it. I get it serviced when it needs to, no problems. I get 34-37 mpg
