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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  buy a better car - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
  By 2006 forenza - May 25 - 1:43 am

  Too many problems. First thing, door handles fell off, second, the power steering pump went out, third had four flat tires within a year, steering sensor stays on all the time, air bag sensor on all the time, now I need four new struts on a less than four year old car, it has no power it definitely is a lemon warranty doesnt cover anything and no help from the dealership run away fast

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  CLASS ACTION PLEASE - 2007 Suzuki Forenza
  By npowers - May 11 - 10:05 am

  I bot my 2007 Suzuki Forenza in 2009 it had 30,000 miles. I have had constant and continual problems, paint chipping, transmission, oxygen sensor, computer, oil gasket, oil leaking all fluids, mostly continual check engine light for various reasons one after another not even dealership can fix. I have pretty much each and every problem mentioned on other reviews. I have spend numberous amounts of money, time, missed work and tears... Why has there been no recalls or class actions suits. car in shop now after $1,700 in the last 3 months. Wont pass inspection and noone can fix. I am still paying of my loan.. so sad.

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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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  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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  DO NOT buy this car - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
  By rrowlan6 - September 22 - 12:07 am

  My dad bought this car in 2007 as a temporary commuter vehicle for my mother after she blew up our Ford Taurus. This car has been an absolute nightmare from the start. Shortly after purchasing we ran into some financial troubles (as everyone did) and ended up paying the loan off and now own the car outright. We have put more than $18,000 in this car over the last 7 or 8 years and every time something is fixed, something else blows up. Normal wear and tear on a vehicle are understandable, but we had it in the shop every 3 months at least. Not to mention everything that went wrong with it was a safety issue.

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  Will never buy a Suzuki again! - 2007 Suzuki Forenza
  By Jennifer - July 23 - 12:53 pm

  We have had so many problems with this car brand new no miles plastic still on seats when purchased we run the car easy and we have had replaced the tires and an alignment many times and now currently the alignment and struts are bad and we had the car in the shop with $1200 worth of work a couple months ago and still having the same problems over and over again! Have the seat belt recall problem air bag sensors keep messing up and the cars alignment and going through tires is a major issue! I do not recommend buying this car and I will never purchase a Suzuki again!

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  Would I buy a Forenza again? - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By GW Morten - May 4 - 5:33 am

  As I take the Forenza to the shop AGAIN, I ask myself if I would buy this one again. No. Not likely. This car has cost us more in the time we have owned it (purchased new) than any other we own or have owned. MPG says 21-22. Have RARELY gotten 20 (more often 16-18). DONT try to drive in slippery conditions (rain or ice), because you will likely need to be pushed out of the way. I have had equivalent Toyotas in the past, and NEVER had a question about use in winter. Not so, the Forenza. Also, tires are NON-STD size ($$), 7yr/100k warranty is severely limited. It drives ok, but would I get another Suzuki product based on our experience? Sadly, and very disappointedly, No.

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  mad as hell - 2007 Suzuki Forenza
  By clarissa - March 22 - 3:26 pm

  as of 10/19/09 I have taken this vehicle to the dealer at least 6 times. it lights up like a christmas tree inside the dash board. check engine light, steering wheel, tire monitor all stay lit up and dealer cant seem to find the problem. I quess what they say, you pay for what you get is true, the forenza is cheap and is not worth the aggravation that comes with this car. I would not advise anyone to purchase this car, or you will be mad as hell the way that I am.