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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  Car is fair. - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By wayne6372 - November 4 - 7:21 am

  This 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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  Hmmm... - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
  By hazeleyes1918 - August 17 - 10:10 pm

  I have only had this car for a couple months. 2 days after purchase it didnt want to start. They fixed the problem. There was a recall with the programming. Also when coming to a stop the brakes act funny. They almost give out like there is air in the line. They didnt check it, they just replaced the brake master cylinder. Also it sounds like my left rear brake sensor is chirping. Gotta take it in again. And my lumbar support on the driver seat broke. They had to replace that as well. I love the car but this is ridiculous! There is just over 16K miles on it and it is acting up already!

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  headaches! - 2004 Suzuki Forenza
  By HEADACHE - August 12 - 4:46 am

  I was so excited when i first bought this car. it was my first brand new car and i was excited that i got such a great price...unfortunately all that changed 2 years into owning it. the check engine light had been an on going problem since the beginning. multiple small problems arose in between then and now. the pickup in the car when accelerating is very slow. as for the last 2months. i have had the car in the shop more than ive had it at home. it has not been able to pass inspection for the THIRD time. lets see its had, a head gasket replaced, antifreeze leak fixed, serpentine belt replace 2x, new thermostat 2x, new pcm ,still not fixed now. buyer beware!

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  Do Not Buy! - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
  By onesorrysuzukiowner - June 26 - 6:03 pm

  Living on a tight budget and needing a new car, I selected the 2006 Suzuki Forenza. I bought this car new with only 63 miles on it. After owning it for three days I have had rough idling / no start problems, the engine intermittingly trying to die while driving, and warning lights that appear then disappear. Please think twice before buying this car. I have had to get spark plugs and my new cars computer replaced only now to find out there is a glitch in the software program that downloads data into the cars computer. The company says that there is no fix for my car yet I have had to be the one to DEMAND a refund. I have had to get a rental and pay for their costly insurance . This car is no value for the money. Please be wary of this car!

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  Keep the Gas Stations in view - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By Steve - May 5 - 9:40 pm

  Nice package with all the LX or EX models. In a real city , Chicago, with the 4 speed auto trans, keep your wallet and gas stations in view. Gas mileage miserable at 13.5 to 14.5 mpg. This is a real shame for otherwise a nice vehicle and what could have been an excellent value. Forenza Wagon LX with 4 speed auto and 4 wheel abs.

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  Keep the Gas Stations in view - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By Steve - May 5 - 6:20 pm

  Nice package with all the LX or EX models. In a real city , Chicago, with the 4 speed auto trans, keep your wallet and gas stations in view. Gas mileage miserable at 13.5 to 14.5 mpg. This is a real shame for otherwise a nice vehicle and what could have been an excellent value. Forenza Wagon LX with 4 speed auto and 4 wheel abs.

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  Lots of engine noise, very low power - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By Bill Pearson - April 26 - 6:13 am

  Severly lacking in power. Lousy gas milage for a car of this size. My 2001 Lincoln Town Car gets as good or better gas milage in town & on the hwy. This car is somewhat unstable on the road. It gets blown around by trucks. Seems to veer a little for no apparent reason. Pulls to right on initial acceleration. No longer own this pigeon.

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  Only gas saves this car - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
  By M - December 5 - 6:06 pm

  This owner not satisfied with his purchase at all. At best the car is mediocre. Great gas mileage and a decent stock stereo makes this car tolerable.

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  Learning to Like - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
  By not decided - December 5 - 12:00 am

  I went from a luxury Toyota to an economy Suzuki. Except for power seats and a premium stereo I have the same features. The ride is adequate. My insurance is cheaper. The warranty is great. Its an inexpensive car with a lot of the little options that we have come to want. It has tons of storage, and I had an SUV before.

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  Bad Tranny, Shocks, & Gas Mileage, but Good Looks - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By Kate2Dance - July 10 - 2:40 am

  I bought this car to commute to work and got decent gas mileage on highway, but horrible in town mileage of less than 20 MPG. At less than 30,000 miles, the transmission went bad and the rear shocks are knocking and rattling! Note this car was purchased to commute to work via a one hour drive on the interstate, so most of its mileage is highway! With a bad tranny and rear shocks at under 30,000 miles (most of which were highway) and very poor in town gas mileage, youre better off buying something else! Im buying a Honda next time, or anything else, for that matter!