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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  Lasted 260K miles. - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By JofNoho - February 21 - 4:13 pm

  I averaged 50K miles a year since I bought this car brand new. No problems until I had to replace the lifters at 110K, not bad. Suzuki recommends timing belt replacement at 60K but I pushed it to 100K and then 200K. It ran great to 260K, it proved to be extremely reliable. There were a few electrical problems, the passengers air bag light came on pretty early on and the headlight switch shorted out at about 150k. Also, suzuki charges a lot for parts and the two mechanics I took it to knew nothing about these cars. Other than that, it was a surprisingly durable car that got me back and forth from work for almost 5 years.

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  Warranty not good enough - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By Allen Holloway - February 15 - 3:53 pm

  I bought the car new in 05 and didnt have any trouble the first year. In the last 12 months, Ive replaced the exhaust system due to catalytic converter failure and the entire a/c system which isnt covered under the 100,000 mile warranty and cost me $2,000.00. I dont get the gas mileage that is advertised either. The ride is okay. A lot of extras come standard on this car such as power windows, cd player and tilt wheel. Overall Im satisfied with the car, I would like to see the 100,000 mile warranty cover everything.

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  Just bought! - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
  By KillerInstinct - November 25 - 5:13 am

  We 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 am

  rides great and is a solid car, great value for money

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  Good car-but be ware quirks! - 2004 Suzuki Forenza
  By Morlock - September 27 - 2:00 am

  This has been a wonderful car for me...but not without its problems. Ive already had to return to the dealership several times for emissions issues, alignment problems, and most recently fuel difficultues. Despite the fact that I drive primarily highway miles, the car stubbornly refuses to get anything better than 18-19 mpg-- horrendous for a vehicle of this type (with an engine that only puts out 126hp)!!! I am seeking help from Suzuki in solving the problem because the dealership is stumped. The necessity of filling up the car after only 200 miles of driving is a major annoyance.

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  Mixed emotions about the 2006 Suzuki Forenza - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
  By mbrown282 - July 11 - 3:50 am

  As I read other reviews, I noticed a trend. There have been a lot of issues with the Forenza. I dont disagree with any of them. I got mine with 55,000. 34 months and 55,000 miles later Im now looking for a new engine. Like a previous reviewer experienced, I too had a problem with the shift switch. Next to go was my transmission. Those were replaced under warranty. Other than that I was getting new rear pads almost twice a year. Thats until water all of sudden showed up in my oil. Despite the issues, I like the way the car rides. Call me crazy, but Im putting another engine in and driving it until the wheels fall off.

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  Neat Car - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By Steve - June 12 - 11:33 am

  I love the VW Jetta-like interior dashboard look of my new Suzuki Forenza. The inside is very nice for such a low priced vehicle. The outside reminds me of the typical Hyundai look and it did not surprise me to learn that these are built in S. Korea at the GM Daewoo plant. i live in SoCal where everyone drives in the 80s and this car has no problem keeping up but the gas mileage suffers at 24 mpg. I backed it down to the 70s and now im getting 28 mpg and Im okay with that. I have the 5 speed. I test drove the gutless and wonderless automatic transmission and passed. The car is a little slow building rpms in 2nd gear, but with all of the features this is one neat little car. The locking system is strange, I seem to always have an unlocked car?

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  Wow, lots of bad reviews here - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
  By bb4t - May 10 - 11:14 am

  After driving it for a week, the clutch plate was slipping according to them so they fix it for free of course. Since then, the car has been great. I now have 95,000 miles and I literally have done nothing to it expect oil changes! My battery lasted until 94,000 miles! Sure I have issues...need rear shocks replaced, leaking a little antifreeze but hey, I aint paying for it if I dont need to. I actually prefer a small antifreeze leak, it saves me from spending hundreds of dollars flushing the system. I love driving this car with a manual. Those of you burning through tires, I do too but thats bc I like driving rough. You can get different tires with more tread if youre concerned.

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  Love This Car - 2007 Suzuki Forenza
  By bill - May 4 - 3:33 pm

  I thinks this car is a gem. I have never owned a Suzuki before only Mazdas. I think this vehicle is wonderful, the acceleration is great. I mean its not a sports car but it does the job. I also think the safety features are great. So if you are looking for a new car I would recommend this one. And as for the other posts about the gas mileage, this car has phenomenal gas mileage.

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  Good commuter for young drivers. - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By alessing - April 19 - 10:06 am

  I had this car for a few years and never really had problems with it. Like others the airbag light came on but that was its ONLY problem. I wont complain about power because if I wanted power I couldve bought something else. It was perfect for what I needed, something inexpensive, mildly efficient, reliable, and simple. This was perfect.