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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  Good Buy - 2007 Suzuki Forenza
  By David - October 7 - 2:13 am

  I will have to say that despite all of the negative reviews on the gas milleage, mine does great. I usually get 25 mpg which is a giant step up from a SUV that only got 16-17 mpg. I mainly drive city too. The car is inexpensive b/c thats how it was built. So naturally there are downsides to it. The one I hate the most is the paint wearing out on most everything on the interior. It just would have been better to leave it the grey or tan plastic colors undernear. There is one more thing I dont like -- whenever I start it up and immediately shift gears, it will "jump" really quick and then will return to normal. Other than the above complaints, its been a great car so far.

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  Suzuki Forenza 2005 - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By sascydharan vasudeva - August 29 - 2:26 pm

  Noisy engine. Needs more power specially in hill area. Fuel economy is not so good. Interior is good and more spacious. Power steering is good. Heated side mirror is an advantage.

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  Suzuki, for the price - good car - 2004 Suzuki Forenza
  By EJLowerre - July 5 - 1:03 pm

  Bought the car for price/gas mileage. For 12K (tax,title,interest on loan included!) great value for the $$ Only one problem with the gas pedal being a little sticky otherwise not too bad. did get hit by someone going about 10 mph and it ripped the bumper off but still Im happy overall. Gas mileage could be better with the rubber band they put in for an engine though, I get 25 around town and 30.5 on the open road which to me is not good enough.

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  Review - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
  By hortega - July 1 - 10:00 am

  I bought my Suzuki w/19,000 miles/Jan of 2007,I have about 95,700 miles now with same transmission problem at this minute.I have driven this car with no problems to Texas twice.I got good gas mileage and smooth comfort I did change to better tires,I also did a lot of LA street driving with no problems up until last Oct when I first felt the jerk of the car when I put the gear in reverse.I have been driving it on and off.If it jerks I turn it off and wait a few minutes and start it up again listening for the idle to come down thats when I put in D. Looking for the part so I can get someone reliable to install in the Los Angeles area any hints. I love it except for transmission problem.

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  Inexpensive but reliable - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By Bryant - June 14 - 4:56 pm

  Suzuki has come a long way with design and quality of its vehicles. The Forenza met all of my expectations and then some for this vehicle class and price range (base $10,499). I own a 5-speed and an automatic S-model version. The automatic shifts smoothly but lacks HP. The manual trans is peppy in comparison but stills lags behind its competitors (Honda, Toyota, Nissan). Fuel economy is better with the manual trans. My opinion remains high of this car. Needs a few improvements to be more competitive.

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  I got a deal - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By minewasadeal - June 7 - 9:30 pm

  Paid $11,060 out-the-door for my Forenza. I needed a wagon and it turned out that I couldnt find anything else comparable for the price. The price I got it for is actually better than youll get for any econo car. I dont expect it to be quick so Im content. I average 27 mpg in city/hwy driving. It never gets less than 25 and I got 34.2 once on the highway. As far as the ride comfort, handling, braking and road feel go, theyre fine and will only improve with top grade performance Michelin tires. The Kumhos it has are admittedly mediocre. If you need a wagon its a great deal. HAGGLE with the dealer. This is my 17th car and I know how to get a good price. Im sure you can too. Its well worth $11,060.

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  Nice car, but not on gas in city driving - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
  By james - May 14 - 12:30 am

  The Suzuki Forenza is not a bad car. It is sharp looking and has lots of nice features. It is priced nicely for a family wagon.

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  treat it right - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By campercasado - November 5 - 6:19 am

  if you treat it right it will treat you right. that means regular maintenance. i have had it for awhile and it works great. big enough for my family.

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  Good ride - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By Wade - September 28 - 6:56 pm

  I bought my car in December, 05. I love my Forenza. I drove it from Louisiana to Colorado and had great gas milage. I bought it to commute to school and it has served that purpose well. If you need a car to get around town or are a college student, get this car!

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  Not too bad a car - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By dennis - September 17 - 10:46 pm

  Well, I have owned my car for one month right now and I have to say that I am rather happy. Did have one minor glitch my clock did not work-service said fuse blew out- just did not know how that could have happned. Anyways, rides fine, has good pickup when giving it the gas, sound system is great, didnt really find the leg room space as others have found. I had an orginal 1986 Pontaic Grand Am which I found to just as have as much leg space as this car but the backseat is more comfortable to sit in as my friends report.