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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  I like mine. - 2008 Suzuki Forenza
  By brian171 - July 10 - 2:33 pm

  I bought my 2008 Suzuki Forenza last October with 30,400 miles on the odometer. My car has the 2.0 liter 4cyl and 5 speed manual transmission. I use the car daily for a 33 mile commute. I am pleased with the gas mileage I get. I am averaging 29-30 mpg and my commute is includes mixed city/country driving. The car now has about 36,800 miles. A few things have required repair - two new rear struts, new drive belt on the engine and new valve gasket on the engine. All of these items were repaired at no cost to me under the warranty.

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  Our Suzuki - 2004 Suzuki Forenza
  By del rogers - June 26 - 4:36 am

  The car handles great for a car of its type. Its looks are great especially in black. The interior is way better than the Aerios lint trap. The lighting resembles that of Lexus and Mercedes. I did have a few problems such as the ssps going out shortly after I bought it, and had it repaired three times. The headlights also went out completely. I have also put four headlights in the car in the last year. The center console / armrest really bugs the heck out of me though. I eventually broke the plastic latch, it has been bent both ways from getting in and out of the car and putting weight on it (imagine that, putting weight on an armrest). The stereo is OK and the headlights dim when you push the brakes.

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  Lousy - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
  By A chump - March 28 - 7:50 pm

  Fuel economy turned out to be lousy. Companies say 21 MPG in the city. That might be the one they tested. But the one I had only 17 MPG in the city. Going city to city was 19 MPG. Facts are facts. Thats why I got rid of it.

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  I love my Suzuki - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
  By lig1948 - March 11 - 11:10 am

  In my opinion the Forenza is one of the best looking traditional station wagons around. For the price, I dont think you can find anything better.

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  Strong purchase - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
  By Jeckaroonie - January 23 - 10:10 pm

  The car is perfect for its price range, although I do have a few problems with it. The 3rd day I bought it, the check engine light went on, and when we took it in we learned the O2 sensor blew. However, it was covered by the spectacular warranty. Also the transmission is slow to respond. When you go from R to D or D to R the transmission jumps. The gas mileage is OK, I average 24 mpg. For my small body (55") I fit just great, however, my husbands 6 5" body has a tight squeeze. I have the base model and I dont feel like I am missing out on anything.

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  good car for the money.. - 2004 Suzuki Forenza
  By vlinkous - December 2 - 10:00 am

  this car is really nice for the entry level cars compared to it... it is my first new car and i love it

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  Review - 2008 Suzuki Forenza
  By Amr - October 16 - 2:43 pm

  I bought this car as A Chevy "Optra" its an automatic 1600CC 107 HP,with only 2 front Airbags & audio control. I luv the Hold button it makes the car go crazy giving you high acceleration. The only thing i hate is the left side mirror, alot of blind spots.. i had an A4 Skoda and the left side mirror showed me whole 3 lanes, the optra shows you only one & miss leading data on the cars position, some time i look at the left mirror & deside to change lanes and i find a car beside me!! id say its soo narrow, but all in all, i luv this car.Just dont fool your self, your not driving a benz.. what you pay for you find, no high expectations. Thats why i like it.

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  dont be fooled - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By eduardo - July 1 - 3:03 pm

  Its a good around town vehicle for 4 adults, but for long trips. it does not have that much back room to carry a big load; its smaller than my old, old toyota corona. On a 4000k trip to California and back to Missouri I only average 25 mpg, which is bad for that small of a car; mileage was the main reason that I bought it. I think I would have done better with a bigger car or a wagon.

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  Value is Key - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
  By badandy - May 5 - 2:33 pm

  If youre looking for value, then this is your car. I found an internet special for $10,400, minus a $500 military discount and I paid $9,999 for a well equipped small car. Pound for pound the Corolla / Civic are a better quality cars, but in terms of value....my Forenza is the winner. It looks good, rides well, and has adequate power....what more do you want, unless you want to pay more.

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  Alright - 2007 Suzuki Forenza
  By yooperkate - December 11 - 5:00 pm

  Pretty decent vehicle for the price! We have a sunroof and a few of the extras and its a good car. Pretty good fuel consumption compared to my old Ford Taurus and handles pretty well. Find a good deal on it and yeah, good! Good visibility on driving, only a couple blind spots. Have had only one real problem with the car - it didnt start once in P but put it in N in it started.