Overview & Reviews

No matter how you slice it, the departed Suzuki Reno was basically a Suzuki Forenza wagon with a slightly more stylish body. It shared that car's basic architecture, engine and transmission. A four-door compact hatchback, the Reno should make for an affordable used car with plenty of interior space and lots of features. Don't expect class-leading performance, however, as the Reno lagged behind the competition in virtually every driving-related category -- even fuel economy.

Most Recent Suzuki Reno

The Suzuki Reno debuted for the 2005 model year. With its emphasis on value, the Reno's long list of standard features took center stage. Many modern compact cars come standard with power door locks and windows, a tilt wheel and other convenience features, but the Reno went a little further by offering such features as a micron air-filtration system for the cabin, a CD stereo with MP3 capability and a height- and lumbar-adjustable driver seat -- all without requiring the buyer to check a single box on the options list.

Clearly the Suzuki Reno has excellent value as a used car. Still, "excellent value" doesn't exactly mean comfort or power. While the EX trim level was loaded and included features like leather seats, remote keyless entry and cruise control, the Reno in any trim offered barely adequate performance. This was particularly true in the acceleration department, with subpar fuel economy adding insult to injury. Handling was also less than spectacular, as Suzuki endowed the Reno with a soft, smooth ride at the expense of cornering ability. However, this is a trade-off that the average consumer will likely appreciate.

Because the 127-horsepower, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine has to work so hard to keep up, a good deal of engine noise makes its way into the cabin. Competitors like the Mazda 3 are more refined and quicker by comparison.

The Reno's interior came up short as well when compared to other domestic and import-branded small cars. The materials were of low quality and many panels simply didn't fit correctly. We suggest that shoppers looking for an inexpensive used hatchback skip the Reno and check out more viable choices.

Changes were minimal during the Suzuki Reno's run. Model year 2006 brought the addition of a standard tilt steering wheel and new seat fabrics, while '07 saw the inclusion of a standard tire pressure monitoring system for all trim levels. Unfortunately for audiophiles, the formerly standard eight-speaker stereo was dropped altogether for '08, leaving a meager four-speaker unit in its stead.

User Reviews:

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  Worst car ever buyers beware - 2006 Suzuki Reno
  By dk676 - August 21 - 6:16 pm

  I purchased my car because i needed a four door due to having a child & i wish i never had! I had over $600 in work done and was told it should help the gas mileage it made it worse. Now they tell me its normal. They dont tell you about recalls until you call for other issues or hear about it from someone else. I had the transmission replaced & that took over two weeks & 2 different transmissions. The dealer never called me i had to call them to check on the car. My brother also has one and he has had his in the shop more than he gets to drive it. My suggestion is dont ever buy a suziki they are the biggest piece of crap ever made & they dont care as long as you are making your payments!

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  Should have had recalls - 2007 Suzuki Reno
  By clover5 - July 27 - 2:45 am

  I bought mine new and have always had an issue with it having gaps in acceleration. Dealer said nothing wrong. Clutch worn very fast 35 k or so. Dealer said I had to replace I still have not 142 k. My major problem is it has always had poor gas mileage and codes it is not running effiecient. I have replaced the throttle body and sensor since you cant get just the sensor, O2 sensors, plugs wires etc. It has had all normal and regular maintenence. The "gaps" are getting worse and it is not an automatic. The automatic ones just shift gears at any time. No problems with these have ever been a recall. I owned a KIA before and never had any issues. I can see why these cars are gone !

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  They "Got" me!! - 2006 Suzuki Reno
  By K. payne - December 10 - 12:13 am

  we purchased our reno right after we got married as a 2nd car, boy what a mistake we made. I think the car stayed in the shop more than we drove it; head light continues to go out for now reason, airbag light on, dealer dont know why, no good a/c heater output, replaced tires under a year, middle console will not close and we had to the timing belt in less than a year. This car is a piece of crap, cant trade cause its worth nothing. Biggest mistake we ever made

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  The worst car ever! - 2006 Suzuki Reno
  By Jena - November 1 - 1:26 am

  I purchased my vehicle in 2007. I hate it. It only has 3,000. miles on it. My transmission is failing, the air bag light is on, and engine light is on too. I called Suzuki to help me. But I have to pay for everything to see whats wrong and most thing arent covered. It doesnt start always. I have 2 children and i am unemployed at this time. They told me that only interior thing are covered under warranty until 100,000 miles. The transmission is not shifting right and it jerks when it shifts. Gas not so good. I called corporate and they couldnt help me either. Not worth the money. Too many problems. And its not only me. What should I do.

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  Piece of junk - 2006 Suzuki Reno
  By Ed - August 12 - 10:00 am

  I purchased this car in 2006. Since then its been in the shop at least 6 times. Ive had major issues with the transmission sensor. When the sensor goes bad the car does not move. I was driving this car to work at the speed limit of 50, then I had to stop for a light, when I was taking off the check engine light came on and the car had almost no power. If I knew then what I know now I would have opted for a better car. I would never purchase another Suzuki. I guess you get what you pay for. Oh and getting rid of it is much more difficult considering its worthless.

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  Lousy car - 2007 Suzuki Reno
  By hikaru_n - April 4 - 4:25 pm

  This car is riddled with electrical and sensor problems. Had to get them to replace the headlights. Very bad acceleration and shifting. Probably the worst car Ive ever had. Its my fault I didnt do enough research on this car. It was inexpensive and fun to drive but now Im already really wanting to trade this piece of crap in for a mazda 3 hatchback. Which I should have bought in the first place. TRUST ME DO NOT BUY THIS CAR YOU WILL NOT DRIVE IT!

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  Horrible Experience - 2006 Suzuki Reno
  By Tabitha Harmon - October 31 - 7:00 pm

  I bought this car to have a dependable vehicle. It has had so many problems. I have had it in the shop for the transmission (5x), the washer fluid box (2x), the air bag (1x), the windshield wipers (2x), and the AC (5x). Every time, the dealership promises the car is fixed, but it certainly is not. Now they are saying they are not going to pay to have the AC fixed because they claim a mouse has gotten in it. Yet, they have no proof of this. Im really getting fed up with Suzuki.

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  Nice Looking Car, but Keep Looking - 2007 Suzuki Reno
  By Jack H - September 24 - 2:30 am

  I bought the Reno because I desperately needed a car. I should have done more research. My car has had starting problems many times. It also gets terrible gas mileage for a compact car. I average about 21 mpg with city and highway driving. A friend has an 06 Impala that gets 30 mpg with a V6 engine. The seats are a little uncomfortable and the manual transmission is terrible. How much would a decent linkage cost Suzuki to put in. The engine is also underpowered. I am considering trading in the car for a Cobalt since the reviews that I have read about it are quite good.

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  Buyer Beware - 2005 Suzuki Reno
  By psgibas - August 27 - 9:00 am

  This car is not only poor when it comes to fuel economy, but the technical problems I had with it go beyond my apprehension. I had major work done on it TWICE since my late 2005 purchase. I will not recommend this car to anyone, spend extra couple of grand and get something better.

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  Bad Car - 2006 Suzuki Reno
  By Kat - April 3 - 8:00 pm

  This is the worst car I have ever owned. I started having problems when it was only a few weeks old. It took forever to get the problem fixed. Then the car had the head light not working problem. Then my front drivers seat came disconnected from the base. The tires wore out in under a year. The check engine light keeps coming on for no reason. The mileage is not good for that small a car. I was just told that I already need to replace the rear breaks. The service from Suzuki is bad. They knew about the starter problem when I called and told me they were working on a fix, I would just have to wait. I only had the car for less then a month. It is a bad, bad, bad car. I used to love Suzuki.