Overview & Reviews

Quentin Crisp once said, "If at first you don't succeed, failure may be your style." It's a message Suzuki wisely took to heart in its expeditious handling of the short-lived Verona.

Sold as the Daewoo Magnus internationally, the Suzuki Verona was launched on U.S. shores in model-year 2004, a reflection of Suzuki's desire to carve its niche in the lucrative midsize sedan segment. The Verona came armed with one of the lowest price tags in the segment, along with a decent interior and pleasant ride quality. Still, it became immediately apparent that the sedan's modest charms weren't enough to lure buyers in this highly competitive segment.

Suzuki's sales goals were by no means overly ambitious -- the manufacturer hoped to sell a meager 25,000 Veronas per year. Sales fell short of even these humble expectations as consumers were turned off by the car's lack of key safety features and unimpressive handling and performance. Suzuki quickly called it a day, killing the Verona in 2006. However, the manufacturer hasn't let go of its dream of conquering the midsize sedan segment. Suzuki has announced plans to re-enter the category in the near future with an all-new vehicle.

Most Recent Suzuki Verona

Available in a single generation spanning 2004-'06, the Suzuki Verona midsize sedan was the largest car in Suzuki's roster at this time. With one of the lowest price tags in its segment, this Suzuki was designed to appeal to buyers wanting an inexpensive way into the midsize sedan category.

Verona buyers got a car with handsome though nondescript looks, and a wheelbase roughly equal to that of a Honda Accord. The most inexpensive Verona was the S trim, which came with keyless entry, 15-inch wheels, cruise control, air-conditioning, full power accessories and a CD player. Next up was the LX, which added climate control, 16-inch alloys and auxiliary remote steering wheel controls. Those who chose the Verona EX benefited from additional features like an electrochromatic rearview mirror, heated seats and a power moonroof. Traction control was the only option, available solely on the EX.

This family sedan was more notable for what it didn't offer than for what it did. Convenience features like a tilt and telescoping steering wheel and one-touch up/down windows weren't available, even though they were commonly found elsewhere in the midsize segment. Also absent was an in-dash CD changer. Its safety features list also came up short, as the Verona initially failed to offer side and head curtain airbags. (Side airbags were eventually added, however.)

Inside its cabin, the Suzuki Verona drew favorable comparisons to the Honda Accord and Volkswagen Passat. Gauges were pleasant to look at and some materials did a nice job of conveying an air of quality. Materials weren't universally up to snuff, though. The Verona's leather was coarse to the touch, and plastics on the dash felt cheap. Control stalks were flimsy relative to those of other cars in its class.

The car's engine, a 2.5-liter inline six-cylinder producing 155 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque, struggled laboriously to help the Verona accomplish even the most basic passing maneuvers and distinguished itself as one of the weakest in its class -- even relative to competing sedans' inline four-cylinder engines. On the plus side, the car's four-speed transmission made the best of the situation with well-timed shifts.

Suzuki took steps to make the Verona more palatable. In 2005, the car got long-overdue side airbags, along with a standard tire-pressure monitoring system and a trunk-mounted tool case. LX models benefited from a standard sunroof. Antilock brakes became standard in 2006; the trim lineup was also condensed into two trims, the Base (which was similar to the former S) and the Luxury (similar to the ES).

In editorial reviews, the Suzuki Verona's driving experience proved to be a disappointment. Acceleration was lackluster and the car was wobbly around turns; steering, too, came up short, feeling disconnected from the road. In its favor, the Verona offered capable brakes and a comfortable ride.

In the end, though, even Clarence Darrow would be hard-pressed to win a case for the Verona. Although inoffensive, it simply didn't measure up to its rivals; in an Edmunds.com comparison test of 10 midsize sedans, the Suzuki Verona was the last-place finisher. Used-car buyers seeking dirt-cheap prices in this segment would be better served by choices like the Hyundai Sonata or Chevrolet Malibu instead.

User Reviews:

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  Verona - 2004 Suzuki Verona
  By Kimanzi - July 25 - 10:00 am

  This car is a nice family car. Car seats fit nice and snug, better than any other cars.

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  Our New Suzuki Verona - 2005 Suzuki Verona
  By Lashrue1 - July 19 - 10:00 am

  We purchased our Verona mainly for comfort. My wife has artheritus in her neck and most cars force her to hold her hed so it is painful to ride in. The Verona is excellent. Extremely comfortable to ride in and roomie. I;m 62" and very comfortable driving. Little or no outside noise, quiet running. we have had no problems. we have 1600 miles on it and just love the car. Excellent sound system too!

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  outstanding car for the price - 2004 Suzuki Verona
  By carlkachauskas - July 19 - 10:00 am

  Comfortable ride; seats four adults very nice; Has very good acceleration; handles well on curvy roads, very little lean or sway; my economy 22 mpg city,28 to 30 mpg hiway; lots of trunk space; average leg room, could be a problem with headroom for anyone over 74 inches in height. I have previously owned two Honda accord EXs and this Verona is equal to and better in most categories. The current Honda EX-V-6 with comparable equiptment cost about 8K to 10K more. I would highly recommend this car over Honda and Toyota.

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  Transmission problems - 2004 Suzuki Verona
  By erica - June 24 - 8:26 am

  For the most part the car has been OK. I recently had to replace the transmission in the car. I didnt know until I read the reviews that so many people had their transmission replaced. The tranmission was covered under warranty but the warranty does not cover rentals. My check engine light has been on the entire time that I had the car. The dealerships know that this car is a lemon and they will try not to fix anything on the car. They will keep telling you that there is nothing wrong on your car until it reaches 36,000 miles and then they will tell you everything wrong on it. So be careful and get someone else to look at it. I have lost the security code for the radio.

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  My Verona - 2004 Suzuki Verona
  By James2 - June 12 - 10:00 am

  I own a 2004 verona, I traded in my 2000 Daewoo Leganza which is basically the same type of car, the Verona has a bunch of std. features on it that you dont usually find on a $17,350 car, such as fullsize spare tire,heated outside mirrors, cruise/tilt and my favorite audio steering wheel controls along with pw,pl, pwr mirrors, the Verona has been in the shop twice, once for the recall of slow acceleration, andf the second was because it seemed like it wanted to stall after starting cold. Both were fixxed and the car runs good, I would reccommend this car to anyone on a budget, who wants a good size car for a small price,I am 64 and 360 lbs and fit well

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  Great value for the dollars - 2004 Suzuki Verona
  By Computerman - June 12 - 10:00 am

  This is our first Suzuki. My wife and I have owned and swore by Nissans for 25 years - Sentra, Stanza, Pulsar, Altima, 300zx. We left 2 Nissan dealers holding new Altimas for us after we test drove this car. This is a loaded automobile with very well thought out features - trunk lid opens right down to the bumper, radio and cruise controls on the steering wheel, mute button, intelligent transmission, wide opening doors with red interior lights, driver cant be locked out with keys inside. 7yr/100k warranty, great visibility and short turning radius. You need to see this car. You wont believe what youre getting for the price.

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  Verona EX - 2004 Suzuki Verona
  By mm9351 - June 12 - 10:00 am

  The overall quality, workmanship, and fit / finish will exceed your expectations. On par with Honda, Nissan and Toyota. Power, while not in abundance, is more than adequate, and it feels stronger as it breaks in. Low end torque kicks in and peaks at only 4000 rpm. In-line six is noted for its smothness and was designed by Porsche. Suzuki has a real winner with the new Verona. It offers the most "value" (i.e. bang for the buck) for any mid- size car currently available.

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  GREAT CAR - 2004 Suzuki Verona
  By VIVA VERONA - May 11 - 2:00 am

  THIS IS MY SECOND SUZUKI, MY WIFE HAS AN XL-7. I WAS DECIDING BETWEEN THE NEW MALIBU AND THE VERONA..I KNOW I MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE. I LOVE THIS CAR, IT RIDES GREAT, LOOKS GREAT, AND ALL FOR 6 THOUSAND LESS THEN THE MALIBU LT

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  Dont do it! this car is trouble. - 2005 Suzuki Verona
  By Stessed out with Suz - April 26 - 5:43 pm

  Our Suzuki Verona has had so many problems its crazy. We are having problems with stalling,and let me add Suzuki is not willing to own up to it. I think it is a unsafe car and Im not the only one.

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  worst car ever - 2005 Suzuki Verona
  By scolvell - April 7 - 5:07 pm

  after owning the car for just over a year and a half I have already replaced MAP at $75, MAF at $90 (twice), head gasket under warranty, catalytic converter under warranty, ignition coils at $800+ (all 6), and a fuel pump under warranty all with only 54k on the car. I just brought it back in for a problem that I have been having with the car almost since day 1 with the cars idle dropping to about 400 and dieing or surging to 1200 and trying to ram the car in front of me at the stop light. The transmission shifts rough. With all this the dealer cant duplicate my problems stating that it drove fine for them. It has the power of a 4cyl with all the mpg of a v8