Overview & Reviews

Born in Japan, Suzuki is an automaker that has made a name for itself by crafting vehicles that emphasize value and affordability. Through the years, the brand's lineup has included sedans, wagons and SUVs. However, in late 2012 the company decided to stop selling new vehicles in the United States.

The company was founded by Michio Suzuki in 1909 as Suzuki Loom Works. By the 1950s, its focus had expanded beyond just loom machines to include both motorcycles and automobiles. In 1955, it rolled out the Suzulight, a compact car that proved to be a harbinger of a new era of Japanese lightweight vehicles. The automaker expanded its lineup to include a truck in 1961. Like its sibling, the tiny Suzulight Carry pickup distinguished itself with its featherweight specification. By the end of the decade, the Suzuki lineup had grown to include the Fronte passenger car, the subcompact Fronte 800 and the Carry Van full-cab van.

In 1970, Suzuki rolled out the Jimny, a four-wheel-drive sport-utility vehicle that resembled a playful version of the Jeep CJ-5. The automaker's roster continued to grow throughout this decade, with the addition of the Alto and the subcompact LJ80.

The 1980s saw Suzuki partnering with General Motors when GM acquired a 5 percent stake in the company. GM made this move partially in response to the growing popularity of subcompacts in the U.S. market. After the purchase, Suzuki products were rebadged and sold as GM vehicles on American shores.

In 1985, the carmaker launched an American outpost, and for the first time, Suzuki-branded vehicles became available in the U.S. The company's first model was the Samurai; available as either a convertible or a hardtop, this compact SUV met with immediate success. However, the Samurai's glory days were short-lived.

In 1988, Consumer Reports published an article in which it deemed the Samurai unsafe, saying it was more likely than most to roll over during certain maneuvers. Suzuki took the magazine to court (and eventually won) but the bad publicity from the article cast a pall on the Samurai that never quite lifted. Suzuki soldiered on, though. By the end of the decade its total aggregate car production had topped 10 million units, and its line had grown to include the compact Swift and the Sidekick, a compact SUV.

During the '90s, Suzuki expanded its reach to include territories like Egypt, Vietnam and Hungary, and launched new models like the Cappuccino convertible and the lightweight Wagon R. On U.S. soil, Suzuki rolled out the Esteem, dropped the beleaguered Samurai, introduced the two-seat, T-topped X-90 and replaced the Sidekick with the Vitara and Grand Vitara.

Suzuki and General Motors purchased ailing Daewoo in 2004, and two of that manufacturer's vehicles were rebadged and given new life as Suzukis. The Suzuki Forenza and Suzuki Verona both had former lives as Daewoo cars.

Through the first decade of the 2000s, Suzuki continued to evolve and improve its models, culminating in the Kizashi, a midsize sedan that was good enough to challenge segment front runners. But with overall sales and consumer interest stuck on a downward trend, Suzuki finally announced bankruptcy and termination of its U.S. vehicle operations in late 2012. The company plans to honor existing warranties, and some Suzuki dealers will continue to provide parts and service.

User Reviews:

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  Problems - 2005 Suzuki Verona
  By figs1 - December 4 - 7:37 pm

  i baught the car at 30k miles after an old ladie had it. got it for a sweet deal and thought i just made out with a great buy. by the first week my tpsm light was going off with 40 lbs of air in each tire. i drove it to college (700 miles) over 10 times. while over at college my car started jerking and pulling to find out i have to replace my intake. got it replaced for boo koo bucks and everything was good. about a day later the jerking started again. it would stall out at lights go low (300) rpm and jump to 6000 rpm. this would spin my tires and even fight my brakes causing me to have an accident with a 2011 lexus (not good) got it repaird and found that the wire connectors were loose.

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  I will miss it - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
  By njrp2000 - September 26 - 3:27 pm

  Bought the car with 2 miles on it. Drove it until she had 108,547 miles when the timing belt and pulley system broke taking along some valves and pistons with it while on a road trip. Worth more to fix than the cars value so I decided to junk it. This was the only "necessary" major repair work I had to do on the car. In 7 years I never had to change out the brakes, the clutch or anything else. Replaced the serpentine belt once and the battery just once. The only negative I have was the paint was faulty and the interior door handles broke very easily.

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  Guess its still a Daewoo - 2004 Suzuki Verona
  By Juan - August 20 - 6:26 am

  I purchased the Verona back in 2004 brand new and I was ecstatic. It looked great, rode well, and was incredibly smooth. I was always complimented on how good-looking the car was and how nice the interior appeared. And even now I still like the Verona, its just the reliability that is complete crap. Ive had issues with the 02 sensors, bearings, and now the engine has problems with the fuel injectors. At about 11,000 miles the whole transmission had to be replaced and its now beginning to act up again. The car isnt worth the headache. And its a shame because Suzuki couldve had a hit.

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  ENIGNE, TRANSMISSION & PAINT - 2005 Suzuki Aerio
  By Bonzar - August 19 - 9:13 pm

  This car is junk. At less than 100,000km the paint began to chip, the muffler and exhaust rotted completely, went through 2 sets of tires, and im pretty sure my rotars are long overdue. At 105,000km, I had the engine replaced because of a manufacturers defect. A Piston rod snapped firing the remaining pieces through my block, into the oil pan. At 120,000km, My transmission goes (M.T.). My synchros is finished causing severe grinding when decelerating during a downshift. The stock battery is terrible. I left my stereo on for 10 minutes while the car was off. DEAD. My airbag light came on at 85,000km. The road noise is terrible, the electrical motors in the windows are failing. enuf said?

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  Buy the Toyota Echo instead - 2002 Suzuki Aerio
  By Bett1e - August 15 - 10:00 am

  I have become a career test driver. In the past two (2) weeks, I have test drove at least 5 or 6 cars. The Aerio is by far the least impressive of the whole bunch.

  The handling was pretty good, but the car is just ugly and, if ugly is what you seek, I would recommend the Toyota Echo.

  The salesperson acted like he knew I wouldnt like the car and thats why he didnt try to sell me on the car. Its sad when your own salespeople dont believe in the product.

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  So far So good - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By Forenza005 - July 15 - 8:20 pm

  I bought my 2005 Suzuki Forenza and the dealership failed to give me a car fax and tell me it had been in a tiny wreck prior to purchasing it. I have spent money on it for 60K tune up, cost me 2K, at least that and the tire rims well they bend easily and cost 150 bucks each and can only be purchased at the dealership. But its paid for and NO I will not buy another one. I want a Ford or a Honda next time. My car makes odd sounds and groans like I do when I have to go to work. But at 116K miles and going and the gas mileage is excellent 35+ on the highway, I will not give her up unless my little silver money drainer dies first.

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  This truck is not safe for your family - 2009 Suzuki Equator
  By Family - June 29 - 10:56 pm

  We bought this truck hoping for better fuel mpg & better performance. We loved the truck when we first bought but in Aug 2009 we were on vac. the brakes went all the way to the floor & are very mushy. We are still dealing with this issue & no one wants to help us. The Suzuki rep. states everything is fine but two other certified brake tech states that there is a problem. So we have a truck that we can not drive because it is not safe for our family!!!!!

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  Dont Buy One - 2004 Suzuki Forenza
  By Sarah - April 18 - 12:20 pm

  This car was purchased primarily because of the cheap price & options. If only I had been wiser. It worked well for about the first 2 years. However, city MPG is usually 20 or less, which doesnt make much sense for a car of this size/class. Ive had numerous issues with the car alarm randomly sounding & the engine not turning over at all. At one point, it took over 30 attempts to turn the engine over. It was in the shop 5 times, yet the Suzuki dealer couldnt solve the problems. Go figure. The paint job is cheap & chips/scratches way too easily. Buyer beware: you can get a brand-new used Corolla for about the same price as a new Forenza. Get the Corolla, avoid the hassle.

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  WOW - 2004 Suzuki Verona
  By Jason Doyle - March 12 - 9:30 am

  I really dislike this car. It has power underneath the hood, I cant deny, and I am aware of the cars age. However, I have had this car for half of a year and have spent over $1,000 replacing and fixing parts that my dealer should have himself. The sunroof and heated leather are quite nice, but this car is noisy and is in no way a smooth ride. I was generous with the review I left, and I am in a hurry to get myself out of this vehicle and situation. It may just be the very unreliable and deceitful dealer I purchased this from (Autoworld of Conway, SC).

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  Kooky looks, but proves itself. - 2003 Suzuki Aerio
  By maxandcassiesdad - February 12 - 10:03 am

  I picked this car up with 87,000 on it. It was cheap, and I needed a second car, that was small, economical, and a hatchback. We take our Shepherd and Boxer with us, ALOT!. I didnt give too much thought to it when I found it, except that it was in good shape, was a hatchback, and had a/c (we live in Florida). To my surprise, Ive found this little car to be a real trooper. Strange looking, yes, and it does garner strange looks from passer-bys, but, the fold down rear seats, high roof line and enormous front doors have been much appreciated. We are not small people, Im 6, partner is 64", and getting in and out is a breeze. Headroom is fantastic. Its been very reliable too. Good bargain.