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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  My Verona - 2005 Suzuki Verona
  By Merridy Reth - April 29 - 5:10 pm

  Great styling, roomy interior, power tilt-and slide sunroof, heated seats, heated power mirrors [a must when you winter in Iowa!], love the day/night mirror which removes headlight glare, super sound system-CD/cassette player with 6 speakers, arm rest with cup holders [for the backseat] a very nice touch, European styling without the price of a Europeam sports car, keyless remote entry with trunk release, 8-way power drivers seat, power windows and doors, leather interior, plus leather wrapped steering wheel and gear shift knob, dash has a sports car style. Drives great and the price range is excellent!

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  Great little wagon - 2000 Suzuki Esteem
  By Cindy - April 25 - 3:53 pm

  I have had my 2000 Esteem for over 5 years and have had no problems with it. I had the brakes replaced in 2005 but nothing else other than normal oil and filter changes have had to be done. I do not drive as much as most people but with over 76000 now on it I am still not finding that there is a problem. The back seat has been able to sit three kids on a regular basis even though two of them have been adult sized or nearly so. We do not take it long distances and I am sure that would get old with everyone in it but for distances up to an hour this car does fine even with my sons who are 6 tall sitting in the back seat. Fuel economy has a large range but it gets no less than 25 MPG.

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  Youd Think It was a Toyota / Honda! - 2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara
  By newzukiowner - April 24 - 3:00 pm

  I was considering a lot of other small SUVs for my purchase. I like the ride height of SUVs, but I wanted reasonable gas mileage. I looked at the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, Chevrolet Equinox, and Kia Sportage. All except for the Equinox had stability / traction control, the Equinox and Sportage had V6 engines, all except the Equinox had side torso airbags along with the side curtains, all had the same basic stereo setup. However, none had the cool SmartPass entry system which was pretty neat and why I chose the Grand Vitara. It had all the features of the other cars minus the auto-dimming rear mirror (which the dealer installed aftermarket for me) and a slick look to it. Im very surprised Suzuki!

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  nice suv - 2000 Suzuki Grand Vitara
  By russm3 - April 23 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car used and did not no if we would like it we love it its been great and no problems

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  Great Value - 2005 Suzuki Verona
  By Jim Rutledge - April 21 - 10:23 pm

  I looked long and hard to find a car that would give me room, economy, and style and I found it in the Verona. It has more room than Camry and priced thousands less. It also comes standard with a V-6.

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  To the naysayers - 2010 Suzuki Grand Vitara
  By Ben Hogan - April 21 - 2:40 pm

  I have been a Suzuki owner for 2+ years. First with the SX4 Crossover and now the 2010 Grand Vitara. First let me say that Suzuki is far under rated. The new 2010 Grand Vitara is a dream to drive. Most of my miles are highway, to and from work and support driving for my computer work. The Grand Vitara is a pleasure to drive. It gets around 24 to 25 mpg on the highway and around 20 around town. It is highway quite and all the features are very functional. My base model is equipped with navigation, bluetooth, msn traffic and fm traffic. All function through the radio speakers. Nice. Comfort is outstanding. Give this small SUV a second look.

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  Happy Aerio Owner - 2003 Suzuki Aerio
  By Pastor tom - April 20 - 3:16 am

  This car is a joy to drive. It has handling on the highways I drive that is comporable to the European cars I have owned in the past. It has plenty of get up and go, the gas mileage is not as good as my Swifts was, but it doesnt do badly at all. I get about 32 miles per gallon on highway. I live in the desert and I drive the state highway all the time. I do not do any city driving at any length. I have had no repairs done except for scheduled maintenance. I now have had nearly 50,000 miles of touble free driving, which is very important in the middle of the CA desert.

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  Midsize Manners - 2004 Suzuki Aerio
  By andy - April 19 - 4:30 am

  A significant improvement over the 2000 Esteem which I traded in. So far: 7000 smooth, fun/peppy, trouble-free miles. As smooth as a Camry and quieter than a Civic sedan on highway. Solid handling even in inclement weather. Handling in high gusty wind is manageble and not troublesome. I have the off-white pearl color which hides dirt well. So far, no paint issues. Stereo is hi-fi quality, not sizzly/boomy. AC cooling is adequate. Engine tends to ping in hot weather (85% plus) under load conditions (hills with AC on, or steep hills in general). 89 Octane alleviates problem. Otherwise runs fine on 87 octane. Why are the critics so down on this car? I wonder if theyve actually driven the sedan

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  SX4 Gotta Love It! - 2008 Suzuki SX4
  By Lisa - April 19 - 1:03 am

  I have only had my lil car for a couple of weeks now. I traded in my 2003 XL7 (which I loved), to get better gas mileage. It seems to get around great. I have had great luck with my other Suzuki and my son has a AWD 04 Aerio. I did my research and found out the SX4 replaced the Aerio. So I went to the dealership on a mission to find me a SX4 AWD. I was happy to get the Copper one that I wanted!

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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.