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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  Great Value - 2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara
  By Matt - February 7 - 5:00 am

  The vehicle is very smooth shifting and very powerful. Its much faster than the Jeep Liberty that I had. The power is better that most of the vehicles that I viewed. I have not had ANY problems with my Grand Vitara. Neither has my wife who has the Luxury model. I have purchased 7 cars in the last 4 years and I would have to say I like it the most, over the Grand Cherokee, Liberty and Endeavor to name a few.

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  Aerio-DYNAMIC - 2006 Suzuki Aerio
  By brotherburce - February 6 - 5:06 am

  From the shiny exterior to the upgraded interior features, the Suzuki Aerio offers much more than its class competition. It comes with electric windows, door locks, mirrors, keyless remote entry, side airbags, a visually catchy instrument panel, and great CD/MP3 6 speaker sound system with steering wheel controls to start things off. Add an impressive 2.3 litre power plant with a responsive automatic transmission for quick highway response. As a tall person, I appreciate the high seating position that aids in visibility and easy access. Its steering is responsive and the suspension gives you a bigger feel than the car actually is. the Aerio has a unique design in the parking lot and on the freeway, I like Aerios stingy attitude toward gas.

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  Super car - 2007 Suzuki SX4
  By Suzuki SX4 - February 5 - 11:06 am

  Owned and drove 2000 Suzuki Baleno 4X4 Wagon in Russia for 7 years w/o one problem so I wanted to try Suzuki again in States. Purchased our 2007 Suzuki SX4 immediately after arriving in States. Best gas mileage is 38 and averages town & country 28.9. Comfortable on long trips and we know long trips. Have had two years and have 52,000 miles. Would buy another Suzuki and do recommend to anyone wanting a four wheel drive car with performance, good gas mileage, and dependability then go Suzuki SX4. We constantly have folks coming over to talk to us about our SX4 wondering what it is and how do we like it. Always give a good report.

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  Owner - 2002 Suzuki Esteem
  By G Castanier - February 4 - 10:00 am

  Good acceleration and power. Should get bettter gas mileage for small car. Also parts can be very expensive. Example $88.00 for a wheel cover. Hard to exit car due to lowness of seat.

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  2nd Reno and would buy again - 2006 Suzuki Reno
  By CableGuy30 - February 3 - 5:13 am

  Ok. So I see all these bad reviews on here, and dealing with the public I know more people complain than compliment. So here goes my story. This is my second Reno. First one had for 9 months, 27,000 miles. No problems. Until it got totaled when got hit by a semi truck. I walked away from the wreck. This one now has 76,000 miles and no problems. The a/c is poor, but tint the Windows and that takes care of 2 things at once. Makes the car look even better and helps the a/c. I wish they still made this car cause I would buy another one.

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  A good choice! - 2010 Suzuki SX4
  By mbroster74101 - February 2 - 10:00 am

  After test driving cars for nearly a year, I decided on and SX4 sedan, sport SE. Compared it to other compact cars, from cheap up to almost $30K this car impressed me most with performance & options, the low price was just an added bonus. I found it funner, more solid feeling than a Golf that cost $8K more,more features than mazda3, better looking than a civic!

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  Watch Out Toyota - 2007 Suzuki Grand Vitara
  By Vance - February 1 - 5:50 pm

  I considered getting a CR-V, RAV4, and Subaru. I was surprisingly unimpressed by their overpriced stickers and lack of standard features. Many Subarus had rattles. Plus they are now pricing consumers out of their market. After researching JD Power and Edmunds, I kept looking convinced that many pro reviewers are in the pocket of Honda. Their reviews are glowing, while consumers say otherwise. We were pleasantly surprised by the standard features and the thoughtful elegant interior/exterior. I expected a budget vehicle and found a quality surprise. This isn’t a $40,000 SUV, but it certainly shares many attributes. Its materials aren’t cheap in look/feel! The seats are very comfortable. It drives like a car-based SUV with solid handling. It has good power.

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  Value for Money - 2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara
  By bearsgv - February 1 - 4:53 pm

  Was considering buying either a Toyota RAV4 or Suzuki Grand Vitara for my first SUV. After doing lots of research, I decided to test drive the two. The RAV4 looks just like the last model while Grand Vitara looks stunning and the interior is just first class. I bought it two weeks ago and have done just over 1,000 miles in it. I am very happy with the performance of this truck. It is nice looking, good to drive, and has plenty of room inside.

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  Very good SUV at a very affordable price - 2005 Suzuki XL-7
  By luis - February 1 - 2:26 pm

  I would recommend this SUV to anybody who’s looking for Mid-size SUV at a very affordable price. I own a 2003 Limited with 45000 miles already and haven’t had a single problem with it. You get a lot of options that would cost you about an extra $10,000 in other models like the Toyota Highlander. There are some inconvenient, lack of room between benches, or a bit noisy once it passes the 50 miles per hou. The 185 HP is not enough either, but its performance in general is very good , considering that the price you pay is in the low 20s . This SUV is been great off road or in the snow, as well as in very wet conditions.

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  best small SUV w/4wd - 2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara
  By dan_at_utah - January 31 - 9:43 pm

  I needed a compact SUV with actual low-range 4wd for some seriously steep mountain trails. The choices are basically: this Grand Vitara, Jeep Liberty, Jeep Patriot (kinda), and Toyota FJ cruiser (or old 98-01 4runner) Of those, this is the best deal, bar none. Quite capable off-road, unless the rocks are large (low ground clearance). Gotten me through tight spots in the San Rafael Swell area. Has been perfectly reliable since I bought it @ 30k miles (now has 47k), except for power steering idler pulley needing replacement (known problem - changed for 07+ years). The ride/handling is perfect for me - firm like a truck but handles more like a car.