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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  Fun! - 2004 Suzuki Aerio
  By WSU - July 19 - 10:00 am

  This vehicle has a great little boost for passing, easy to park, seats 4 adult fairly comfortably, suprising head room...my husband is 6ft. tall and has plenty of room.

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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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  Great car for the money - 2003 Suzuki Aerio
  By molotri - July 19 - 10:00 am

  Problems with the brake pads but dealer and others say is ok and there is no defect still I hear that crunching sound from the break pads from the front right side tire, I checked and there is a technical problem on the brake pads -along with 7 more TSBs and 1 windshield recall. Also, the cd player, it either does not work or the laser is dirty, but still, for 8mo of use it should not be doing that. Otherwise, for all the options and features this is a great car for 12K.The awd is great and gives me a lot more confidence for MN weather. It surely beats the low quality ford, chev or the hi $ honda. The car is very strong I can feel it and I am planning to own it until it breaks apart !!!!!!

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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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  06 Suzuki Forenza - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
  By tybri93 - July 19 - 9:44 am

  My 06 Forenza has been an excellent car. Bought it with 90,000 miles on it and it now has 111,000 miles on it in one year. Its only had one thing go wrong, and that was a bad battery, that just had to be changed. Nothing the car had to do with it. The performance is awesome with the stick, and the engine. The engine is incredibly willing to do what you want, especially when you hold it 2nd or 3rd gear. Im tall and there is plenty of room, for me and my passengers. Doesnt leak oil, or anything like that. It starts up every morning, rain, snow, sun, anything it doesnt complain. The car performs well in all terrain whether snow and ice are on the ground or not.

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  3 to 5 days for parts - 2002 Suzuki Vitara
  By suzuki gone wild - July 15 - 2:43 pm

  hi there, i been driving my Vitara for 7 years now the truck just hit 200k miles and its starting to see some oil leaks on the engine and lets get to my point .... everytime something brakes i have to find a suzuki dealer for parts and it takes 3-5 days to get parts.1st thing to go was the alt and i had to get one at a autozone 3 hours away and needed it. was on a sunday and i needed to get to work on monday.road trip.the rear passanger side alxe bearings went out...the alxe almost come out!!!! the brakes failed..if you want a car that takes 3- 5 days to fix buy one

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  2008 Suzuki SX4 4dr Wagon AWD Automatic - 2008 Suzuki SX4
  By Ran - July 5 - 7:03 am

  Recently purchased the car from carmax for $10k and didnt feel like I was being ripped off from a dealership and so far its been great. It gives me everything that I really need. Automatic Windows, a/c, and reliability. Ive owned many other cars but as Ive "matured" this car is perfect for me right now. Doesnt go fast therefore eliminating speeding tickets, definitely within my reduced budget from a few years ago, and it takes me from point a to point b.

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  The best thing - 2005 Suzuki Aerio
  By christian - June 28 - 1:50 pm

  This is the best thing thats happened to me. the aerio is the best hatchback compared to the matrix (XR)and the mazda 3

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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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  Great Value - Best Kept Secret - 2007 Suzuki Grand Vitara
  By Mark - June 21 - 3:36 pm

  The Grand Vitara is one of the best kept secrets in the small SUV market. It delivers terrific performance on a scale unexpected for the size and class. The Grand Vitara is well engineered and thought through on a practical level. It has lots of extras that make it a terrific value for the money. The chiseled looks turn heads and break the mold of all the other cars in its class. Its refined in unexpected ways and delivers comfort and convenience along with practical usefulness in all respects.