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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  To the Swift! - 2001 Suzuki Swift
  By collegeguy - October 11 - 10:00 am

  Bought this for college @ 60k its at 110k now over the course of 1.5 years. I love things and hate things about it. Manual everything is my style and cassette player is great for cheap mp3/i pod playing. Has no ponies but once up to speed is fine, however the automatic gets terrible mpg (25 highway ~33-35 town) at higher speeds. Snow tires/cruise control/remote starter/new speakers are all great upgrades. All replacement parts are cheap for these puppies. Be prepared for the "Suzuki Squeal" i.e. the fan belt squeals loudly since the design has no tensioner. Im currently trying to ghetto rig a fix for this. Im also having AC problems but just use recharging kits from Wal-Mart to fix

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  My Aerio - 2004 Suzuki Aerio
  By Unruly - October 7 - 2:00 am

  My SX exceeded my expectations for a small car.Suzuki gave me the extended warranty after purchase.The car performs w/pep w the 5 speed manual.It has suffcient power to pass at 75-80mph and has smoothly purred at 109 on a flat road on a hot sunny day.Even at high speed the car handled well with little roll and lower rpms than expected. The interior has room for such a small car, the AC kicks butt over the toyota matrix, vibe and honda civic - in Phoenix it is good to test drive in mid summer for back seat AC performance.Fully loaded at base it was the most logical decision to make over the competition.

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  Luv tha Bannana Slug!! - 2003 Suzuki Aerio
  By SlabCab - October 1 - 2:00 am

  Im 28 years old and I bought my 03 Electric Yellow Aerio SX wagona because of price and economy. Traded in my problematic 94 Cadillac Eldorado that I loved so much. Oh well. The Suzuki has proved to be a reliable, fun, and practical car. Plenty of power even in an automatic and great gas mileage. Includes a long list of standard features and extras, plenty of room and cubby holes. Great for traveling or hauling all my friends for a party night in Seattle. I was and still am surprised at the amount of attention this car gets. A real head turner!

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  A Good Looker! - 2002 Suzuki Esteem
  By Brian Devo - September 29 - 10:00 am

  I bought this vehicle as a starter-car, and I got a nice deal on it. Although I did not know much about the Esteem, I have grown to really like its styling, handling and performance. It took some adjusting, as I was accustomed to driving larger vehicles, I now find this vehicle fun to drive. The vehicle is light, and can get blown around on a windy day on the highway, but I am no longer looking for the speeding tickets associated with faster models, that encourage me to speed. This is a conservative looking vehicle, and just what I wanted...great car, great price!

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  Good ride - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By Wade - September 28 - 6:56 pm

  I bought my car in December, 05. I love my Forenza. I drove it from Louisiana to Colorado and had great gas milage. I bought it to commute to school and it has served that purpose well. If you need a car to get around town or are a college student, get this car!

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  Not too bad a car - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By dennis - September 17 - 10:46 pm

  Well, I have owned my car for one month right now and I have to say that I am rather happy. Did have one minor glitch my clock did not work-service said fuse blew out- just did not know how that could have happned. Anyways, rides fine, has good pickup when giving it the gas, sound system is great, didnt really find the leg room space as others have found. I had an orginal 1986 Pontaic Grand Am which I found to just as have as much leg space as this car but the backseat is more comfortable to sit in as my friends report.

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  Well Equipped for the Price - 2003 Suzuki Aerio
  By chilaxin - August 26 - 11:36 am

  The Suzuki Aerio has a lot of options for the price and its the only compact car you do not have to be a contortionist to drive.

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  Nice Job Suzuki! - 2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara
  By Sgrant - August 20 - 9:16 am

  The 2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara has an outstanding design. It is an exceptionally well executed vehicle for an unbeatable price. Unfortunately, it has no alarm system and aftermarket alarms are incompatible with keyless start/fob. Also, there is no tint band on windshield. It doesnt have a remote gas flap release and it is a bit noisy. Other things that I dont like about it inc;ude its vague throttle response, lack of a glove compartment light and mudflaps, inaccurate gas mileage readout, and the Silly luxury features that are bundled with the low range gearing. The rest of this truck is great. It begs to be cornered fast and has amazing traction. Its an amazingly sure-footed vehicle. It comes with lots of standard safety features. We plan to keep it a long time.

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  Bulletproof Engines - 2001 Suzuki Esteem
  By aaronwolfe - August 19 - 2:00 am

  What is it about motorcycle companies that move on to building cars, they make the best engines. This is the second suzuki Ive owned (the first was a sidekick 4 dr), Im pretty abusive to engines in general, high RPMs & irregular oil changes, and I cant ask for a more dependable powerplant. The rest of the car is only so-so, but I know that the car will still be tooling down the road at well over 200,000 miles.

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  Fun and economical - 2002 Suzuki Aerio
  By MGJ - August 7 - 2:53 pm

  I bought this car with 27k miles on it. I now have 115,000 0n it. So far the only major thing thats happened was I had to put a clutch kit in at about 87k. My daughter was trying to learn to drive a stick & I attributed that to her slipping the clutch so much. Before I retired I drove this car almost 1000 miles a week for 3 years. It gets between 28-35 mpg on highway and a little less in the city. It is roomier and peppier that the new Honda Fit which looks like the Aerio SX.