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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  Forenza - Another Citrus Fruit - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By J - June 24 - 8:43 am

  At 6,000 miles, my 2005 Suzuki Forenza needed a new oil pump. At 9,000 miles, it needed a new transmission. No wonder Suzuki touts the best warranty coverage in America. If you buy one.........youre going to need it!

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  I hate this car - 2008 Suzuki Forenza
  By LW - May 23 - 11:50 pm

  We bought this 2008 Suzuki Forenza new. We took it back to the dealer three times within the first 3 months for them to check the transmission. It was shifting from one gear to the next unpredictably. When driven down hill it jumps into gears. When driven up hill it drags then jumps into gears and will excelarate unpredictably. The mechanics in the Suzuki dealership told us the car will stop doing this after 6K miles that because it was new this was expected and normal. It is past the 6k mile point, we have about 12k miles on the car and we still have the same unpredictable shifting and excelaration I am not comfortable driving this car any more and am wondering why there hasnÂ’t been a reca

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  Car Has a Hard Time Starting! - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
  By valerie - May 20 - 3:10 am

  I bought my car brand new in June of this year and it has been in and out of the shop for 53 days. They have put new spark plugs and a new computer and it still diont want to work. I have been just getting the run around fron Suzuki and my dealership.

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  need more thinking - 2002 Suzuki Esteem
  By skp - May 9 - 10:00 am

  after using this car for one year i dont like the brake because it makes a thump when you push hard on it. tires and suspension are hard going over bumps. the engine is so noisy when trying to push the car. the interior is not well thought of. it has a spot for a digital clock in the dash but nothing is there just a whole.

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  A Lackluster Car - 2009 Suzuki SX4
  By ravfjr - April 8 - 6:29 pm

  I used to own a 1998 Suzuki Swift, and this car was bullet-proof. It gave me 300K miles of pure reliability. Not so with my SX4... This car is sub-standard in quality and in performance. And to top it off, Suzuki has vacated the U.S., so good luck getting service. My closest service provider is over 2 hours away...

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  poor gas mileage - 2007 Suzuki Forenza
  By brodie3 - April 3 - 1:38 am

  I bought a 2007 forenza in Dec.11th 2011,it had 49,515 miles on it then and now on Sept. 25th I have 60,371 miles on it. How is that possible when I dont go anywhere. The furthest I have been in this car is 25 miles one way. Never been out of the state of ohio, gas burns really fast, took it to dealer spent 1400 in repairs the biggest was trans range sensor,timing belt, serpentine belt 2 tires,tune up, oil change,etc, not satisfied , after repairs cold start has car knocking was not doing that before service work. Dealer wants to keep it to check it out, used mile markers on highway for every 1 mile I got 2.3 miles how can this be. I need help.

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  If You Want To Spend Lots Of Money!..... - 2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara
  By Billy Boy - January 28 - 3:23 pm

  Buy this suv! I have 49,000 miles now on my 06, I can not keep front tires on it,I am on my third set of tires!I know Suzuki knows of this problem!! Ive talked to a lot of people also having the same problems!Also keep extra headlight bulbs with you! about every3-4 months you will be changing them!As like another reviewer said:you mite as well wipe your crack with the paper the warranty is written on! The belt tension control arm is plastic, so around 45,000 miles it went up, costing me almost $400!Cd player does not work now,i guess the dealer would want about the est value of the vehicle to install a new one. Im very disappointed with you Suzuki!

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  Suzuki XL-7 - 2005 Suzuki XL-7
  By jshayes - January 27 - 4:30 pm

  Has a poor ride quality. Plan to trade for a Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited.

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  Its hot in here - 2000 Suzuki Grand Vitara
  By BadSuzuki - January 26 - 10:00 am

  This has been a good little vehicle for the most part. A couple of on-going problems problems have caused a lot of frustration and prevented it from being a great vehicle. The air conditioning never worked right from the day it was new. It has been to 2 different dealers a total of 11 times and still is not working. The body cladding kept coming loose until I finally glued it back on with industrial epoxy. Dealer service is pathetic. Both dealers in my area have dropped their Suzuki fanchise. I would never by another one.

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  Many repair issues - 2005 Suzuki Aerio
  By Ava Todd - December 25 - 8:33 pm

  I like the look of my car but the amount of times I have had to have it repaired (many times for the wheel bearings) and number of tires and other mechanical problems I would not recommend it to anyone. I have been a proud owner of 3 Suzukis before this one. I will not recommend anyone to buy these anymore. This has been a nightmare, including the Suzuki repair service causing more problems also. I am also only getting 17 miles to the gallon and my cruise control doesnt work either.