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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  Neat Car - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By Steve - June 12 - 11:33 am

  I love the VW Jetta-like interior dashboard look of my new Suzuki Forenza. The inside is very nice for such a low priced vehicle. The outside reminds me of the typical Hyundai look and it did not surprise me to learn that these are built in S. Korea at the GM Daewoo plant. i live in SoCal where everyone drives in the 80s and this car has no problem keeping up but the gas mileage suffers at 24 mpg. I backed it down to the 70s and now im getting 28 mpg and Im okay with that. I have the 5 speed. I test drove the gutless and wonderless automatic transmission and passed. The car is a little slow building rpms in 2nd gear, but with all of the features this is one neat little car. The locking system is strange, I seem to always have an unlocked car?

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  Fun to Drive/ Huge leg room - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By Deion - June 9 - 7:56 am

  It has huge leg rooms in both front and rear seats. It is very comfortable to drive with less noise. Its been a real great car for its price. The problem is this ones strengths are not well publicized in the market yet...

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  Good but could be better - 2003 Suzuki XL-7
  By plazmaman - June 8 - 10:00 am

  This SUV is really fun to drive and looks great too. All around solid vehicle makes it a super value. The creature comforts in the Limited are nicely done and the third row seats are great to pack in a few more rugrats.

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  My First Brand New Vehicle - 2008 Suzuki SX4
  By Nathan Schrock - June 7 - 6:20 pm

  I have owned the car for about a month now. Ive got almost 2,000 miles on it. My first complaint is that the acceleration really is poor, but the vehicle handles corners very well which helps equal out the poor acceleration. The vehicles IAWD and 4X4 lock works well and the vehicle is virtually impossible to get stuck in snow or mud.

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  04 Verona - 2004 Suzuki Verona
  By miguel barrios - May 28 - 10:00 am

  Although I have not had the vehicle long, I like the eay it drives and also the quality of the interior I found it to be better than some of the upscale models.

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  Quality and Reliability BUST - 2005 Suzuki Verona
  By JoT - May 26 - 10:23 pm

  I fell in like with this car when I saw it on the lot, and in love when I saw the price tag. Unfortunately, all appearances were deceiving. This car has been a lemon since week one. I started taking the car to the Suzuki dealership myself after the the dealer I purchased it from demonstrated that they couldnt get a power outlet fuze replaced under the Suzuki warranty in less than two weeks. I have spent cummulative weeks at the nearest Suzuki dealership, having oxy-sensors replaced, the ECU reprogrammed multiple times, the ignition lock, the wheel lock, and many, many smaller random sensors replaced. Then the bumper-to- bumper warranty ran out and Im stuck in a lemon.

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  Completely surprised - 2010 Suzuki SX4
  By rothparker80 - May 26 - 10:00 am

  It was a fluke that we happened upon this car. In the market for a new VW Golf originally. On the way to pick up the Golf, we passed by Suzuki, the SX4 caught our eye,we stopped in for a last minute look. The styling, wheels and features had us nearly sold on it before driving it. Once we drove it, that sealed the deal. It was way more sophisticated than a Honda, Toyota etc. and was much funner to drive than the Golf, not to mention $6K cheaper, better warranty and more features. I do agree with the other reviews in that it could use leather, sunroof and heated seats, like you can get on Corollas,but Suzuki had to leave some room for improvement I suppose.

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  First Review of SX4 - 2007 Suzuki SX4
  By mike - May 25 - 8:00 pm

  Ive owned this car for a little over a week. It drives very well. The gas mileage is not as good as, say, the Toyota Yaris, but its still better than a minivan. It doesnt accelerate as well as I would hope, for having one of the biggest engines of the cars I looked at, but that could improve as the engine breaks in. I feel a lot better knowing that I am driving a safer car, and the SX4 is completely Japanese-made. Overall, Im happy with the 2007 Suzuki SX4, and if I find any big problems Ill tell you.

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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 hasn’t been a reca

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  Lots of Fun for the Price! - 2006 Suzuki Aerio
  By Kevim - May 23 - 12:33 am

  Im tall, 6 4" and commute 120 miles per day. My Suzuki Aerio is very roomy for its size. This was not my first choice, but it was the right choice. It is powerful, roomy and just plain fun to drive. It could use a little more power (for the canyon), but otherwise it is a great buy. With the options for the price, you cant go wrong. Plus it comes with a 100,000 mile warranty. I haven;t had any problems with mine so far.