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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  Gas Milage is Horriable - 2005 Suzuki Forenza
  By brad - November 29 - 12:36 pm

  I bought a 2005 Suzuki Forenza S. There are many things that I like about the car. The great warranty is nice to have and its standard features are nice, most base line cars do not have a CD player or steering wheel stereo controls. The main thing that I am not happy with is the gas milage. I only get about 24-25 which is horriable and thats with babying it. I think that the main reason is the engine is overworked so it needs to use more gas to get it going. I have a 2002 Mazda Protege and driving that pretty hard gets about 30 mpg.

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  Its a car - 2007 Suzuki Forenza
  By Adam - November 26 - 3:36 pm

  I get about 20-25mpg, driving about 70% highway, 30% city. I guess thats average these days. The acceleration isnt great, at least with the automatic transmission. After about 6 months, the inside passenger door handle snapped off when my sister(weighs maybe 100 lbs) was getting out the car. Sometimes I smell freon when using the AC (inside air). Lets hope the warranty covers those!

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  Love my XL-7 - 2001 Suzuki XL-7
  By Love My XL-7 - November 16 - 10:00 am

  Ive had my XL-7 2 years now. I bought it to give me more room for hauling things, or for camping, etc. I was unsure about leaving my nice and reliable Honda Accord behind. But, I have been impressed and pleased overall with this vehicle. It is versatile, comfortable, and gives good overall performance. It is a great value for the money given all the standard features. And, it is nice to have a vehicle that isnt like every other one on the road. I consistently get better fuel economy than posted-- about 21mpg mixed/24mpg highway. It may be utilitarian and simple for some people, but thats why I like it.

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  Traded in my Aerio after 2 MO/8K CAUTION - 2003 Suzuki Aerio
  By gkxp - November 16 - 10:00 am

  In April, I bought a 2003 Suzuki Aerio S. The low price, black interior, 145HP Engine and digital dash sold me. Now in June and after 8000 miles, I traded it in. Reasons? VERY BAD handling in windy/highway driving! Black fabric on drivers-side door trim armrest is already pealing off. Be forewarned if you do a lot of highway driving as I do. Depreciation Percentage higher than others in class.

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  Satisfied until a month ago - 2007 Suzuki Forenza
  By Debbie - November 15 - 5:10 am

  My husband and I purchased our Suzuki Forenza in August 2007. We have been satisfied with it until about a month ago when two door handles broke off, so we took it and had them fixed. At that time, for some reason the service tech did not know how to get our car out of gear and a spring was broke in our gear shift. We got that fixed. Now, two days ago, I was driving to work and the car slipped out of gear by itself and went into neutral. I immediately took it back to the dealer and they put a transmission relay switch? on it. Within the last month, I have had the car at the dealers 3 times. Not very satisfied with this car at this time. Would never buy another one.

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  Beat the crap out of this thing - 2001 Suzuki Swift
  By justapacking - November 15 - 3:40 am

  Bought it used to go to Alaska in .First thing I did was remove all but drivers front seat. I have two 4x4s but have gone most everywhere I wanted to in this thing. I can tell you there have been some realy large bugeyed heavy duty four wheelers. Gas mileage hard to beat (40+ if you keep it under 65 with no air).

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  2006 Suzuki Forenza - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
  By Synamin - November 11 - 5:13 am

  My car drove well for a year, I loved it! Then everything fell apart. There was the recurring engine warning light due to faulty gas cap, the center console hinge broke, very annoying, the inside trim along the windshield began to come off, the drivers seat belt would unlock by itself (very scary!), the air bag warning light would turn off and on, in mornings or after it sat a few days sometimes it would not start. THEN the entire motor blew up! The block crumbled and pistons fell out. So, I got it replaced, 6 miles after being "fixed" the car croaked again. Now they say there is a software mishap & itll be some time till they can fix it. Oh & there are a few "minor" recalls.

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  Best Value - 2006 Suzuki Forenza
  By voicetrack - November 5 - 5:43 am

  Ive owned this car for just over 6 months and havent had a single mechanical issue. A seatbelt latch broke and the dealership fixed it under warranty in just a few minutes. The gas mileage is excellent, the performance is adequate. The interior is quite roomy, and visibility is great. The controls are conveniently located. I love the heated mirrors. I dont usually buy new cars, but the long warranty convinced me. This is a great car for the money.

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  Road Side Assistance - 2010 Suzuki Kizashi
  By lbacskay - October 24 - 5:30 pm

  On our way to a nice day trip about 160 miles from home when the car started acting up. Only 10 days old with 700 miles on it and the cars gears stop shifting and the rpm were running 4-5k at 30-40 mph. We switched to manual mode and the car worked for a little while but switched automatically to drive mode and revved the engine again at 30-40 mph. Pulled over for the third time and shut car off and tried again in manual mode. This time car gas pedal would not work. Car worked in reverse not in drive or manual mode. Called RoadSide assistance and thought all will be fine. Closest tow truck was 45 miles away. (continued)

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  Good Car - 2004 Suzuki Verona
  By RallyKoRn - October 19 - 10:00 am

  This car really is big. Compared to other sedans, such as the Accord and Camry, this to me was the biggest. The exterior design is okay and its a pleasure to wash. Leather is really nice on road trips as well as the sunroof. Planning on keeping this car for quite a while.