Summary:
Best car for the money
Faults:
Only problem I had so far is the ESP light was on occasionally when I hit the brakes. The dealer said it was a faulty brake sensor, took care of it, and it has never happened since.
General Comments:
Nothing is perfect. Let’s start with those things that are at a disadvantage in comparison to other potential alternatives:
1. The gas mileage is mediocre. The EPA on my model (GTS FWD) is 23 to 30 mpg. I drive mostly mountain highway (ups and downs) and it gets 31 mpg. I drove a Camry recently and believe it’s better (33~34 mpg).
2. It’s not “capacious”. I believe its size is between a Camry and Corolla, especially the rear leg room. If you are 6’2” and sit behind the driver, it won’t be as comfortable as, say, sitting in a Taurus. But it’s not punishingly small either. Imagine yourself in the backseat of a Jetta or Passat.
3. The dealer is 30 miles away, and they have only one Suzuki mechanic. It’s a long day, even for a simple oil change.
4. CVT needs some time to get used to, especially in the 40 mph zone. But it’s the same as other CVT models like the Prius.
5. The future of Suzuki is uncertain. They definitely did not do a good job at marketing. The resale value is thus unpredictable.
6. Long-term reliability is unknown, since I only have 5000 miles on it.
Now the good things about this car:
1. Best car for the money. Every model of this car is quite loaded with features compared to the base models of other cars. (sunroof, Bluetooth, duel temperature, power seat, 18” alloy wheels, Rockford stereo to name a few that are in the “standard” package” that comes with my model). A similar featured Camry or Accord will cost thousands more. And since not many people buy this car, you can get a real sweet deal out of it. I bought it at the end of 2010, and the price was 3.5k below MSRP and 2k below invoice.
2. Very smooth ride due to excellent suspension and 18” alloy wheels. Even the very base “S” model has 17” alloy wheels.
3. Very quiet ride. I can’t hear anything from the engine except when it’s accelerating really hard. No engine noise even with full AC.
4. Most comfortable seat I have ever had. It can be adjusted so many ways, and the seat material is so nice, that I have absolutely no backache after long distance drives anymore.
5. One of the best handling cars. You are definitely in control sitting behind that steering wheel.
6. All models are available in AWD, in case you live in the snowbelt.
