The all-wheel-drive 2007 Suzuki Bargain
By Thom Blackett
|
December 12, 2006
What We Drove
Suzuki SX4 – Review: You've heard about all the big car awards. You know, like Car of the Year, Truck of the Year or Most Significant Vehicle. But are you aware of the Best Kept Secret? You are if you've heard about Autobytel's Editors' Choice Awards. This year, we put that title on the 2007 Suzuki SX4, an all-wheel-drive wagon that stickers for less than $16,000, has room for five, is a versatile little hauler and is covered by a 100,000-mile powertrain warranty. We've done our best to increase awareness for this worthwhile vehicle, but until Suzuki increases production and puts forth some advertising, it's destined to remain a secret between you and us.
Why We Drove It
Small cars – everyone's talking about them because of the price of gas. Extended warranties – even if we only keep the car six months, we all like a product that's backed until it literally falls apart. Utility – we live in a consumer society, so we need vehicles that carry all of our stuff. All-wheel drive – so what if I live in southern California – it rains here, doesn't it? All are points addressed by the 2007 Suzuki SX4, a little crossover wagon thing that, at $15,594 (including a $595 destination charge), is the least expensive all-wheel-drive vehicle on the market. For those reasons and more, the SX4 easily deserved a week of our time for evaluation.
Performance
In terms of power, the 143-horsepower Suzuki SX4 gets out of its own way, provided you've got enough road to travel while winding the engine up to 5,800 rpm (where those horses all become available), or 3,500 rpm (where 136 lb.-ft. of torque works to move nearly 2,900 pounds of curb weight). In terms of fuel-economy performance, there are no shining nuggets to report. After a week of mixed driving we achieved 23.7 mpg, which is only a bit less than the EPA-rated 25 mpg. Not bad, but hardly great when you consider that a Honda Civic, which weighs about the same, gets an EPA-rated 33 mpg in mixed driving.
Handling
Due in part to its grippy all-wheel-drive system, short 98.4-inch wheelbase, and standard 205/60R16 Bridgestone Turanza tires, the 2007 Suzuki SX4 is a pretty decent handler. Despite the tall body, you can toss the SX4 into a corner at moderate speeds and expect the little wagon to hold its line without excess under- or oversteer, while also keeping body roll well in check. If you push it a bit harder, the Bridgestones start to protest and you become acutely aware of the rather vague steering. Out on highways and city streets, where SX4 drivers will find themselves virtually 99 percent of the time, the ride is comfortable and controlled, if only a bit stiff.
Visibility
One look at the SX4's greenhouse, and one might logically conclude that visibility isn't a major issue. Indeed, we had very little trouble in this regard thanks to the tall side glass, the wraparound rear quarter windows, and the small front quarter glass in the doors that offsets somewhat wide A-pillars. The B-pillars are narrow enough to allow for easy over-the-shoulder checks when merging. Other pluses included retractable rear headrests that allow the most to be made of the expansive rear window, and spacious exterior mirrors that were quite effective in eliminating any nasty blind spots.
Fun to Drive
Fun may not be the correct word here. A better term to describe driving the 2007 Suzuki SX4 would be enjoyable. The four-banger under the hood provides adequate oomph for any circumstances encountered during the daily grind, the interior is comfortable and thoughtfully designed, and the underpinnings allow highway ramps to be tackled without riding the brakes with the hazard lights on. But to be fun the SX4 would require a bit more pep, added steering response, and a sportier suspension that would subsequently require beefier seat bolsters.
Front Comfort
Economy, or low-cost vehicles are seldom awarded praise for outstanding comfort, but rides like the 2007 Suzuki SX4 prove that they don't have to be inhospitable. This little runabout's front buckets are spacious, supportive, and provide cushions that exhibit a suitable balance between firmness and softness. In other words, you can plant your butt in them for long periods without needing a trip to the chiropractor. Bolsters, if you can call them that, are woefully insufficient for any type of sporty driving, and the hard door armrests and sills are unwelcoming. Kudos for the standard tilt steering wheel and copious headroom; demerits for the lack of a height adjustable driver's seat and center armrest (optional).
Rear Comfort
How is it that this little Suzuki can carry three rear passengers in comfort, while many full-size luxury sedans can't? In addition to three headrests instead of only two, the SX4 lacks a center fold-down armrest – bad for storage, but good for anyone packed in the middle for any distance. The problem with most rear center armrests is that they're hard on the back when raised and used as a backrest. So, three rear seat passengers can travel in comfort in the SX4, all enjoying soft cushions and plenty of head, leg, and foot room. If there's anything to complain about, it'd be hard door armrests and sills that could use a smidge of padding.
Interior Noise
With its tall cabin, we expected highway wind noise to be an issue with the SX4, though we were pleasantly surprised to find those expectations without merit. In fact, the 2007 Suzuki SX4 is remarkably quiet for a car in its price range and class. Road and tire noise can be consistently heard, but it's not intrusive enough to be bothersome or to require raising your voice for normal conversation. The only borderline offender is the four-cylinder engine that, at 80 mph in fifth gear, is humming along at 4,000 rpm. However, even then the engine is muted and not considered a significant issue..
Loading Cargo
When fully raised, our five-foot-eight-inch editor could clear the tailgate without any issues, but taller folks who don't like divots in their scalps should keep an eye on the gate's exposed hinges. An integrated grab handle makes it easy to close the trunk without putting paw prints on the shiny paint, and the large opening allows the SX4 to swallow large, boxy items with relative ease. We'd go with the optional black or silver bumper pad to protect the painted plastic. The rear cargo floor sits about four inches lower than the threshold. Rear seats can be folded or tumbled forward to unveil a flat load floor. Cargo area features include a light, multiple tie-downs, and a cover.
Build Quality
Every car that comes through our shop gets a thorough quality inspection. In some cases, we see problems when approaching the vehicle, not having even unlocked the doors yet. And then there are cars like the 2007 Suzuki SX4, which have a few quality secrets to share when you really search, but overall represent a fine piece of work. While crawling around the Suzuki, we found visible casting on the bottom side of the instrument panel, a driver's side interior kick panel that was not 100 percent secure, and two gap problems on the dash and rear fascia. All were extremely minor, and hardly detracted from this otherwise solid, well-built ride.
Materials Quality
This is where everyone needs to be reminded that our test car stickered for about $15,000. Therefore, we can live with the hard plastics, especially since they felt durable and substantial, not to mention that all the grains matched. However, we wished the gloss level was more consistent. Despite the interior's hard nature, most of the surfaces, including the buttons and switchgear, were solid and secure. The spongy cloth upholstery felt as though it'd wear easily, yet it was preferred to the stiff material offered in the Toyota Yaris. But even the Yota's seats weren't as bad as the SX4's headliner, which appeared to be a cheap piece of cardboard with an ultra thin layer of fabric glued on top.
Styling
Have you ever been head over heels for someone who seems up for most anything, is open to going anywhere you want to go without complaint, has a youthful spirit, and steers away from the materialistic side of life, only to find yourself buried in depression because of his/her freakish appearance? Yeah, the Suzuki SX4 is kinda like that. It's got lots going for it, but good golly is it ugly. We like the sleek front end, standard 16-inch alloys, cloth door inserts, and sporty gauge cluster, but the awkward front quarter glass and snubbed tail have us longing for something with a bit more visual appeal.
Storage
The 2007 Suzuki SX4 may be small, but what it lacks in size it attempts to make up for with interior storage. Up front are ample cubbies built into the lower dash (unfortunately, they're not lined or rubberized so things items can slide around), handy pockets on the doors with integrated cupholders good for a 20-oz. soda bottle, two additional cupholders placed in front of the shifter, and a spacious glovebox. Rear seat passengers also get usable door pockets with cupholders, with a third cupholder on the rear side of the front center console. However, as mentioned on a previous page, there's no center armrest, and the SX4 lacks any type of pocket on the backside of the front seats.
Infotainment Controls
Our tester was the base 2007 Suzuki SX4, which means it lacked the steering wheel-mounted audio controls that are optional on the base and standard on the SX4 Sport. Those are handy controls we've come to appreciate, but even without them, the SX4 has an easy-cheesy audio system that's a breeze to use. There's a dial for the volume and power, another for tuning, and clearly marked buttons for scan, seek, and multiple presets. Sound quality ain't the best ever, but it's well within the range of what one can expect from a base model. Plus, a CD and MP3 player are standard.
Climate Controls
Believe it or not, there are still a few entry-level economy cars on the market that don't offer standard air conditioning. The 2007 Suzuki SX4 is not one of them. The more expensive Sport model gets automatic climate control, but our base model featured three simple dials – one for temperature, one for fan speed, and one for mode. Separate buttons were dedicated to a/c, recirculation, and defrost functions. All were simple, well-marked, and resulted in quick and efficient operation.
Secondary Controls
Some surprises can be good: “Surprise! You've won a lifetime's supply of Mountain Dew!” Some surprises can be bad: “Surprise! It's pouring outside, and your power window switches aren't where you expected! Yay!” Therefore, to keep its customers happy and dry, Suzuki has positioned the SX4's power door lock, power window, and power mirror controls on the door panels, where most drivers would expect to find them. A trip computer sits atop the dash, with related buttons placed right next to it. That's about all our base model had to offer, except for the standard all-wheel-drive control on the right side of the center console that triggered a light on the dash when clicked into the Auto or Lock position.
Competition
Chevrolet HHR
Chrysler PT Cruiser
Dodge Caliber
Honda Fit
Kia Rio5
Kia Spectra5
Mazda 3 5-door
Mazda 5
Nissan Versa Hatchback
Pontiac Vibe
Subaru Impreza Wagon
Toyota Matrix
2nd Opinion – Chee
Suzuki SX4 – Chee's Opinion:
Here's a small, stylish car with surprisingly peppy performance, ample cargo room and AWD. It has what looks to be an interior that will wear well, with seats that are comfortable enough. Drive this baby high in the rev range and you get surprising performance. One minor point: I didn't like the numb feel of the shifter, and don't need the AWD. Still, it's a screaming deal for $15,000. Make mine the SX4 over the Dodge Caliber, for sure. Now all they need is a turbo version.
2nd Opinion – Perry
Suzuki SX4 – Perry's Opinion:
Looks like I am odd man out around the office in terms of my feeling that the Suzuki SX4 is severely underpowered. I understand the small car, small engine and high fuel economy idea, but having to keep your foot buried and run the engine at redline to get power makes no sense. It also results in a buzzy freeway drive. Overall, the SX4 is a well-built and designed car actually shaming the Toyota Yaris and bullying the Nissan Versa. The AWD for around $15k puts it over the top. Take the numbness out of the tranny, add some horsepower, massage the looks, and you have a real bargain.
2nd Opinion – Wardlaw
Suzuki SX4 – Wardlaw's Opinion:
Fans of Bob Barker's show will love the Suzuki SX4 because the price is definitely right. Our $15,000 test car possessed more refinement and equipment than one can rightfully expect for such a paltry sum and people who battle inclement weather on a consistent basis will appreciate the AWD system – a rarity in this class. The only things missing were cruise control and a seat height adjuster, and the only flaws were minor build quality issues and a tight rear seat. Acceleration, handling, ride quality, materials, utility, and design are competitive with the current small-car darlings from Honda, Nissan, and Toyota.
Small cars – everyone's talking about them because of the price of gas. Extended warranties – even if we only keep the car six months, we all like a product that's backed until it literally falls apart. Utility – we live in a consumer society, so we need vehicles that carry all of our stuff. All-wheel drive – so what if I live in southern California – it rains here, doesn't it? All are points addressed by the 2007 Suzuki SX4, a little crossover wagon thing that, at $15,594 (including a $595 destination charge), is the least expensive all-wheel-drive vehicle on the market. For those reasons and more, the SX4 easily deserved a week of our time for evaluation.
Performance
In terms of power, the 143-horsepower Suzuki SX4 gets out of its own way, provided you've got enough road to travel while winding the engine up to 5,800 rpm (where those horses all become available), or 3,500 rpm (where 136 lb.-ft. of torque works to move nearly 2,900 pounds of curb weight). In terms of fuel-economy performance, there are no shining nuggets to report. After a week of mixed driving we achieved 23.7 mpg, which is only a bit less than the EPA-rated 25 mpg. Not bad, but hardly great when you consider that a Honda Civic, which weighs about the same, gets an EPA-rated 33 mpg in mixed driving.
Handling
Due in part to its grippy all-wheel-drive system, short 98.4-inch wheelbase, and standard 205/60R16 Bridgestone Turanza tires, the 2007 Suzuki SX4 is a pretty decent handler. Despite the tall body, you can toss the SX4 into a corner at moderate speeds and expect the little wagon to hold its line without excess under- or oversteer, while also keeping body roll well in check. If you push it a bit harder, the Bridgestones start to protest and you become acutely aware of the rather vague steering. Out on highways and city streets, where SX4 drivers will find themselves virtually 99 percent of the time, the ride is comfortable and controlled, if only a bit stiff.
Visibility
One look at the SX4's greenhouse, and one might logically conclude that visibility isn't a major issue. Indeed, we had very little trouble in this regard thanks to the tall side glass, the wraparound rear quarter windows, and the small front quarter glass in the doors that offsets somewhat wide A-pillars. The B-pillars are narrow enough to allow for easy over-the-shoulder checks when merging. Other pluses included retractable rear headrests that allow the most to be made of the expansive rear window, and spacious exterior mirrors that were quite effective in eliminating any nasty blind spots.
Fun to Drive
Fun may not be the correct word here. A better term to describe driving the 2007 Suzuki SX4 would be enjoyable. The four-banger under the hood provides adequate oomph for any circumstances encountered during the daily grind, the interior is comfortable and thoughtfully designed, and the underpinnings allow highway ramps to be tackled without riding the brakes with the hazard lights on. But to be fun the SX4 would require a bit more pep, added steering response, and a sportier suspension that would subsequently require beefier seat bolsters.
Front Comfort
Economy, or low-cost vehicles are seldom awarded praise for outstanding comfort, but rides like the 2007 Suzuki SX4 prove that they don't have to be inhospitable. This little runabout's front buckets are spacious, supportive, and provide cushions that exhibit a suitable balance between firmness and softness. In other words, you can plant your butt in them for long periods without needing a trip to the chiropractor. Bolsters, if you can call them that, are woefully insufficient for any type of sporty driving, and the hard door armrests and sills are unwelcoming. Kudos for the standard tilt steering wheel and copious headroom; demerits for the lack of a height adjustable driver's seat and center armrest (optional).
Rear Comfort
How is it that this little Suzuki can carry three rear passengers in comfort, while many full-size luxury sedans can't? In addition to three headrests instead of only two, the SX4 lacks a center fold-down armrest – bad for storage, but good for anyone packed in the middle for any distance. The problem with most rear center armrests is that they're hard on the back when raised and used as a backrest. So, three rear seat passengers can travel in comfort in the SX4, all enjoying soft cushions and plenty of head, leg, and foot room. If there's anything to complain about, it'd be hard door armrests and sills that could use a smidge of padding.
Interior Noise
With its tall cabin, we expected highway wind noise to be an issue with the SX4, though we were pleasantly surprised to find those expectations without merit. In fact, the 2007 Suzuki SX4 is remarkably quiet for a car in its price range and class. Road and tire noise can be consistently heard, but it's not intrusive enough to be bothersome or to require raising your voice for normal conversation. The only borderline offender is the four-cylinder engine that, at 80 mph in fifth gear, is humming along at 4,000 rpm. However, even then the engine is muted and not considered a significant issue..
Loading Cargo
When fully raised, our five-foot-eight-inch editor could clear the tailgate without any issues, but taller folks who don't like divots in their scalps should keep an eye on the gate's exposed hinges. An integrated grab handle makes it easy to close the trunk without putting paw prints on the shiny paint, and the large opening allows the SX4 to swallow large, boxy items with relative ease. We'd go with the optional black or silver bumper pad to protect the painted plastic. The rear cargo floor sits about four inches lower than the threshold. Rear seats can be folded or tumbled forward to unveil a flat load floor. Cargo area features include a light, multiple tie-downs, and a cover.
Build Quality
Every car that comes through our shop gets a thorough quality inspection. In some cases, we see problems when approaching the vehicle, not having even unlocked the doors yet. And then there are cars like the 2007 Suzuki SX4, which have a few quality secrets to share when you really search, but overall represent a fine piece of work. While crawling around the Suzuki, we found visible casting on the bottom side of the instrument panel, a driver's side interior kick panel that was not 100 percent secure, and two gap problems on the dash and rear fascia. All were extremely minor, and hardly detracted from this otherwise solid, well-built ride.
Materials Quality
This is where everyone needs to be reminded that our test car stickered for about $15,000. Therefore, we can live with the hard plastics, especially since they felt durable and substantial, not to mention that all the grains matched. However, we wished the gloss level was more consistent. Despite the interior's hard nature, most of the surfaces, including the buttons and switchgear, were solid and secure. The spongy cloth upholstery felt as though it'd wear easily, yet it was preferred to the stiff material offered in the Toyota Yaris. But even the Yota's seats weren't as bad as the SX4's headliner, which appeared to be a cheap piece of cardboard with an ultra thin layer of fabric glued on top.
Styling
Have you ever been head over heels for someone who seems up for most anything, is open to going anywhere you want to go without complaint, has a youthful spirit, and steers away from the materialistic side of life, only to find yourself buried in depression because of his/her freakish appearance? Yeah, the Suzuki SX4 is kinda like that. It's got lots going for it, but good golly is it ugly. We like the sleek front end, standard 16-inch alloys, cloth door inserts, and sporty gauge cluster, but the awkward front quarter glass and snubbed tail have us longing for something with a bit more visual appeal.
Storage
The 2007 Suzuki SX4 may be small, but what it lacks in size it attempts to make up for with interior storage. Up front are ample cubbies built into the lower dash (unfortunately, they're not lined or rubberized so things items can slide around), handy pockets on the doors with integrated cupholders good for a 20-oz. soda bottle, two additional cupholders placed in front of the shifter, and a spacious glovebox. Rear seat passengers also get usable door pockets with cupholders, with a third cupholder on the rear side of the front center console. However, as mentioned on a previous page, there's no center armrest, and the SX4 lacks any type of pocket on the backside of the front seats.
Infotainment Controls
Our tester was the base 2007 Suzuki SX4, which means it lacked the steering wheel-mounted audio controls that are optional on the base and standard on the SX4 Sport. Those are handy controls we've come to appreciate, but even without them, the SX4 has an easy-cheesy audio system that's a breeze to use. There's a dial for the volume and power, another for tuning, and clearly marked buttons for scan, seek, and multiple presets. Sound quality ain't the best ever, but it's well within the range of what one can expect from a base model. Plus, a CD and MP3 player are standard.
Climate Controls
Believe it or not, there are still a few entry-level economy cars on the market that don't offer standard air conditioning. The 2007 Suzuki SX4 is not one of them. The more expensive Sport model gets automatic climate control, but our base model featured three simple dials – one for temperature, one for fan speed, and one for mode. Separate buttons were dedicated to a/c, recirculation, and defrost functions. All were simple, well-marked, and resulted in quick and efficient operation.
Secondary Controls
Some surprises can be good: “Surprise! You've won a lifetime's supply of Mountain Dew!” Some surprises can be bad: “Surprise! It's pouring outside, and your power window switches aren't where you expected! Yay!” Therefore, to keep its customers happy and dry, Suzuki has positioned the SX4's power door lock, power window, and power mirror controls on the door panels, where most drivers would expect to find them. A trip computer sits atop the dash, with related buttons placed right next to it. That's about all our base model had to offer, except for the standard all-wheel-drive control on the right side of the center console that triggered a light on the dash when clicked into the Auto or Lock position.
Competition
Chevrolet HHR
Chrysler PT Cruiser
Dodge Caliber
Honda Fit
Kia Rio5
Kia Spectra5
Mazda 3 5-door
Mazda 5
Nissan Versa Hatchback
Pontiac Vibe
Subaru Impreza Wagon
Toyota Matrix
2nd Opinion – Chee
Suzuki SX4 – Chee's Opinion:
Here's a small, stylish car with surprisingly peppy performance, ample cargo room and AWD. It has what looks to be an interior that will wear well, with seats that are comfortable enough. Drive this baby high in the rev range and you get surprising performance. One minor point: I didn't like the numb feel of the shifter, and don't need the AWD. Still, it's a screaming deal for $15,000. Make mine the SX4 over the Dodge Caliber, for sure. Now all they need is a turbo version.
2nd Opinion – Perry
Suzuki SX4 – Perry's Opinion:
Looks like I am odd man out around the office in terms of my feeling that the Suzuki SX4 is severely underpowered. I understand the small car, small engine and high fuel economy idea, but having to keep your foot buried and run the engine at redline to get power makes no sense. It also results in a buzzy freeway drive. Overall, the SX4 is a well-built and designed car actually shaming the Toyota Yaris and bullying the Nissan Versa. The AWD for around $15k puts it over the top. Take the numbness out of the tranny, add some horsepower, massage the looks, and you have a real bargain.
2nd Opinion – Wardlaw
Suzuki SX4 – Wardlaw's Opinion:
Fans of Bob Barker's show will love the Suzuki SX4 because the price is definitely right. Our $15,000 test car possessed more refinement and equipment than one can rightfully expect for such a paltry sum and people who battle inclement weather on a consistent basis will appreciate the AWD system – a rarity in this class. The only things missing were cruise control and a seat height adjuster, and the only flaws were minor build quality issues and a tight rear seat. Acceleration, handling, ride quality, materials, utility, and design are competitive with the current small-car darlings from Honda, Nissan, and Toyota.
Photos courtesy of Ron Perry