Terrific
Nothing.
Love this car, even though only 1.4L it is definitely very peppy and also very comfortable.
Ideal for a family of two.
I am very happy with my purchase and the service from the Suzuki dealer.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 15th September, 2020
A super reliable, trustworthy, solid car that keeps driving on and on
I have owned this car since new. It has never had any mechanical failure of any kind. Mind you it is serviced every 6 months as per the recommended schedule.
In the time I have had the car (2001-2014), there have been only a few minor issues: fuel pump sensor - this had to be replaced. I believe due to a bad batch of petrol - the warning signs for this problem at the time were a lack of power and and shuddering. Once the sensor was fixed - no problem ever again. Note - this car DOES NOT take the new ethanol blend petrol - you must use only UNLEADED petrol, and it is best to buy at reputable petrol stations only. It costs a bit more, but I believe from reports that I have read that you get better mileage per/km anyway on pure unleaded petrol.
The brakes and tires seem to be the main items that have had to be replaced over the years, but I would say this is wear and tear, not the fault of the car.
Also some non-mechanical things have broken down over the years inside the cabin. The cover for the luggage compartment fell apart after 10 years of use. One sun visor had to be replaced, but luckily I found the part secondhand online. And the cover for the console compartment between the front seats has come off its hinge. So all very minor.
Suspension can feel a bit rough when going over speed bumps. I think modern cars are better "padded".
The body of the car has a very solid feel unlike modern cars. Once a larger car rolled into the side of my car in a parking lot, but there was no dent at all.
I have the wagon model - it is super easy to load things into the spacious luggage compartment.
My model was made in Japan.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 2nd December, 2014
Cheap to run, easy to drive, all electronic
The only problem we have had was one electronic problem with the fuel management system which was fixed under warranty.
There have been no other electrical problems, despite having electronic everything.
We have had a 2000 Australian spec Baleno wagon since new, and it's living in the worst of tropical conditions: Darwin, Australia. It has got 60,000 km on it as of December 2005.
It is great to drive, very manoeuvrable, and easy to park, even as a wagon. It will sit on 140 km/hr on our open-roads, and copes well with an after-market cruise-control.
The air con keeps up with tropics, but it is either on or off; no climate control.
One minor complaint would be the quality of the trims. The exterior door handle surrounds and some of interior centre-pin type fasteners are not up to it.
Overall, I would recommend it. It was probably a bit over-priced as new, and Suzuki didn’t market it in Oz, so there aren’t too many around.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 19th December, 2005
Ditto to the above entry. We are having exactly the same problem and no one can fix it.
Yellowlyn February 8 2011.
It could be the CMP (Cam Shaft Position) sensor, rather than the crank shaft sensor. This was what was wrong with my 2001 Suzuki Baleno. We ordered a CMP sensor, fitted it ourselves (my boyfriend's dad with car knowledge helped us), and it fixed the problem, no more stalling!
I just bought a Suzuki Baleno 2000 1.6 GLX and I love it. I only need advice how to keep my car moving in good condition?
10th Jan 2008, 17:55
I own a 2000 model Suzuki Baleno hatch & have problems for the last 12 months with the engine shuddering once the car is warm, engine dying at intersections & the check engine light coming on.
I have had the car to 3 different mechanics (one of whom was a Suzuki dealer) and have spoken to numerous others, & after changing the crank angle sensor, fuel filter, spark plugs & spark plug leads, still no solution.
I was extremely happy with the car until this problem started, and given that the mechanics can't seem to figure it out, I definitely won't buy a Suzuki again.