2004 Suzuki Aerio SX 2.3L 4 cylinder. from North America
Summary:
Affordable, fun 2 drive, reliable but feels cheap
Faults:
A noisy AC compressor, noisy suspension bushings and a bad radio were all replaced under warranty.
These are the only issues experienced with the car in 4 yrs of ownership.
Front brake pads needed replacement at 35000km which is a little ridiculous. Thankfully parts are cheap and readily available at aftermarket stores in Canada.
Generally, interior finish materials are of questionable quality (touch and feel). The paint is horrible and scratches VERY easily... I regret buying the black one.
The dealer network is Suzuki's biggest issue. Too few dealers offering horrible service. Suzukis are not well known in Canada and some Suzuki products are unreliable, yielding very bad depreciation. These are the reasons I would never buy a Suzuki again.
General Comments:
While the car can feel rather 'cheap' and third world'ish at times, it is solidly built and very reliable. The engine, while very powerfull for the class and reasonably efficient, can be buzzy and very loud under load. Unfortunately, while cruising between 105-125km/hr the engine is quite loud and road noise is prominent. This is due to a short exhaust tip and poor insulation in the rear. This might explain why Suzuki put in a good stock radio (6in-dash, 6spkrs w/sub).
Somehow passed 130-135km/hr things get much quieter and smoother (possibly exhaust noise blown further back (?) ). This car WILL cruise all day at 140 and very comfortably so.
I like the look of the car, it's very comfortable (front and rear), downright fast off-the-line, fun to drive and it is very convenient.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 4th March, 2008
10th Apr 2007, 06:26
I think you should learn how to drive a manual first before you buy one. I never changed the clutch on mine and put 116000 miles and doing pizza deliveries and the clutch is still new.