29th Nov 2009, 05:59
Suzuki may be a "Japanese car company", but the Forenza (as well as the Reno and the Verona) were actually built in S Korea, by.. Daewoo.
16th Jan 2010, 21:20
This is not a Suzuki, it's a Daewoo foisted off on Suzuki by GM because bringing the superior Swift over would have been "too expensive." Get an Aerio or an SX4 and save yourself the heartbreak and boredom that this car inspires.
26th Feb 2010, 19:19
Amen to the comment saying 'get an Aerio etc ~~!!
I have a 2005 Aerio SX, and it's the BEST ever AWD with electronic traction control, for WELL under $20,000!
27th Feb 2010, 14:00
A year ago I had a Suzuki Forenza as a rental car. I get a lot of rental cars for business travel -- Ford Fusions, Chevy Impalas, Dodge Calibers, Dodge Avengers, Hyundai Elantras, Pontiac G5 and G6 -- that class of compact with the occasional upgrade to mid-size.
I had always said that my least favorite car was the Chrysler PT Cruiser, but that was before I got this Forenza. Wow, talk about junk! The weather stripping was falling off, pieces of the interior were falling, the engine was rattly and underpowered, it was uncomfortable to drive, the ride was terrible, harsh and loud. I laughed at the thought that this was supposed to be superior Japanese engineering. Now when I see a Suzuki on the road, I feel sad for the owner.
13th Jun 2010, 22:16
I have had my Suzuki for a year now and I have not had one single problem! I love it so please do not feel sorry for me while I am driving it! Thank you :)
4th Feb 2011, 16:16
Amen to the review about "don't feel sorry for me". We got our Forenza with 29000 miles on it. It now has 37500 on it and NO problems =)
5th Feb 2011, 10:06
I would hope that no car would have any problems when it's only a year old, or has as little as 37,000 miles on it. Let's see how things are when it's 3 years old, or has 60,000 miles on it. Any car that requires any repair, not including standard maintenance, prior to 100,000 miles, is poor quality by today's standards.
5th Feb 2011, 16:12
It's not superior Japanese engineering. It's a rebadged Daewoo. Suzuki foolishly bought into Daewoos like Chevrolet. A true Suzuki, like an SX4, is actually a very good car. The Forenza/Optra was made in South Korea by GMDAT.
5th Mar 2011, 10:44
I couldn't agree more about the 2007 Suzuki Forenza being a piece of junk! I've had the same problems with the paint, my kids broke 3 of the door handles off about a year ago, my son weighs about 50 pounds, and have also had trouble with the gear shift. Now the stays in lock mode when I put in park, so I have to push the shift lock release button every time I want to take my car out of park. I wish a tree would fall on my car and destroy it!
18th Jan 2012, 12:55
I have an 07 Forenza that has 130,000 miles on it, and it's been a great car! No problems. I take it on 500+ mile trips a few times a year, and drive it around town all the time. No issues. Been a super car, and very much worth the price.
25th Dec 2017, 07:21
This is actually a rebadged Chevrolet Optra, built by GMDAT (Korea). A bad move by Suzuki. Suzukis (real ones) are extremely reliable; this is a bad product from badge engineering.
25th Dec 2017, 21:58
Agreed.
Suzuki had a rough time in the US, starting late to the party, and making some bad business deals, in an effort to circumvent their lack of manufacturing capacity. They got no credit with the public for what they sold as Geos, and received bad press for the Daewoos that were later forced on them. GM was a sinking ship that pulled Suzuki down as it went.
27th Nov 2009, 22:09
If you leave the keys in the car when it gets stolen, most insurance companies have a disclaimer in their terms and conditions saying that they will pay nothing if this is the case. Plus most jurisdictions in the States have made the act of leaving the key in a car unattended illegal. Particularly if the engine is running at the time.