Faults:

Nothing! Replaced one light bulb only, free of charge.

General Comments:

Rock solid. Perfect quality. Like driving a tank. Perfect car for anyone wanting to just wants to go from A to B in any weather, instead of running to a dealer fixing things.

Transmission can handle anything - this is built to last. You do not buy this car for fast driving and it is not built for "gliding" around. It's a car you can rely on year after year.

A bit limited space for luggage though, not for families with 3 kids and lots of luggage.

Faults:

Many many rattles and squeaks

Recall for potential wiring loom burning.

General Comments:

Seriously poor economy from the Diesel engine. Owned a 2-litre petrol RAV4 a few years ago and managed 32mpg from that. The Diesel Vitara was only managing 35mpg.

Diesel engine was also noisy and the vibrations transmitted badly into the cabin. I've owned several other diesel cars (VW/Volvo) and never experienced anything like it.

For an offroader, the suspensions was way too hard - failing to soak up even the smallest bumps int the road.

Faults:

Absolutely nothing has gone wrong in 10k miles. No light bulbs burnt out, no rattles, nothing out of the ordinary, I'm thoroughly impressed with how it has taken the miles.

General Comments:

I love my Grand Vitara, at first when I bought it, it kinda felt like a go-cart instead of a full sized car, but after 6 months and 10k miles I've come to actually enjoy this aspect of the car.

I can fit our whole family (wife and 2 kids) inside and have enough room in the back to pack for a 5k mile trip.

It turns on a dime, no problems making any u-turn or getting into parking spots.

I've driven it around the city and on the highway, and the only real complaint that I have is that I wish it was a little more fuel efficient during city driving.

Faults:

Motor blew at 8000 kms; wife driven only.

Very poor company support.

No new motor, only a new block with old heads.

Loaner 2008 Grand Vitara was a rattle box, stiffer ride than my ATV.

General Comments:

Truck handles very well.

Nice interior, very comfortable.

Good looks.

Stiff ride.

Cabin noise louder than my 95 Grand Cherokee.

Worst company support in 25 years driving.

Faults:

Rattle from the front passenger side airbag cover.

Small tear in the front passenger seat.

Two small scratches along the clock/MPG/temp display.

General Comments:

I bought this car after looking to trade in my '01 CR-V. I was disappointed in Honda's 2007 CR-V with its reduced ground clearance and soccer-mom styling. It might as well be a minivan.

Overall, the Grand Vitara seems to be well designed and well put together, and unlike most previous Suzuki models, it has an appealing design. Unfortunately, I do seem to notice more minor squeaks and fit/finish issues than I did with my previous Honda CR-V.

Solid would be the one word I would use to describe this car. It feels planted to the road and goes where I point it. Handling and body roll were better than I expected. The exception is on uneven ground where the short wheelbase, stiff suspension and ladder-frame unibody combine to give a somewhat bouncy ride.

Despite what some reviewers have said, the 2.7L V6 is fairly smooth and refined and delivers what you would expect of a small V6 engine, though as other reviewers have mentioned it does seem to run out of steam when trying to pass at highway speeds.

Fuel consumption is OK. I drive it fairly gently and average about 22MPG (10.7L/100Km) mixed city/freeway driving. For the vehicle's weight and the fact it has a full-time 4WD system coupled to a 6-cyl engine, this seems about right. For freeway-only driving, I get about 25MPG (9.4L/100KM) by sticking to the speed limit. Going above 65MPH causes a rapid decline in fuel economy.

The biggest let-down with this car so far has been the dealer backup. Suzuki USA needs to shore up their dealer representation in Southern California.