Faults:

Not much...

General Comments:

After looking high and low for a vehicle to fit my needs, I'm more than happy with my Sidekick. I've owned a lot of vehicles, and few have lived up to their design better than this Suzuki. It's cheap on gas, reliable, has a proper 4x4 system (will go and has gone everywhere, just type in "Suzuki 4x4" in Google and see the following these things have).

I'm a firm believer in researching what you buy. It's not fast or luxurious, it's as it's billed, a small, efficient, reliable 4x4.

That said, it's well built, much more solid than my 2001 CRV, and has a quieter ride too. It's taken me just as deep into the bush as my 4X4 Nissan King Cab, and used 1/2 the fuel. In town its small size and ease of parking is fantastic, as is its visibility. Highway and climbing hills - deadly slow, and you might find the ride a bit bumpy, but try to find any other vehicle that offers this combination of reliability, fuel economy, and offroad ability for the price. You'll soon see there is a demand for these little guys.

Vehicles owned: VW Beetle, Ford Escort, Suzuki Samurai, Nissan 4x4, Mazda 4x4, Honda CRV, Toyota Tercel, Honda Civic, Mazda 323.

Faults:

Tune up upon purchase at 103k.

New clutch at 113k.

New alternator and battery at 117k.

I knew these repairs would be necessary eventually upon purchasing the vehicle.

General Comments:

I love this vehicle. I own the 4 door model, and it is perfectly suited to my needs. It has plenty of space for road trips, and is average in terms of comfort.

I purchased my Sidekick after reading EVERY review for them on this site. I am very glad I took the plunge, as this vehicle has been very reliable.

It is not a speed demon. However, it is not gutless. I have never hesitated to merge with highway traffic. If you can downshift, you will always find the power you need. I believe a manual transmission is necessary with this vehicle.

The fuel economy has averaged 25mpg with a mix of city/hwy. The best I have received is 28mpg with mostly highway miles. I am a fairly conservative driver, but am by no means a 'hypermiler' for fuel efficiency.

The interior is very spartan. There is plenty of road noise and tire thrum when on the highway. I find the seats to be fairly comfortable. Also, I LOVE the visibility in this vehicle. All directions have a very clear view.

I have used the 4x4 on many occasions. It works extremely well. My uses for it have been for the snowstorms in the PNW and on trails leading to multiday hikes/rock climbing areas. My climbing buddies love this car more than I do, as it saves us from a ton of hiking haha.

All in all, I'd highly recommend this car for outdoor enthusiasts or as a first car. It has capable 4x4, is reliable, has great fuel economy, and seats 4. If you need a classy vehicle to impress clients or friends, you will need to look elsewhere.

Faults:

- Rear door's rubber seal allowing water into cargo compartment - apparently the car had rear door bent before, this results in water leakage into car.

- Leak from water pump - replaced for little money.

- Driver's airbag actuator broken while realigning front axle (bought it like that)

General Comments:

I bought this car mainly because I was destroying the Jetta's suspension driving 12km of really bad road to my home. There is no point of comparison in terms of comfort and attention to detail, but when it comes to bad roads and 4x4ing, this car rocks.

Miss the roomy trunk though, but this little beast takes me where I want to go for less and without any expensive maintenance.