2009 Suzuki SX4: Booming Sales Create Problems

Well well well...
As far as I am concerned, the shortage I was facing was finding a 2008 FWD manual SX4 (in canadian "SX" trim, that is with mags, cruise, etc), because this model was dropped in Canada for 2009.
Turned out, there was a single one available in all of the province of Québec, which we promptly grabbed. Love it.

I meant canadian "JX" trim. FWD+manual=peppy. There is a tendency for people to only find value in the AWD version. The automatic just compounds the problem. Too bad.

I'm really glad to see this car doing well. It has to one of the most overlooked cars on the market; mainly due to Suzuki's small dealer network and lack of awareness that this car even exists. It does everything well and was rated by the all-knowing Consumer Reports to be extremely reliable. I've even considered buying one, because for the price with the features, styling, versatility, reliability, warranty, and room, this car is tough to beat. The only downside is that the fuel economy is mediocre :(

All power to the SX4!!!!!

There are tons on the lots where I live, so I'm skeptical that there's a nationwide shortage--and mid-to-late May is less than 4 weeks. There might be an imbalance between sedans and "crossovers", though, as most of the ones I see in the wild are the latter, while the split at dealers is closer to 50-50.

I know it is a reasonably nice car, but what's so good about it?

AWD?
Warranty?

Suzuki hasn't sold well around here in a very long time and it's showing. Three years ago, we had five dealers in the area. We're down to one. 80% drop and that last dealer still isn't doing very well.

good to hear. for what its worth, team suzuki would come out to rallyX events a kick major booty with a pair of SX4's. rallyX is mostly about the driver, but it shows theses cars are battle proven.

Must be selling them to rental fleets or something. I NEVER see these cars. And in this market, with this car, I cannot possibly fathom how there could be an inventory shortage.

They certainly have been advertising the crap out of this car. The SX4 is the best kept secret in econoboxes in my own opinion.

Wow. I never noticed this car.

I'd say I see a fair number of them.

I'm glad to see that people are looking beyond the boring Civic and Corolla for more interesting and attractive econocars like the SX4. Hopefully the increased revenues from SX4 sales will spur Suzuki to fix the major issues soon, like the tranny & low gas mileage (for its segment), to make it even more appealing.

I have yet to see one of these on the road here in DFW. Of course, we're known for living well beyond our means, so you see far more BMW 325 and 328s on the road than affordable econoboxes.

"fix the major issues soon, like the tranny & low gas mileage (for its segment), to make it even more appealing..."

This will most likely happen for 2010 models. Look for VVT, a 6-speed manual, and maybe a CVT replacing the 4-speed auto.

srlracing: I agree. These are legitimately good cars. I actually saw one driving by today and I must say, it looks really good in black.

I just took a look at the Edmunds writeup on this car. It's really lacking some of the basics.

It's a small car. Fine. It's a slug with an 11.3 second 0-60 time. Some people don't care about 0-60. Given all that, I'd expect better mpg than 23/31/26 (21/28/24 with AWD).

This doesn't surprise me. When it comes to the power/mpg ratio, Suzuki has been behind the curve for a number of years. It's too bad from the people that used to make the Geo Metro.

Must be the April 1 edition of Automotive News.

@brn

Keep in mind that cars generally get a bit slower the longer they're owned. While a new BMW might last a couple of years in its original owner's hands, an econobox like the SX4 might be owned for several years after purchase. That 0-60 number is too slow to begin with, and will only get worse. Car buyers should take notice of it. It's not just for enthusiasts.

once again: the SX4 MANUAL does 0-60 in 9sec.

.... And we know the percentage of folks who buy a manual over an automatic.

".... And we know the percentage of folks who buy a manual over an automatic. "

...with just regular drivers who know or care nothing about cars... maybe 10 to 20%.

...with just car guys who love driving and cars... 70 to 90% depending on the car.

@ firstwagon ~

Good point. But show me an enthusiast who claims to absolutely love driving the SX4, and I'll show you a liar... or a poor bastard who somehow got stuck with one.

This is the type of car most likely to be purchased by regular drivers, not by folks who love driving.