2009 Suzuki SX4: Owner's Club Meeting at Suzuki HQ

Turbo? Nice! 200 horsepower to match your 200 FICO score.

That's a low blow. . . people with good credit make boring decisions, too. Seriously though, it's nice to see some enthusiasts getting together. I can't imagine the Fit, Yaris, etc. would draw too large of a crowd either.

It's not a boring car at all. Boring people buy Toyotas (and lately Hondas).

People will to try something different and cool would buy a Suzuki.

And since more then half are 5 speeds looks they are car guys too.

The carbon fibre stuff is a bit silly though.

I didn't say it was a boring car. But Suzukis are for people who have no credit and don't know any better. That's why people buy Suzukis- because the Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, and seedy used car lot turned them down. I don't even know of a Suzuki dealership that's still open- most have been raided for fraud or shut down by the AG.

Maybe you just live in a seedy area Mike. Don't take it out on the Suzuki owners.

It's nice to see that there are even that many people that are into Suzuki even if their cars aren't the sweetest rides ever made.

you see how much the people here at edmunds gush over the Suzuki... and i've been in one myself and have to agree that its a nice ride for the money.

I want to know what that Mike guy drives. It's rational to assume that Toyota and Honda buyers on average are completely sensible, and see driving as nothing more than a form of getting from A to B. But equating Suzuki drivers to being completely irresponsible citizens? Very low class. Just a few years ago, he probably assumed the same about Hyundai buyers, now they're probably among the most savvy buyers.

Here's a few of my favorites:

http://www.goupstate.com/article/20080401/NEWS/651169002?Title=Greenville-attorney-files-lawsuits-against-Joe-Gibson-Suzuki

Along with customer testimonials:

http://www.ripoffreport.com/Auto-Dealers/Johnny-s-Suzuki/johnny-s-suzuki-con-artists-932ma.htm

http://www.ripoffreport.com/Auto-Dealers/MASTRO-IMPORTS/mastro-imports-mastro-subaru-842ea.htm

Basically, to sell cars, the American Suzuki Motor corporation was incentivizing dealers to lie to people (read the articles, you'll WTF as well when you read their pitch lines.) I remember test driving the SX-4 and the dealers (3 of them!) telling me the price wasn't for the customer to know. Even if the car wasn't a total piece of junk, it's pretty clear what they were targeting (no credit, can't buy a Honda/Toyota.)

Suzukis are infomercial-grade cars. Just like cheap chinese digital cameras or male enhancement pills.

@unbuckleshoes: Check out www.fitfreak.net. The Fit has a large number of fanatics. Yaris? That's another matter entirely.

Sounds like a good event. I'm not a fan of the carbon fibre look, but I'm guessing that hood cost a pretty penny.

If I saw any suzuki with a carbon fiber hood I think I would soil my pants from laughing so hard. Was the Daewoo Leganza fan club in the next parking lot over?

@audisport @mikeolan: Funny you should mention that. I think one reason why Suzuki went has that reputation, satisfaction-wise, was the recent use of rebadged Daewoo products that was dictated by their GM overlords. The SX4 is an in-house Suzuki, as is the new Kazashi. Maybe things will turn around now that they're themselves again. After all, no one would turn their nose up at a GSXR-750.

And then there's the dealer network. Our local provided poor service, indeed. And then they went belly-up.

An SX4 club? I am starting to worry about this whole internet business.

Jeez, people, why NOT an SX4 owners' club?! As an inexpensive, AWD, 4dr wagon, it's almost unique in North America, and niche vehicles tend to foster enthusiasm from their owners. Who are we to decide the extent to which owners should be permitted to enjoy their cars?

And I'll second what Dan said: The Suzuki-badged Daewoos were notoriously bad, but I can't recall any "made by Suzuki" car as having a below-average reputation. It's a shame that the dealer network can be pretty low-class, but that doesn't mean the SX4 is as well.

I'd be bored to death if I had to go to an SX4 Club meeting. No burn outs, no donuts around the parking lot, no power slides and no fast laps around a track. Yeah, that'd bore me to death.

Misterfusion "can't recall any "made by Suzuki" car as having a below-average reputation. "

Really? Remember the Suzuki-built Geo Metro?

"And I'll second what Dan said: The Suzuki-badged Daewoos were notoriously bad, but I can't recall any "made by Suzuki" car as having a below-average reputation. "

The Esteem
The Tracker
The Metro
The Aerio
The Vitara

Suzuki still makes cars?

just because its not some fire breathing,1001 horsepower V12, 9MPG on a good day road warrior doesnt mean that its not fun to own, drive, or modify. and who judges a group of people's financial responsibility based on the car they own??? i know people who have nice cars who have very low FICO scores... they just have 4 co signers and pay $1000 per month for a sedan... but its a brand spankin' new Acura TSX none the less... just like i know people with 700 scores who love their chevy aveo. i myself have a modded 2008 focus with a 695 fico score and took the focus OVER my pre approved 2009 toyota corolla XRS. the suzuki SX4 has a very high bang for buck ratio and features that are hard to find in its class like keyless go, auto climate control, and navi with traffic and weather updates so i dont blame them for skipping a civic SI or a wrx just so they can say "i have a honda!" and the other thing is, the guys and girls at these get togethers i found out are more car enthusiasts than the people that claim to be... because most of them respect ALL cars for what they are and the people behind them who honestly love their car for reasons other than "its got 1001 horsepower..." they arent blinded by engine sizes, brands, or hte ability to be stupid in a snow covered parking lot...

@unbuckleshoes: At the Fit thing, I am a member on Fitfreak.net that stephen987 brought up and they are a pretty large group of guys and girls. Even though I don't have a Fit (or a car for that matter) they are a bunch of nice people who have meets all over the country.

@foxtrot685:

I agree that small, inexpensive cars can be fun. I generally prefer driving a slow car near the limits of its ability rather than trying to keep a tight rein on an overpowered muscle car. Give me a Miata or a Mini anyday.

Unfortunately Edmunds' extensive testing has revealed very little "bang" in their SX4. It doesn't have to have "1001 horsepower," but the lame four-speed automatic and a weight problem have conspired to suck the life out of it.

I would encourage you to read all seventy-eight of the editors' blog entries on this car. It may be pleasant, well made, and roomy, but it's not especially fun. The ads may say otherwise, but it's not in the same league with a Mini or even a Fit when it comes to entertainment value.

Again, I don't particularly *like* the Esteem, Tracker, Metro, Aerio or Vitara -- but I don't recall that they were particularly problematic for their owners, either. Well, the Metro was too long ago for me to remember -- all I remember is that it had one of the highest MPG's of any production car in North America.

Oh, wait -- I did miss the elephant in the room. But ASIDE from the Samurai, I can't think of any particular Suzuki that was worse than any particular Daewoo, going all the way back to the Daewoo-built Pontiac LeMans.

Isn't Suzuki the highest-selling nameplate in Japan, thanks to their B-segment cars?

I like the wheels on that blue one next to yours in the first picture. They're actually surprisingly tasteful!

@misterfusion:

"slightly better than Daewoo" does not equal "better than average"--or even "average.

Yes, the Metro had good mpg. It also felt like it was going 80 by the time you got the speedometer to 45, vibrated horribly, accelerated negligibly, and drove miserably.

The Esteem was hailed as a great leap forward because it was no longer the very worst car you could buy, but it was still closer to the bottom than the top.

The Tracker/Sidekick originated the idea of the baby SUV. It was more capable off-road than the "soft roaders" that followed, but it was miserably slow, noisy and cramped. I could only drive it by removing my size 9 sneakers.

The Aerio was better--notably better. As good as the SX4, in many ways. And it had more personality too.

@uncanny_man: that's also the one with the spring-spacer lift kit.

I will attempt to make a civil response to the (ignorant) posts I have seen here:
I am an SX4 owner, a member of the SX4club, and attended this meet at Suzuki's HQ. First of all, When I purchased my SX4, I believe my fico score was about 800. I was looking for a smaller vehicle with 4 wheel drive. I did some research on the SX4 and found that it was built in Japan. It was not a re-badged Daewoo. At the time, the SX4 was the lowest priced and highest gas mileage 4 wheel drive vehicle available in the USA. I believe that is still the case. I took a test drive and was immediately impressed with the responsive feel of the SX4. As four of the five motorcycles I have owned were Suzukis, I appreciated their engineering. I bought an SX4. I drove the SX4 on twisty roads, and was immediately in awe with its handling. It is truly a fun car to drive. After nearly 3 years and 44,000 miles I have had only one problem that was repaired under warranty (the AC clutch was a problem that was upgraded in 2008). I also purchased a used Suzuki Esteem for my daughters to drive. It is a great car. It has 125,000 miles on it and is still running strong. I like the SX4 so much I am considering giving this SX4 to one of my daughters, and buying a new 2010 model.

I have a suggestion for ignorant people: don't research or test drive the Suzuki SX4. You would probably end up having to admit it is the best value and most fun to drive vehicle in its class.

Dan Edmunds was incorrect on one point: the turbocharged SX4 he saw has 200 wheel HP which is double the 99 HP (143 HP at the crank) of the stock SX4. I had the honor of test driving that member's turbocharged SX4. It pulls hard!

I will attempt to make a civil response to the (ignorant) posts I have seen here:
I am an SX4 owner, a member of the SX4club, and attended this meet at Suzuki's HQ. First of all, When I purchased my SX4, I believe my fico score was about 800. I was looking for a smaller vehicle with 4 wheel drive. I did some research on the SX4 and found that it was built in Japan. It was not a re-badged Daewoo. At the time, the SX4 was the lowest priced and highest gas mileage 4 wheel drive vehicle available in the USA. I believe that is still the case. I took a test drive and was immediately impressed with the responsive feel of the SX4. As four of the five motorcycles I have owned were Suzukis, I appreciated their engineering. I bought an SX4. I drove the SX4 on twisty roads, and was immediately in awe with its handling. It is truly a fun car to drive. After nearly 3 years and 44,000 miles I have had only one problem that was repaired under warranty (the AC clutch was a problem that was upgraded in 2008). I also purchased a used Suzuki Esteem for my daughters to drive. It is a great car. It has 125,000 miles on it and is still running strong. I like the SX4 so much I am considering giving this SX4 to one of my daughters, and buying a new 2010 model.

I have a suggestion for ignorant people: don't research or test drive the Suzuki SX4. You would probably end up having to admit it is the best value and most fun to drive vehicle in its class.

Dan Edmunds was incorrect on one point: the turbocharged SX4 he saw has 200 wheel HP which is double the 99 HP (143 HP at the crank) of the stock SX4. I had the honor of test driving that member's turbocharged SX4. It pulls hard!

Its hard to be civil with comments like this. Some of you people have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. I appreciate Dan's ability to be objective here. Who knew there was a pre-requiste of being a a dickhead in order to be a Honda fanboy.

Try not to let it bug you too much. Fans of all types of cars come to this blog, and so there tend to be "disagreements" and a little back-and-forth sniping.