We've never taken a big road trip in our long-term 2009 Suzuki SX4, but that's changing this week, as the SX4 is in the middle of a 2,000-mile LA-Portland-LA journey. The trip had a familiar beginning, as I left Los Angeles just in time to hit traffic, found some open road on the Interstate 5 Grapevine, and then hit another 45-minute delay on the Tejon Pass (two northbound lanes shut down for resurfacing).
I tell you this because the traffic delays added at least 2 hours to my travel time. I logged 7 hours in the driver seat on the first day, followed by 9 hours on Tuesday, and the big surprise? Said driver seat is extremely well-shaped, comfortable and supportive. No kinks or aches in my back or glutes -- and this despite the lack of a telescoping steering wheel. Purely from the standpoint of road-tripping, this driver seat is as good as any I've ever experienced among cars in any price range.
But there's another aspect of road-tripping with the all-wheel-drive Suzuki SX4 hatch that isn't so surprising.
The car's short fuel range, with its 11.9-gallon tank and mediocre mileage (an observed MPG report is coming), is barely tolerable. On the upside, it's a good opportunity to get to know California towns that are off the beaten path. For instance, I got to stop in Maxwell, founded in 1874, because I couldn't make it to Redding. On Monday evening, though, the SX4's limited range forced a stop at a fairly unsavory Shell station.
An obvious solution would be to get the front-drive hatch, which has a 13.2-gallon tank, but then you'd lose the bargain all-wheel-drive proposition. In a perfect world, I'd take a better, more efficient engine, and obviously, there's a new 150-hp motor for 2010.
Erin Riches, Senior Editor @ 14,879 miles
old_volvo says:
06:24 AM, 10/ 7/09
Any comments on highway noise/ride?
Are you guys going to get a new Sx4 and do a side by side comparison like you did with the Fit?
Most importantly, did the gaps bother you for the entire 16 hr trip so far?
stephen987 says:
07:59 AM, 10/ 7/09
I've found that stopping for gas every two or three hours makes the seats in any car seem more comfortable.
brian55 says:
08:41 AM, 10/ 7/09
Erin,
Suzuki, www.suzuki.com - lists the fuel tank capacity @ 11.0 for AWD, not 11.9.
compliance says:
09:30 AM, 10/ 7/09
Normally I envy the road trips you guys get to take in the long term cars, but not this time. Why did you end up having to take the SX4?
mjp16 says:
09:44 AM, 10/ 7/09
How does the road/highway noise in the SX4 compare with the Fit?
shaddai says:
09:47 AM, 10/ 7/09
What? No front plate?
actualsize says:
09:57 AM, 10/ 7/09
@shaddai: yep. This car has manufacturer plates on it, and we only ever get cars with one of those.
lvranger says:
02:08 PM, 10/ 7/09
Try roadtrips on sportbikes. You stop more for gas(150-180 mi) but the times between stations are much more fun.
throwback says:
04:43 PM, 10/ 7/09
Erin, how is the transmission on the upgrades?