Long Term Reliability Suzuki SX4 AWD?

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DemoFly

DemoFly

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Bremerton, WA
I have loved the concept of these little vehicles since they were released. I have entertained the idea of getting one, and test drive a couple and I think it would be a great vehicle for my needs. Are they worth it? Does anyone have any experience with these models?
 
One thing to consider is that the parts supply network will be limited now that Suzuki has discontinued car sales in the US.
 
http://www.suzuki-forums.com/ Is probably your best bet to get a feel for what the issues are, if any. I know of one atleast that is doing quite well. Are they semi common in your area? A few in the local wreckers might come in handy some day. We had a local Suzuki car dealer so they aren't rare here, but if your closest dealer was a few towns over then you might want to do some quick searches to see what's available through rock auto. They sold them all over the world so the parts are available, its just how many are easily accessible here.
 
Originally Posted By: Throckmorton
One thing to consider is that the parts supply network will be limited now that Suzuki has discontinued car sales in the US.
True. You can get everything on rockauto if you need it. Plus most aftermarkets should have the parts. Granted it isn't as easy as a camry but it shouldn't stop you from buying it. Suzuki made some nice vehicles. The fit and finish on most of them wasn't the greatest but bang for your buck it is almost impossible to beat. my mom had an XL7 that I wish she kept. Wasn't that fast but the engine was great and interior was really really nice.
 
Suzuki's failure in the US market place may have been due to a lot more things than the cars, themselves. I drove a friend's Kizashi (spelling?) and liked it but giving a car a name I can't pronounce and spelling that is just a guess on my part sounds like something less than good marketing.
 
The Kizashi and SX4 got some good reviews. Some of the guys on Autoblog have had good things to say about the SX4. There was some garbage sold under the Suzuki brand, including some rebadged GM Daewoo cars. I test drove an SX4 and liked it. The car had a manual transmission and push-button AWD. The SX4 was co-developed with Fiat and was sold as a Fiat in some countries. Suzuki parts are still available. Suzuki is offering parts and warranty service for their vehicles, even though they no longer sell vehicles in the U.S. http://www.suzukiauto.com/ How long they will continue to sell parts and service? That I don't know. Side note - there were some people guessing that Suzuki may try to come back in several years after all the dealer contracts are fully closed as a direct-sales company. They'd obviously have to deal with the same things Tesla has had to deal with, or could try to follow in Tesla's wake. It was probably just a rumor with nothing behind it. But who knows what could happen in the future...
 
Originally Posted By: Bgallagher
Originally Posted By: Throckmorton
One thing to consider is that the parts supply network will be limited now that Suzuki has discontinued car sales in the US.
True. You can get everything on rockauto if you need it. Plus most aftermarkets should have the parts. Granted it isn't as easy as a camry but it shouldn't stop you from buying it.
no...they don't. If you want to see how bad they are for parts, try owning one. I used to run an auto repair shop and everytime someone brought one in, I'd have to do to the dealer for parts. I had a list of over 25 different parts retailers all over Calgary to source for parts, and nobody could get me parts except the dealer. This was back in 07 when they had dealerships. I fear the thought of owning one and trying to find parts for them today.
 
A co-worker of mine has an SX4 4x4 and loves the darn thing. Leather seats, 6spd manual, moonroof, power everything. Even though the local dealer he bought it from no longer sells them, they still service them no problem. Kind of like when Isuzu got out of the passenger vehicle business in the States. The dealers that used to sell them may not have a sign up anymore, but they'll service them.
 
I would avoid Suzuki. It's like those Daewoos that no one bought. They would be hard to find for parts.
 
Suzukis are very common in this country and the importer won an award for best customer satisfaction this year, beating all other brands. As with all Suzukis actually made by Suzuki the SX4 is great car. Parts availability in North America is another issue altogether.
 
Originally Posted By: Kiwi_ME
As with all Suzukis actually made by Suzuki the SX4 is great car.
+1 The re-badged Daewoos they sold in the US are a completely different story.
 
I echo what Kiwi-ME said, Suzuki's are everywhere around here too, and are regarded as very reliable cars. A friend bought an SX4 new 3 or 4 years ago, it's done 120000km with nothing but 12 monthly dealer services. Turn the key and go, day in, day out. As for whether it'll turn out to be an orphan in the US though - you're in a far better position to judge than me!
 
All we drive are suzuki built on frame 4x4s. My wife and I were in newer toyotas and were having issues with computer failures. They are insanely well built littlw vehicles. But something to keep in mind, any fender bender will likely total your vehicle. Insurance companies arent kind to these orphans. I carry an additional 6k worth of coverage on mine, and a few grand more on the wife's too. Anything Jvin and built for thirdworld markets usually make reliable vehicles.
 
We test-drove an automatic SX4 a few years ago, and it was worryingly sloooooowwww. Pulling out onto a highway with my foot on the floor resulted in a barely perceptible movement toward the horizon, and trucks getting too close for comfort before we reached cruising speed. I believe the manual accelerates significantly better. Other than that, and my girlfriend nearly getting a whiplash injury when I braked hard, I didn't really find much to complain about. But I'd be reluctant to buy one now Suzuki has pulled out of North America.
 
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