2004 Suzuki Verona

Pros: Large space inside, Silky smooth ride, excellent finish,Lowest Price for Maximum features.
Cons: Slightly Slower acceleration and Power than competitors.

I considered Camry/Accord/Others for replacing my 93 Maxima. Being budget conscious I looked at the Verona. Spacewise it was roomy almost as roomy as Maxima. leg room was excellent for the rear seats and v. good at front ( very tall guys will find it ...

Pros: Nice looks, smooth ride, great warranty.
Cons: Initial acceleration could be faster and tires could be better.

I was in the market for a car that would take me to and from work and would give me peace of mind with its reliability. My initial thought was to buy a Civic Coupe, with all the bells and whistles, in order to stay within $20K. I went to a car show to save time car shopping by going to different dealerships and boy did it pay off. I would have never thought to visit the Suzuki dealership since this was the first time ever they had this car in the market. I fell in love with it at first sight. The Verona's body is sleek and beautiful and the price was unbeatable. Nevertheless, I still had to go home to check Suzuki's reputation regarding reliability. I was very satisfied by what I found out and purchased the top EX model for less than $19K. My experience with it has been excellent and I would recommend this car to anybody that likes getting value without giving up looks. I love this car!

Pros: Quite, comfortable ride. Roomy interior.
Cons: Cup holders are hard to get to. Tires are noisy ;)

We still love this car. The engine has gotten much more responsive as the miles accumulate, and the cold start problem has subsided a lot. Turns out that there are instructions in the owner's manual to let the engine idle 5-10 seconds after starting before driving, and that keeps it from running rough after a cold start. Actually, that's good advice for any car. Gas mileage is within 1-2 mpg of the estimates when driven reasonably.

We have had zero problems during this time. The only possible complaint might be the slight wind noise from the driver's door area at highway speeds, but, I don't think it could be heard if the car wasn't so silent in operation.

The 'adaptive' transmission is becoming better understood by us. My wife drives conservatively and loves the silky smooth shifting. When I occasionally drive it a little more agressivly, the transmission seems to be vague and rougher for the first few passes through the gears. Then after that, it shifts much more crisply, which I prefer. Give it a chance to adapt when you test drive.