Suzuki has had moderate success in the US with its motorcycles, boat motors, and small SUVs- but making a popular sedan in the US has yet to be in the cards of the Suzuki brand. Shoddy craftsmanship, uninspiring performance, and reliability issues are just a few common shortcomings of a typical Suzuki sedan and is ultimately why Suzuki hasn't been able to steal customers away from Honda and Toyota dealerships.  As a replacement for the Aerio sedan, Suzuki introduced the SX4 in 2008 to compete against the mob of small sedans on the market, most notably the Honda Civic, the Toyota Corolla, and  Mazda3. Suzuki touts that their new SX4 has more horsepower than its competitors, but is more horsepower enough to keep the SX4 from falling prey to the same fate as past Suzuki sedans: low sales and a short-lived production run?...

Similar to its predecessor, the Suzuki Aerio sedan, the SX4 is available in two body styles: a wagon (Suzuki calls it a crossover) and a sedan. Each body style is available in a number of trim levels to suit a multitude of budgets, however if you want AWD you'll have to spring for the wagon as AWD is not even optional on the sedan. Under the hood of every SX4 is a DOHC 2.0-liter 4-cylinder making a relatively healthy 143 horsepower and 136 lb.-ft of torque. This engine can be coupled to either a standard 5-speed manual gearbox or an optional 4-speed automatic. The automatic transmission will set you back a whopping $1,100: $300 more than what Honda charges for the Civic's 5-speed auto and $270 more than what Toyota charges for the Corolla's 4-speed auto.

Exterior Styling:

Where the SX4 Sport's "crossover" counterpart boasts a playful exterior design, the sedan variant is all business. With its wedge shape and lack of character lines there is virtually nothing about the new SX4 to set it apart from the herd of sub 18,000 dollar economy sedans on the market, save for that it looks less interesting than most. To help spruce up the SX4's image, the Sport model gets outfitted with ground effects, a rear lip spoiler, and larger 17" multi-spoke alloy wheels (15" wheels come standard on the base sedan). However, the SX4's narrow width and tall roof line combined with a surplus of ground clearance put the brakes on any type of sporty look Suzuki was hoping to achieve with the Sport model's body garb and large wheels.


Performance SX4 Sport- 5-speed manual

Having a larger and more powerful engine than both the Civic and the Toyota Corolla, I was expecting the SX4 to provide at least marginally stronger punch off the line than its less powerful Japanese competitors. Despite the SX4's superior power-to-weight ratio, it somehow doesn't feel as powerful as the Civic sedan nor does it feel noticeably quicker than the heftier and less powerful Toyota Corolla. Stab the SX4's throttle from a stop and its 2.0 4-cylinder provides entirely adequate acceleration for jaunting around town and plenty of giddy-up for merging into fast paced traffic, however enthusiasts expecting more spirited acceleration than aforementioned competitors will likely be disappointed.

Engine Quality:

While the SX4's engine doesn't feel as harsh as the Aerio's 2.0 or 2.3-liter, it's still not as refined as those power plants found under the hoods of the Civic, Mazda3, or the Corolla. I particularly don't like the soundtrack of the SX4's twin cam motor. At high revs, for example, the SX4's engine sounds harsh and doesn't quiet down nearly as much as its competitor's engines do on the highway. Idle quality presents yet another issue. Where the Civic, Mazda3, Sentra, and Corolla are close to silent during long waits at stop lights, the SX4's 2.0 4-cylinder is always audible with plenty of vibration transmitted into the cabin. What I found most annoying about the SX4's engine, however, is its tendency to jerk and buck at low speeds. At lower speeds between 15 and 20 MPH my SX4 Sport had a tendency to jerk as if the flow of fuel to the motor was being intermittently cut; I had this same issue nearly a decade ago with a Dodge Neon. While I would expect this type of ill refinement from an old Dodge Neon, this type of engine behavior is unacceptable for a post millennium car with less than 1,000 miles on the odometer.

Transmission:

While the SX4's 5-speed manual gearbox doesn't quite stack up the refinement of the slick 5-speed manuals offered in either the Civic or the Mazda3, it's one of the best gearboxes to find its way into a Suzuki sedan. Unlike the notchy gearbox in the late Aerio sedan, the SX4's manual transmission allows the driver to shift through the gears with virtually no fuss: gear engagement is generally smooth, the shifter provides adequately short throws, and the gear ratios are well spaced. The SX4's clutch is also weighted well, being neither too heavy nor overly light.

Handling:

Though the SX4's "Sport" designation doesn't mean much when it comes to outright acceleration, the SX4's Sport badge is backed up by some pretty good handling. Although the FWD SX4 Sport lacks an independent rear suspension and has more ground clearance than any "sport" designated sedan ought to have, the SX4 feels surprisingly nimble on twisty roads. Driving the SX4 Sport aggressively through the twisties I only experienced minimal body roll matched with virtually undetectable understeer. The SX4 also provides good stability with no noticeable wheel-hop while driving aggressively on less than smooth road surfaces; the SX4 Sport's large (for this class) 17" wheels wrapped in 205/50 HR All-season tires and KYB performance shocks likely help here. Steering feel isn't remarkable, however the SX4 Sport's steering doesn't feel nearly as artificial as the electric steering in the Corolla or Civic and overall provides better than average feedback.

On the Highway:

One of the major gripes that I had with the Aerio sedan was its busy ride quality. Even at low speeds the Aerio was a noisy little sedan with enough of wind and engine noise to wake the dead. While the Suzuki SX4's provides a much quieter ride on the highway than the Aerio, it's still a rather noisy sedan on the highway with noticeable wind and engine noise when driven 60 MPH + .
Like the Civic and the Mazda3 the SX4 offers a stiff ride, but unlike said competitors the SX4's ride quality is downright jarring on anything but smooth road surfaces. It should be noted that because the Sport model comes with larger 17" wheels wrapped in relatively low profile 50 series tires, the base model with its 65 series tires may offer a slightly softer ride.
Although the SX4 is geared fairly tall, my Sport never felt short of power while driving over mountainous terrain or while making quick passing maneuvers; the SX4's torquey motor can take some of the credit here. Unlike the some of the SX4's competitors that require downshifts in order to conquer steep inclines, the SX4 is able to tackle steep grades without ever having to downshift.


Fuel Economy:

The Suzki SX4 may boast slightly more power than many of its competitors, however that extra power doesn't come without compromise. While I would expect the SX4 to get slightly less MPG than its less powerful competition due to its marginally larger 2.0 4-cylinder, it comes in with some ridiculously horrible EPA ratings. According to the EPA the 5-speed equipped SX4 will get 22 MPG in the city and 29-mpg on the highway (the automatic bumps MPG to 30 highway). To put the SX4's thirsty engine into perspective, the more powerful and heavier mid-size Honda Accord and Toyota Camry both receive superior fuel numbers on the highway. If good fuel economy is on your "must have" list, going with just about any of the SX4's competitors should yield better economy.

Interior:

Styling and ergonomics:

I'm not a fan of flashy interiors, so it's refreshing to see that Suzuki didn't blanket the SX4's interior with faux titanium accents or fake wood. The SX4's interior is pleasantly styled with only a modest dose of shiny metal accents to keep the eyes entertained without being distracting (dealer installed carbon fiber can replace the shiny metal accents for around $150). While many consumers will find the SX4's interior drab, especially when compared to the interiors of the Honda Civic and Mazda3, I prefer the SX4's more prosaic styling over its competitors I also appreciate that Suzuki has kept to a more traditional set-up. Inside the SX4's cabin you'll find that everything is where is should be: the instrument cluster is in front of the driver, the radio and HVAC controls are logically placed, and there is no off-the-wall placement of controls as found is some of the SX4's competitors. The only slight gripe that I have with ergonomics is the location of the small Garmin brand flip up navigation system. While Garmin systems provide fairly good graphics and vivid colors, it's mounted too far from the driver to see small land marks on the 4.3" LCD screen. It's also virtually impossible toggle through the GPS menu without detaching the unit from its mount: it's simply mounted too far from the driver to use its touch screen LCD.

Quality: 5/10

While I am impressed with the SX4's interior styling, the quality of the interior materials leave much to be desired. Inside the cabin you'll that there are no exposed screws or huge gaps between plastic panelings, however the actual materials used in the SX4's cabin feel cheaper than most sedans in this class. The door paneling and dash materials in particular feel low rent, as does switchgear. The fabric used throughout he cabin doesn't feel terribly cheap, but it also doesn't stack up to the relatively high quality feel of the fabrics used in either the Civic or Corolla. Overall, Suzuki has given the SX4 a more qualified interior than the old Aerio, however the Mazda3, the Civic, and the Toyota Corolla still have the edge in quality.

Seats:

Save for the slightly rough seat fabric, the SX4's seats are well executed. The SX4 provides good upper body and lower body support for aggressive driving and unlike the Civic, the SX4's front bucket seats provides adequate cushioning for long trips. While the SX4's seats offer good support and superior comfort, these seats don't come with height adjustments. This is a shame because the SX4's front seats are positioned too high, giving this sedan more of a SUV driving experience in terms of seat height. Though this high driving position lends to a commanding view of the road, the shear height of these seats makes for an awkward driving position. It should be noted that I am a just 5'6", so I imagine tall drivers will have an even greater issue with the height of the driver's seat.

Creature Room:

The 2009 SX4 Sport outwardly looks like it would be a penalty box, but its cabin offers a surprising amount of creature space. Up front the SX4 provides plenty of legroom for 6 footers and thanks to the SX4's tall roof-line there is an equally impressive amount of headroom. The rear of the SX4 also offers impressive room with more than enough legroom for average sized adults, and unlike some cars in this class there is no shortage of headroom in the rear. Where the SX4 does come up short is hip room and elbowroom. The SX4 is not as wide as some of its competitors and that unfortunately becomes apparent in the rear, as it would be an obvious tight squeeze for 3 full sized adults to sit comfortably on the SX4's rear bench seat. This being the case, there are larger economy sedans out there that are more suitable for hauling around a family of 5 adults, i.e. the Corolla.
Storage space:

If you're one of those people who likes a lot of cabin storage the SX4 is not your car. Inside there are front and rear cup holders, map pockets, a good-sized glove box, and that's about it. There is no center console. While the interior SX4's interior is lacking storage space it makes up for this shortage of space with a huge trunk. For such a small sedan the SX4 provides a big trunk (larger than the Civic and Corolla) with plenty of room for a weeks worth of grocery bags. New this year is a 60/40-split folding rear bench seats, which is great for hauling long items that wouldn't normally fit in the trunk of a small sedan.


Amenities: 5/10

While the SX4 Sport doesn't come with all the options of the Civic or Corolla, standard features are impressive considering its $15,739 base price. Notable standard features on the SX4 Sport include air conditioning with a pollen filter, power windows and locks, tilt steering wheel, a economy minded 4-speaker single disc sound system with MP3 capabilities, front and rear cup holders, outside temp gauge, a tire pressure monitoring system, a pop-up Garmin 760 navigation (My Review of the 760) and impressive safety features like 4-wheel disc brakes with 4-channel ABS, daytime running lamps, and front/side/curtain air bags. Opt for the Tech package ($850) and the SX4 gets upgraded with MSN direct, fog lamps, cruise control, and a leather wrapped steering wheel with audio mounted volume controls. Opt for Touring package (add $1,850 over the base SX4 Sport) and Suzuki gives the SX4 stability and traction control, a 9-speaker sound system, heated rear view mirrors, and automatic climate control.


Price/Warranty:

The 2009 SX4 Sport starts out at $15,539 (about $700 less than a comparably equipped Civic LX and approximately $900 less than a comparably equipped Corolla S) and tips the scales at $18,639 for the top-of-the-line Touring package. My mid level SX4 Sport with the technology package came in at an affordable $16,539: about the same price as a comparably equipped Civic, Corolla, or Mazda3 i. That being the case, going with the Suzuki brand doesn't necessarily mean that you are going to drive out of the dealership with more cash in your pocket versus going with a Honda or Toyota.. If there is one thing that the SX4's Japanese rivals can't compete with, it's the SX4's standard warranty. Suzuki continues to offer just an adequate 3-year/36,000 mile bumper-bumper warranty but boots the warranty of the power-train to an excellent 7-year/100,000 miles and it's fully transferable! Every car company should provide this type of warranty.
Overall:

The SX4 Sport is a vast improvement over the old Aerio sedan, but it's still a sedan with a lot of shortcomings. Though the SX4 Sport is fun to drive, roomy, and gets a good amount of standard equipment; its suffers from just as many pitfalls. The SX4's engine is harsh and uses more gas than its competitors, its interior is filled with shoddy materials and an awkward driver's seat, and to top things off this is not particularly a good-looking car. If you are on the market for a new economical sedan, the SX4 is worth a look, but you'd be doing yourself an injustice by not checking out the Mazda3, the Civic, or the Corolla before making any final buying decisions.

Thanks for reading! 


   
Amount Paid (US$): 16,500
Condition: New
Model Year: 2009
Model and Options: Sport with tech package