I have not written a review here in quite sometime. What prompted this review is, what I consider, to be an unfair review/rating by Consumer Reports Magazine. They rated the Forenza DEAD LAST compared to the other Compact sedans. I would like to somewhat negate what they said about the car and express my opinion based on 5,200 miles of trouble-free driving. Actually it's my wife's car and probably about 1,000 miles was actually driven by myself, but in a critical assessment mode.

My wife fell in love with this car while we were out test driving new cars. We were trading in her 1998 Nissan Sentra. It was kind of an afterthought that we would look at a Suzuki. It wasn't even in our "potential to buy" list. We visited a dealership here in San Antonio, Tx that sold Buicks, Chevrolets, Pontiacs, Mazda's and had just started selling Suzuki's 2 weeks prior to our visit. It was also under new ownership and they had decided to expand and add Suzuki's to their line. I had suggested she test drive the Chevy Cobalt and the Mazda3 sedans. She walked around the Cobalt, sat inside and decided she didn't want a test drive. She did test the Mazda which she liked but seemed a bit noisy (wind/road noise). She was in no hurry and told the salesperson just that. (although I hoped to get this stressful purchase DONE) We decided to go to the Toyota dealership just down the street. However, on the way out of the showroom my wife stopped in front of this Champagne beige 2005 Forenza LX. She commented on what a PRETTY car it was and the nice interior. Well, we went on to the Toyota dealership and test-drove a 2005 Corolla. It felt solid, but not comfortable enough to my wife's liking. The next day we were going to go check out the Honda Civic. On the way she mentioned the Suzuki Forenza and decided to take a closer look. We waited for the same salesperson and went out for a test drive.

The test drive proved to both of us that this car was indeed a smooth driving and very quiet car. We both liked the black/silver dashboard and the very comfortable cloth seats. The seat is a six way Manual adjustable with lumbar support. Reading the brochure as my wife drove I noted that it only had 126 horsepower but seemed to get to speed very quickly. This is probably due to the low end torque which is 131 ft @ 4000 rpm. In my opinion, this is really important because the horsepower is plenty for cruising, e The torquey engine seemed to have plenty of power (although not the most powerful in it's class). The 4 wheel disc brakes, which would be an option on other compacts, if even available stopped precisely and safely. Consumer Reports had expounded on the low horsepower. I disagree as per test drive. Since we were test driving the LX we were happy to notice that it had cruise, AM/FM Cassette/CD with audio controls on the steering wheel. At 140 watts of power the sound was great. The automatic transmission had what they call "Fuzzy logic" in that the electronic computer actually "learns and adapts" to the driver. This proved to be a reality as the longer (after about 200 miles) my wife drove the car the shift patterns adjusted to her driving habits and the mileage increased(after the next fill-up) from 19 in the city to about 24. After the drive the salesperson did the customary "walkaround". Every option and detail was shown/explained. The sound system also has 8 speakers w/4 tweeters all in the doors. The antenna is window-integrated. Also, Leather-wrapped Tilt wheel, headrests for all 3 rear passengers, side/front airbags, front/rear armrests w cupholders (2 each). Remote keyless entry with anti-theft device and trunk opener/power windows-locks/ POWER SUNROOF, 15" ALUMINUM WHEELS A very roomy car including a very roomy and comfortable backseat (for 2). Anyway, a smooth quiet ride, and so many luxury options which would cost so much more in a Corolla/Civic/Focus/Mazda!

After the test drive it was just a matter of price, since my wife WANTED this car RIGHT NOW. We did the trade, negotiated a very fair price, and drove the car home that afternoon. As stated the car has given us trouble-free driving. We have not been back to the dealer since the day of purchase last July.

As for Consumer Reports ratings. I believe they try to do a fair and competent assessment. But SO MUCH depends on opinion and perception. Also, keep in mind that a few years ago Suzuki sued Consumer Reports for what they considered an unfair and biased test/rating of the Suzuki Samurai. Could there be bad blood still there?? Also, what is the age of the person testing the vehicle? What is his perception of comfort/handling? I'm sure they have set guideleines but is there room for "human error"? Is he a large person? Probably would not be comfortable in any compact car. As for the safety rating of the 2005 Forenza-there is a POST on the Suzuki Forum about a woman being broadsided by an SUV at 40 mph. There are pictures of the car on this Forum. She walked away without a scratch. Summary: A great compact which is refined/comfortable/ handles & brakes confidently/loaded with luxury options at a great price.

UPDATE: 4-27-2008 No problems at all-car runs flawlessly with reliability and great handling. Still looks good!
Amount Paid (US$): 13,500.00
Condition: New
Model Year: 2005
Model and Options: LX/Automatic/cruise.power lock&windows/AM-FM Casette/CD/keyless entry/