Suzuki Grand Vitara

The Suzuki Grand Vitara is a bargain. Power windows remote opener four-wheel drive above average crash test scores and a very functional interior filled with nice storage bins and a nice seating position is all excellent. The down side of this price sensitive buy is that it has low resale is impacted by side winds only gets about 18 mpg in mixed driving clearly needs stiffer steering at high speeds and if you tow or travel loaded it needs more power.
Mom’s View: Driving this Suzuki is easy but tiring. There is a fair amount of tire and wind noise the energy the engine produces is only adequate and it gets noisy over 4000 rpm. In reality with its ladder type construction and transfer case this would be an ideal vehicle for those who travel a great deal where roads are frequently encumbered with snow or debris.
Don’t get me wrong I liked driving the Grand Vitara in town where it has good forward and side vision and is very easy to park owning to its 35.4 foot turning radius and 165 inch length. Very handy indeed. Yes the rear seat room is limited but Suzuki has thought of that and offers a “7″ model that offers more space. I would go with that model if I had a large family.
The one area I never like about SUVs and this includes the Toyota RAV 4 is that the spare tire is mounted on the rear door making it difficult to open and close due to the extra weight of the tire especially if the car is parked on an incline. It also reduces rearward vision. Overall I was satisfied with the Grand Vitara considering the exceptional price and usability.
Inside the Suzuki had a splendid array of storage space and a very upright seating position with fairly comfortable seats. The instrument array isn’t frilly and you aren’t going to impress your friends with the moody plastic covering the dash but this is a work vehicle so think easy to clean.
Dad’s view: I would recommend you pass over the Grand Vitara and order the much more spacious powerfully and equally off road capable Suzuki XL-7. The Grand Vitara is handy enough but there just isn’t enough room for the price. The XL-7 has a lot more to offer and the 183 horsepower engine is more capable then the 165 horsepower unit in the Grand Vitara and it just costs just ten percent more. You’ll get that back at resale time.
Now let’s get serious for a moment. There is no shortage of SUVs that cost around $35000 starting with the class leading Ford Escape/Mazda Tribute. So why consider the Suzuki? The answer is in the transfer case that makes this import capable of serious off roading adventures. In addition the seven-year/100000 miles powertrain warranty is exceptional.
Family conference: The Car Family feels that Suzuki is going to bring some stellar vehicles to the marketplace in the years ahead. They are going to want to make a positive impression on the public. As such these Suzuki products should be the harbinger of more lush vehicles. As of now these vehicles are niche players with solid engines and sturdy chassis.
Written by The Car Family