The unassuming SX4 made for darned near perfect transportation during a recent snow storm.
SX4’s all-wheel-drive gives little Suzuki a leg up on the competition.
BASE PRICE: $16,594
AS-TESTED: $16,594
DRIVETRAIN: 2.0-liter I4; awd, four-speed automatic
OUTPUT: 143 hp @ 5800 rpm, 136 lb-ft @ 3500 rpm
CURB WEIGHT: 2926 lbs
OPTIONS: None
The trip odometer said I went only 154 miles on 8.3 gallons, for 18.5 mpg, which would really suck bilge water for such a little car, even allowing for an automatic and all-wheel-drive, EXCEPT that it includes the big winter storm and a 2-1/2 hour drive home, for which this car was darned near perfect (more on that later—its one deficiency was the seats weren’t heated, but they were cloth so they weren’t all that cold either). That would be 2.5 hours to go 32 miles, or less than 13 mph average, all stop and go with the heater blasting, the wipers going, etc. Besides, I’m not sure the trip odo was zeroed out properly before since I’m the first driver to report filling it.
Speaking of which, the windshield washer tank was soon empty so I bought a bottle and filled it. It took less than a quarter bottle—no wonder it was empty! I think I poured more coffee into my cup at the gas station than the amount of washer fluid that went into the car before it was overflowing. At least the filler neck is very small and set down below the fender line so you can spill the stuff all over; the gas station’s paper funnel was a requirement. This is really a minor thing, I know, but if you drive up here in the salted road zones, you’ll have to fill the washer fluid reservoir every third day, so you’d better have your own funnel stashed in the car.
Did I say a car that cost less than $17,000 was darned near perfect? Yeah … when the roads go bad and the traffic is going nowhere, a small, nimble car is the way to go for me (I rejected our long-term Grand Cherokee SRT8, which was assigned to me—too much power and too big). It slips into small openings in traffic, which people will yield to you in this unassuming little hatchback because they’re not envious of your ride, and then there’s the awd which makes for steady transitions across the unplowed mess between lanes, not to mention worry-free stop-and-go maneuvering. While the cabin environment wouldn’t be mistaken for luxurious or spacious, it was comfortable and punishment-free. The engine note is even okay—it may sound like a sewing machine, but someone did some tuning on the exhaust so at least it’s an industrial-grade baritone sewing machine, and none too loud, either.
This example is a base car with automatic. If you were shopping for a winter-mobile, you’d probably look at the Sport, which adds stability control and a lot of other features, including heated mirrors, for only a few hundred dollars more. Oddly, the Sport comes with standard four-speed automatic. Suzuki lists the base model as a five-speed manual with optional ($1000) automatic, though the sticker on this car ($15,999 plus delivery) shows the automatic as “included.” Pricing strategies are getting just plain weird.
Would I rather have been in an Audi A4? Sure. But if you’re on a beer budget, this is one sweet answer to living in four-seasons land. The awd is a great thing in this price range—it puts Suzuki one up on the Chevy Aveo (the best-seller in the dinky class) and the new subcompacts from Honda, Toyota and Nissan (Fit, Yaris and Versa). The SX4 is also more conventional (read: less geeky) than the Aerio wagon it replaces—a car that had its charms, but was hard to accept as a real automobile. I’m putting this on the “recommended” list when people ask about economical hatchbacks to drive in northern climes.
"Another hit from Suzuki after its Swift" - SakuraGuy
Source: Autonews.Com
SX4’s all-wheel-drive gives little Suzuki a leg up on the competition.
BASE PRICE: $16,594
AS-TESTED: $16,594
DRIVETRAIN: 2.0-liter I4; awd, four-speed automatic
OUTPUT: 143 hp @ 5800 rpm, 136 lb-ft @ 3500 rpm
CURB WEIGHT: 2926 lbs
OPTIONS: None
The trip odometer said I went only 154 miles on 8.3 gallons, for 18.5 mpg, which would really suck bilge water for such a little car, even allowing for an automatic and all-wheel-drive, EXCEPT that it includes the big winter storm and a 2-1/2 hour drive home, for which this car was darned near perfect (more on that later—its one deficiency was the seats weren’t heated, but they were cloth so they weren’t all that cold either). That would be 2.5 hours to go 32 miles, or less than 13 mph average, all stop and go with the heater blasting, the wipers going, etc. Besides, I’m not sure the trip odo was zeroed out properly before since I’m the first driver to report filling it.
Speaking of which, the windshield washer tank was soon empty so I bought a bottle and filled it. It took less than a quarter bottle—no wonder it was empty! I think I poured more coffee into my cup at the gas station than the amount of washer fluid that went into the car before it was overflowing. At least the filler neck is very small and set down below the fender line so you can spill the stuff all over; the gas station’s paper funnel was a requirement. This is really a minor thing, I know, but if you drive up here in the salted road zones, you’ll have to fill the washer fluid reservoir every third day, so you’d better have your own funnel stashed in the car.
Did I say a car that cost less than $17,000 was darned near perfect? Yeah … when the roads go bad and the traffic is going nowhere, a small, nimble car is the way to go for me (I rejected our long-term Grand Cherokee SRT8, which was assigned to me—too much power and too big). It slips into small openings in traffic, which people will yield to you in this unassuming little hatchback because they’re not envious of your ride, and then there’s the awd which makes for steady transitions across the unplowed mess between lanes, not to mention worry-free stop-and-go maneuvering. While the cabin environment wouldn’t be mistaken for luxurious or spacious, it was comfortable and punishment-free. The engine note is even okay—it may sound like a sewing machine, but someone did some tuning on the exhaust so at least it’s an industrial-grade baritone sewing machine, and none too loud, either.
This example is a base car with automatic. If you were shopping for a winter-mobile, you’d probably look at the Sport, which adds stability control and a lot of other features, including heated mirrors, for only a few hundred dollars more. Oddly, the Sport comes with standard four-speed automatic. Suzuki lists the base model as a five-speed manual with optional ($1000) automatic, though the sticker on this car ($15,999 plus delivery) shows the automatic as “included.” Pricing strategies are getting just plain weird.
Would I rather have been in an Audi A4? Sure. But if you’re on a beer budget, this is one sweet answer to living in four-seasons land. The awd is a great thing in this price range—it puts Suzuki one up on the Chevy Aveo (the best-seller in the dinky class) and the new subcompacts from Honda, Toyota and Nissan (Fit, Yaris and Versa). The SX4 is also more conventional (read: less geeky) than the Aerio wagon it replaces—a car that had its charms, but was hard to accept as a real automobile. I’m putting this on the “recommended” list when people ask about economical hatchbacks to drive in northern climes.
"Another hit from Suzuki after its Swift" - SakuraGuy
Source: Autonews.Com
