Vibe/ Matrix v. PT Cruiser v. ZX5 v. Protege5 v. Elantra GT v. Aerio SX

lngtonge18

Suzuki's website only shows a 2k rebate on the Aerio. Is the extra 2k a special rebate offered only by your dealer? I sure hope so for the sake of other Aerio owners out there. 4k rebates will kill the already pitiful resale value of this car!

csandste

Wonder if that large a rebate signifies something?

The 5 door Aerio is nitchy enough to survive. The four door is strange enough so that my guess is that the two Daewoo transplants-- which IMHO are more mainstream and attractive-- might knock the Aerio out of the box.

I don't follow Suzuki forums closely so this might not be a unique insight. For all I know, theres plenty of discussion on this very subject elsewhere.

My dealer is a combination Hyundai, Nissan, VW, Suzuki Isuzu dealer. They sell in that order with the last two being real nitch players. The 5 door Aerio is almost a cross-over vehicle, something that ties back to the SUV's. The sedan doesn't have that slot however-- two mainstream sedans will be enough for Suzuki.

bob5e

Dealer corrected earlier quote of $13,795 to $14,295 since GS model did not have ABS. Next best quote is still $13,995 for GS, or $14,295 for the SX version. Even Fitzgerald (fitzmall.com) offers the Aerio SX AWD ABS AT model for $15,047 with no hassle price. I have two other quotes for the Aerio GS AWD ABS AT around $14.5k. So just not my area dealers that are giving much lower quotes.

Total auto inventory is an extra 600k cars over last year - carmakers cut their throats by offering too many rebates/incentives. Supply is swamping demand especially for niche cars like the Aerio. . . . thus, dealers are getting desperate to unload 2003's = good time to buy!

Hankr

was our local Suzuki dealer advertising an SX Auto AWD (no ABS) for 13,995. This was advertised in late March - early May timeframe. Add $500 for ABS and they would have been at $14.5K at that time. The deduct $300 for GS -vs- SX and they'd be at $14.2K.

So your $13.8K quote sounds very good. There is not much margin in these.

When I bought my Aerio, I spent $12 for Consumer Reports New Car Pricing Report on the Aerio (on the web). In late March, there was the $2K consumer rebate (actually price-credit, they don't send rebate checks). Plus there was $500 factory-to-dealer cash on Aerios... in addition to the holdback, etc.

Your quote sounds very good, but I'd recommend spending the $12 to get the Consumer Reports data to see just what incentives are in place. CR's data was much more thorough than Edmund's or KBB, and well-worth the $12.

chocoxtaco

paid $10,500 after rebates, trading in a not-too-hot Legacy LS wagon, and no money down back in March.

theloneabalone

I got a '03 sx, yellow, auto with ABS for 13550 including the destination fee. no trade in. ask dealer for his bottom line in writing or have him fax it to you. I then faxed them my bid and they gladly took it. I live in michigan. feel I got a great deal with my very low financing. love the car.contrary to some, my suspension seems to tackle all the michigan potholes with great ease. generally, I feel most user reviews will try to remain objective, but even unconsciously some degree of subjectivity plays in. I have not driven 40+ cars, but was able to drive large cars, VWs, toyotas, Nissans and fords. also test drove all the competitive models (minus the kia and the pt cruiser, just not interested in them). I found the Suz to be my best bet financially and emotionally. for some reason I like its looks a lot and makes me smile everytime I walk towards it on a parking lot. I hardly ever got a craving to drive a car before this one. I actually find myself peeking out my apartment's window to see my car. Here is how I tested all the cars I considered buying.
-before I even looked at the car in the lot, researched on web for crash test, recalls, tsb, resale, professional and user reviews. rebates and msrps.
-found the dealers with most inventory within 30 minutes from home. made sure they were within test drive distance to a highway.
-test drove 15 min. in highway, took random offramp, drove 5 min. in residential area, turned at the nearest large parking lot. made backup, slalom maneuvers, linear braking.
-parked in lot, popped hood and checked all the consumables and how easy/hard it would be to service them or replace. oil filters, fuel filters, spark plugs, etc.
-drove back to dealer using same route. on way there,tried to do at least one 0 to 60 run, one 40 to 0 brake, and three passing attempts. also tested cruise control on highway at 76mph (limit is usually 70 in michigan). checked for noise levels due to tire, road, wind and engine.

I may sound like too much, but I am not exactly rich at all and didn't want to be stuck with a car I didn't feel I was gonna be able to bear with for at least six years. my wife was pretty much tired of it after 3 test drives. all in all I still believe I made MY right decision based on how my "objective" test and my "subjective" feel for the cars played out. of course if you get into a car thinking of trading it in every year or two then all bets are off!! I just believe in owning a car until you can't drive it safely anymore. I like my return on investment so to speak (or to put it plainly, I don't like to throw money away at a faulty car like dem focuses).

fndlyfmrflyr

You did it right. It doesn't matter if one plans on trading every few years. For the amount of money one spends for a car getting one that pleases you and does what you need it to do is what counts.

I tend to keep cars a long time, though I have traded/sold in as little as 9 months. I find that the overall cost is much less if you can keep a car for a long time. Keeping it a long time and not wanting to replace it means one better be sure they like the car a lot when it is purchased.

I kept my 1984 Toyota Van (got it the first week they were available) for 18.5 years. Still ran fine and looked like new too. Slow, noisy, reliable, and did everything I wanted and needed for a local in town vehicle.

jontyrees

You know what I really like about your car purchase decision making process? Nowhere in there do you consider what your friends might think of your car, what is in your neighbours' driveways, whether there is a "prestige" factor, etc. You are your own man!

revka

and congrats on your new Aerio SX!

You may also be interested in our Suzuki Aerio SX discussion, where you can compare notes with other owners.... Happy motoring!

Revka
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