Suzuki Aerio Wagon

frenchcar

Have any of you had many good or bad experiences with the Aerio in snow and ice conditions? How does the traction compare to other vehicles you have owned? Im curious.

lngtonge18

I was surprised to see the sales reports for the Aerio. As of the end of November, Suzuki has sold a mere 12,826 Aerios. That's less than the # of Hummer H2, Lexus GS300, Mazda Millenia, Mazda Miata, Mini, and Jaguar S-type that were sold in the same time frame! We own one relatively rare car! It makes you wonder how Suzuki makes any profit selling this car here. It is cool though because we will always feel like we have a unique car since we won't see our same car at every stoplight. What I would like to see is how the sales are broken down between the sedan and the SX. I wonder if the SX is selling better than Suzuki thought.

smiller678

Hi all,

Yes, the Aerio seems to be a unique car until this week here in Southern Calif at least. I had only seems 2 Aerio SX's (other than my car) and about 4 Aerio GS sedans here in Calif. since around June/July time frame. Last Friday (12/20) I went out to a Christmas dance and went to the parking lot to walk a friend back to her car and there was another Pearl White Aerio SX near her car! I thought it was mine!. Yesterday (12/24) I was driving to do some Christmas shopping and I saw 3 Aerio's within a half mile of each other! I thought maybe there was a gathering in my neighborhood. Anyway 2 where yellow Aerio SXs and one was an Aerio GS. The SX's were yellow. I am wondering is\f Suzuki is making any money on these also?

Happy motoring.

frenchcar

I too am suddenly starting to see a few more of them on the road but the sales volume is low compared to most other makes which does not surprise me at all. Suzuki is a small niche player in this country and has been since 1986 or so but have bigger plans for increased sales spread out over the next 5 years. They are a large producer on a world wide scale. The Aerio is made in both Japan and Europe and shipped to many markets. Those for North America are probably just produced a couple of days per month as they have to incorporate changes for each market. I strongly suspect the factory in Japan is doing just fine from a profit standpoint on the Aerio as profits dont just depend on the U.S. It takes time to drastically increase sales and they have a loyal core of past customers to build on. Most former owners have kept their Suzukis longer than the national average which is a tribute to their durability. I see their biggest shortcoming as a lack of advertising at the national level. They seem to leave most advertising up to the dealers which is not enough. I remember when Toyota and Datsun (Nissan) had very modest beginnings in the late 1960"s.

joybell

joybell

Both my brother and I were in the market for a small station wagon. My brother looked at it first and reported that it looked "weird" and that he didn't like the digital dash at all because of the small little display window. He bought a Protege5 instead. Well, I went and had a look. I loved the car, although it didn't look much like a wagon to me. I also didn't mind the digital display and felt I could get used to it. What turned me off was that the salesman told me that I could not get ABS brakes unless I took the loaded package with the A/C and all the other luxury stuff I don't need and don't want. I got really angry that Suzuki considers a safety feature a "luxury", and walked out of the dealership. Lucky for the salesman, he also sells Subaru and called me with an offer on an Impreza "wagon". I have to dig into my pocket a little deeper but it is a safer car. Saftey is number one for me.

mic5000

Well, ABS is not necessarily a safety feature. For someone who doesn’t know how to brake, they are decent. I am not implying that you don’t know how to drive. How many race cars feature ABS brakes? 0, non, find me a race car, F1, Indy, Nascar, off road, that has ABS in it. Insurance companies don’t discount rates due to ABS. Several studies, I don’t have them at hand, have shown that some people drive more aggressively due to having ABS system. However, I wish the cost of the 4 WD version was a little lower.
My two cents.

joybell

Yes they do! Insurance companies do take ABS brakes into consideration when quoting an insurance rate. Go to the Subaru website (Canada) and select the option for a rate quotation from an insurance company. I don't remember the name of the insurance company, but one of the questions on the form was wether the car is equipped with ABS brakes or not. If this was not a factor in the rate calculation, the question would not be asked.

jontyrees

Your money, your choice. One thing I find hard to understand though - you were mad that you had to pay more for the ABS, yet you happily paid more to get ABS on the Subaru. Was the "loaded" Aerio still cheaper than the Subaru?

Nothing against the Subaru, BTW, I think they're fine cars. I also looked at Subarus when I bought my Aerio, but went with the Suzuki because of the greater cargo capacity and lower price.

kagedude

I really liked the Aerio GS and SX when it first came out and almost bought one. However, I ended up buying a Hyundai Accent GL for a couple of reasons. The Aerio is a really tall skinny car. It just looked awkward with its proportions. I also didn't like the Aerio's interior. It looks really cheap. I was surprised that the Hyundai Accent GL has nicer appointments and it only cost me $9,500. I test drove both cars btw and found that the Accent's engine was a lot smoother while the Aerio's was really gruff sounding. I'm really disappointed with Suzuki for bringing this car out after showing their Aerio Concept car at Autoshows last year. From reviews, they said the Aerio can be modified like the Civics. I really don't think it has that potential unless you like a really well decorated golf cart.

lngtonge18

Of course, you are entitled to your own opinion, but your comparison doesn't make much sense. I moved up from a 2000 Hyundai Accent to an 03 Aerio SX, so I have first hand experience with both cars. There is no comparison between them as far as interior materials are concerned. The plastics and cloth used in the Aerio is of a higher quality than the Accent's (not to mention the paint quality). Both engines are equally loud when you rev them to the redline. You do hear more of a burbly exhaust note at lower speeds in the Aerio, but it's not intrusive and actually gives it a sporty persona. I find the Aerio's engine to be a little smoother based on the smaller number of vibes felt through the seat and steering wheel. Don't get me wrong, the Accent was a good car and a great value. But higher quality materials than the Aerio? I think not.
I do agree the sedan looks quite ackward, especially from the rear. The SX's design is much better looking.

lngtonge18

I installed a wheelskins black leather steering cover today. It was a definite improvement and well worth it. The wheel now has a pleasing thickness to its grip and feels softer (a big improvement over the skinny, hard, and cold to the touch standard wheel). It took a little over an hour to hand sew the thing on, but it looks almost factory and adds a touch of luxury to the standard fare economy class interior. I highly recommend this upgrade.

kagedude

I moved down from a 2001 Maxima SE to the 2002 Hyundai Accent GL. I needed a commuter car and tested more than once the Aerio SX and GS sedans. I was really set on buying this car since it fit my criteria of mileage, price and equipment. I found the Aerio to look good in pictures and commercials but seeing it on the dealer lot next to another car, it looked really awkward and at that point I found myself not to be so convinced anymore. It was actually by chance that I went to a Hyundai dealership. Hyundais are supposed to be embarrasing cars to be seen in but I looked at a white Accent GL with beige interior and I was really taken in awe. How can a cheap car priced this low have such a decent interior, dash w/tach and full intermittent wipers? The dealer let me test drive a 5sp GL and needless to say I was sold. Btw, the 2002 Accent has a 1.6 liter engine with 105hp while the 2000 Accent has the 1.5 liter engine with 92hp. There is a big difference on how the engine sounds and how powerful it is. I actually am comparing the Accent and Aerio not to each other but to my Maxima. In this case, I found the Accent to be the car that I can be happy with mechanically after driving a Maxima. Of course, I'm still embarrassed to be seen in it.

joybell

Jontyrees: Well, yes, I did pay more for a Subaru than I would have for the Aerio. Safety is number one for me because I have two small children. But I also didn't mind paying more because I have had 20 years of pleasant experience owning Subarus, and no experience whatsoever with Suzuki.

lngtonge18

Just curious, but did you buy an Impreza without AC and all those other luxury doodads you didn't want? Reason I ask is because Imprezas in the US come standard with all that stuff. It may be different in Canada, but if it's not, than how could you get so angry at Suzuki for making you buy the luxury stuff to get the ABS, when all you simply did was buy a Subaru with the same luxury stuff?

joybell

The price of the Aerio with all the "do-dads" including A/C came to almost the same price as the base Impreza with A/C. Yes, if the US market wants it we have to take it too, even if we might use it 2 months out of the whole year. The Canadian market is not big enough to warrant "special attention".

frenchcar

I was going to borrow a neighbors truck to pick up some 8 foot boards and angle iron mouldings but discovered thwy would fit in my SX Aerio with the back seat down and placed them in the center between the fron seats and rested them on top of the dash on the carpeted dash cover. Worked out great and they could have been 9 feet long. Happy with the load space, the safety rating, headroom, tall seats, comfort and vision. Since I added the K&N Air Filter the speed and gas mileage has picked up. We made the right choice when buying this after comparing 5 or 6 vehicles.

revka

Glad to hear your Aerio SX is serving you well! ;-)

Revka
Hatchbacks & Wagons Host

revka

Any notes to share? It would be interesting to see some more vehicle updates in this discussion.

For those interested, you can list your total miles to date, current mpg, new accessories/mods, interesting trips or cargo experiences, and overall impressions since you purchased....

Thanks for your participation! ;-)

Revka
Hatchbacks & Wagons Host

lngtonge18

Anyone found a simple fix yet with this aggravating problem? Now that its cold all day, both of my front door panels buzz constantly and have gotten louder so that music doesn't even drown it out. Putting just slight pressure on the door panel either by pushing or pulling makes the noise stop (also lowering the window a hair will do the same thing since the panel flexes out when the window goes down). I have it narrowed down to either something behind the panel at the very top of it or the small plastic weatherstrip between the window and door panel. Has anyone had this fixed by a dealer or fixed it themselves? I would appreciate some help as this noise is driving me crazy! It's really ruining my enjoyment of the car. I mean, my 92 Miata with 142k doesn't rattle or buzz as bad as this car does!

revka

Hi Igntonge18 - There's a new Suzuki Aerio problems discussion on our Maintenance & Repair board that you should check out. In particular read post 4 where jontyrees has posted a solution to the door buzz and other common problems.... Good luck.

For future reference, look for a direct link to this Aerio Problems discussion in the Helpful Links on the left side of the page. And, please return to this discussion to share your overall Suzuki Aerio experience. Thanks! ;-)

Revka
Hatchbacks & Wagons Host

greeen

After looking at several small cars we decided to give the Aerio SX a test drive. I thought it was a bit strange looking, but also sleek and interesting! After we tried it and thought about all of the other small cars and how cramped they were, we decided we liked the Aerio the best.

It is very spacious inside for how small it looks, you sit high in it (almost like an SUV). It handles pretty good (drives like a car) and has a rockin stereo with 6 disc changer. The backseat has just as much room as the front seat, which can't be said for many cars.

My only gripes/problems so far? A peg broke off the side inside the back hatch that the back tray sits on. Don't know how it broke, but it broke on it's own. The dealer said they would order the part, but that was a month ago and I haven't heard from them yet. My other complaints (minor ones) would be the door buzzing (not very noticeable in mine) and that the heat vents on the floor don't work to well to heat your feet (even with the dash vents closed).

These are minor problems though, and we still love our Aerio after 5 months and almost 4000 miles.

guickg

I own a 2002 SX automatic with 5,000 miles on it (weekend driving only). My door buzzing problem appears to have diminished significantly on its own. The right passenger door used to buzz at highway speeds, not very loudly, but annoyingly nonetheless. The buzzing now seems to occur only occassionally and for short periods of time. I am in NY, and we've been having cold weather which, according to other posts, should only exacerbate the situation. So it's a mystery. My power windows, especially the front driver one, used to go up and down with a loud scratching noise. The dealer's service dept. has looked at it, and the problem has disappeared. I believe they lubricated something, but did not do any other major type of work (it's NY so they don't have time to chat about things, and they did not explain what exactly was done). I wonder if the two problems are related. Also, the dealer has replaced the brake clips per Technical Service Bulletin (TSB). They only became aware of it in December. They had to order the parts, and I waited for over a month for their call. Then I called myself, and the parts had been in for awhile. So it pays to call them - customer service is not the best at both Suzuki dealerships and their service departments. I don't remember if anyone has done it already here, but I could provide the TSB number and parts number for the brakes. As to the heating, I agree that floor heating is very weak and takes a long time to start working. Eventually, the heating system starts cranking and the whole cabin heats up well. I have hit three large potholes on separate occassions, one with my rear right wheel, another with my left front wheel and another with my front right wheel. I thought the wheels or tires would be totally busted. But the wheels and tires are fine. What a nice surprise. And lastly, could anyone let me know if the front tires should be inflated a couple of pounds more than the rear tires since the front tires carry more weight (engine). The placard says 30 psi for all tires, but it doesn't seem to make sense.

lngtonge18

Suzuki engineers know best, so I would leave the tire pressure the same front and rear. You could inflate all tires a few more psi for better fuel economy if you are willing to endure a harder ride. As for the buzzing doors, I discovered that a lot of people have this problem after reading the forum at suzukiaerioforum.com. Apparently, it is caused by a large block of foam that becomes unglued from the door and vibrates. Those who have tried to get it fixed by the dealer have met resistance, so I think I will attempt to take the door panel off myself and reglue the foam. I might do it this weekend, but we will see.

frenchcar

My old 1988 SAAB (2nd car) instructs to carry 1 pound more air in the rear tires and all the old French cars I used to drive in the seventies always called for 2 pounds more in the rear tires. It was common for European front wheel drive cars to call for such a set up. The weight up front anchors the front when cornering and the light rear end might skid unless you stiffen up the sidewalls with more air and that set up helps counteract any torque steer which was common in some older FWD cars. Experiment with different air pressures. I carried 2 pounds extra in front and 3 extra in the rear of my Aerio until I changed to a different tire set up and now I carry 4 and 5 pounds extra. We experienced a slight door buzz for one day only. We banged on the left end of the dash and it never came back but I suspect we were lucky. At one time I noticed a windshield line or defect and a lot of glare that was very bothersome when driving into the sun. We got a dash cover from Dash Designs of Tempe, Arizona and that solved the glare problem and I havent noticed the line defect ever since. Hope this helps.

lngtonge18

My Aerio SX 5-speed acted up real bad this morning. It was below freezing as a reference point to the temp where the problem occured. I was driving along and everything seemed fine and than all of a sudden the car started surging intermitently while traveling at 50mph (it felt like I lifted the gas slightly and than pushed it back down but my foot didn't move). I noticed the clutch pedal felt lighter and was engaging at the very top of its travel. The problem that really worried me was after I came to a stop. When restarting in first gear, the clutch felt like it was slipping (the car didn't want to go)and than engaged followed by a jerk and more slipping with very little acceleration (it felt like I lifted my foot completely off the gas right after engaging the clutch but I was asking for the car to accelerate). When I shifted into second, it felt like it slipped again because the car hit a dead spot where it would just sputter and not accelerate and than all of a sudden it would jerk and accelerate fine. It kept doing this every time I stopped and felt like it wasn't going to get me to work.
I drove directly to my Suzuki dealer since I felt there was something very wrong with my clutch. Of course, after I got a rep in the car with me, it didn't do any of the shaking, acceleration problems, or surging that it did with me. It seemed to run fine although the clutch pedal still feels lighter to me. The rep basically said he didn't see anything wrong and tried to ask me what cars I was comparing it to. I checked the clutch fluid and it is fine and no check engine lights came on.

Was this a case of frozen water in the gas (I live in Florida so we don't encounter gas problems) or is my clutch slipping due to cold weather? This newest problem has really dampened my enthusiasm for this car as none of my old or new cars have ever done something like this to me. Any insight would be much appreciated.

hpulley4

If the clutch really was engaging differently then I'm not quite sure what to make of it, especially if the fluid level is fine. If the clutch could have been your imagination (happens to the best of us) then the sputtering could have been caused by all manner of factors, water in the gas (a problem when it freezes), moisture in the ignition system causing some spark plugs not to fire, a large piece of dirt in the throttle body/intake manifold, etc. Did the engine lights come on at all while this was going on? If so, head back to your dealer right away and have them hook up the computer as the codes are usually stored for the next 50 starts or so before being wiped clean. If you want to DIY you could try running some gasline antifreeze and/or injector cleaner through it, check the spark wires for loose connections and the plugs for fouling, etc. All the standard stuff. I don't own an Aerio but was about to post something else (next) so I thought I'd post this generic advice.

hpulley4

No, not me. I competed in the Snowy Safari Rally this past Saturday night in my 2002 MINI Cooper. It was my first time driving in a night winter rally and I came in 18th out of 31 novice entries and 32nd overall out of 44 that finished (plus 3 DNFs and 1 DNS).

I thought you'd be interested to know that the winning intermediate (more experienced than me but not as experienced as expert class) entry drove a silver 2003 Aerio AWD; he came in 2nd overall. The rest of the overall top 5 was expert class Imprezas and the number 6 spot was a MINI Cooper S, the top 2WD car (expert class).

http://www3.sympatico.ca/pwatt/rsodocs/SS03/ss03.html

rogertc1

Having 3 Suzukis' I have to say theu go untill it isn't cost effective to fix them any more. I have 2 Geo Metros and a Suzuki X-90. like the engergizer buny ..just keep on going and going and going.

lngtonge18

Thanks for the insight. I now think something was wrong with the gas, ignition system, or condensation froze on some line somewhere. It drove fine on the way home in 60 degree weather. I just find it odd it affected how my clutch engaged and felt. The engine light never came on during any of this sputtering or surging. I do remember the engine started funny yesterday. It cranked longer and started with one hard shake. Not sure if it is really related or not. I think I will change gas stations and move up to 89 octane as I've also noticed some valve pinging under hard acceleration a couple times. Maybe this engine just doesn't run too good on 87.

artdecho

Ok, Revka......finally getting around to giving everyone an update on our Aerio. Had our Pearl Red SX-Auto for 7 months/13,000 kms with no major problems to report. Have the buzzing door panels and will enquire at the dealer this week when I take it in for service about re-gluing those blocks of foam. The buzzing hasn't been that obvious lately but it's been so cold, the heater and defroster have been cranked up and the roads have been snowy or slushy, so a lot of other noises may have been masking the sound. I do have a major vibration in the driver's door panel, but it's of a lower frequency than the other buzzes and only occurs when the car is first started, is idling around 1100 rpm and then shifted into reverse....this buzz/rattle is incredibly loud. Will check that one out too, along with the brake clunk. Other than that, no problems to report. The built in block heater has been real handy in this 2 week old deep freeze. No driveability problems noted in this cold weather.....car is running fine. The Nokian NRW's are doing a fine job of keeping us out of trouble in these wintry conditions. I will say that all the frozen road crud that builds up in the wheel wells also seems to collect behind the rear wheels up into the bumper cavity.....last time i pressure-washed it, I couldn't believe all the crap that came out of there. Defrosters/heated mirrors work great but it needs a good set of winter wiper blades and as noted by others, heater floor ducts seem particularly weak. Wishes? Not many, but a retractable luggage cover would be nice, especially if it was mounted 3-4" higher than the existing one. Ground effects are a bit too low...
am thinking of removing them altogether (at least for the winter). Mileage hasn't been great, but then it's winter and we haven't been doing much highway driving. Altogether, we're pretty happy with our purchase and convinced our neighbour to buy one too. Starting to see a fair number around
(and 3 right in our neighbourhood....amazing, since we don't even have a local Suzuki dealer here). Anyway, that's a wrap for now......

rogertc1

Artdecho, What kind of gas milage are you getting?

revka

Hi artdecho- Thanks for the update! Glad to hear your Aerio SX is serving you well. ;-)

To Everyone- Just a reminder for those of you experiencing problems, that there's a new Suzuki Aerio problems discussion on our M/R board, which is also linked to the Helpful Links (left side). If you have a chance, it would be helpful if you would also post (copy and paste) any Aerio problems/solutions, you're discussing here, into that area. People won't have to scroll through hundreds of messages to find helpful information in an area set aside for problems and solutions.

Thanks for your participation! ;-)

Revka
Hatchbacks & Wagons Host

lngtonge18

Well, my Aerio ran fine again this morning so I guess it was a fluke. However, now I have a new loud buzz/rattling noise coming from behind the glovebox. Thankfully, the rattle only occurs at 1000 rpms as the engine is slowly decreasing its rpm after a cold start. Nonetheless, it is still very loud and annoying and makes me wonder where this car was really built...6600 miles and 3 major rattling noises already, not to mention the brake clunk is now back! I'm not too impressed with this car's build quality and am already wishing I could trade it in. I originally thought I would be happy with this car for 4-5 years, but now I think I will get rid of it as soon as finacially possible. I thought those initial quality rankings for Suzuki were wrong in ranking it as low as Kia, but now I'm beginning to see how it's possible.

artdecho

rogertc 1......mileage back in the summer was around 27 city / 35 hwy ......that's imp. gals which would roughly be 22/28 in us gals.....in mostly city driving this winter, we're only getting around 400-430 km / tank which i think is about 25-27 mpg......was hoping city mileage would be around 30 and hwy 41.....at least that's what Transport Canada says we should be getting.
All in all, not bad, but Corolla's and Civics get high 30's to high 40's and the Echo gets low 40's to mid 50's, so Suzuki still has a way to go. Just went in for my 10,000 km service (am actually at 13K but my 1st service wasn't until 7K as we were on a long trip in the summer. Suzuki Canada recommends service every 5,000 km.
They fixed the brake clunk (installed the clips) under warranty and also looked at the door panels.
The chunk of foam in the drivers door was still glued solid, so they tightened the speaker mountings and put some foam tape between the panels.......seemed ok on the way home, so we'll wait and see. Other than that, running like a charm.
Intonge.....sorry for your "bad vibes" too. Overall, I think we have very little to complain about in the scheme of things....no major mechanical problems, no "Focus-like" horror stories, and for what it's worth, there have been many rattling, vibration problems noted in the Vibe/Matrix forums and Nissan Murano forums as well. Overall, I think Suzuki quality is quite good. Also, be aware that extremely cold weather like we have been having lately will make any car creak and groan more than normal. Even Honda's new Element seems to have skipping CD players, rocking driver's seats, bunching up floors and "scratch-resistant" body panels that are anything but.
hpulley.......great to hear those rally results and congrats on your performance as well!

guickg

There is a short, but overall positive review of the Aerio SX in the March 2003 issue of Motortrend.

jontyrees

from ebay. Apparently someone ordered a leather interior for a 2002 SX, and backed out of the deal leaving the shop stuck with them. Anyway, I got them, sight unseen, for $127.50 shipped - which is a killer deal for aftermarket leather seat covers, usually $600-$800. They are charcoal grey.

Hopefully, they are good quality, and work out well once installed. I will let you know how it goes.

vallet

I am a bit perplexed why my 2002 Yellow Aerio SX is only worth $7000us--trade and $10000us--retail. It is only 7 months old and I feel it is only worth half what I paid. Can anyone explain?

I DO realize that car lose the greatest value the first year, but HALF--really? What is up?

Otherwise, the car is great. Wish I could have got the 7/100 mile warrenty. I rented a 2003 and I also wish I could have the clock/temp and the better stereo.

Does it seem like I am complaining too much?

lngtonge18

Consumer Digest has rated the 03 Aerio a best buy. I thought that was interesting. It was one of 38 cars/trucks that were chosen for excellent value. Out of the economy car class, the PTCruiser, Civic, Matrix/Vibe, Aerio, and Corolla were chosen. For once, Suzuki was put in good company. The Suzuki XL-7 also made the list.

On another note, I have noticed my car runs much better on Shell 89 octane than it does on 76 87 octane. It seems to run a little smoother and accelerate a bit better. Maybe this engine retards the timing for 87.

frenchcar

Who said the 2002 Aerio SX trade in value is only $7000 and $10,000 retail? I dont think any have gone through the auctions and I have not seen any used ones for sale. I think someone is guessing at a value or using the old Esteem as a comparison figure. However, my wife works for a large used car dealer that buys late model cars and trucks at auction. Believe me, the used car market is saturated and cars are going through the auctions so cheap that dealers arent really interested in trade ins except at their figures and they could care less what the book says. It all stems from the cheap financing and give away deals on new cars that increased sales in the past 2 years which created too many trades and rental fleets have dumped half of their cars since few people are traveling and the auctions are clogged which lowers prices. The various used car value books are way off on their figures for the first time in years. My wife has had several chances to sell her Aerio SX for more than she paid for it. They now make her hide it out back at work as customers fall in love with it and ignore what is for sale. She gets to drive a variety of fairly new cars but still loves her Aerio more than all the others and I agree. 10,000 miles now and no trouble. She did kind of like a Lincoln LS they had but it was twice the price. Keep the faith Aerio fans.

jontyrees

Just picked it up, and it looks great. Black leather Katzkin interior, (traditional gathered style, per their website). The kit has leather on all the seats and backs where you actually sit, very durable vinyl on the sides, and rear headrests and armrest. You can't tell any difference by looking at the grain, but the leater is slightly more flexible to touch. The door panels put vinyl wherever the fabric was previously - the football jersey looking stuff for those of you with '02 models.

I think they did an excellent job, and I'm really happy with the results. It also had the added side-effect of getting rid of the buzzing I had in my doors. Seems it was the seams between the upper and lower door panels that was buzzing, and the layer of vinyl that now sits in there insulates them from each other.

I don't know if I'd drop $1k+ on this upgrade in a sub-$15k car, but since I got the whole thing done for less than $600, I'm a happy camper.

vallet

Hello!

I had the posting #610. I found the values right here on Edmonds.com. It said (for 2002 sx) trade in is $7500 and the retail is just over $10,000.

I understand the reply from posting #612 and I thank you for it. I don't understand how cars like the Ford Focus can still be worth nearly $2000 more on both counts. It's a Ford. Both cars started at nearly the same NEW price. My car is only 6 months old.

Any more insight you can give would be helpful.

frenchcar

Read your interesting comments. I am surprised it was Edmounds and we should check out Kelley and NADA both dealers and consumers books. I still think they are guessing at prices for such a new model and are using some old percentage comparisons for past models. You mention the Ford Focus. We had traded in a 2000 Focus on our Aerio last April. The various wholesale prices I found at that time were close to $11,000 for our most expensive Focus model. I would have been willing to take $10,500 but 3 different brands of dealers all said $9500 and they got that from an auction report. Some of the cheaper Focus models had gone through the auction for $7700 and $7000 and my wifes boss bought a couple of them. Book price means very little now days or another trick is they give you $2000 more than book but jack up the price of your car or payments. Two of my older neighbors are seriously thinking of getting an Aerio as they are impressed and our gas mileage has really picked up lately. Great car.

frenchcar

Your leather interior sounds awesome and it cured your door buzz. Im curious to know it will feel after sitting in the sun? I worry about that since I live in Arizona. Enjoy.

jontyrees

I'm hoping it won't be too bad. I'm also in the sun belt - Austin, TX, and although it's not as hot as Arizona, it's plenty warm in the summer. I have a bad habit of buying black cars, and my black SX with the black interior will definitely retain some heat. I've got a really dark tint on the windows, though, so that should help.

I'm still waiting for that mpg to pick up - 4800 miles and counting, and I'm still getting around 22-23mpg. All around, I'm really enjoying this little car, much more satisfying experience than the '99 Trooper I was driving previously.

lngtonge18

My 03 5-speed consistently gets 27 mpg in all city/suburban driving, even with lots of stop-and-go and some aggressive full throttle acceleration. It originally started at 24-26 and now hovers at 27. I have 7100 miles. Hopefully your mileage will start improving soon.

Are you going to take some pics of the leather interior?? I would love to see what it looks like. I have a black car as well. I thought a black leather interior with red inserts where your butt and lower back go as well as Aerio SX embroidered in red on the upper portion of the backrest would look nice and definitely add some eye appeal (the red would go with the red SX badge as well). What do you think? Of course, I doubt I would spend that kind of money since I don't think I will keep this car too long.

jontyrees

I'd like the red inserts on black seats color scheme myself, maybe with a Suzuki "S" embroidered. I picked my seat covers up already made theough. Still, I like the all black look, kinda German looking, if you like that sort of thing. I'll post pics once I get round to getting a digital camera. Right now, I'm having a bit of an issue with the seams of the panels on the seat. They're definitely noticable, and right under my rear end - hopefully they'll soften up and "give" with a little time.

regfootball

really look forward to the pics!

frenchcar

At the Chicago auto show which is starting now, The American Suzuki Motor Corporation master web site has several announcements about 2 new models for the 2004 year including a mid size sedan designed in Italy to compete with the Toyota Camry, etc, and a sporty compact sedan and 9 new models in the next few years and greatly increased sales goals for the US market by 2007. Many awards have been mentioned and it can only get better. Check it out.

aveman

It seems that some of the 2004 suzukis will be built by GM/Daewoo in Korea. One new car that looked nice was the Chevy Aveo. It looks remind me of the Aerio.The Aerio is more powerful and nicer but it is nice that Chevy will sell a nice cheap small car soon.