Suzuki Aerio Wagon

autoknologist

As I indicated in my first post here, I hoped that the next time I visited I would be able to tell you about how much I was enjoying DRIVING my new Aerio SX. And I am. Yeah! I actually took possession of my SX back on 5/18/02. I wanted to visit and post sooner, but I do not get to spend much time on the computer any more due to work. Anyway, about the car. Although I originally was looking for a Silver one, I found a dealer that had almost every color but silver. They even had a Electric Yellow one with the A/T. (all the other yellow ones I had seen or found had the 5Spd Man trans). It was equipped exactly the way I wanted it and within an hour and half it was mine(although I had to drive over an hour & 100+ miles to get it and the paperwork process actually took 4.5 hours longer than the deal, but that story is for another time). Now for the car. I agree with all the posts I have read here in that how C&D magazine rated the car was based strictly on looks and the digital dash. For me, it was the only choice. The car is great. It has excellent power,even with A/C on. The ride is comfortable, but not soft or mushy. It handles well, although a little more roll control would be appreciated. Boy do the liquid filled motor mounts make a difference on how smooth the engine idles. When I am at a long stop light or in a drive through line, I have to look down at the tach to make sure the engine is still on. I have had ALOT of 4cyl cars(also a story for another time) and this is the smoothest idling 4cyl I have ever had, and as a matter of fact, I would say the smoothest Idling car I have ever had. Period. I have had V8's, V & Inline 6's as well.
For me, a smooth idle is a really big deal. To me it is one demonstration of how much attention to detail a Manufacturer has paid to satisfying the customer. For I have had some really nice cars over the years and have not been very happy with how they Idled, including an SUV I have right now. I could go on more about this, but I think I have beat this horse enough for now. Back to the SX. The seats: I love the seats. Not only are they attractive to look at with the Black sides and mesh centers(duplicated on the upper half of the door panels) but are very comfortable on the road. I like the way the rear seats back have some rake adjustment to them(SX only) as well as how the they can be folded completely flat)SX only), making for a much more useful load area. Basically, I love the whole car. One last love item is the digital dash. It is really easy to see at a glance, always well lit no matter what the light conditions(even with my sunglasses on) and has all the information I like to have, including a tach. And because it is so compact, when you tilt the steering wheel down all the way, as I do, the cluster is not partially blocked by the top of the it(like so many other cars I have had are). I do have a few small gripes though. The biggest is that there is not enough little cubby holes or slots in the interior to put things. I live in my car. I commute 140 miles a day to and from work. I like to have my "stuff" with me. So, Suzuki, if your listening, add a few more spots on the dash to put things, huh!. The other gripe is that the cup holder mounted to the rear seat armrest, not such a good idea. At least the way they have done it. When you us the cup holder, then the ArmRest portion of the feature gets put on hold until you close up the Drink holder! I know this could be done better. And the drink holder should be able to accomadate 2 drinks, not just one. Otherwise, as I have said over and over, I love this vehicle. Great power, nice shifting trans, good brakes, Oh and one more love: how much room there is under the hood! I was very impressed on what a nice job of packaging they did under the hood. Here we have a 2.0 ltr engine, with all the smog stuff and you can not only see it, but you can see almost the entire transmission and one side of the steering rack as well. Very clean and tidy under there, nice job. Well, I am off to drive it again. Oh, and I love the Yellow color too.

revka

and thanks for sharing all the details. We look forward to hearing more about your ownership experience.... Happy motoring! ;-)

Revka
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Hatchbacks & Station Wagons Boards

lngtonge18

How do you adjust the rake on the rear seat? I didn't know it had this feature and one of the complaints my partner had with the car was how upright and uncomfortable the rear seat felt. If it adjusts, then that might solve that complaint! I doubt any regular salesman would know to point out this feature. I am going to test drive an SX with manual tranny tomorrow. I too have to drive over an hour to go see it. I hope it's worth it and impresses me!! I will let yall know what I thought when I get back.

hochkissh39

Hi,
I took delivery of my Aerio SX sedan today and I enjoy the vehicle. I went to open the rear passenger door and it wouldnt open. The power locks are working fine, all other doors are operational, except that particular one. Any similar issues out there? In sedan or wagon?
Now I have to wait until Monday for them to fix it (groan), but I am more concerned about not being able to open the door should I ever have to, say in a car accident and trying to get the kids out of the back.
Cheers

majorthomecho

Take a look at the little scorecard and the scores the Aerio racked up compared to the other vehicles. That is why I said the Aerio lost on more than looks.

BTW, I think the editors were wrong. I am not sure I would have had the Aerio that much higher, but I would have put the Focus hatch last.

majorthomecho

Were you trying to open it from the inside or the outside? Do cars in Canada have the child locks for the rear doors? If it does come equipped with rear door child locks, perhaps something is wrong with them.

lngtonge18

I finally got to test drive an SX with a manual tranny. Overall, I was very impressed. The front seats are very comfortable and so is the driving position, unlike the Matrix. Cargo room and rear seat space and comfort is generous. The ride was firm, yet much more compliant and quieter then the Protege5. The engine was amazingly quiet up to about 5000 rpms, much quieter then the Protege5. The Aerio felt about average in the thrust department, but it turned out to be a false sense of slowness. When I thought I was only going about 40 mph, I looked down and was shocked to see I was going 55. At 65, it was very quiet and felt like you were going much slower then you really were. Steering was quick and responsive and had the right amount of firmness to it, but the one I drove had an alignment problem as it veered off to the right. The shifter had a nice mechanical direct feel to it, but it didn't like being put into reverse quickly. Some of the digital display lights were a bit hard to see in direct light (like the cruise control light and the tach), but the speedometer was very easy to read and the lighting problem would be lessened once the windows are tinted. The stereo was flat out awesome! The speakers sounded great and it got loud without getting distorted. I doubt I would see a need to upgrade the original stereo or the speakers. They were that good. However, I wish they had put a cassette player in place of the dummy cover that says CD changer. I think the SX is a great buy for the money. It does everything well and is definitely in my finalist list. The only major problem I am going to encounter is finding the one I want. I want a black or blue SX with manual tranny and would like to get ABS if I can find it. The red one I drove is the only SX with a manual tranny in the north FL/south GA area. Ugghhhh!!! I already had to drive 130 miles just to test drive one. God knows how far I will have to drive to find the one I want! Suzuki, please build more SXs!!!!
I did drive a Hyundai Tiburon GT-V6 (I know, a completely different class) after the Aerio and loved it, but I think it's too expensive for me right now. I will have to find a four cylinder version in order to make a final decision on which fits me better. It will be one of those style or substance sort of decisions.

Curiously, is there a dimmer switch for the dash lights? I couldn't find one and thought it odd that it wouldn't have one. Can any owners shed some light on this?

suzukixl_7

Okay, I have had my GL sedan for 3 weeks now, and my feedback is as follows:

1) Very competent on the highway. Went up the Coquihalla (steep mpountain hwy in BC) with zero issue, only had to be in 4th for the section before the toll booth.

2) Gas milage is as expected. I am averaging 37 MPG (CANADIAN!!) overall, and that includes about 65% highway driving at 100-120 KMH. I could get closer to the 43 estimate (hwy MPG max) if I was driving 80-100 KMH only no doubt.

3) No service adjustments yet, but I do have a clicking noise that appears when the clutch is depressed all the way and THEN I put on the brake. (ie: the braking triggers it). The shifter is sometimes stubborn going into reverse also.

4) Handling is as good as can be expected. My base GL has the 14" wheels, looking to get the 15's at some point, with the wider Yokohamas on em. Now to clarify, the handling isn't bad, it's just that it is best described as 'average'. It gets a 'better than average' when combined with it's speedy acceleration. Dodging around traffic on the highway is a breeze, it's less exhilarating in the city.

5) Noise is pretty minimal. Going through the gears obviously can be heard.

6) Went in for break in oil change at 2500 KM (SUZUKI CANADA has coupon on it now anyway... $12.95), watched service tech do it. You have to remove two screws from a plastic cover underneath (and kinda just let in hang down, out of the way)to easily access the filter, which spills onto the O2 sensor cable and the exhaust... just make sure it gets wiped off!

7) The Clarion stereo w/detachable face in the GL (base) is okay, but I much prefer the larger stereo from the GLX and SX (which is also found in the XL_7 and GV). The problem with the one I have is that you cannot adjust the tone; it has a bass boost, treble boost, or bass and treble boost. The larger units have independent bass/mid/treb adjustments... It is odd that SUZUKI Canada equipped all three trim levels with different units (the GLX is CD only, and the SX gets the same unit WITH the cassette portion included...)

8) Comfortable! The higher sitting position with excellent headroom (I am 5' 11") is nice to have. Armrests are typically absent, and would be welcomed on the 2003 model.

9) Storage spaces are limited. I think the e-brake ought to be put elsewhere to allow that space to be better used, or make the accessory armrest/storage standard.

Seems that the FASTBACK SX supply in M/T is in short supply around here (Vancouver). I still have never seen a M/T SX sedan. The GLX are gone until 2003 model year. (They only came in A/T also...)

Check SUZUKI Canada's website for specific details, but in Canada, you get three trim levels of the Sedan and Fastback (hatchback):

GL, comes in M/T only, no fender flares or skirts, no A/C...

GLX, comes in A/T only, has A/C, but no fender flares or skirts

SX, M/T or A/T, gets the whole meal deal with the alloy wheels. One extra Flash Red colour over the US lineup, but not available in white. (actually, I have yet to see a white sedan even...)

Prices range from $15785 to $19985, plus $995 freight/PDI plus levies/registration/taxes.

A stock SX A/T should retail at NO MORE than $21300 CAD plus GST/PST/HST, or you are paying more than MSRP.

Keith
Abbotsfrod, BC, CANADA

jmmg

Finally, we got our Aerio SX today, after about couple hours of paper work, we drove it off the lot and have some major fun. My SX is cool beige metallic and have side-molding, rear bumper protection sheet and front defector on it. So far I noticed that I got the only Beige SX in the whole Western Canada! The car drove great, the engine is very quiet and the stereo system is great! We have four people in my family(Although my boys are only 5 and 2)I picked some very steep hill side road to climb and the engine had no problem for it IIITTT is an absolute HEAD-TURNER! You won't believe how much attention we have attracted! I will go ahead and tint the window and probably put some 17" Rim on it later! Although we only have it for one day, but I am already fell in love with it! When we stopped at one light, there were a Mazda portege 5 and new corolla stopped right beside us and you should see the jaw-dropping picture of those drivers! I will keep you guys update on the Aerio SX!

autoknologist

Allright! I see the Aerio fan base is growing. First off, after reading about the article in Import Tuner, I rushed to my favorite late night news stand and bought it. Great article. I was pleasantly surprised to read that in Japan, the aerio is Very popular, so Suzuki itself offers some performance upgrades, some of which were on the car they drove and described in the latter half of the article. I will be contacting Suzuki myself and see if they intend to offer some of this stuff here in North America. (Fingers crossed). To Intongue18: here is how to adjust the rake of the rear seats: Pull up on the Release handle, then gently push or pull the seat back, moving it just a small amount. Let go of the handle and move the seat a little more and you should hear/feel a click as the lock finds another position. If I remember correctly, there are 5 different settings to the angle. Enjoy. Also, there is an adjustment/Dimmer for the brightness level on the Instrument cluster. You will notice that there are 2 push pins coming off the cluster. The one on the Right is for the Trip Meters of the cluster. The one on the Left is the Dimmer control. Push in and hold it down for a second, you will see the brightness change. Once you find the desired level for daytime viewing, you will notice that when you turn on the headlights, the dash will dim down so that, at night, you will have the same level of light on the guage cluster as you did in the daylight. It works great!. One factory option I already ordered and on Saturday installed is the console/armrest. Very easy install and wow! does it add alot to the vehicle. It sits at just the right height to let you rest your arm/elbow comfortably on it without having to lean over at all! Also, it has a small amount of storage inside and when you need it to, the entire unit tilts up, out of the way. Very well done. The armrest takes the already excellent driving position to a whole new level of comfort. If anyone is wondering about actual mileage, so far I am averaging 27 mpg (Sorry, I do not what that translates to in Liters). I feel that as the car gets more broken in, and after I switch to 100% synthetic oils, this should improve. But considering that this mileage is achieved while traveling at a avg speed btw 72-76 mph, from Sea level to over 3200 ft, I suppose the mileage is actually respectable. Anyway, the more I drive my SX, the better I like it. Suzuki has done a great job with this car. I already have alot of ideas for enhancements I want to make. Talk to you soon. Happy Aerioing!

artdecho

Autoknologist.......do you lose the rear cupholder in the centre console when you install the armrest?.....Suzukis' literature seem's to indicate that it installs over the console/cupholder. Would the storage space gained hold a cell phone or sunglasses?

smoothride3

Does anyone has a Aerio SX w/ Auto Trans.,ABS, and has a clicking noise in the front dask when you step on the accelerator. You can hear it with the radio off and all window closed. Please let me know because when I brought it to the dealer service. They said it's the ABS and it's normal, so they didn't do anything.

hpulley4

are generally heard once at one speed when you get going to test them. You shouldn't hear them again until you are in a panic stop. If you hear it constantly, tell them they are full of BS when they say it is normal.

jmmg

I have to admit! The reason I bought another Suzuki is purely because the quality and the value of Suzuki's products. Their SERVICE and their attitude are another story:( Honestly, I only have one dealership in my city, if that doesn't change when next time around I buy another car, I will not buy a Suzuki again, it is because I refuse to deal with those ASSXXXX one more time! e.g. (I have a Dent on my door when I pick up my brand new car and this is the second time, happened last time when I purchased a XL-7. And they are denied responsibility and blame it on me even though I only have the car for less than 10 hours!) and don't even bother to talk about how many lies and over-promising by both the salesman and the manager, the list goes on and on.........! I wonder how do I file a compliant to Suzuki head office or let Suzuki Japan know how bad the service that their North American customer received, if Suzuki doesn't smarting up a bit, no matter how kick-AXX their products are, they will remain second class forever! I am one of the few die-heart fan of them, if they can not even keep my loyalty with them, good luck for gaining new ground in N. A. market!

majorthomecho

When you buy a new car, you really need to do a walk around and point out any flaws the car might have. If you don't, how does the dealership know that the dent didn't happen after you left the dealership?

FWIW, the Internet Manager of the dealership where I took a test drive has been really great as has the sales manager.

majorthomecho

The dealership where I test drove the sedans has the hatch in the colors you want and I think they have ABS too. Unfortunately, you will have to drive to Missouri to get it. ; )

smoothride3

smoothride3

Thanks hpulley4 for your comment. I guess they don't know what to fix at this point. They told me to wait and see if anyone else has the problem. But so far, I haven't heard of any, so that means only my car has that sound. It's a bit disappointed. I guess I will continue to do more research on what's going on.

frenchcar

Sorry to hear of your misfortune in Canada with that dealer. I believe there should be an address somewhere in your owners manual or warranty book for Suzuki of Canada or North America. Write to them and complain. If they get enough complaints perhaps they will consider awarding the franchise to another dealer. I had just the reverse happen here in Tucson, Arizona. Royal Suzuki, Kia, Buick, Isuzu and Jaguar was the best we have ever dealt with in 50 years of buying cars. We went in several times and were helped by 3 different sales people when the original one was tied up as they all work together. Everyone of them was extremly knowledeable about the Aerio, took us on a tour of the facility. went on more than one test drive, the sales manager was really a neat guy and it was a fun experience and we didnt get screwed. Royal has a fantastic reputation and even gave my wife a dozen long stem roses. Wish they were all like that. After a few days I found a very minor blemish or dent in the hood that had to be in the sheet metal prior to the paint process. You can feel it more than see it. They offered to fix it but I declined as a repaint will sometimes not match or hold up. I will buy more Suzukis in the future if I live long enough. Good Luck.

frenchcar

I had the small blemish in the hood that I mentioned in the previous post and also one in a door. The one in the hood has improved and the one in the door has just about disappeared. The Arizona sun has baked them out. Dont laugh, I used to adjust hail damage claims on cars and I have seen some badly damaged cars recover about 60% just by letting them sit in the hot summer sun for 2 weeks. Deep dents can sometimes be popped out with a gentle torch or heat application. Try it. Of course it was 103 today (F) but only 12% humidity and very smoky due to the nearby 30 square mile forest fire. Tomorrow 106 they say but its not too bad in the shade and 65 in January is fine with me. I do miss fishing in Canada when I was a kid. We lived in Michigan then and we had a tiny island in Georgian Bay, Ontario.

frenchcar

Use a gentle hair drier to improve the looks of a slight ding as a torch ruins the paint. Your dealer should really take care of this under warranty if it appears these imperfections were already in the metal and got painted over. If the paint is broken where the ding is then it happened after it left the factory. Close inspection is important at time of delivery.

artdecho

Brian Harper of the National Post (see http://www.nationalpost.com/ and look for the "Driver's Edge" link)devotes over half his review of the Aerio SX to bashing it for it's looks, saying it's the ugliest Suzuki he's seen with the exception of the X-90, and that it's fit only for grandparents and retro-nerds. He must really want to get on that Car&Driver payroll.

If you don't like the looks, fine......say so in one paragraph(not nine) and move on. Once again, the rest of the article is generally positive, but like C&D, he just can't get past the looks.

While the Aerio may not be a car who's looks you drool over, it doesn't exactly make you throw up, either. The Aerio is a mixed breed, and like the Matrix & the Vibe, while it may not have "pure-bred" looks, this little mongrel does have an endearing quality to it.....and it will give you years of faithful service to boot.

migles

The SX looks a little close to the ground. My wife is concerned about getting stuck in the snow. Appreciate any comments. thanks.

artdecho

My wife's a little concerned about the ground clearance as well. I bottomed the front spoiler entering the dealer's lot after my test drive. Also noticed a red SX at another dealer(their demo?) with a paint scrape on the front spoiler.
In snow, it would only be a problem if you routinely drive in snow 6" deep or more. Maybe you should wait for the 4WD version or try the GLX hatch instead. On the positive side, maybe you could use it to plow your driveway!

revka

Does anyone know what the actual Aerio SX ground clearance is? Perhaps someone here can look that up for migles... in their brochure or owner's manual. Thanks. ;-)

Revka
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Hatchbacks & Station Wagons Boards

frenchcar

Where would you like the ground clearance measured at? I am still trying to find a figure in my owners manuals and I have a copy of the factory literature that they gave to salesmen for the introduction and it may be in there. The figure for most cars is under an axle or differential or exhaust or sometimes skid plate or transmission but they only give the one figure and it is usually adequate for most driving situations. If you want to know the clearance at the front or rear spoilers or side rocker clearance, let me know and I will measure it for you. The side is not as low as it looks and is more of an optical illusion and has not been a problem. The front is low enough to be a problem with high curbs so we make sure we dont get close to them. Snow might be a problem sometimes. A set of tall skinny winter tires would help and Im sure the 4 wheel drive version will be higher. Let me know and I can make all kind of measurements for you all who need to know.

artdecho

frenchcar......I don't think overall ground clearance is a problem......I'm sure the Aerio is the same as most cars on the road. The lowest point of the car seems to be the front air dam/spoiler, so maybe you could measure that & let us know. I would guess that most curbs/parking barriers are 6-8" off the ground......the air dam seems to be lower than that.

frenchcar

Michael, I measured the low point of the front air dam at 7 and 3/4 inches (7.75) which is fairly low for some types of snow. However, back in 1978 while living in northern Colorado we once had a freak 3 day, 28 inch snowfall in May. I had a little Renault R-5 "Le Car" if anyone remembers those. I was the only one in the neighborhood who drove in it but had to find a store open. The snow was wet and heavy and the light weight car rode up on top of it with the floor pan scraping all the way and I had to gun it to keep going. Everyone was amazed. So was I. Then I had a VW Jetta with summer high performance tires that couldnt handle one inch of snow or 1/4th inch of ice. Had to purchase different tires. Hope this helps you.

artdecho

Tom........thanks for the measurment.....it's a little low, but livable, I think. Just have to be carefull around curbs, steep driveways and speed bumps. I doubt the front end of our '93 Altima is much higher than 8" and they usually start plowing the roads around here when we get about 2", so I don't think snow will be a problem either. I think it's pretty much a done deal that we will get the Aerio.....it will replace our '93 Sidekick and my wife will be the primary driver. Just shopping for colour now......she likes the red or green pearl. We'll definitely put a good set of winter tires on it when the snow flies. We'll also need a roof rack & cargo box for our camping trips but it should work out fine.

protegextwo

Boxes, Size Small:

Chrysler PT Cruiser

Ford Focus ZX5

Pontiac Vibe

Mazda Protegé5

Suzuki Aerio SX

Toyota Matrix XRS

http://www.caranddriver.com/xp/Caranddriver/comparisontests/2002/june/200206_comparo_boxes.xml?

Very interesting where they rated the Vibe/Matrix?

-Larry

ashdad

I am about to buy a new hatchback. I was all set to go with a Matrix when I saw an on-line comparison to the Aerio SX. I checked it out and was not quite as impressed with the Aerio. The main negatives for me are style, 15 inch wheels, the digital instrument panel and potential resale value. The car was fun to drive--a little more so than the Matrix--and very comfortable (I am 6' 2" and miserable in most full size American cars.

I decided to let my 10 year old daughter test ride in both the Matrix and the Aero. She felt very uncomfortable in the back of the Matrix and loved the Aerio--including the style. So I ordered the Aerio about two weeks ago. It seems there are problems with availability of the Aerio SX--complicated by the fact that I do not like automatic transmissions ,especially with four cylinder engines. So, I am waiting.

This afternoon the salesman said that Suzuki had identified a specific vehicle for me, but he couldn't even tell me what color or where it was. So, I wonder what exactly this means.

I do generally like Suzuki's. The two I have had have been by far the most reliable, lowest maintenance cost cars I have owned--including two Mazdas and one Toyota. So why do they have such horrible resale value?

lngtonge18

I'm a bit disappointed in the color choices for the Aerio. I really don't like any of the colors. I finally saw the black, not realizing its an "onyx" black, which is more dark purplish gray then black. I didn't like it all and it looked dull and dirty. I like a glossy true black, not a purple gray metallic. The blue didn't appeal to me either. It looks too dull, not like the pretty royal blue (like on the current Esteem), carbon blue (like on Hyundais) or silver blue hues (like on the Matrix). I'm not too sure about the green because I only saw it on a base sedan, but it wasn't the teal color I like. Silver looks good on the SX, BUT every car is silver these days and I already have a silver new car so I don't want another one. The yellow is a definite no no; stands out too much and I'm just not a yellow fan. Finally, the red is such a bright "arrest me red", instead of the pretty more toned down burgundy color. I'm just so disgusted!! Couldn't Suzuki have come up with more common colors? A simple black or dark charcoal gray would have made me happy, or even a pretty royal blue or burgundy red, but alas, none of these colors are available! Every car offers real black for heaven's sake!! Anyway, I'm pretty sure I'll be buying an SX at the end of this month (unless I could find a reasonably priced Mini) and will probably end up with the red since it's the only manual tranny SX within 2 hours of me and is the only color I could see putting up with besides the too common silver. Does anyone else find the color choices less then appealing or am I just being too picky?

Also, has anyone else noticed recent SX models that have new trim? I saw one down in Orlando that had a chrome strip running down the flanks of the car, starting at the Aerio badge on the front fender. That Aerio badge was also larger and was made of carbon metallic trim instead of the shiny black backing. The interior had bright "aluminum" trim around the digital gauge cluster, around the radio, and on the strip that ran in front of the passenger. There was no increase in price for these additions. When I inquired about it, the salesman said Suzuki had decided to make the SX models flashier and all new ones were being sent over with these changes. I personally didn't like most of it. I like aluminum trim (my Lancer OZ uses it), but the panel around the radio was too bright and reflected too much light, making it annoying in full sun. It also looked cheap as far as aluminum trim goes. I much preferred the simple flat black panel on the other cars I saw. Was this just some sort of dealer add-on that they didn't have the chance to jack up the price yet, or was the salesman correct? Anyone else seen this? Please tell me they aren't all coming with this stuff. I can only hope I get the same SX I test drove 2 weeks ago, though I will have to have them check the wheel alignment before I even buy it.

autoknologist

I hope everyone is enjoying their Aerios. I'm sure enjoying mine. Now first let me respond to the question posted by Artdecho about the Armrest. Yes, unfortunately, you do loose the cup holder at the rear of the console when you install the armest. For me, this is no big loss. The armrest's perfect comfort height and usable storage space inside more than makes up for the loss. I have already done my first oil change!. I am a person who believes that after the first 1000 or so miles, you should get rid of the Break in Oil and install new oil and filter. Finally, my Car Mask (bra) came and I installed it. Fits very well and looks great!. Also, my Touch Up paint came in and I used it to cover up the scratchs on the bottom of the front bumper. Whoops! Now as far as being to low, I have had lower cars than this stock. However, because Suzuki decided to make the body kit standard 9its optional in other countries outside of North America) this makes the bottom of the car, and particularly, the front bumper more square looking, as well as making the bottom of the front bumper stick out, and therefore lower to the ground. So, yes we must be careful with parking stops, curbs and steep driveways or garage ramps. Finally, I find post #184 to be most interesting. First, let me say that in my opinion, most car sales people are trained to say whatever is necessary to keep you talking, or to get rid of you, and generally do not know what they are talking about. I would be very interested to know what that "Non Increased Price" was? Here in California, where I bought mine, all the "Trim" you mentioned is optional? The Chrome Strip down the side, the Trim on the dash, all optional through Suzuki and somewhat pricey, I might add. For my SX, which is the Automatic with FloorMats as the only option, had an MSRP of $16,074. Again, what was the price of the one in Orlando? Also, I have noticed more and more people looking at my car (which I enjoy) as I go down the road, and quite a few people have now asked me about it. Let me tell you though, now that I have added dark tinted windows and a black front mask to my bright Yellow SX, it does stand out from crowd, which is why I bought this color. I really love my SX. It is so comfortable and fun to drive. And I like the way it looks, C&D and the others be d@#$%^&. Happy Aerioring!

lngtonge18

The price of the Aerio with the trim additions was 15,057 or something close to that, exactly what the sticker should be. I didn't see any add-on stickers for the added trim. It was in the back lot so maybe it hadn't been prepped yet and thus the dealer hadn't added the additional markup sticker. I would have raised hell though if I had bought the car and they tried to charge me more for that crap. I'm just glad knowing these are actually options and not standard features.

jmmg

The whole "Aerio"experience is an on going nightmare! First I have to wait for the car for almost two months, then when I got it, it was a dent on the front door. The next morning after I got the car, the transmission has a major problem. It would not shift to 2 gear, and sometime in the middle of the highway, the car will lost power altogether. I contact the dealership the next morning and every day after I got the Aerio, I have the same problem, and they basically offer me no help and treated me like an idiot! I finally have to contact my lawyer and send Suzuki Canada a letter, then they just said they will order a new transmission and put it in my Only 2 weeks old car and only have less than 300KM on it. What do you guys think about it, I wasted so much time, money for the lawyer and risked my family life about this car. I will never ,never buy another Suzuki in my life!!!
I hated this car and Suzuki, is that any way you guys can think of to help me get some justices?

jmmg

The name of my dealership is CALGARY HYUNDAI AND SUZUKI. The most terrible service I ever experienced in my life, don"t shop there.

P.S. My Aerio's color is Metallic Beige.

frenchcar

Sorry to hear of your misfortune. I once has a new Chrysler with 150 miles on it that the transmission torque convertor locked up and stranded me out in the country and they replaced it. That car turned out to be a good one and I had several good Chrysler products after that one. You never know. My Aerio has been great but now the starter is making a strange noise that I will have to keep an eye on and I wonder if anyone else has a whining starter although I had a 1990 Suzuki that had a strange sounding starter. Is your car an automatic or 5 speed manual?

vocus

If you would have taken the car back within 72 hours, you might have gotten a refund. I know here in the US, you can return your car before 72 hours (without excess wear, of course) and they will cancel the contract. That's a law here. Don't know about Canada though.

I would tell them I wanted a new car, if you have had all that trouble with it already.

autoknologist

If I might make suggestion here. If I had been treated the way you have, here in California where I live, I would be writing letters to all the newspapers, and contacting the "Consumer Advocate" people that several of the TV News stations have, such as Channel 2, Channel 4. However, not being familiar at all with Canada, I do not know if TV stations in your country have consumer reporters. But I am sure that your newspapers have some type of consumer help person? Write to them! Also, I must say that if my car had been delivered to me with a dent in it, the whole deal would have been dumped and I would have demanded my money back. I am very sorry you have had this type of experience with your Aerio. So far, mine is simply excellent, no problems at all. I wish you all the best.

jmmg

Finally, after two weeks of frustrated talk with Suzuki Canada, Suzuki of America and Suzuki Japan, etc. My lawyer managed to force them to replace my Aerio SX. This time I got a blue one and they also put in extra accessaries for compensation! My lawyer and I went pick up the car together and checked everything before I sign the deal this time. I just felt a bit better now!For Suzuki, I still not happy with them, if I didn't get my lawyer involved and cost me extra money, they will not replace my BAD new car. I drove the new Aerio to work and get home without anything wrong so far, I will keep my fingers cross hope my nightmare has finally end, thank you for you guy's support!

lngtonge18

I must say, you should be more impressed with Suzuki now then before because they replaced your lemon so quickly (I know I'm impressed). My sister fought Honda for a year to buy back her Odyssey. In the meantime, she went through problem after problem, had to visit the dealer numerous times, and was stuck in smaller rental cars way too much. Be glad Suzuki took care of your complaint so quickly, even if it did cost you a lawyer fee. I'm sure the quick resolve is worth more to you then a year's worth of stress and problems. Good luck with this one!

frenchcar

Be thankful that Suzuki replaced your car. I think most manufacturers would probably have insisted on just replacing the transmission and give you a loaner car until the repair was finished. I know you had trouble with this dealer and their service department right from the start. Over the years I found it helps more to kill them with kindness and soft talk but be persistent and bug them frequently and tell anyone there who will listen and eventually someone steps in and goes to bat for you or they give up and give in. It helps to get to know everyone in the service department on a first name basis. Someday it will come in handy. When there is only one dealer you have to tread lightly. Enjoy your Suzuki. You treat it right and it will treat you right. I am getting ready to change mine over to Mobil One Synthetic oil and Im sure it will then be even more zippy and probably 4 or 5 % better gas mileage too (past experience).

jimjps

Reading the Motor Trend comparo review it seems they have become vain followers of fashion. If you ignore the negative styling comments it would seem their other comments would place the SX in the top half. Quiet, engine less thrashy then Focus or Matrix/Vibe, snickable tranny, and it has one of the largest interiors. I believe that form follows function. What is really stupidly-styled these days are SUV's, with the prominant brow and square edges to make them look truck-tough, at the cost of aerodynamic drag. This is the definition of ugly to me. No complaints about this from the stylin' dudes at MT but they bash the SX which is one of the smartest designs around. Granted, I am not crazy about the busy tailgate treatment of the SX or the slightly-too-low ground effects, but to me the SX is form-follows-function. It's aero, practical, huge on the inside and small on the outside. It is a winner in this segment IMHO.

jmmg

I finally can enjoy the true "Aerio" experience! I tinted the windows and changed to 17" wheels. The car look hot! I will put a link for the picture of my car later. when I took my car in the shop for Tint, all the workers there like the look of the Aerio than the Matrix and one of the tech there said he will look into how to upgrade the engine for me! I want a 220HP super-charged engine!

P.S. One bad thing that I noticed, there are people out there like to steel the Aerio antenna, my got stolen and when I was at the dealer to order another one, the clerk there told me that there were at least 4 Aerio owners had their Antenna stolen as well! Just let you know one of the owner caught the guy that stole his antenna, the theft own a VW Jetta and he wanted that Aerio antenna, because only Aerio used that funky short antenna, Mazda P5, Matrix, corolla and all VW car use the same long ugly antenna, be careful guys!

gedvondur

Wow jmmg - Please let us see the pics with a set of 17 inch tires. Btw, where did you get the wheels / tires? I'm thinking of doing the same thing.
I think I may crazy glue my antenna on if it's a hot ticket!!! (I'm in Toronto)

frenchcar

Import Tuner magazine purchased an Aerio hatchback and in coming months they are going to hop it up and either put on a turbo or supercharger and other goodies. Im going to check each month until they are finished. Sounds awesome. Im glad to know about the antenna. Here in Tucson we are so close to the border that stolen cars are routine daily affairs and or Aerio draws attention everywhere we park it. We may have to get an alarm system with a navigation set up to track it anywhere.

roshan2

We got our Aerio SX about 1 month ago and so far, have enjoyed this car very much. About 2 weeks ago I finally checked under the hood and found that there was no engine cover(thin piece of aluminum that covers the engine block and has the Suzuki name engraved on it). I phoned the dealer about it and he said that all the other Aerios do not have it even though I directed him to the picture(page 2) of the engine cover in their brochure for the Aerio. Could any of you Aerio lovers check under your to see if you have this cover or not? I think that there should be a cover for the engine because I could see that there are a couple of holes on the engine block where this cover would be screwed on. I also faintly recalled this cover when we first test drive the the Aerio. Thanks for your help.

roshan2

I was just wondering if we should bring the car in for the first oil change at 3000Km as stated by the dealer or 5000Km as stated in the owner's manual? First service is free with this dealer. I also wonder if the warranty on the car would be affected if I bring the car in at 3000Km and then at 8000Km instead of what is stated in the manual? Thanks again.

artdecho

Well, my wife & I finally decided on an Aerio SX last weekend and just picked it up this morning.
Seems quieter than i remember form the various test drives. Got the red pearl colour and had the windows tinted. Too bad about the antenae getting ripped off....didn't realize you could remove it
until I read the owner's manual...don't know why it's necessary to be able to remove it, as it's short and fairly flexible...may have to look into securing it better as well. Only negative I've noticed so far is, depending on how the sun hit's it, some fairly bad reflections of the dash in the side view mirrors. Just being gentle with it now for the break-in period. Will see how much stuff it swallows for camping in a few weeks.
Later......

marco18

I finally picked up my new Silver Aerio SX (with ABS) last night after waiting almost an entire month for the delivery. I was car hunting for almost two months before deciding on the SX. I looked at the Hyundai GT (liked it alot by wife didn't), the P5 (tough call, put a down payment then cancelled the deal), the vibe, Matrix (too expensive, not too many standard features, and Focus (sluggish bad history. The aerio just felt more comfortable, and the engine felt much stronger than the competition. I also like the fact the not too many people have them. I used to own a suped up 16v VW Scirocco and I always loved the fact that there were not very many of these cars on the road. After driving it for one day, I feel that I truly made the right choice. A tire size upgrade is definately a must!! As well an aftermarket stabilizer bar. I definately want to see the pics with those 17 in rims!! I do have one question though, has anyone purchased any type of bumper protectors? I mean nice ones not those ugly ridged plastic things that I see some people use. I would hate to start seeing scratches on my car.