Suzuki Grand Vitara 2006 through 2008

norwoodsmn

TD the four. As proffered before, I think goodness-wise it's easily our own CRV [equivalent] engine. One tester said he tried the base JA and liked it, (it has the manual 5 speed and full time AWD), but that brief impression was the extent of "the detail" with emphasis on a near loaded auto four.

I'd like to see a test that explored the extent of what the base GV, (the Forester fighter), JA AWD version could do in [reasonably] demanding conditions. That info is out there now on the base '09 5speed Forester, as it was "pressed" in California on Catalina Island where it did well on rough goat tracks. But again my Forester TD recently suggested "you wouldn't want to go there" in the Sube on a regular basis, with, (on the other hand), it likely being OK(er) in a much tougher base '09 Grand Vitara. Would like to see a head to head between these two base models. A potentially valuable marketing ploy [Suzuki?] Especially since the Forester can now almost be considered mainstream with it's up market redesign for '09? Go for it.

stever

The 4 is only available in AWD in the US and FWD is fine for us (although I've been trying to talk my wife into looking at a Forester too, but I'm not gaining much traction there either). The real world mpg reports are still pretty good on the 4 with the MT.

But we digress...

norwoodsmn

Are we digressing? I don't think so only because TDing the pair directly answers the question of how good the [now] truly "new GV" is, and isn't that what most everyone here has to be wondering? As "we've" done both now, incidentally the wife agrees it's advantage Suzuki. It's really necessary to take yr. better half out there for spin(s) Steve, to bring ones perspective right up to date owing to all the new developments [for both] for '09.

Maybe I'm off here?, but further I see the two as chief competitors against one another for active recreational users who potentially can make do without the low range gears.

Think the 2wd GV model is std. base for '09 in the US, with AWD, (but no low range), optional for their four cylinder? At least AWD is std. eqpt. on our base JA here in The Great White North. Still nothing on the US site, but spending time to get it all working right first, might not be a bad idea.....

stever

Yeah, but I have a Subaru, and I'm of the mindset that the Forester and Outback are wagons.

The guy next door has a Grand Vitara (which he likes very much btw), but it looks more like a SUV to me and my wife really doesn't want anything that looks remotely like an SUV. I've had no luck with my Forester hints, much less something more rugged looking, and she flat turned down a test drive after just sitting in a mild CR-V. So far she's liking the Scion xD the best. That's my SX4 digression in here, since it seems more directly comparable to the xD than the GV.

But your point is well taken. I'll try to sneak both of them on her list. :shades:

norwoodsmn

Ah, real time blogging with the host, cool.....

The real Beauty of the Beast is that while it may look like a politically incorrect SUV?, (but it's the same size as a CRV, right?), advise her that the '09 2.4 liter:

1.) Has attended AA meetings with it's 2.7 liter cousin, and thus has not acquired it's drinking problem.

2.) It no longer drives as much "like one" in the handling department, and in fact is a real pleasure to drive. She'd love an auto box one, I'm sure.

On station wagons, right, but the additional space in the "a bit bigger" GV would be a real blessing. But that Forester has a mini "cavern" back there too.

If it's more car like though, I hear her. The security of AWD is sure a blessing though in either the GV or Forester, as you well know. We encouraged my dad to buy a new Outback a few years ago for safety reasons. Happy shopping.

PS: gotcha on our digression. But: my son would love to have the Scion coupe. We finally get Scions here in Canada next year. JUST SAW this Toyota brand is now considered to have the best RELIABILITY in the biz. Impressive. Again, the "R" word would be a factor to have to consider in the purchase of either the mostly all new '09 Forester, or GV. But we shall digress no more, (maybe)...

stever

She'd love an auto box one, I'm sure.

It's hard to say what a deal killer would be, but an automatic would be right up there with black paint. We both miss having a stick shift.

We will keep either the wagon or minivan, so we'd like this car to be smaller (ergo her immediate nixing of the CR-V). So the Grand Vitara probably won't get far on her list.

We owned mostly FWD cars in Anchorage for 20 winters and like them fine, especially since they tend to get better mpg than AWD/4WD flavors. There are times when it's nice though.

Reliability is a nice plus, but most all cars are pretty reliable these days. Scions sales were slumping before the recent economic crash and still aren't setting records here in spite of that nice reliability report from Consumer Reports.

What I should do is call Parts and find out how much a Grand Vitara or SX4 alternator or starter costs and compare those numbers to the Subarus and Toyotas and Hondas and Pontiacs.

norwoodsmn

I hear ya. Actually we've never owned an auto trannie vehicle in over 30 years in the Canadian wilds. Making the suggestion just acknowledges how I think they've come a long way in the last while. For instance, have to feel an auto '09 Forester would be less of a task vs. rowing it's notchy manual 5 speed around. But it probably loosens up in time... A superior awd system comes with the auto trannie though. But you can get the factory accessory "STI" short throw shift kit for the 5 speed manual for something over $200.00. With their rally background it ought to make quite a difference. Worth a look see. We may still try the auto Forester ourselves just to be sure.

If you are interested in an economical 2wd, you owe it to yourselves to check out the base Mazda 3 sport GX 2 liter Forget whatever you might think about its styling, and just get in and drive it first. The state of the art handling dynamics and it's superb 5 speed manual, add up to make it the best deal in class right now with the new 2010 3's on the way before long.

But for steep German parts costs?, the brand new Jetta wagon seems like another good option. What, only a couple grand more for the diesel? Sure would be the green choice, but oh those parts.....

I like the looks of the Suzuki SX4 but wish they offered a slightly stretched version which would add a bit more rear cargo room, then jack it up like an Outback?, and.... But it ought to be a fine inexpensive awd choice for your winters up there.

We're pretty much in the same boat, but as the Sidekick is quickly oxidizing into a pile of red dust, we'll likely keep our 2wd wagon, and... And the jury remains out.

stever

Unfortunately the Mazda3 has relatively poor crash test results. When you downsize like that, you really want as many 5 stars as you can get, knowing that those stars just means it tests well against other cars in its class. We're afraid to TD it since we may like it so much it'd cloud our better judgment about getting T-Boned in it.

The Grand Vitara gets 4s and 5s (vs the Mazda3's 4s and 3s), plus it's in a bit bigger and heavier class. The SX4 gets 4s plus one 5 for the front side crash.

I really like VW interiors and the ride, but I hate paying a premium price for worse reliability. My generalization that all cars are pretty reliable hits a wall when I think of VW. My sister's '00 New Beetle was awful, but even then, she considered a used Passat wagon before going with a Forester. Diesel fumes bother my wife (allergies) so that's a non-starter.

Anyone else in here shopping for a new Grand Vitara? Prices are pretty competitive across the board, so why are you leaning towards a Suzuki?

norwoodsmn

Last re: 3's: Side and side curtain airbags are std. eqpt. for '09, thus addressing the chief prior side impact safety concern.

To help kick off yr. suggestion re: the GV, (an apple vs. the "3" orange of course), repeated once more here I've never [before] suggested someone should buy a Suzuki SUV unless you really NEEDED it's capabilities. (The new XL7 is excluded from consideration as it's just a soft roader). If not, (if all that built in go anywhere toughness was not required), in the past there were many better choices. But have to acknowledge I think for '09 with the four cylinder engine, they have now made it a viable, more economical alternative choice worthy of consideration by a potential CRV, RAV4, etc. buyer. For yrs. truly again though, I'm strictly a fan because of those traditional capabilities, (the only reason I'm here a postin'). But still part of that "bargain" is evaluating what sort of reliability you can expect longer term. So how will the '09 GV do..?
.
But I join you in continuing to be MOST interested to hear what others have to say, especially someone who has also had a chance to take one for a spin, or has one in the garage now. Hello, come on in....

06sgv

Hello All,

I have a 06 Suzuki Grand Vitara and have been having issues with it for a while and the dealership tells me there is nothing wrong with it and was hoping maybe someone could shed some light on the situation. Back in May of 07 I was in an auto accident and substained heavy damage to the rear of the vehicle. They ended up having to repair the frame, new sway bars, shocks, whole 9 yards. To this day ever since the accident, when merging into traffic or going around more then a 20 degree turn, my rear end feels like it almost fishtails. It feels to me, from the cabin, that the rear end just sways from side to side. I did notice that when they were doing the alignment after the accident that they were doing the alignment for a 05 Grand Vitara since mine was built in 05 but is an 06 model, which we know in 06 they completly redesigned everything about the GV. Do you think that maybe this could have been what caused the issue? Also, here lately my ESP light has been coming on and staying on for no reason. In the 2 years I have owned the vehicle, I swear it has never come on before. Another thing I notice, whenever a go over a bump or something in the road, my interior lights come, just for a second, then go off and also says my doors are ajar. Any thoughts? I haven't gotten any where with lawyers or dealerships. Thanks for any input.

norwoodsmn

Hoped some wizard would have stepped up here by now to solve all your probs, but since that has not happened I'll take a stab at some of it. First the (easy?) part: (if there is any easy part?), saw a blog post on a prior gen XL-7 re: interior lights coming on/door ajar. Had something to do with the door contact sensors, and that Suzuki easily fixed that. You didn't say who "They" were. Here in BC Canada, our govt. insurance agency guarantees claim repair work performed by an authorized shop, for as long as you own your vehicle. But what can [you] do...? Since the repair work was a year and half ago, is that outside the warranty period offered by the body shop authorized to do the work by your insurance agency? After all seems you have potentially critical road worthiness issues.

Regardless, FIRST to help confirm exactly where you are at now: suck it up and pay an independent alignment shop, (the BEST one you can find!), to check it out. With out having to go into any of your own detail, I'd simply get references from any local HIGH END dealership, (sure, why not: Porsche, or...), and see what shop they recommend to their customers. Re: the '05 specs. I can't imagine ANY alignment shop using prior gen Grand Vitara specs on an all new '06 Grand Vitara, but....

Finally, with your own independently paid for alignment check/frame condition? results in hand, if that confirms there are significant repair problems, seems your only recourse would be between yourself and your insurance agent further stepping up on your behalf, and the repair shop. Of course your insurance paid [someone] to have your vehicle restored to factory specs. As a part of your policy coverage perhaps you may have some further benefits available to you if you can prove unsatisfactory repair work has caused the handling problems you are describing.

That repair seems the major question mark as the CONSIDERABLE damage to your vehicle also pretty well makes this a case where Suzuki would be off the hook as far as their stepping up in some way. Did you buy it new from Suzuki? If so I think your best other hope there would be to ask your dealership that as a courtesy to you as a customer, you would like to have their District Service rep. give your vehicle a test drive to see if he could replicate/notice the driveabliity symptoms you are describing. Again have your own prior independent alignment shop data in hand too, to help him know what specific symptoms he might want to look for on that road test. They come around every few months to look at outstanding "issues". Sure this falls outside anything they normally do, but if you are a regular customer as a favor they/he [might] agree to do this. If you don't have full confidence in your dealership, again you could look farther afield to find the best one out there, and ask to have their most experienced mechanic take yr. GV out for a test drive to see if he could replicate/feel your driveability issues, then add that info to your repair shop/insurance agency "dossier" while you ponder, (with the help of your insurance agent and/or lawyer?), how best to move forward..

Can't speak about the ESP light. Can only speculate like you must be, given the fairly complex structure of the vehicle, if in fact it was repairable in the first place, vs. writing it off. It probably was technically repairable, but to get a 110% guarantee it would all come back together perfectly, seems if I was in your situation I would have wanted THE NATION'S best body shop to have done the work. Cold/no comfort there for you, I know, sorry. Sorry this is all pretty well just general advice. Those are just the rocks I'd start looking under to begin with.
We feel your pain... Let us know how it goes, and Good Luck.

WookieOnRit

Steve, I too am looking at the '09 GV. The primary reason is that Suzuki finally matched its handsome looks with some real performance (fuel efficiency, off-road capability, superb handling, reduced road/engine noise, power, and best-in-class towing capacity).

What I've always loved about Suzukis is the endless supply of standard features that at base levels are far superior to their competitors. Dollar for Dollar, they are a premium value (where VWs are not). What has always set Suzuki back is uncompetitive engines and mediocre performance. With the updated engines and transmissions, the GV has gone from a back of the pack performer, to a class front runner.

Why am I looking at a GV? It's for a few reasons...

1: Value - Best Value in class
2: Styling - It's the best looking SUV in this class both inside and out. The interior well designed and the exterior is rough and masculine. The interior in particular is well organized and they put in a sliding arm rest for the '09 model. Panel gaps are very tight and the interior materials are top notch for the class. It's a very handsome SUV.
3: Performance - Specifically, I am a outdoor person. I need something that can tow, go through rough terrain, and up steep inclines. The optional 4-Mode 4WD (not AWD) is of particular interest. What most people don't realize is that the GV is actually RWD and not FWD. As far as I know, it's the only one in its class with that distinction making it a more pleasing vehicle to drive. With the optional 4-Mode 4WD, the 4High mode keeps the vehicle in RWD while only putting power to the other wheels when needed that is excellent for every day service. Off road, you can put it two 4-Lock (Full-time 4WD) and 4-Lo (for rock crawling). This makes it better than every vehicle in its class. If you want better off-road capability, you are probably going to be driving a Jeep or Hummer (and those are more expensive). The V6 is also of particular interest to me, but that's because I'll be needing the additional towing capacity and if I'm not mistaken, provides a bigger radiator that is an asset no matter what driving conditions you're in. One of the biggest improvements to the GV is that the new V6 has 50 HP more than the outgoing V6 while achieving better fuel efficiency even with the 4WD. Quite excellent. Compared to the other vehicles in class with V6 options (or additional turbo'ed fours) they do not provide as much towing capacity and are more expensive than the GV. I believe the only vehicle in the class that you can get with better mileage numbers than the GV V6/Power is the Rav4. Dollar for Dollar, the GV is a better value than the Rav4 and overall less expensive with a better warranty. Combine all of that with the reduced noise and excellent handling of the RWD and you've got my attention.

4: Warranty - Excellent warranty. Better than most manufacturers.

Overall that's why I'm interested. I want a rugged vehicle and not a cute-ute. To me, Rav4s, CR-Vs, Vues, Rogues, and Outlanders fit this mold. The only vehicle that really has my attention right now is the Forester, but for the additional power, you're going to paying much more than you would for a GV. Plus, Subaru uses AWD and not 4WD for the Forester limiting its ability on tough terrain. As I said, I camp, hike, rock climb, and kayak, so I need something that's going to get me to those destinations and perhaps beyond. To me, between the Forester and GV, the GV has more prowess for adventure based on everything that the vehicle offers both for the price and based on its performance. When my house sells, I will be probably upgrading to the GV from my '93 Grand Cherokee.

As for your concerns for the wife to get her interested in the GV. Women in general care about the interior of a car more than anything. I find their exterior tastes to be rather dubious and erratic. Women care about safety, interior feel/design, and noise. The reduced noise on the GV with the handsome interior should be the selling point. Combine that with superior standard safety features (ALB, ESP, Every kind of airbag, increased structural rigidity for '09) and you should get some interest. It's a handsome vehicle to be sure, but I understand it's not for everyone. If none of that gets her, than don't bother. I'd almost say don't even try if she's only going to be commuting from point A to point B. Most women don't like RWD cars anyway and would never appreciate the superior nature of RWD to FWD or 4WD to AWD. To me, I find the GV to be a better value and the better vehicle. Good luck with your choice and I hope I gave you some insight to why someone would be interested in the Grand Vitara.

budman3

Hey Wookie, we also bought the 06 GV for all the same reasons you are. They have made some improvements on the performance which we would have welcomed.
Take a second look at everything. Trust me. Sit in the back seats, fold them down, open the tailgate and shut it. You'll soon see that the GV is cheap all around. I forgot who it was but the carpet was referred to as "rat fur". Just wait till you try and clean the carpet, it won't happen. Plastic is cheap and brittle. Stereo is mediocore.
Warranty IS the best and you WILL use it. Nothing major but silly things that you shouldn't see in this day and age.
If you do more searching here, you will find paint defects, vibrations, electrical issues, etc.
Yes, you may get quite a bit for the money but wait for the resale value. OUCH! Don't look at a KBB blue retail value or similar, look at real market value.
As the saying goes, you get what you pay for.
Good luck.

bm000092

It's strange that they say that the sliding arm rest is something new, I have it on my 06, may be it was gone for the 07 and 08 ?
I bought the GV for the same reasons as you WookieOnRit, and I haven't been disapointed yet. It is now 3 years old 43 000km, and never had any problem yet. I'm not soft with it and it still ride as good as when it was new. My previous one was a Jeep Cherokee Country 96 and for me the GV was an improvement (comfort, handling, fuel economy, fun to drive). I cannot claim that the GV is a better off-road performer as the Cherokee, the latter having twin solid axles and probably more rough, but still the GV fulfill my needs and it has better handling on snowy roads, better towing handling for my pop-up trailer. The safety of the GV is better than the Cherokee. About the tailgate the noise is coming from the plastic shelf around the spare, it doesn't mean that the tailgate is flimsy, but yes if someone hits me in the back I'll get more damage than the Cherokke would have had, it was a tank.

Up to now the GV is "aging" better than my Cherokee did, I kept the Cherokee for 10 years, so I guess that I will do the same with the GV, by then if it is still a safe vehicule to drive, it will go to my older kid as its first car, so I don't worry about resale value, I would have rent it instead of buying it, you buy new when you think you'll keep it for a long time, if not rent or buy used. Buying a used 4x4 ? Sometimes it can be risky, but this is what I did with the Cherokee, it had 1 year of use, 20 000km and was almost trouble free for 10 years and I saved 10000$. I like that "rat fur" carpet, so easy to clean, most of the asian cars have that.

Anyhow it always comes down to the individual, did you make a cleaver choice so it fulfill your needs and expectation for the price you paid ? It did for me.

budman3

Wookie, hopefully they also corrected the XM "ready" radio. Hardly ready.
Hopefully they added a power drivers seat in the luxury model.
Also keep a few hundred dollars in your pocket when you replace the tires around 16,000 miles. And you'll get to know your front end alignment tech.
Buy some oil drip pans for your garage floor.
And of course the GV is going to age better than a Jeep. The Jeep is probably one of the lowest rated vehicles out there. And now with Chrysler behind them, it will be the 1st company to go belly up.
GM also sold all of it's interests in Suzuki. Hmm, wonder why that was? No need for more junk other than their stock status.
Maybe Suzuki made some good changes over the years, just be careful.

budman3

bm, if you're comfortable losing your hard earned money, go for it.
If you're happy with your GV, post a positive reply instead of calling me out on my negative comments. This is all about opinions and freedom of speech. If you don't like what I say, turn the page. I want future buyers to be aware of what they may or may not be getting themselves into. It's their choice to determine if my bad experience was contributing to their decision.
If you like the carpet, I'm happy for you. So far, it seems you're the only one. At least wookie or anyone else might give it a second look.
Just wait till anyone tries to use the warranty. DENIED! Vitara4me was another perfect example. I drove his GV and can't imagine why Suzuki didn't take care of his vibration issue. It was BAD.
After looking at your plethora of cheap american cars that you've purchased in the past, I wouldn't take your opinion for any future purchase.
And being in telecommunications, I would learn how to spell and be grammatically correct.

xostnot

Hi WookieOnRit, (is that Ritalin? Maybe others here need a tiny bit of it.)

While as an owner of an '06 GV, I hasten to support your views, I must say a few things.

Other than the rwd GV sold in the US, the 4wd GV is always in 4wd. You can't drive it in 2wd even if you wanted to (to save gas, for instance).

The North American spec GV had a sliding armrest right from the '06 introduction. Annoyingly, it did not have an alarm, remote gas flap release, and the rear center armrest provided in other markets.

The Jeep Patriot is available with one low gear, skid plates and raised suspension. Other than it's heritage, I'd say the low prices make it a competitive vehicle, although a little downmarket.

Even with the new engines, I believe the GV is still at the lower end of the class for mileage. There's not much you can do about the extra weight, relatively low gearing biased for off-roading, plus the cost of being in 4wd all the time.

The latest Forester is an equal to the GV in everything except drivetrain, as you said. Oh, and price. The outgoing Forester, which everyone loved so much, was just not in the same class as the GV.

As for the warranty, my personal experience is that Suzuki dealers are sometimes reluctant to honour it. I don't know if this is true for all GV owners, and if it is better or worse than other manufacturers.

We had an oil leak caused by a loose transmission oil cooler hose. Since it was fixed the garage floor under the GV remains spotless. Our original tires are less than half worn out at 32,000km. The GV has never had or needed an alignment. Tire wear is slow and completely normal.

A few people got '06 GV's that can only be descibed as lemons. I don't understand how that happens, but our friend bm000092 definitely got one.

My wife had never been in a GV or even seen one when we went to pick up ours. She really likes it.

Thanks for taking the time to describe your reaction to the GV. We're always hungry for new perspectives. Hopefully your house will sell soon.

xostnot

I should add that being in 4wd alll the time translates into a safety and cost savings in that you are less likely to lose control. Accidents, though uncommon, are very costly. So on average, the superior control would translate into more savings than the extra gas cost for the average owner. This also applies when comparing the GV to Rav4's, CRV's etc. with their slip&grip systems.

WookieOnRit

Other than the rwd GV sold in the US, the 4wd GV is always in 4wd. You can't drive it in 2wd even if you wanted to (to save gas, for instance).

I guess it's good that I live in the US huh? As the 4-Mode 4WD is described from a multitude of sources, the 4-high mode only sends power to the front tires as needed making it primarily 2WD. It says this on both Suzuki's website and other reviews of the system.

Even with the new engines, I believe the GV is still at the lower end of the class for mileage. There's not much you can do about the extra weight, relatively low gearing biased for off-roading, plus the cost of being in 4wd all the time.

The lower end? I wouldn't say that. They're all extremely close. Here's some the mileage numbers for its competitors.

GV: 19/25 (18/24 V6)
Forester: 20/26
Vue: 19/26
CR-V: 20/27
Outlander: 20/25
Patriot: 21/25
Rav4: 21/28
Rogue: 22/27
Tiguan: 17/24

From my perspective, you're fussing about 17-34 miles per tank. Added up, that might be savings of $500-$600 a year? More if gas goes up again. I don't have a lot of frivolous expenses so the extra savings would not mean that much to me. I tend to save money for the basic elements of living in our world. I don't buy the latest techno-gadget and I don't waste money shopping for expensive things. To me, if I get more enjoyment out of the vehicle than the others, isn't that the point? Frankly, that's more than worth the extra cost which really isn't that much considering I've been averaging around 12-14 mpg for the last 3 years. If I can survive with that right now, I'll be actually losing less money by upgrading.

A few people got '06 GV's that can only be descibed as lemons. I don't understand how that happens, but our friend bm000092 definitely got one.

Being that we will be entering the 4th model year of the vehicle, the dependability of the vehicle should actually increase. It takes what, 2 years to get out the kinks for most new vehicles? It happens even to the best of manufacturers. I honestly believe that if you take care of a vehicle, it will take care of you. My 93 Jeep GC has over 300k miles on it. Two owners. My dad and then when I bought it from him. We have taken care of it. If you take care of the vehicle, it runs. It might not sound pretty after 300k, but it still runs.

Thank you for the honest review as an owner yourself. I think when you compare the vehicle to the rest of the class, you can see why I am enthused.

bm000092

If you're happy with your GV, post a positive reply instead of calling me out on my negative comments. I don’t know form where you took that, it was a positive comment, and never called you out, I was just making the point that for me it was a good buy, that’s it.

After looking at your plethora of cheap american cars that you've purchased in the past, I wouldn't take your opinion for any future purchase. Cheap? I agree, they were basics and if you think about buying cost and maintenance, the fact that I never got any problem with them, they have been cleaver choices (exception of the Phoenix, but I didn’t choose this one, it was given to me), they made me save a lot of money, even made some with the Dart.

I would learn how to spell and be grammatically correct. Try to write me in French and see what you can do…but I don't want to be nasty, be it if you want.

bm000092

Hi Xostnot, I think you made a mistake: A few people got '06 GV's that can only be descibed as lemons. I don't understand how that happens, but our friend bm000092 definitely got one. , may be you were referring to budman3, as I never had any problem with my GV yet after 3 years and 43 000km, so far it has been quite a positive experience.

budman3

Try to write me in French and see what you can do…but I don't want to be nasty, be it if you want.

Got me on that one, bm. My family lives in Canada and I took french in hs but I'm definately not fluent, et?

bm000092

No worries, have a nice day

bm000092

Hi WookieOnRit, not sure from where you read that, but it is a mistake. The all wheel drive system of the GV is a biased 47 (front) 53 (rear), the system sends torque to the front and rear wheels in a 47/53 split, and readjusts torque as necessary when the wheels start slipping. It is not an intelligent AWD system, but one working with mechanical LSD.

norwoodsmn

Greetings O' hyper furry one! Good to see new blood here. Welcome.

Re: past "inefficient engines", actually there was very little if any difference between the mileage figures posted for "your" prior USA 2wd only model, (pre '09), and the awd models. No, I never understood that one, but the bottom line seemed to be you paid no significant mileage penalty for having Suzuki's awd system on board.

In praise of the 2.7 engine, (did I say that?). After railin' on it here in the past, I offer some recent personal insight... ACTIVELY in the market to replace "Russ", we have now even td'ed an '02 auto XL-7, (on top of TWO recent spins in an '08 JA awd, and that new '09 JLX four cylinder, AND the '09 Forester). Point being re: Suzukis: that six year old 2.7 in the XL-7, "did it's thing" much better than way back when I td'ed two of same when they were new, (an auto and a 5 speed manual), AND it even seemed to have better upper mid range performance than that brand new 2.7 '08 NGV! Clearly this indicates the engine performance bias against the 2.7, (certainly my own, and possibly that of media testers???), may have been due to the engine's "pre break in status", and how it tends to perform [new] up there up beyond the middle of the rev. range. So what, "Chewie"? So maybe even look at one of the MANY 'inefficient" '08' 2.7's out on the lots now. You'll save big time, and the mileage is what, 17 city and 23 highway, 19 combined, (US), not drastically different from the new ones.

As my needs are chiefly utilitarian, have to say with this economy I'm leaning towards an older pristine XL-7 at 1/3rd of it's original selling price as a stop gap measure. OR, depending upon the December incentives, secondly at maybe an '08 JX or JA. There are ISSUES you have to look out for with those older XL-7's too though, AND (please note), same is true for later gen Suzuki NGV models, as we have yet to see improvements reflected in the JD Power NGV reliability data, to date. To speculate, the '08's would seem to offer the best hope of their having gotten it all right, especially as former USA boss Rick Suzuki acknowledged his awareness of those JD Power stats in an '07 interview, and said they were addressing [it]..... The '09's have NO CHOICE but to show they've done better in this area when that data is eventually tallied up, (IMO).

If bucks were no consideration today however, I'd be reporting [here] now re: my experiences with a new '09 four cylinder, low range equipped, base manual 5 speed NGV, but Suzuki doesn't sell one in North America, [yet]. Repeated here: that 4 is a great engine!

To xostnot: What a difference a better set of tires makes, eh?

xostnot

What can I say, oops. I apologize for my factory defective post. (budman has the lemon GV, not bm000092)

xostnot

Don't get me wrong about the mileage. The cash difference is trivial, as you say. The environmental impact is unfortunate, but in the long run the greater control allowed by being in 4wd all the time may translate into lower impacts because fewer accidents means less property loss and replacement. As a low-mileage '06 owner, the lesser mileage is just not a concern. The mileage comparison is handy, but would be even better if the list included the drivetrain differences. For instance, a lot of people have been comparing the mileages of the 4-cyl Rav4 to the 6-cyl GV.

Beware that the criteria used to determine the EPA mileage ratings has changed between the '08 and '09 models. The '09's are better compared to the '08's than is apparent. Or so I understand. I don't know if Canada has followed suit.

xostnot

I back up bm000092 on the configuration of the GV's awd system. The 4wd GV's definitely are in 4wd all the time, and the transfer case is a limited slip operation. In the 4-mode version, it can be locked, but that doesn't preclude that the normal operation is also 4wd. Just that in 4High, sufficent traction differences between the wheels will cause slippage within the transfer case. That's how it can corner without binding, and also why you shouldn't use 4HLocked on dry pavement.
...........................................

I was worried about buying a first-year model, so I researched Suzuki Vitaras for repair history. It appeared that each of the totally new versions had repair histories very similar to the subsequent years of the same generation. At the time, there was also no other cuv available with the low range. The closest were the Liberty (too big, and from Chrysler), and the newest Xterra (too big). Since our problems have been relatively minor things, I'd have to say the first year build was pretty good. Having a similar body in production (Saturn Vue) and engine in the XL-7 were also reassuring. I'd also say that reports of lemons have pretty well gone away during the years of the current generation. Which makes it a very safe buy.

norwoodsmn

We don't seem to be breaking any new ground here Steve, while at the same time the SIGNIFICANTLY upgraded new '09's are available now. At least I guess they are available out there? Here it remains only a token loaded '09 four cylinder, and a raft of mostly loaded and notably "immobile" six cylinder '08's. Suzuki: sure hope you get the December incentives right....

So just as a suggestion: perhaps [also] because few prior NGV owners [here] seem to have test driven an '09?, and since we continue [therefore] to almost exclusively address only the relative merits of pre '09's, I seriously wonder if a whole new category might be warranted here Steve? Specifically, "2009's and newer"?

Despite "the controversy" that might engender, (though I'm not sure why), perhaps that's a risk worth taking in order to prompt new '09 owners to come forward and join the Grand Vitara forum... This pre '09 "thread" would/should continue regardless, (just like all the other Suzuki ones), and anyone of us could continue to participate on any of them, (including a new '09 one), of course. As an aside, really it's only the odd pro auto journalist out there who doesn't seem to have fully grasped just how far the '09's have evolved. HOWEVER the vast majority of their peers HAVE. Seems that change should be reflected here too?

Being fully a believer in the democratic process though, perhaps anyone else who has td'ed a new one should also offer an opinion on this too...? According to my own tally, that's only two of us here so far? Meantime I'm just afraid we may be unintentionally putting off actual new '09 owners from joining in... Why? Really when you stop to think about it, why would they care about any of a number of issues [here] which no longer are relevant to the new '09' models?, thanks again not just to the many "upgrades" but also notably because of the TOTAL REDESIGN of many aspects of the '09's...? Answer: NOT. Instead, they will have their own [new] issues which wouldn't necessarily be relevant to the pre '09's either. Personally I'd like find out about any '09 issues [early on] from those new '09 owners... Whatdaya think...?

Seasonal Cheers to all!

stever

Sure - here you go:

2009 Suzuki Grand Vitara

We'll edit the title of this one too and try not to confuse too many owners.

bm000092

...Could not re-edit some faults, here I go again:

Hi xostnot, on another forum you were asking for extented warranty, which I took. When I did buy my GV January 2006 I asked my dealer about it, at that time as an incentive they let me go with 7 years 115 000km, bumper to bumper for 800.00 $. When I think about when I got my Cheroke in 96, it did cost me 2000.00$ for an added 3 years and 60 000km of extended warranty bumper to bumper (expensive but didn't want to take any chance with the reputation of a Jeep product, I did regret since the only thing they changed was the fan blower, sic). But for the Suzuki at 800.00$ it was a no brainer.

stever

The edit window is only 30 minutes, but we're happy to delete dupes.

bm000092

Thanks Steve, I only noticed after that the edit was 30 minutes.

Regards

stever

Yeah, I think you missed the edit by a few hours. No biggie.

udrivemycar

The Suzuki dealership in my town is out of business and the nearest dealer is about 200 miles away? Will I be able to get my GV serviced; especially if it is still under warranty? Will other auto dealerships (eg. toyota) honor Suzuki warranty service?
What to do? Any advice??? Cannot get any answers within 100+ miles. All dealers will say is that you might want to get rid of the GV and get something else like Honda or Toyota. The new GV is selling for about 16K...I paid 27K for my GV in 2006 :mad:

NW07GVitara

As far as I have heard Suzuki has not indicated that they are going out of business totally / or declaring bankruptcy like GM or Chrysler. They have closed the Suzuki dealership hear in Tampa so now I have to go to Clearwater, an additional 15 miles to get my 07 GV serviced under warranty. You should be able to get your GV serviced at the nearest Suzuki Dealership. However if they are 200 miles from you I would call them to find out if they have a service center and to set an appointment. Toyota will not honor Suzuki warranties and if you ask a Toyota or Honda Dealer, of course they will recommend selling your Suzuki and buying one of their Cars.

norwoodsmn

Sticky wicket there.... Unless you have a lemon?, you don't AT ALL want to try to selll it now given current economic conditions. All mfgrs, (I believe), indicate that the prescribed interval services required to maintain your warranty status, may be performed at ANY accredited service/repair facility. That's answer one, (which you probably already know?). Who should "they" be where you live? Shop around to find an independent one that specializes in import brand service. Here we have a long time highly regarded shop which just recently began to advertise Suzuki as one of the makes they service. Besides that, there is another excellent one here whom I've used, who also works on Porsches for that matter. Shopping prices vs. the dealer here, I've had them do some work on occasion, rather than paying full dealer service rates. Point being, for normal service you shouldn't have a problem.

Beyond that, when "they", (or you), identify a WARRANTY SERVICE issue, in the past I've driven the same distance, (over 200 miles as you'd have to), to have a problem addressed, at a time when I had no confidence in the dealership here, and had a SIGNIFICANT warranty issue. Do you have a warranty issue now? If so you could also phone Suzuki's national customer service office to explain your situation, and seek further clarification as to what to do, directly from them.

Longer term agreed, this could be problematic as occasionally "issues" will arise where even a dealership cannot "pass" directly on certain warranty issues, thus requiring the "benediction" of the Suzuki District Service Manager, who only visits dealerships maybe once or twice per month, or? Hopefully at this point in your term of ownership, your GV has "settled in" and does not [still?] have many warranty issues? Hope so.
Best of Luck!

xostnot

Suzuki is a much larger car manufacturer than is apparent in North America. They are not going under and I doubt they will pull out of North America. They seem to have a knack for supporting multiple markets where they don't sell in large numbers. On the other hand, they are the largest selling brand in India, I believe. They just opened a factory for making Grand Vitaras in St. Petersberg, Russia.

You can have any garage perform items on the maintenance schedule, or any other maintenance. You can even do so yourself, if you document it. For instance, to document oil changes done by yourself, you'd save the receipts for the oil and keep the warranty booklet updated.

For warranty claims, I think you'd have to go to a Suzuki dealer. BUT, there are people who own cars in places far from dealerships, with no chance of getting there. For instance, on another forum, there's a Grand Vitara owner in Pond Inlet. No way will his GV go to a dealership. That would be true of all the other makes in his town. I assume safety recalls would have to be handled somehow. So I assume there's a procedure for matters covered under warranty in places there's no reasonable way to get to a dealer.

shiloh4

I took my 2008 grand vitra to a dealer today after smelling burt wiring. Has anybody had that problem as of yet

jdaley

Yes I have a 07 with a 5spd. I was just wondering if yours was to, maybe it has something to do with the clutch. I also know that if the ABS has activated for a long stop or the esp control kicks in I can also smell it.So far I'm not impressed this vehicle,thats all I will say about that.

jdaley

Back again. A few months ago I wrote a blog about my tire wear woes. And I had replies about tire pressure checks,driving conditions etc. Well I have kept my pressure in check and I only drive on road with this vehicle. Also I have my tires rotated every 5k. Long story short its out of line again after a 4 wheel alignment in May 08 by the time Sept came my second set of tires were wore out. 7100km ago I put 4 brand new tires on and the 2 rear are half wore out checked the alignment again and it was way out so I had another 4 wheel alignment differ company this time. So in all I've had 3 sets of tires and 3 alignments and the dealer paid for one of them because the first one was the wrong specs. I would rather they paid the 400.00 and change for my tires. They have pretty much washed there hands of me and they say call the 1-800# be good if someone would answer. Please if anyone out there knows of what steps to take or what I can do please shed some light on my situation. Thanks in advance.

budman3

jdaley, I also had tire issues. I had 3 alignments done and started a claim for the tires at 16,000 miles. Suzuki did take everything into consideration but denied the claim and said it was normal.
You can look back a few posts and see my replies. I angrily wrote about my dissatisfaction with the GV. Some people have had good luck with the GV but there are some silly things that should have never left the factory without being corrected.
I also had the burn smell. They said it was the rust treatment. One past GV owner in the forums actually had his carpet melt by his feet.
I no longer own the GV and am the proud owner of an Acura MDX. I now enjoy a smooth ride with 300hp of power and better mpg than the GV.
Happy Holidays!

denverleigh

Acura MDX - great vehicle. My buddy has one, and I've enoyed taking it out for a ride. Perhaps something to graduate to, but I must say, it's in a totally different league than the GV.

I own the full load 2006 GV. And besides a few nuisance things that the dealer has taken care of under warranty, we're happy owners. Yes, tire wear on the OEM tires was disappointing, but I'll be more aware on my next new purchase. Fact is, OEM tires are gererally less expensive (which is why manufacturers put them on their vehicles), and have softer compounds to give new buyers a better ride - of course, I had to learn this at about 20,000 KMS when I started seeing the warning treads too close for comfort !

We're getting huge dumps of snow this winter, and my GV with winters all around bites thru that snow like there's no tomorrow. I have a long steep driveway 150 ft long where most seasoned drivers opt to park at the bottom and walk up . We don't even have to shovel, the GV just flies up the hill, and if there's ice in places, the ESP kicks in and gives us traction where we need it. Here's a shot (minus the snow):



Our Suzuki dealer has listened to every beef and, besides the OEM Geolander tires (which they did recommened we talk to the Yokohama tire rep), they have taken care of the issues. Waiting on new strut assemblies now, for the only reason that the original ones are making a creaking noise. No burning smell, alignment issues, or other horror stories I've read about, guess I'm one of the fortunate ones! Or evidence that not all GV's are created equal (but you would think otherwise).

Hey, once our 3 year warranty runs out, I may be running out to the Acura dealer, or buying my buddy's used one !! Merry Christmas.

xostnot

If your GV has enough mileage on it to have burned off the protective oil coatings on the underbody, then there's a couple of things to suspect causing a burning smell.

One is a loose transmission oil hose connector. Because it will drip onto the exhaust, and then a belly pan, all you'll get is smoke and the burning smell. You won't find oil dripping onto the ground underneath, and you can't see the connectors.

The other problem is overheating/frying materials under the carpet in the drivers floorwell. This is caused by heat from the exhaust and catalytic converter under the floor (with the 2.7). It will happen in higher ambient temperatures, and when you're using a lot of throttle for a prolonged time. Such as climbing long mountain grades in high temperatures. Apparently it can also be caused by the engine running rich, causing the cat converter to be burning off lots of fuel.

The person who first reported this problem earlier in this topic was towing a trailer up long grades, running at 5000rpm for quite a while. He melted all the stuff on the floor, and even his shoe's heel! Suzuki replaced the flooring materials, eventually.

I've checked under the carpet on our GV, and it has blackened and melted materials in the same place. We have never towed with it, and have never run it at 5000rpm for very long. If at all. But we have climbed some 10km grades in 40C temperatures at over 100kph.

We have put this on record with Suzuki, but they have not declared it to be a problem yet. Maybe they'll wait until someone's GV catches fire. I'm willing to bet that if GV owners checked under the carpets in the drivers floorwell, many of them would find this damage.

Failing to resolve the alignment problem is completely unacceptable. Suzuki has been well aware of this problem for years. It is a safety hazard because it means the vehicle is in an incipient skid all the time. This is even worse in the winter. By comparison, the horrendous tire wear and extra wear and tear on the driveline start to seem like minor concerns. Luckily ours does not have this problem, and the oem tires have more than half their tread depth, with 32,000km on them.

The first step is to inform your dealer about the ridiculous tire wear, which you have done. Make sure the matter is printed on an invoice or two. If the dealer fails to fix the problem, as is dismayingly typical, send a registered letter to the Suzuki headquarters in your country. Describe the history of the problem. Tell them you're aware this is not news to Suzuki. Include some phrases about putting the matter on the record in case legal recourse becomes necessary.

If that fails, and you're in the US, put an entry in the NHTSA safercar.org website. If you're in Canada, file a claim with CAMVAP. Or the US equivalent. Check out LemonAid and Edmunds. If all that fails, take them to small claims court. Court is not cheap, but it's cheaper than owning an unsafe and improperly built car. Far cheaper than an accident from misalignment combined with worn tires.

Maybe some day if enough people apply enough pressure, Suzuki will smarten up, recall the defective vehicles, and deserve some customer loyalty. Hopefully that happens before someone gets hurt (other than financially).

shiloh4

it is 0 degrees here and we are smelling that buring smell go figure

xostnot

Then I would suspect the loose transmission oil hose.

jdaley

Since I've had my Suk I can't get help for my alingment problems and my cost of more that 900.00 in tires in less than two years from my dealer or Suzuki Canada,I was wondering if anyone got out of a lease early with out much of a penalty I have to get out of this I can't afford tires. If there is someone who has done this please share you knowledge. :sick: :lemon:

xostnot

Your real problem is that the car is seriously out of alignment. This is a well known problem with quite a few '06 Grand Vitaras. This is not just costly in terms of tires. It's hard on the drivetrain, and it's a safety issue because the car's always in a slight skid. If I had this problem, I'd minimize driving the thing, and ramp up the efforts to get Suzuki to fix it, or buyback the GV.

Send a registered letter to Suzuki Canada. If that doesn't work out, open a file with CAMVAP. If that doesn't work, go to Small Claims Court.

Have you followed the rotation schedule for the wheels? Our '06 GV has 33,000km on it, and the original tires still have 7/32" tread left.

budman3

Acura MDX - great vehicle. My buddy has one, and I've enoyed taking it out for a ride. Perhaps something to graduate to, but I must say, it's in a totally different league than the GV.

Exactly. You can't compare the 2 vehicles side by side. I know that most people wouldn't pay MSRP on a vehicle but if you try and equip a 2009 GV like the MDX, you come up with a price of about $28,000. We bought a new 2008 MDX for $32,000. Not much of a price differance for a whole lot more vehicle. It may be a year older than the GV but resale value will surpass the GV in the long run.

wisegirl65

I have had several warranty issues with Suzuki. I have a 2007 Grand Vitara and have had mulitple issues with the AC stinking so bad, TSP Light on and Airbag light on, I have gone through 2 sets of tires now at 28000 miles, my gear shift sticks and I cant get it to move sometimes. I have a Lemon and I am NOW suing Suzuki! I was getting no where with the Service and them taking care of my problems. Alls I would get is that they could not DUPLICATE PROBLEMS.

I finally got so frustrated that I hired a Lemon Law Lawyer. Any one else who is interested in Suing let me know and I will give you my attornies name and number.... :mad: