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Comments
If on road comfort is a chief concern, maybe try test driving a Mazda 6 wagon. Still lots of space, a six, and excellent road manners. Great to see some new contributors here. Thanks
I'm wondering if the ride was firmer than intended, but the only way to tell may be to try another test drive (after verifying the tire pressures).
Steve, Host
Could you give some more info regarding the kit you purchased ?
I noticed that at 75mph the rpm's were almost 3k .For a 5speed auto I think they should be lower to reduce the engine noise .
I have a bad back and on my 1hour test drive i could not get comfortable .
I think there should be more adjustments (like lumbar )
I got a good deal on the price the were going to give me 2000 below invoice .
It would of been 21560.00 out the door .
If not for the seat i would be a GV owner today .
Re the seats/your back, there are things like Obus forme pads to consider too. Re price, I'd say wait til the end of the model year, re consider the preceeding here maybe?, internet price shop it finding a dealer out in the methaphorical "Norwoods", and then get one for closer towards $3,000.00 off invoice. At least that's one of my own prospective strategies. Then with what the package can do in the dirt, it would be AN OUTSTANDING VALUE. the engine quirks notwithstanding.
ps: Re: previous post about remoting the oil filter. Would be most interesting for all of us to have a look see, if you could post a shot or two, maybe on the CARSPACE site.
ps xostnot. Lusted after Western Canoeing's Kevlar Clipper Tripper at our local outdoor store last weekend. Have to look at your "mounting it on the roof" GV pics, if you've posted one yet?
Another quirk: the driver's seat sometimes squeaks. This usually happens when the tilt/elevator mechanism is set to elevate the seat.
Noel
No squeaks.
As the reviewers have found, the doors are also relatively stiff to open. At least people can't fling them open and ding the corners.
There are websites for Suzuki owners who do serious off-roading and modifications. They have ignored the '06GV, probably mostly because the design prevents lift kits which are key to what they do. Since they also don't care much about having new models, and the pre-'06's will be around for many years as they need newer ones, they likely don't care much about where Suzuki is going. I don't think they're particularly brand-loyal, and can switch to Jeeps, for instance.
So the only other group are people who especially like the pre-'06's, and in stock format. I'd guess there are very few car buyers who fit that pattern, at least in North America.
"ps xostnot. Lusted after Western Canoeing's Kevlar Clipper Tripper at our local outdoor store last weekend. Have to look at your "mounting it on the roof" GV pics, if you've posted one yet?"
The Clipper Tripper is an uncannily good design. It's derived from a Jensen design, possibly the Stock. I've talked to the fellow who designed the Tripper, Marlin Bayes, and some day hope to ask him how he arrived at the details of the hull shape.
We haven't had the canoe on the GV yet, but will do so in a couple of weeks. We'd use the car for the trip, but have to show off the GV to our friends. Whenever we take the canoe on the ferries, we use the car because it's still under the "overheight" limit. An SUV with a canoe on top incurs an extra ~$50 or so per trip.
I'll try to get a shot and post it.
Noel
I understand Suzuki plans to make the same improvement for the '07 GV. One has to wonder why it wasn't done right to begin with. Typically, such as in our cheapo 1990 Dodge (!), the trip computer displays: current mileage averaged over 4 seconds, average mileage since last reset updated every 18 seconds, distance to empty, and elapsed time and distance since last reset.
It requires wires to the transmission/ecu data bus for the fuel consumption information from the fuel injection system, to the transmission/odometer distance sensor, to the gas tank level sensor sender, and of course a ground and power for the illumination. And this is considered a simple one.
It remains to be seen if Suzuki does indeed redo it for '07. And if so, if they add any features, (or a setting for Imperial gallons used in Canada). And if so, if the existing one can be reprogrammed, or has to, or even can be, replaced. No doubt for $300 or so.
So, if you can figure out how to do this, I know I'd be very grateful. I'm quite interested in this as I installed the trip computer in our car by myself.
Steve, Host
They also said the stereo Best Feature is the XM ready available. They must have failed to research the price on that, too.
Chris Walton can keep his '99 CRV. He probably still has the first dollar bill he ever earned, too.
If you click on the bylines, you'll see that "Letters to the Editors" are encouraged -- they should be sent to editorsIL@edmunds.com.
And for all you owners, please write your own review.
Steve, Host
I think it's funny to see what everyone is comparing the GV to and not realizing what it actually is and not what everyone wants it to be. It's still an awesome "compact" suv and not a BMW or Acura, etc. but still has the possiblities and qualities of that vehicle for a lot less money.
I actually feel better in our decision to buy the GV because of what category the reviews are always putting us in. I feel special.
As far as comparing the GV, if nothing else it's hard to beat the 7/100 drivetrain warranty (although the rust warranty lags). A similar drivetrain warranty helped convince me to buy a Plymouth 20 years ago. Interesting blog post on that subject:
Long warranties no longer seen as an important sales tool . (Straightline)
Making you read again, lol. :shades:
Steve, Host
The WAY cute SX4 wagon will go on sale in the third quarter of this year, and the XL-7 replacement in the fourth quarter.
The question STILL remaining to be answered though is, will Suzuki [ever] be bringing in a base low range equipped UTILITY oriented GV, or, is the ultimate evolutionary destination for ALL Suzuki models in the North American lineup, primarily the driveways of suburbia???
To extrapolate from the waning sales of the last, oh so long in the tooth generation Vitara models, that there was no longer any market for a basic tough Suzuki SUV model, (a configuration always offered here before), if that's the conclusion they reached, (erroneously), it was one that sure left alot of people stunned in disbelief, at least out here in ye Norwoods. But the new GV could still fill the bill if, yes, AGAIN, they'll just import an version of it in a more Utilitarian form. The diesel manual 5 speed would accomplish that. Then EVERYONE could live happily ever after.
For now, seems the chief competitor for the GV in it's present form, may be the Subaru Forester? The price is the same, and they considerably beefed up the suspension this year. Looks are another thing, as that's one less than glamorous visage on the front of that duckling. But resale value should be much higher, at least. We live in interesting times...
I'm surprised that some of the competition closer to the GV is rarely mentioned, Jeep, Ford, Saturn, etc.
Translation: will the "7/100" end up being a particularly costly "band aid" for Suzuki? One in fact economically curtailing their moving on to invest in more reliable off road capability for the vehicle?
The astonishingly fully "live better electrically" Land Rover LR3, (Motor Trends 2005 Sport Utility of the Year), is amazing [in concept]. Everyone out there at least owes it to [yourselves] to pick up a brochure. Clearly the very most amazing about it is that there is no electromechanical arm that extends out of the dash, to brush your teeth.
But then Suzuki does have it's own equivalent with it's incongruous mileage meter, eh? Point being, on down the road now since the intro of the LR3, yes, if only just for the sheer numbers of additional parts there, woebetide it's owners re: the disproportonate amount of time it is destined to spend in shop, thanks to the now oh so evident reliability issues that all this "hi tec" has caused.
Contrast "that" with Land Rover's history, on not dissimliar with Suzuki's, in some ways. Then ask [yourselves out there] really, in retrospect, are THESE the good old day? We just don't know yet. For the latest of Suzuki's object of our affections, (the new GV), the similiarities, or otherwise, vs the LR3,remain to be seen.
We've now seen one post here re: a driveline recall. An anomaly? We don't know yet. Regarding the re engineering of the mileage meter post, Suzuki doesn't need to take that one seriously. Instead, THEY NEED TO HIRE THE CIA TO TRACK DOWN THE GUY, THEN FORCING HIM TO ACCEPT A FAT SALARY THERE IN THEIR R&D DEPARTMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The "history" of the new GV is very much yet to be written. Everyone with one out there now, thanks again for keeping all updated with the good, the bad, and hopefully NOT the ugly.
As described previously, the problem was that the gear selector has no position for 2nd gear, so if you needed to engine brake at the 2nd gear speed, the only way to get it was to put it in 1st, and allow the transmission electonics to keep it in 2nd above the speed where it would downshift to 1st. In the past, it has downshifted to 1st almost immediately, and fairly violently.
I'm happy to report that the transmission now behaves the way I'd expect it to, staying in 2nd for a long time until the speed drops off, then making a much smoother downshift to 1st with almost no drama.
Imagine one day when shopping for an all new Suzuki SUV model, if you could do so with the utmost confidence, feeling it had the very same reliability and/or lack of "issues" as a Honda or Toyota.... That's my "mission" as a long time owner of the brand. To squawk here more than a bit, for what it's worth, (and I don't pretend to know if it's of value), hoping in the end we'll ALL benefit somewhere on down the road.
IT'S TIME NOW for Suzuki to finally carefully START to listen to all of us, and make the needed adjustments to the product lineup. Reliability will probably end up being tops on the priority list, with, I'd hope a diesel GV somewhere on the radar screen as well....
Wrecks the departure angle? Too bad. To make us overlook this impairment of off-road ability, they just hyped that aspect a little more. And probably laid in a good stock of replacement rear bumpers.
Where do the European and Australian Rav4's have the rear plate?
Back to Consumer Reports annual auto issue on newstands now. For sure, the reliability ranking for the Ford F150, for instance, seems pretty daunting there.
But then back to the new GV, there's still the mileage/usage issues. Personally I'm starting to wind down here on this site, (praise be, eh bud?), as I've come to a decision that with rising fuel prices, a vehicle getting only 23 mpg, best case, just doesn't meet my needs as an enviro conscious type. Then there's the usage issues. For a commuter if it just has to be an SUV, right on, what a great looking vehicle the new GV is! But if you want to do it in the dirt, I will say no more than the following. Go to the Toyota USA site, toyota.com, and dial in the side by side comparo of their new FJ Cruiser, vs. the luxo boat new "off road capable" GV, (with the low range transfer case). Price wise, (vs. the base FJ Cruiser), they're the same. Mileage wise it's 2 mpg less for both city and highway, (17/21 us mpg), for the 4 liter! FJ Cruiser. Then there's all those other stats from ground clearance to towing capacity, and everything in between. Then there's the bottom line fact the FJ is, well, quite simply, a Toyota.
Bottom line [here] is, I've decided I'm NOT waiting for Suzuki to [again] produce a small tough fuel efficient off road capabable vehicle. Instead, the course they've presently apparently successfully charted for themselves, (and you, see the sales numbers), has left at least some of us in the dust, and we just have to accept that. But for folks like xostnot who are out there right now doin' it in the dirt in a new GV, while it still holds a good amount if it's original value, well, one could be sorely tempted to look a a trade for a FunkyJ Cruiser.
I wish you all the very best of luck with your new GV's!
Norwoodsmn.
My four year old Zuke road wagon hemmoraged it's coolant all over the passengers side carpet last week, (defective heater core). After bitchin', (though it's out of warranty), "the big boys" covered the $500.00 7 inch radiator!, (beware some Suzuki parts costs), that is the heater core. I pay $300.00 for labor, and the dealer eats the extra cost beyond the 2.6 by the book hrs. Suzuki allows for the removal of the dash, etc. to replace the heater core. It takes the dealer all day long to do this job, and mine will be the third one they've done here at this dealership in ye Norwoods.. They tried to stick me for the cleaning of the carpets, but this wheel SQUEAKED badly in response over it!, so the dealer will pick up that multi day job, (cleaning, drying out of carpets), as well.
So I guess take some heart from this out of warranty sad story. Never owned another vehicle that did this, ever....
See consumer reports current annual car review issue for data on the Suzuki XL-7. In prior posts here, I'd expressed I thought I might just pick up a used '04 XL-7, which was the last one offered with both a manual 5 speed tranne, and the low range transfer case. Figured they must have gotten better with age, so... Wrong, the 2003 model was more reliable. Go figure...
Keep a postin'. We're all interested how they prove themselves on down the road.
We did some "off-roading" with the GV this weekend, including one event of coming to a halt with diagonally opposite wheels spinning while in 4L. Which surprised me, because you could hear the traction control system chattering away trying to do something about this. But the TC system did work the rest of the time, and the GV did better than I expected as far as clearance is concerned, while going through ditches dug across the old logging road. In fact, it did almost as well as our '91 Pathfinder did on the same road a year ago. I lightly scrapped the bottom somewhere in the middle once, and put a few scratches on the muffler, but did not touch the licence plate bezel on the back bumper. The automatic allowed more precise speed control while climbing through the ditches than I'm used to with a standard transmission.
Two interesting things:
It has that 3.6 motor!It has 250 hp and 244lbs of tq, yet claims 23mpg on the highway. Again, despite more power and a much heavier vehicle, it gets the same mpg as the current GV!Put this into the GV and it could get 24-25mpg on the highway. I'd count on it!
The top line XL7 is only $29K. I say only because it is the first under $30K vehicle (at least awd ) that comes with navigation.
Getting back to the first item, I can't see the GV soldering on '07 with the same old 185 hp-it'll get either a 3.2 or 3.6 vvt motor
My GV is manual tranny 4-wheel drive (full time no low range). Anybody know why they don't call this all wheel drive?
On the front, I removed the plastc cover over the tow loop (best to get underneath to see how to remove it to avoid damaging the tabs), and the second vesitgal hook that lacks a removable cover.
On the back, I used the muffler bracket and the tow loop. I didn't bother trying to protect the paint from the ropes because the ropes are fairly soft and we weren't driving long.
I'm not sure how, but I noticed some rust on my rear seats where they divide in the middle. It must have come from the hinge when I had them folded up but don't know how the seat would have been wet, unless the dog hasn't told me something
We too have various underbody components with surface rust. Maybe this happens during the trip by ship from Japan. But we've driven on salty roads, so I'm not surprised.
Which brings me back to your need for aftermarket rims and tires. I'd particularly look forward to reading how it's going there in the field after you making this "essential" move. Noikan's Vatavia line looks interesting, actually with seasonal crossover off road use and road comfort, all built in there too. Hawk those low profile alloys for the oem steel wheels and the right tires! Easier said than done, I understand, and the alloys do look "foxy".
Nice to see the ice finally thaw off some fav lakes now, eh? I, and the trout grow restless...Happy trails to ya!
Whether our lakes are still frozen depends on their elevation and latitude. We were headed for saltwater, and the structures in the pictures are berths for the ferries we used to cross Georgia Strait to get closer to our paddling destination in the Gulf Islands.
So is the GV getting a bigger engine/more power for '07?
I'd be shocked if it didn't. I will hang on to my jetta wagon until the '07 models comes out. Driving around in a 50mpg diesel wagon and waiting to see if the the '07 has more power/mpg makes a lot more sense than selling it now and getting an underpowered, noisy GV with 23mpg.