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Suzuki Aerio Wagon

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  • suzukidlrsuzukidlr Member Posts: 8
    I have read everyone talking about the Aerio that will be AWD in September. I just wanted to inform everyone what kind of AWD system it will have. The Aerio will have the same kind of set up as the Subaru line has. Actually what has happen Suzuki and Chevrolet have gone together and bought a small percentage of Subaru. I can not tell you how the AWD is going to work, I am not that familiar with Subaru but I know for a fact that is what it will have
  • npaladin2000npaladin2000 Member Posts: 593
    Could you be a bit more specific? Subaru may be well-known for AWD, but they have about 3 or 4 ways of implementing it, I believe (Depending on transmission and trim level). Thing is, if Chevy DOES own a part of Suzuki, they could also grab the AWD system off of the Vibe/Matrix twins, which seems to be the most fuel-efficient one so far.
  • frenchcarfrenchcar Member Posts: 247
    Thanks to suzukidlr we now know that the 2003 Suzuki Aerio All Wheel Drive system will be the units that Subaru has used for several years and it is a very good one indeed. Chevrolet has worked with Suzuki in joint ventures since 1989 or so and GM bought a small share of Subaru a year or two ago and now owns about half of Isuzu. Check out AutoWorld.com and go to their nice article on Subaru's All Wheel Drive System and scroll down to where they describe how thw systems differ from automatic to manual transmission models. I had a chance to drive a Subaru for 6 months back in 1996 and believe me their AWD is awsome. Dont really even know it is there until pushed hard or you really need it in slippery situations. Hope this info helps.
  • kensonkenson Member Posts: 9
    I am still getting used to my newly purchased 2002 Aerio SX. One thing I notice is that the Daytime Running Light is always on when it's in gear. I guess it's a safety feature, but I am kind of not used having lights on in broad day light. Does anyone here know how to turn this feature off?
  • imacumacimacumac Member Posts: 18
    i know what you mean. but i think you'll get used to it. i have heard though that daytime running lights do lower your insurance premium. I hope that offers enough incentive because im not sure how to turn them off.

    :)
  • day1_danday1_dan Member Posts: 1
    To disable the DRL, pull up on the parking brake ONE click. It should not engage the brake, but it will kill the daytime running lights.
  • tessktessk Member Posts: 10
    My patience paid off. I just got my Suzuki Aerio SX with ABS and AWD. Yes, it is the 2003 model. It has some neat changes in the interior. In addition to what suzukidlr said, the 2003 model has a digital clock, outside temperature gauge, low fuel warning, better cloth material (suede like, not as rough as 2002 model) for seats and doors. On the back seat they added a third head rest and all 3 seats will have lap-shoulder seatbelt. All I'm saying is that it is well worth the wait. For some reason my dealer got a whole bunch of 2003 model before September and I'm lucky enough to qualify fot their zero sero financing. I'm just so excited and want to share it with everybody.
  • andil1andil1 Member Posts: 97
    Thanks so much for sharing with us, and, yes, I can feel your happiness from your post. Certainly brightened my morning. Let us know how the AWD rides.
  • revkarevka Member Posts: 1,750
    and glad to hear your patience paid off. Congrats on your 2003 Aerio SX with ABS and AWD! We look forward to hearing more.... ;-)


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  • andil1andil1 Member Posts: 97
    Can a moonroof be added to the SX? Nothing fancy, just a pop-up. I've had a sun or moon roof on my cars since 1976 and would feel claustrophobic without one! But I know some car roof lines can't accommodate it.
  • frenchcarfrenchcar Member Posts: 247
    Tess, what color did you get and what color is the interior for 2003? Has the color chart changed or any new additions?? Let us know. My dealer in Tucson doesnt have any 03 models yet.
  • marco18marco18 Member Posts: 26
    You lucky Devil....make sure to fill us in. How does the all wheel drive handle? Did you get it in 5 spd or automatic? Is the Hp really up to 145?
  • tessktessk Member Posts: 10
    I haven't got a chance to drive it around that much, but so far I have no complain. I'm coming from a 12-year old car, so the performance of this brand new car has been great. I can't tell you much about the AWD since I don't know much about it and I have nothing to compare against. frenchcar, I got the silver one because I figured it's gonna take me forever to wait for the yellow one. The interior is black. About the 03 color chart, I only saw silver, black, blue and red on 2 different dealership. marco, mine is automatic (I can't drive a stick shift) and the power is indeed 145hp.
  • suzukidlrsuzukidlr Member Posts: 8
    If I can recall correctly the information I have received from Suzuki. The green has been dropped from the sedan and now you can get the sedan in yellow. That is what I recall reading but I could be wrong. When I know more I will let everyone know. If anyone likes the XL-7 and Grand Vitara wait to see the interior changes on that.
  • kensonkenson Member Posts: 9
    My Aerio SX has still less than 500 miles but yesterday it got the first body damage. I parked it outside an auto part store, in an ordinary parking space w/o any trouble. When I was done shopping and backed it out, I heard a loud scrapping noise. It came from the bottom of the front bumper scrapping the top of the concrete block in front of the wheel. You know those pieces of concrete in each parking space that prevent the cars from going too far. The one I parked in is just of normal height and it looked no more than 8 inches. But I notice that the lot is on a slight incline. Anyway, the left front corner piece of my bumper was slightly damaged and became loosen. It looked rather ugly hanging down. Back home I spent about half hours on my hands and knees to fix it back up with nuts and bolts.

    Before I purchased this car I was suspicious that its low threshold might be a problem, now it is confirmed. I think we SX owners must be very careful when going over road bumps or anything else that might scrape its bottom.
  • marco18marco18 Member Posts: 26
    sorry to hear about the damage. I have also learned not to go up driveways with a rather steep incline as it also tends to scrape.

    Just to let everyone know..My appointment with the suzuki dealer is set for next wednesday
    . But the clicking noise is gone. I now have close to 1900 miles on my aerio and am wondering if maybe it was something that just needed to be "worn in". I am just hoping that it is gone for good this time. Is the noise also gone for any
    of you who also experienced this problem?
  • frenchcarfrenchcar Member Posts: 247
    Has anyone else noticed any wind wander or sensitivity at highway speeds? We have 3500 miles on our Aerio. When first new it would only blow around in a stiff 30 mph cross wind. It tracks straight as an arrow with hands off the wheel at lower speeds when there is no wind which sort of blows the front allignment theory. Now it is difficult to hold a straight line at highway speeds even with little or no wind. Very sensitive to road surface differences and air pressure but handles nicely around town. Anyone else experience this or have any theory as to what the problem could be??
  • artdechoartdecho Member Posts: 337
    We recently got back from a 5000 km (3000 mi) round trip out to Canada's east coast & back. I was very impressed with our Aerio's capacity, comfort and performance. My wife, son & I had plenty of room, it swallowed a large cooler, 2 smaller coolers, a picnic basket, a 6 person tent, a screen house (kitchen tent), 3 sleeping bags, a tarp, 2 airbeds, a small propane bbq, coleman stove & lantern, 3 folding chairs and a folding table, 4 backpacks, a case of bottled water (35x500ml)+ assorted video/camera gear, sports equipment, food & the like. We did make use of our roof rack and cargo box but it was amazing all the stuff we got in. Even loaded down, the performance was quite good. We averaged 33 mpg (imperial gals....would be about 27 in US gallons) which included steep mountains, gravel roads and construction zones and speeds generally between 70-75 mpg but up to 80 on some occasions.
    The Aerio tracked straight & true throughout the trip. Only once, in New Brunswick, I experienced a kind of "floaty" feeling.....made me sit up & take notice but I attributed it to a particularily strong crosswind. Otherwise, solid & stable all the way. We had over 1100 miles on it before we left, so it was more or less broken in by then. Very impressed with the seats too...we had a couple of 9-12 hr days on the road and I did all the driving and while it was tiring, I wasn't sore or overly fatigued. Was very carefull and managed to avoid all manner of stone & window chips........however I did manage to inflict a 18" scrape + crack in the right-side-skirt in front of the rear wheel. Backed out of a parking space in an underground garage in Quebec City and was forced to make a sharp right turn by a rather impatient driver......must have been along side a parking barrier or curb...I immediately stopped after hearing the scraping/cracking noise but the damage was done. BTW, Suzuki tells me the replacement side skirt is about $400 CDN.....think I'll live with it for awhile (it's not too noticeable) or get a repair estimate from a body shop. All in all, though, a great trip in a great little car. It did reinforce my view that the luggage privacy cover is way too low though.....can't even get a normal size cooler under it.....3" more height would make a world of difference.
  • frenchcarfrenchcar Member Posts: 247
    I took my Aerio to a tire shop that has a Ride-Match, Road Force type of specialty balance and imperfection machine. 2 tires (both on the same side) were not made uniformily and could not be corrected. They replaced them and now my car is fine at high speeds. I knew something was wrong. I first described the problem in # 321.
  • imacumacimacumac Member Posts: 18
    Hi I was wondering if the AERIO SX AWD had a higher ground clearance than the Base Aerio SX ?

    It would make sense but then again I'm not sure :) LOL
  • kensonkenson Member Posts: 9
    I went back to the dealership yesterday to install the center arm rest on my 2002 SX. It's an item that was promised to me when I bargained for the purchase price. While waiting in the shop, my salesman told me that he now has several new 2003 SX. I was very curious about the differences so I went to the sales floor to have a closer look. The outward appearance looks exactly the same as my 2002. The sticker did show 145 hp instead of 141. Then I went inside and checked out every detail of the interior. Here are the changes:
    1. A 6 disk CD changer
    2. Above the CD there is a small slot which is a digital clock
    3. The cruise control is no longer combine w/ the window wiper stick, but on a separate stick by itself. So now all together there are 3 sticks around the steering column.
    4. The upholstery has a different fabric. Instead of the velvet and "jersey" combination, the "jersey" has been taken out so basically it's all velvet.
    5. The middle rear seat has it's own headrest and shoulder belt.
    6. As a result of 5., the center arm rest with cup holder is now gone - too bad for the folks sitting in the back.
    As far as I could inspect, everything else remains the same. I didn't do a test drive, although I can't imagine that there would be any noticeable difference in it. There are no AWD version at this dealership yet.
  • frenchcarfrenchcar Member Posts: 247
    If your dealer has the 2003 models look and see if they still use the Yokohona Geolander tires with a V speed rating. It has a low treadlife rating of 200 and I hope they switched to a different Yokohoma tire that is common to North America with a higher treadwear rating even if means an H speed rating which should be adequate with a few more pounds of air in them. My dealer does not have the 2003 models yet. Let me know.
  • marco18marco18 Member Posts: 26
    Personally, I think I wold prefer my 2002 over the new designed aerio sx. I am fine with the Cruise control the way it is. I would not like a third stick there to make it look cluttered. I think I would also much prefer the upholstery to be the way it is. It gives it a nice two tone look. And I would definitely prefer a rear seat armrest as opposed to the headrest. The two things that stand out for me are the cd changer and xtra hp. Does anyone know where it comes from? I know it's only 4 more but I am just curious to know where it came from since it is basically the same engine..
  • tessktessk Member Posts: 10
    Apparently, 03 model still uses yokohama geolander 84S. Actually, I was hoping they would up the diameter to 16" or even 17"...but oh well. I don't notice any difference on the ground clearance for awd. I have a feeling it's the same. Marco, I'm with you about the rear center armrest. It's bad enough that it doesn't have front center armrest but now they have to take away the back one too. However, I prefer the velvet seat and door. It won't leave marks on my elbow. Does anybody know if I have to have accessories installed by the dealer or can I do it myself? The thing is, I check the web to see if anybody sell aerio accessories for cheaper price and one website actually does. The website is called www.suzparts.com . Accessories I'm talking about would be stuff like rear bumper protection, side molding...nothing to do with the electrical or performance of the car.
  • lngtonge18lngtonge18 Member Posts: 2,228
    Is there any rear set cupholders? The 02 had one in the center armrest but since that's gone, I was wondering if they moved it somewhere else or deleted it entirely? I like all the changes to the 03, but am disappointed they deleted that armrest. What were they thinking?? I would probably just take the stupid headrest off anyway since it probably obstructs rearward vision and no one would ever sit there.
  • lngtonge18lngtonge18 Member Posts: 2,228
    I finally found an Aerio I want. It has been a long tiring process and I'm going to have to travel 300 miles to get it, but it's worth it. I should be picking up my 03 Black Onyx 5-speed FWD SX tomorrow. I had to call 14 dealers to find a black or blue 5-speed!! I'm so happy I found this car though. It was in the back of the lot still under plastic wrap and has never been driven. I put a deposit on the car so they can't sell it before I get there. I wasn't able to get the 0% interest deal but should be getting 5.9%, the best interest I have ever gotten on a car. The only thing I'm disappointed with is the fact I couldn't find a car equipped with ABS in the color I wanted. It was hard enough to find this one so I decided to take it while I can. The new AWD option has also made it harder to find the car I wanted. I'll let you guys know how I like the car tomorrow night. Hopefully the car will be squeak and scratch free! I just hate that I will have to put 300 highway miles on it right away during its important break-in period. Wish me luck!
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Congrats on your new purchase. You change cars more than I do. :) So what happens to your Lancer now? :)
  • lngtonge18lngtonge18 Member Posts: 2,228
    The Lancer stays. My partner will be driving it. I'm not looking forward to two new car payments but oh well. I still have a 92 Miata and 84 VW GTI. My driveway is becoming a car parking lot, LOL.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Too funny! :) I can only afford one car at a time, and only have parking for one as well. I live with my dad, and he doesn't drive, so I am the only driver. Ideally, I would have an older car for my commuting (about 70 miles a day), and then my Jetta as to save miles. But can't afford that right now. :(
  • lngtonge18lngtonge18 Member Posts: 2,228
    I just got back from picking up my SX. So far, I love it!! Simply love it. It was definitely worth the wait. The black onyx paint looks good and makes the car look sportier (I noticed more then a few looks on the highway). The 6-disc in dash CD player sounds great. The clutch engages smoothly and the shifter is very solid. Seats are very comfortable, much better then the Matrix and Protege5. The new outside temp display adds a touch of class to the interior. The new soft velvet cloth on the door panels and in the center of the seats was a definite improvement. The ride is firm and well-controlled without being harsh. The steering has a nice heavy feel to it, making the car feel more substantial then it is. The tall profile does cause some noticeable body roll, but overall it seems to handle well enough. It's quiet on the highway, with wind noise being the most noticeable sound. With 145 horses on tap, this car gets up to speed quickly without even pushing it!

    List of dislikes is very small: The interior door handles appear to be made of a low-grade cheap plastic. The screws behind the door handles are exposed. Not enough storage space. The new center rear seat 3-point seat belt is strangely attached to the center of the roof at the rear of the car; this causes an annoying belt to be seen in the rear-view mirror. I don't understand why they couldn't attach it to the floor like I've seen other cars do.

    While I was at the dealer, 2 other SXs were sold (both silver)! I'm glad I got mine before someone else snatched it up. The dealer couldn't understand why these cars are suddenly flying off the lot (they sold 10 Aerios last week). I think the secret is finally out. This car should prove to be a smash hit for Suzuki. All I gotta say is, great job Suzuki and thanks for designing such a neat car!!

    p.s. On another note, I need to call the finance lady tomorrow and hassle her because I think she was screwing me on the interest rate. They promised me 5.9% and I hope to get that when I'm done with them. I didn't drive 300 miles under that assumption to get stuck with 8%. I balked at it when I signed the papers, but with it being Sunday, she wasn't for sure if I could get anything lower or not. It figures something would have to go wrong. I just hope I can get my salesman and the sales manager to stick to their promise. Can't a dealer just be honest for once? I'm so sick of fighting to get things done right.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I am surprised you got black. I used to have a black Protege, and it was pure hell to keep clean. Shows every little tiny piece of dirt, and every little scratch. Also will be very hot in FL too. Mine was hot here in MD. AC took forever to cool it.

    I ended up getting the windows tinted to reduce the heat inside. It worked ok, but the AC still took awhile to cool the interior on a really hot day.
  • bobo37bobo37 Member Posts: 1
    Anyone looking for a AWD 2003 needs to visit Harrisburg PA. The only SX's the dealer has are 2003 AWD.Black,Yellow,Red. I went to test drive a 5 speed but they didn't have the SX in anything but AWD which only comes as a automatic. After test driving the auto AWD I had a change of heart about 4 cylinder automatics. The last one I drove was a Honda CRV when they first came out. I told myself then that I would never own a 4 cylinder automatic. The SX blew my mind. I was expecting something much slower. My question now that I'm off the lot is does the 2003 come as a automatic with front wheel drive and will it handle and fly like the AWD automatic ? I am spoiled with my 1993 Geo Prism Lsi. The stick is as smooth as glass. I don't know how impressed I would be if I test drove the 5 speed SX now that I like the automatic. Has anybody test drove the SX and the Matrix on the same day ? I would be interested to hear that persons two cents.
  • lngtonge18lngtonge18 Member Posts: 2,228
    You can get an SX automatic with front wheel drive; most of them come that way. It would be slightly faster then the AWD version because it is lighter. Let me tell you, if you were impressed with the automatic, you have got to try the 5-speed! The SX has more power then it needs, something you can't say of any other economy sedan. In my first real day of ownership, I peeled out twice trying to pull out moderately quick into traffic. It shocks me how easily this car peels out (this might become a problem in wintery climates). This car gets up to speed fast and I haven't even pushed it above 3300 rpms. I can't wait to see what she will do when pushed to 5000. One downside though: this car suffers from annoying engine rock (driveline lash is the appropriate term) when traveling in heavy traffic in 1st gear. It's just very jerky and sensitive to throttle changes. Has any other manual tranny SX owners noticed this??

    I didn't drive the Matrix and SX on the same day, but I can tell you that the Matrix definitely felt slower (both were 5-speeds; I have heard the auto Matrix is very sluggish). However, the Matrix does have a quieter, smoother engine. If you want an isolated driving experience, the Matrix provides that. I actually like the throatier engine note on the SX because it makes the drive more interesting and involving.
  • artek09artek09 Member Posts: 3
    Can anyone post if the speed display can be set in either MPH or KM PH would help when travelling down south, also how long it took to get adjusted to it ,is it clear against sunlight, Aerio is one of the cars on my list waiting to drive the AWD nice to hear from so many happy drivers here:-)
  • kensonkenson Member Posts: 9
    This is to answer Artek09 about the Display. Yes, both the odometer and speedometer can be easily witched to either English or Metric. For me personally, it didn't take much time at all to get used to the speedometer display. The tachometer on the other hand is a little difficult to see what RPM I am at. But since mine is automatic transmission it doesn't really matter all that much what RPM I am at. And so far I have no trouble seeing the display clearly, even against bright sunlight.

    Now I have a question about tire pressure. Maybe either tessk or Frenchcar can answer this since you two discussed about tires before. Out of curiosity I checked the pressure of my tires. I was surprise to see that they're inflated so much, to 43-44 psi. Mine is a 2002 SX w/ Yokohama tires. While the surface of the tire stamped that maximum pressure is 45 psi, the metal plate by the inside my car door stated that tire pressure should be set at 30 psi. I wonder should I leave these tires set at the 43-44 psi, or deflate them back to the 30 psi as indicated by Suzuki Manufacture?
  • estoesto Member Posts: 136
    Sounds like your car wasn't prepped properly.

    Erik
  • rwgreenbergrwgreenberg Member Posts: 154
    Make sure (I think this is the case, or at least from my own experience) that tire pressure is checked only when the car has been sitting (out of the sun!) for quite some time (maybe an hour or two or three) to get a true reading. I believe that this is an important point if one hopes to really know what the pressure is set at.
  • lngtonge18lngtonge18 Member Posts: 2,228
    I would lower your pressure back down to 30-32. 44 is way too high and will cause a harsher ride, overly sensitive steering, and the tires will not wear evenly. My car was delivered with 29 in 3 of the tires and 27 in one rear tire. I increased it to 31 in all 4 tires and the car stays straight now.
  • lngtonge18lngtonge18 Member Posts: 2,228
    I got 29 mpg on my first tank of gas. Pretty good considering I was changing speed constantly on the highway and it involved some city traffic.
  • frenchcarfrenchcar Member Posts: 247
    Always go by the manufacturers plate which in this case says 30 pounds as all factory testing and settings and components are set up for that amount. I personally like to carry 32 to stiffen the sidewall slightly as the front tire edges on a front wheel drive car wear fast so it helps that and the tires run cooler and last longer. The maximum of 45 pounds is what you could run them up to with a really full load and is a safety margin. Always add air in the morning when it is cool and check them cold. Driving the car for 10 miles in hot weather can add 3 pounds and as the day heats up you gain one pound for every 10 degree increase in outside air temperature. Yokohoma Tires frequently lose 3 pounds per month. If you put 30 pounds in all 4 tires first thing in the morning when it is 50 degrees outside and the temperature that day goes up to 80 you will then have 33 and driving it any distance will increase it to 35 or 36 as the tires get hot. 30 to 36 is ok as there is plenty of safety margin built in and the next morning they will be back down to 30 as they cool off overnight. Check them at least once a month and buy your own guage. You gain air in hot weather and lose air in winter as the trmperature drops. The more air you carry the harder the ride but the better for fast handling and better gas mileage but too much wears the centers down, If you let it fall too low the tires run hot, wear out fast, soft ride, poorer gas mileage. It pays to experiment with the amount, check them often and rotate every 5000 miles. I hope this helps.
  • ferdjaxferdjax Member Posts: 1
    My SX is a little over a month old with around 1000 miles. The steering wheel is tilted slightly to the left when the car is tracking perfectly straight. 10 degrees maybe to the left. The service center at the dealer said this was within specs and that no service bulliten has been issued on this so they didn't want to do anything.

    The car tracks straight, doesn't pull and handles well but this tilt is just enough to make me crazy. Do I believe what the dealer says?

    Otherwise I love the car!
  • kensonkenson Member Posts: 9
    I want to thank everyone who responded to my inquiry about high pressure on my tires. Thanks Frenchcar, for such detailed instruction. Last night I checked my tires once again, after the car had been sitting all day in a cool garage. They're still at the 44 psi level, so I went ahead and lowered them all the way down to the 30 psi marks, as indicated by the manufacturing plate. I wonder how and why my dealer would put such high pressure into these tires. I am glad I happened just to check them after I purchased a nice new tire gauge.
  • artdechoartdecho Member Posts: 337
    Our steering wheel too must be tilted slightly to the left in order to track straight. It bothered me at first but I don't notice it too much now. Also, the cowling behind the wheel seems slightly crooked (tilted to the right) so it emphasizes the fact that it's not lined up with the wheel when driving straight ahead. Most road surfaces are angled toward the curb so you do have to steer a bit left to keep going straight.....noticed this in our Altima as well....it's just more obvious in the Aerio because of how the cowling lines up with the wheel. I was thinking of trying to loosen & then tilt the cowling to the left so the tilt of the wheel wouldn't be so noticeable but really, we are talking a very few degrees here & you do get used to it.
  • imacumacimacumac Member Posts: 18
    ive been thinking abomut getting an aerio sx awd or maybe the pontiac vibe. i like the dashboard a lot with the vibe but i like the digital too with the aerio. i can't wait to test drive this car. i did the base sx but now its the 2003 model!!!!

    be back later to give detailed description!
  • imacumacimacumac Member Posts: 18
    the awd drive was as good as I thought. and I saw the eliminated armrest in the back and I noticed the new clock/temp gauge. and I saw the 6cd dash. but the sales team was horrible. im so glad I left and didnt buy anything. they were making me sound nuts when the advertised 299 a month zero down was actually 355 or 371 becasue they didnt disclose to me that they were adding some weird warranty i had never heard of. WHATEVER MOFOS!!!!!

    im dealing with my local dealerships now, i went 60 miles to put up with this?? at least there i can bully a little :)
  • artek09artek09 Member Posts: 3
    Thanks kenson for the detailed post #339.
    imacumac as you test drove one, any idea the kind of AWD the Aerio has. My local dealer has yet to receive them.
  • frenchcarfrenchcar Member Posts: 247
    The new Motor Trend has an error in that they say the Aerio comes with a 4 WD option when they should have said AWD. The new October issue of Import Tuner magazine has started on their Aerio project car. This month they lowered and modified the suspension and brakes and installed different tires and wheels. Next month they will hop up the engine and I am anxious to see the results.
  • imacumacimacumac Member Posts: 18
    im not positive on this but i believe that i read somewhere that the aerio sx has a subaru type awd system. im not sure who said it but i think it was in this board somewhere. i hope this helps :)
  • bvr124bvr124 Member Posts: 1
    I am planning to buy an Aerio and was browsing thorugh the discussion board to see if anyone had information on how effective the Aerio AC is. Is it true that the engine "loses lustre" when you turn on the AC? Also, does, the AC take "forever" to cool the car interior? Experienced owners, please share your experience withme!

    Thanks
  • frenchcarfrenchcar Member Posts: 247
    I live in Tucson, Arizona and the AC is just fine. We have not noticed much power loss when you switch on the AC as you do on many 4 cylinder cars. This engine can handle it and only gets better after it is fully broken in. It only takes a couple of minutes to cool down even after sitting in the hot sun. Put the AC on and the fan on high, drive with the windows down for 30 seconds to evacuate some of the hot air and then close the windows and put it on recirculate or maximum AC for awhile. When it gets too cold add just a little heat (thats right) to get the temperature you want or else it gets too cold at high speeds. 105 degrees is common here. Of course it helps that we bought a white Aerio with dark tint that keeps it much cooler to start with. It is a good AC system but not as powerful as those in a Cadillac. Hope this info helps the person in question in # 353. Im sure glad I bought the Aerio and not the Vibe and Matrix we looked at. This is far more comfortable, zippier and laid out better in many ways.
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