Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
who has time to shift when their kid needs to rush to Soccer?
Quite nice! Interior plastics and leather are good. Style inside and out very nice for under 20g.
This thing is a definite Sonata/Optima killer. Also compares very well at much less $$$$ to Camcords and domestics.
Also, a right size car.
All they missed was getting the hp up. 155 not enough. fix this Suzuki.
Host, perhaps this topic ought to be moved over to the Sedans boards?
Here is the short list of what I test drove just yesterday:
1. Verona $20.5K , I6 155HP at 5600RPM with 171FtLbs Torque at 4000rpm.
2. Accord EX Leather $24,800 (no sunroof), I4 160HP at 5500rpm with 161 FtLbs torque at 4500RPM.
3. Camry 2.4L Top of the line with the I4, $25,310, 157HP at 5600RPM with 162 FtLbs Torque at 4000RPM.
By far the quietist and smoothest car was the Verona. Interior materials and fit and finish were comparable between all three. The extreme smoothness of the power in the Verona made it seem like it was less powerful, but actual acceleration times were better. It simply did not have much engine noise or vibration at all under hard acceleration. Upon initial impression due to the noise of the 4 cylinder in the Accord it seemed like it had more power, but in reality the Verona was much quicker off the line in normal driving.
The Verona is priced like a 4 Cylinder comparable car, but has better low end power like a 6 cylinder engine. If the only gripe is the lack of passing power when compared with more expensive V6 engines, no big deal. Try getting the same passing power out of one of the similarily priced I4 engines.
I think the car hits the mark on filling in a GAP left by all the other manufactures, a very smooth, quiet, and easy to drive sedan. The closest comparison in quiet ride is something like the Buick LeSabre, with handling close to the Mercury Sable. Just an all around smooth quiet sedan for $20.5K and under.
As to depreciation, if you are already starting out $4,000 ahead and keep the car 7 years and 100K miles, you are probably still going to be ahead versus the more expensive cars that only have a 3/36 warranty, odds are pretty good you will have one $500 out of warranty repair, or you will have the timing belt cost on many of the 4 bangers.
Side Air-bags? I did not see many of the other brand cars on the lots with them installed. Seems not to be a very popular option yet. Possibly they will become standard (on all models) over the next couple of years, if people are willing to pay the cost. We will see how the different crash test ratings come out. I do know that since this vehicle gets sold in Korea that it has to meet certain vehicle-pedestrian crash worthiness, which means the very front end has pedestrian absorption zones to minimize the injury to a pedestrian in a low speed impact. Honda has a big research center in Japan for the same problem as Japan has a lot of low speed vehicle versus pedestrian accidents.
A little off topic here, but does anybody remember if the Pilot EX has a Power Sunroof?
BTW, a review of the Chevy Epica (canadian version of the verona) is on the website
www.canadiandriver.com
Also, if you opt for the Element with 4WD, you get a manual sunroof in the rear. DX or EX models.
So I tell myself you could live with a lazy automatic... most americans are shiftless people anyway... I hold my breath and ask for a test drive. I would have to say it is on par with a Sanota which is not bad. I would like more power. It pulls well but not six cylinder well. it feels like a very smooth four cylinder. and yes in ex form it is priced in main stream four cylinder territory. Put it up against Hyundai and their prices and Suzuki is a loser. My local Hyundai dealer is offering V6 sonata's at about $15G. An you don't have to have the horrid wood and you can have your manual too.
Verona is excellent but needs a power boost.
People shopping the big name brands would immediately walk away from this car once they see the hp rating and the lack of side airbags. Even Hyundai has made side airbags standard on their cheapest car, the Accent! Hyundai has improved their perception by offering a long warranty. Suzuki's bumper-to-bumper is lacking in today's market and will make the Verona a hard sale, especially once people realize this car is a Korean car that was made as a dying company's last gasp.
2018 VW Passat SE w/tech, 2016 Audi Q5 Premium Plus w/tech, 2006 Acura TL w/nav
With it being Korean I do have concerns about it's reliability. But if Suzuki makes sure this car lives up to the quality of it's motorcycles, they have a definite winner.
And as evergreen points out, it is a Camcord beater if it lives up to their quality or even close at the price it is selling for. I think that will be its market rather than competing with the smaller cars such as the Corolla. This is going to be a fun car to follow. I would very definitely consider it when shopping in that family sedan market, where I would not have a Kia or Hyundai because of their poor quality and reliability issues. Like a lot of people, I have gotten well past the need for a hot rod in favor of a highly reliable and good looking car at a very good price.
p.s. My 03 Hyundai Tiburon has been a much better built and more reliable car than my 03 Suzuki Aerio SX. So I have first hand experience with both makes. Suzuki has consistently ranked near the bottom of quality surveys, so I'm not sure why you trust their name more than Hyundai's.
Quote fwatson " But if Suzuki makes sure this car lives up to the quality of it's MOTORCYCLES,"
Or read my complete post carefully. Thanks
----------------------------------------
If that were true, Toyota and Honda would have little or no control over the quality of their products built in American plants by American workers. That obviously is not true, because the quality control of a Camry or Accord puts a Taurus or Lumina to shame. For that reason, I simply do not agree with your premise that Suzuki has little control over the quality of their branded products produced in Korea.
As for quality of Korean cars, I think the forums show a definite difference between the Japanese and Korean cars. My hope is that all the Korean cars will compile a great record, and that they will be able to keep the price down as they have so far. I think then the Verona will become a world beater, as it is a very appealing car otherwise.
----------------------------------------------------------
Quote "the motorcycle reputation behind the name, which has nothing to do with their cars"
-----------------------------------------------------------
Again I disagree. Just as I trust Lexus, Sony, Panasonic etc to never bring out inferior products. And despite the Consumer Report argument with Suzuki, I trust Suzuki to not bring out an inferior product. Most Japanese companies are "heavy industries" making a wide range of products. They generally either make top of the line products, or they don't.
-------------------------------------------------------
Again, hopefully Suzuki will insist on excellent quality control. They have that ability just as Toyota and Honda do.
2018 VW Passat SE w/tech, 2016 Audi Q5 Premium Plus w/tech, 2006 Acura TL w/nav
The quality issue is tricky though, just as the rebadged Toyota Corollas sold as Geo Prizms were top notch despite GM's name on them.
2018 VW Passat SE w/tech, 2016 Audi Q5 Premium Plus w/tech, 2006 Acura TL w/nav
As for Suzuki, they have never been known to be top-of-the-line nor as reliable as Toyota, Honda, etc. They are a good motorcycle builder, but their cars aren't exactly stellar. Average pretty much sums them up. Also, GM has their hand dipped heavily into Suzuki and parts sharing occurs. Suzuki has consistently ranked at the bottom of all quality surveys, not just Consumer Reports. I also have first hand experience with their so-so quality. Compare the interior of the Aerio with that of the Civic, Lancer, Corolla, Elantra, etc and you will see a noticeable difference in the quality of materials used.
The Verona is a nice car at a nice price. But nothing about it says it should be better than Hyundai or Kia. That doesn't mean it will be junk. On the contrary, it should prove to be a solid value and have good reliability if not the best.
p.s. Do you actually follow multiple forums? I keep up with at least 20 different cars (I'm a car nut and read about all cars, not just the ones I'm shopping). I have seen more complaints in Honda forums than I have in Hyundai forums, so I don't see the huge difference you speak of. I'm not saying Hyundai is better. I'm just saying the quality gap has shrunk a lot in recent years.
-------------------------------
There is a lot of that on the Acura TL discussion too.
Regarding engine responsiveness; I haven't taken it up to Mt. Hood (I live in Oregon) yet but it seems more than adequate for our needs. The drive from town to our house involves one 600 ft hill over a two mile stretch and the car is so quiet and the shifting so smooth you hardly even notice it is downshifting. I had to watch the tach to see what was happening. It seems to find a gear that gives you plenty of power and there is no feel that the engine is straining in the least. My GMC Sierra (a great truck with a 285 HP V8) has to downshift on that hill, too, but you can hear and feel when it downshifts. There is nothing wrong with that. I'm just very pleased with how the Verona handles the job.
The dealer told me the Forenza won't hit the show rooms here until December. Looks to me like it ought to provide some stiff competition for the Civic and Corolla.
It seems to me that Suzuki is presently aiming at 90% of those people who buy a Camry or Accord who want a quiet, solid, sedan that is reliable and gets reasonable mileage. If they decide it is worth their time to go after the 10% who want over 200 hp, they will probably put in a stronger engine some day. Presently, those with a heavy foot will have to look elsewhere. My Verona has less HP than my Passat VR6, which is fairly sporty for a station wagon, but the Verona has more torque, which is more important than HP for most driving situations.
---------------------------------------
I had a Suzuki X6-Hustler with only a 250 cc engine way back in the '60s. That was one hot bike, and proves that it doesn't take a giant engine to be a hot rod.
Looks like Verona isn't for you. That's why they make Vipers and Vettes. There are millions of people who can live with getting to 60 in 8 seconds or so in a quiet, comfortable and nice conservatively styled car that has more interior space than a Camry or Accord.
Lucky for people like me that they do, because I sure don't need an overstyled 0 to 60 in 4 seconds insurance hound.
There's nothing sweeter than a small displacement V-6 instead of an L4, even it the 4 has as much HP and torque. I have owned and driven 4's, and as long as there is a V-6 available I will never have another 4 cylinder car.
Thats fine for you. But I'm willing to bet that the Camcord 4s are just as smooth, if not smoother, than the Daewoo's 2.5L V6, while offering superior fuel economy to boot. The Camry manages a 9.1 run to 60, and the Accord, 8.5. I'm interested to see if Verona can match that.
~alpha
By far the Camry V6 is the smoothest of all the 6 cylinders, but it costs just under $10,000 more than the Verona for the same equipment. Both the Accord V6 and Nissan Altima V6 are tuned more sporty and do not deliver the same kind of quiet power like the Camry V6.
As for fuel economy. The Verona I6 gives average to slightly better than average 6 cylinder economy, but is not as high as the 4 cylinder engines.
As to JD Power. It is unfortunate that the long term survey on the Daewoo cars happened AFTER the bankruptcy filing and the bad blood between many dealers and the owners. I just wonder how many owners put down problems with the car just because they could not get the free scheduled maintenance they were promised??????? I also wonder how accurate ignorant customer surveys really wind up being. Certain cars bring a certain consumer class to the showroom more than other cars. I have seen people think that the check engine light means there is an engine problem with the car. In reality it was an owner mistake by not putting the gas cap on all the way.
--------------------------------------
Not by any means. My mother owns a Corolla 4 which I have driven extensively. And I own a Mazda Millenia with a 2.5L V-6. It is like trash and treasure. The Toyota 4 has nice acceleration, but it's bzzzzzzzzzzzzzz all the way under all conditions. My brother in law sells Hondas and always drives a 4 cylinder Accord. But they too are bzzzzzzzzzzzzz all the way. On the other hand, the V-6 in my Mazda is so smooth it is difficult to tell if it is running at idle, and it is silky smooth under all conditions. My bet is that the Verona V-6 is also super smooth, it is the nature of most V-6 engines except for the American pushrod engines. Nope, you lose that bet.
2018 VW Passat SE w/tech, 2016 Audi Q5 Premium Plus w/tech, 2006 Acura TL w/nav
More interestingly, for those who have driven the Hyundai 2.7L V6, how does this Daewoo compare in refinement and power (as well as economy) to that powerplant?
~alpha
------------------------------
And from all I have read, a straight 5 is smoother yet. I was forgetting the "I" configuration of the Suzuki 6. I think I will test drive one to see how that does feel. But if it really is smoother than my Mazda V-6, you would wear out the starter trying to restart it constantly while it is running. ;-)
Another thing that contributes greatly to my enjoyment of a car is the sound of the engine. I love the sound of my V-6 under hard acceleration. My wife compares it to the sound of a race car. Maybe it isn't a racer, but it does have a beautiful song to sing. OTOH, the 4's I have driven are more a strained rrrrrrrrr. To each his own, but I'll take the 6. A big V-8 (or even a small displacememt one) sounds nice too, but completely different, and is hardly necessary in a 3500 pound car for the average driver when you can have an equally smooth engine with far fewer parts.
2018 VW Passat SE w/tech, 2016 Audi Q5 Premium Plus w/tech, 2006 Acura TL w/nav
~alpha