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Comments
Congratulations on getting your GV. My wife is also 5' and she had the same comment. So those rear headrests did go -- into a small folding crate kept in the cargo area. We hold the crate in place with two short bungee cords hooked into the openings where the rear shoulder belts extend from on each side of the car. Sometimes we use the two headrests to hold small packages in place inside the crate.
Suzuki makes a set of wing-shaped cross bars that fit 99 and 2000 GV's. The bars are in the 99 brochure. For 2000, Suzuki went to a Yakama tubular cross bar setup, which is probably a little more main-stream, but looks and sounds (yes, sound) awful. The Yakama system appears to be able to carry more stuff, but you need to check out both the 99 and 00 bars and decide for yourself.
As far as other toys, go for the front bug deflector/shield as soon as you can... rocks will eat the front portion of your hood in no time. Also, if you like tunes, invest in the Clarion CDC-635 6-pack CD changer. Plugs right into the back of the Suzuki (by Clarion) radio, which acts as the CD changer control unit. Went four-wheeling the other day, went through all 6 cd's during the day, and nary a skip. Do not buy from any other source than Great Lakes Audio/Video. (www.glav.com). Current price is $185, and is the cheapest price I have been able to find anywhere.
In addition, check post # 106 above for some important front end checks you should do...
Good luck! Enjoy
walt
gone2sea - I was wondering if you guys got the door step thingies? So far, I haven't had any trouble getting into the vehicle... but then I've been wearing jeans since I bought it. Wearing work clothes tomorrow could be interesting .
walt_embree - I'm not sure what that post 106 means. I'll forward it to my kid brother to interpret . Is it something I (meaning really my brother) should do, or the dealer?
I saw the roof rack things in the 2000 toys catalog. Not too bad looking. I'm hoping I can just get new towers for my Saris system so it will work with the existing one.
Do I need the shield thing if I'm not off roading? The furthest off road I'll probably get is when I have to park in the middle of a muddy field at a dog show, or go up my neighborhood's barely plowed streets.
So many toys, so little money .
Oh! I just discovered that the headlights turn themselves on! Would you believe the salesman never told me that. And here I thought that the cruise control (my first ever) was a wonderful invention!
Thanks again everyone.
Lee
Thingies, eh? My wife uses the word "thingies" all the time. We don't have the side steps and didn't have them on our previous SUV either. She does not have a problem getting into the GV when wearing a skirt or dress.
As for the front shield, I don't go off-road that much but recommend the front shield for the added protection it offers. On last SUV, shield took hit from a rock kicked up by truck in front of me on the highway. Better the shield than engine oil pan just behind it. I think GV has a similar layout and feel the shield is worthwhile.
Also think the OEM foglights are best available on any SUV. Places extra light precisely where you need it -- right shoulder and lane markings on left side of vehicle. We get fog here a lot and they are invaluable. But note if you want to use them you have to manually turn the headlights on via the stalk control. The automatic DRL sensor only works with the standard headlights and parking lights. Actually this is good since it KEEPS me in the habit of turning lights on at night instead of relying on auto sensor. By the way, tell your insurance company about Daylight Running Lamps --I got 10% reduction by having DRL feature.
My GV was purchased with front shield plate, fog lights, four mud flaps, armrest, rear window deflector, and trailer hitch included. Feel free to email me directly at gone2sea@worldnet.att.net if you have ??? about the other options.
Howard
'99 JLX+, Auto, 5500 miles
walt
Opps! Sorry. Howard and I are talking about 2 different shields. The one I'm talking about is the bug deflector shield that mounts on the front of the hood and wraps around the the front of the fenders as well. I have a '91 Ford F-350 and a '91 Suziki Sidekick, plus the 2000 GV, all 3 vehicles suffer rock and debris abuse along the front of the hood. It seems even more abuse than the front facing grill and lower moldings. Must have something to do with the wind vortex and all that rot. Bottom line, though, this simple plastic deflector will save lots of paint-chip grief.
walt
looking at the G.Vitara as
a second vehicle.We have a
dodge ram 2500 4wd. I read
a review on edmunds that
kind of slammed it.I felt
it was an unfair artical,
it compaired it to the crv
and the xtera. You have
apples and oranges. The
XTERA is much bigger more
like a mid size suv and
the crv is basically a
wagon with good road
traction, not a true 4wd.
CRV only has a 4 cylinder,
ad I don't know about you
but driving on a high way
on a hot day with the ac
cranked and a struggeling
motor does not fit in my
world.Then it pits it
against the xtera, yeah
thats bigger and better
but by the time you add
all the options to it your
looking at close to 30
grand. thats a ten
thousand
dollar difference.You
can't compare the two.We
took the G.Vitara jlx 4wd
for a test drive and
really liked it The 6
cylinder was peppy and it
has ever thing but the
kitchen sink for under 20
grand.Did any one else
read this and think it was
an unfair comparison? Can
anyone tell me aything
really bad about this
vehicle, other than it has
a tiny cargo space and it
is on the small side.Good
review are welcome too.
thank you.
Last summer I went through the exercise of testing the CRV, Xterra, and Grand Vitara. Purchased the Grand Vitara as a replacement to a 1995 Jimmy. It corners better than either the CRV or the Jimmy, gives me complete control of the 4WD like the Jimmy, and climbs hills at any speed over 35 mph without downshifting. Mileage is around 22 miles per gallon in mixed highway, rush hour, and city driving at 5850 miles.
Vehicle has handled all road conditions without any problem and it is possible to load a fair amount of cargo with some planning. Removing the cargo area cover does help and the cover is not that difficult to remove or replace. But I admit the cargo area is smaller than the Jimmy, CRV, or Xterra, all of which are about the same.
For me the Xterra looked the best but the 4WD design is awful because you cannot shift out of 4WD without backing up 10 feet and you cannot shift into 4WD high over 25 miles per hour. In a heavy rain storm or on a highway where part of the road as been dried by the sun and other parts are full of snow, I want to shift back and forth between 2WD and 4WD and the only vehicle in this group that can competently do that is the GV.
Problem Edmunds and everyone else has is that there are many small variations on the theme being played out in the mini-SUV market and it is impossible to group them together. The Santa Fe will confuse this further when it blends a six cylinder like the Grand Vitara with the part-time All Wheel Drive system of the CRV.
As far as I am concerned, there is no wrong vehicle in this category. I had an 1990 All Wheel Drive Honda Civic wagon before I got the Jimmy and it ran for 105,000 miles without any parts being replaced. The CRV is based on the same drive train design and it sits on the Civic frame. But the CRV is too big for the suspension and tires (205 should have been 225) and it is very easy to kick the rear around. Normally FWD can pull the rear of the car back in line but here the mass is much more than the Civic and getting things in line was not easy until the AWD kicked in.
Other problem I had was the CRV was 22 feet long when the rear door was opened to load cargo and finding a parking spot in New York City or a local mall that would easily handle that was out of the question. The Grand Vitara is only 18 feet long with the rear door open and the height of the door is such that it easily clears the hood of the car parked behind you.
All in all, I recommend taking a close look at the Grand Vitara. If you are comfortable with the seats and other features, don't let the cargo area be the only turn-off. I got a trailer hitch and have already towed a single axle trailer with no problem. And when I really need space, I will rent a van or Explorer, accept the lower mileage and drivability during the rental, and then happily return to my GV.
by the way, there are still something to complain about. 1)who is this stupid idea that only have black and white color for the limited? 2)for an engine that provide only 155hp should have a better mileage. 3)rear seats rooms truly small.
hope suzuki can improve them later. will follow up if i got problems on the lovely new car.
The GV takes corners on the hills around here at 40 miles per hour and never tries to steer off the road. That is 10 miles an hour faster than the Jimmy or the Honda would. And it has the 4WD flexibility of the Jimmy, something the Honda AWD system does not offer.
Only thing I don't like are the tires, which made a lot of noise at 26 psi. Solution -- inflate to 32 psi. Dealer supported 32 psi and put it in writing that using it will not void 40,000 mile free tire replacement warranty included with purchase for the tires. Replacement is prorated after that. I can live with low noise until then.
If anybody is in in Toronto, see Augustine, General Sales Manager or Anil, Service Manager at Trento Motors on Steeles Avenue.
You will kill the Hakka's if you drive them from the spring on. The compound is not designed for temps higher than 9 Celsius (Got this from my tire dealer). All snows will get destroyed if driven over the summer so it's a complete waste of $$$'s.
I bought Toyo GP-4's and they stick, but won't waste the money driving them any later than I have to.
I agree the Bridgestones SUCK. I'm switch to the Toyo Transpath in the spring. More aggressive tread and should wear better. I have 13,000 km's and wore the tread on the OEM's down 30%.
Arn
Sohaib
Sohaib
the bridgestone tires do SUCK.... THANKS to others in here, i corrected vibration problem by inflating all tires to 41 p.s.i.
1) Arm rest
2) Rear Spoiler
3) Fog lamp set
4) Splash guards (front & rear)
5) Skid plate
6) Full front mask
7) DeLuxe front mats
8) Rear cargo tray
9) Convenience net
Also, I'm interested in [personal] opinions
on the "Planet Gold" color...
I hope someone can provide the other costs, and/or a web site that lists the prices for the toys so I can plan ahead.
As for Planet Gold, that's the color of my GV. When I first test drove the vehicle, as soon as we got out of it I told the salesman "nice car but I gotta tell you that color's not for me". It being the next to the last day of the millenium, the manager asked if I could be color blind if they lowered the cost . I ended up taking it because of the other things they threw in, such as the extended warranty and taxes. I'll tell you, the color has grown on me. For one thing, it's different. It seems like every other SUV in the hospital parking lot is black or red or silver, and mine is unique. Plus it changes depending on the time of day and type of lighting. Sometimes it's gold, sometimes it's almost pale green and at night it's more of a creamy color. It's a different enough color that people comment on it, and I'm happy with it.
Lee
a local dealer, bell suzuki in newton, nj is offering the above. is this a good price? can i assume the same vehicle in a 5spd is $1000 less? if so, that seems to be an incredible deal no? please respond.
tom
its official. the above 1999 gv jlx auto is new and can be had for $17000. since the auto is a $1000 option, i can get a 5spd for $16000. oh this is so tempting. i am currently driving a 97 soob outback sport (great car) but i want to step up to an suv. outside of the kia sportage, i dont think there is anything in this price range. would i be stupid to pass this up? do i need an extended warranty? i hesitate to act on this because it is a suzuki not a soob.
tom
Also, does anyone know if in other (than the US)countries is there a sunroof available?
Re: sunroof - it seems the auto dealers have no qualms about cutting up a brand new car. My trusted auto mechanics and other "regular people" are much more cautious.
Again, I appreciate the knowledgeable submissions here . . .
http://autoshow2000.carpoint.msn.com/autoshow2000/article_30.asp
Ford is joining the mini-ute market too with the Escape
http://autoshow2000.carpoint.msn.com/autoshow2000/article_44.asp
The manufacturer was WEBASCO which some auto manufacturers use as OEM for factory installed
sunroofs. I am very satisfied and have had no problems in three yrs
interested in sun roof in
the GV, I had heard of
someone getting a sun roof
in their GV and the washer
hoses that go to the back
window had been
severed during installation. Just wondering if
anyone else has had
anything like this or
leaks etc....
Also noticed some rattling/vibration in the dash are (quite noticeable) when vehicle goes over rough road. Anyone with the same problem?
Grand Vitara owners. You are welcome to subscribe.
Only you can do is just send an email to
suzukigrandvitara-subscribe@egroups.com with blank
subject and message and then you are automatcilly
subscribed. You can click www.egroups.com and
see for yourself.
Good Luck and enjoy the new mailing
list.
You would think, working for a GM dealer you might get a few answers. Not. Evidently Suzuki and
Chevrolet are very tight lipped about this one. I have made direct contact with Chevrolet technical on this matter myself three times. Was told first that they were not having complaints of this nature. Second, they had a new design engine control module to correct problem, not true. Third, yes that they were beginning to receive complaints but not enough to warrant an investigation. No fix planned at this time. Hope you have better luck getting yours fixed. If anyone out there has had a succesful repair or buy
back i would like to know
Yesterday was the first day I needed to use the 4WD on my GV all day (in and out) as I helped with various emergencies in northern NJ. Didn't have any problem after the first two or three shifts into 4WD. It does take some force and the lever has to be almost perfectly upright. I did notice that the 4WD indicator light comes on BEFORE the system engages at times, but other than keeping the front wheels pretty straight, it shifted fine yesterday and continued to do so today.
By the way, with all the awards Xterra is racking up, it's nice to know that Carguide Mag. has chosen GV as its 2000 Best Buy Award. Suzuki ran a cute ad in the papers showing GV with a bandage on its side molding with a capture, "We didn't just win the Carguide Magazine 2000 Best Buy Award. .....
WE SURVIVED IT.
(Xterra by the way was not included for the following reason;
"Once again, you have an opportunity to take part in the seventh annual Carguide Best Buys – the most realistic automotive awards program on this planet. Most of the award programs focus on the new model entries – in some cases even before the vehicles have turned a wheel! Making that kind of prediction can be a bit embarrassing.
The editors at Carguide have used their collective wisdom to identify a short list of vehicles in 12 different categories. These are vehicles which we believe represent excellent value for the money and where the "new" has worn off sufficiently to indicate their true qualities. As before, we have included last year’s winners among the candidates for each category. This will indicate which of our "Best Buys" have staying power."
Toronto, eh? It's not much warmer here in northern NJ. We have around eight to twelve inches of the stuff on the ground and I have not had any problems as long as snow was on the ground. However, going up hill in slush gets interesting sometimes and that's when I need to doublecheck that the 4WD lever is indeed upright. I also find that sometimes it is difficult to shift once or twice when the car is first started (was this morning with temperature at 8 degrees F. But after about ten minutes, the car was relatively warm and the shifter worked fine. I still don't like the OEM tires but found that keeping them between 34 and 36psi improves traction. And I intend to keep the tires at least until winter 2001.
Howard
gone2sea@worldnet.att.net
If the GV has 4WD, it is either a JLX or a JLX+. The latter has the best ABS brakes I have ever used on a 4WD vehicle and for that alone, I think the offer is reasonable if the model is a JLX+ AND the dealer will include an extension to the base 36,000 mile 36 month warranty. That would be the negotiation item I would target. If the dealer does not offer a warranty extension, than the price is high because used car values are based on 12,000 miles/year and at 22,000 miles, you are almost done with the second year of mileage depreciation. A JLX+ was around $20K new, so I think $14K or less is more reasonable. Also, is he accepting your trade is part of the payment. If yes, check the trade value at the Edmunds site and Kelly Bluebook site.
In theory you can do better selling a vehicle yourself. But you also have the hassle of doing so. Personally I always trade at dealer so I only have to insure, garage, and keep an eye on one car at a time. Look at the blue book values, factor in options you have as well as mileage adjustment and see how close dealer comes to your number. I traded in a 1995 Jimmy for the GV. It had 84,000 miles on it and the blue book value was between $8,000 and $9,000 depending on your definition of fair versus good condition. The dealer valued it at $8,500 and that was fine.
I left off a comment about the extended warranty. Although internet warranties are available, I got a 100,000 mile 6 year bumper to bumper warranty (everything except brake pads and other routine items) for $1400. This will give you a number to work with when discussing the warranty. Also, are there any options on the vehicle such as foglights, center armrest, mudflaps, etc.?
Turned out that CM offered me less than I eventually got as trade in, although who can tell with trade in prices.
Also FWIW, my dealer told me that they sold the extended warranties for $1200 (or something similar) but offered it to me for half. I ended up getting it thrown in for free. Supposedly you can get the extended warranty any time while the original one is still in effect but it costs more doing it after the fact. BTW, there are some who claim you're better off not getting the warranty, but after having to have my transmission replaced in my last vehicle (fortunately under the original powertrain warranty, otherwise it would have been serveral thousand dollars!) I decided it was worth getting (and of course getting it for free made it even better ).
Lee - 1000 miles already!
speeds as indicated. I know of several others in town with same condition.