Drove an Suziki SX4 saturday.

[Mongo]

I must say its a very nice car. They only had a 4AT on
the lot so it was a little dog-ish but not too bad.
I think I am going to buy a 5MT sport in the near future,
its a great deal for the money although the mileage is
not the best.

[FitSport]

Intresting concept for Suzuki. Havent had a chance to look at one yet... In the end it still has the stigma of being a "Suzuki"...

[zonianjohn]

Looks good, wheres the turbo?
Still not a Fit!
http://www.suzukiauto.com/sr_07/sx4/

[firstshadow]

wow is that another suzuki suv? LoL its not even close to the suzuki aerio sx

[Mongo]

Well i drove a 5sp yesterday. Its not bad but not as sporty as the fit.
the interior and features seem better though. Handling seems on par
but still not that light tossable feeling.

[jacksan1]

I drove one too, and I was impressed with the build quality of SX4. Suzuki has really picked up on how to build a "substantial" car.

[dacalac]

I think it has the potential to be a Fit killer.

[jacksan1]

Originally Posted by dacalac

I think it has the potential to be a Fit killer.

I don't think so. These two cars are not in the same segment. SX4 is a small crossover. It is a nice car, but has neither the fuel efficiency nor utility of the Fit, nor has Suzuki intended to give such things to SX4. Suzuki has another car in Japan and Europe called the Swift, and that is the one that at least partially competes with the Fit.

[jsmonet]

Originally Posted by jacksan1

I don't think so. These two cars are not in the same segment. SX4 is a small crossover. It is a nice car, but has neither the fuel efficiency nor utility of the Fit, nor has Suzuki intended to give such things to SX4. Suzuki has another car in Japan and Europe called the Swift, and that is the one that at least partially competes with the Fit.

true, but people will, and do cross-shop them. perhaps not a fit killer, but it seems like it will end up taking more than a few sales from honda unless they pull their heads out and stop trickling fits here. the markup on fits is just unreal and because of how i've been treated, consistently, by honda dealerships, i'm seriously considering the sx4. the fit is the best car for the money, until you factor in dealing with dealerships that think fits are more precious than ferrari 360's.

[jacksan1]

Originally Posted by jsmonet

true, but people will, and do cross-shop them. perhaps not a fit killer, but it seems like it will end up taking more than a few sales from honda unless they pull their heads out and stop trickling fits here. the markup on fits is just unreal and because of how i've been treated, consistently, by honda dealerships, i'm seriously considering the sx4. the fit is the best car for the money, until you factor in dealing with dealerships that think fits are more precious than ferrari 360's.

You do have a very good point about people who otherwise would get a Fit going to different cars due to the unavailability issue. That is definitely happening. In my area, dealerships are now saying the wait for a Fit (AT) is six months. For a manual, typically it is one day less than eternity. And there is no obligation for prospective shoppers to stay in the same segment as the Fit, either.

In a place like Japan where you can walk in and get a Fit (and with a good discount too!), people who think of getting themselves a Fit don't think about the SX4 and vice versa. But I do acknowledge that such is not the ballgame in the U.S. right now with the Fit. A lot of cars compete well with another car that you cannot find to buy.

[SThiegs]

I'm also interested in the Suzuki SX4. I drove an Aero last year and afterwards decided to set my sights on a Honda Fit. Because of the wait and the mark up, I've decided to wait until there are some used ones for sale- if there will ever be used ones for sale...

Now I'm looking at the SX4 and thinking that the AWD would be a nice option to have since we're thinking about starting a family in the next year. We don't see much snow here in central Ohio so I'm not sure that option is worth the purchase... any thoughts?

*Side note- While waiting for the Fit, we decided to trade in my VW Cabrio (it was on its very last leg) for an Element and we L-O-V-E it.

[jacksan1]

Originally Posted by SThiegs

I'm also interested in the Suzuki SX4. I drove an Aero last year and afterwards decided to set my sights on a Honda Fit. Because of the wait and the mark up, I've decided to wait until there are some used ones for sale- if there will ever be used ones for sale...

Now I'm looking at the SX4 and thinking that the AWD would be a nice option to have since we're thinking about starting a family in the next year. We don't see much snow here in central Ohio so I'm not sure that option is worth the purchase... any thoughts?

*Side note- While waiting for the Fit, we decided to trade in my VW Cabrio (it was on its very last leg) for an Element and we L-O-V-E it.

SX4 is a nice car, but I would not put it in the category of economy cars (if that is what you are doing) simply because its mileage is not good enough. But I may consider it in a few years when our 2001 Subaru Forester reaches the point of being replaced. If I compare it with this class of vehicles, SX4 looks to be a viable option. And the 4WD system of SX4 is a serious kind, with its three-mode setup.

But if you do not need a 4WD but are looking at cars with good economy and space utility, SX4 may be a questionable pick. That's my opinion, of course.

[mkaresh]

I'd like to drive one of these, but the two Suzuki dealers that used to be nearby have disappeared. It's hard to sell cars when there aren't many dealers.