Description Of The Car

2006 Suzuki Forenza Reviews Specs

The Forenza is Suzuki’s compact sedan, designed to offer value-conscious shoppers a high level of standard features, an excellent warranty, and more passenger room than competitors, including the Honda Civic or the Toyota Corolla.





Nice Looking car w/loads of standard & safety features. Very roomy inside & nice trunk space. Great warranty & Roadside Assistance!! (Good thing because youre gonna need them!!).


News

Tipsters say Forenza will get a freshening for 2007, which likely means a few styling changes and perhaps a new feature or two. We should be learning more soon, so keep checking back with us. Meantime, Suzuki says the subcompact Swift hatchback will return to the U.S. market in 2010, the same year the company promises a hybrid car. The Swift was last sold here in 2002, but has since been redesigned. The coming model will be a next-generation design. A sedan version is the rumored basis for the hybrid.

New for 2006

Suzuki sells three compact cars: Aerio, Forenza, and Reno. Forenza and Reno share engines and chassis. The Forenza comes in 4-dr sedan and wagon form. The Reno comes only as a 4-dr hatchback. Forenzas come in base and Premium trim. The only engine is a 126-hp 4-cyl. Five-speed manual and 4-speed automatic transmissions are available. All have front side airbags. ABS is standard on Premium models and optional on the base Forenza. Standard are air conditioning, power windows/locks/heated mirrors, tilt steering wheel, and 15-inch wheels. A sunroof is a stand-alone option.

Interior Design and Special Features

To liven things up a bit, designers used plenty of metallic accents throughout the cabin and an attractive set of gauges. Several features not normally found on a car in this price range include cabin air filtration and an eight-speaker, 140-watt stereo with steering wheel-mounted audio controls. The driver seat offers two-way seat-bottom tilt, and most people will be able to find a comfortable driving position. A padded center armrest provides a comfortable place to rest an elbow on long trips. In the backseat, theres plenty of legroom for adults. The rear seat offers a 60/40-split-folding arrangement and sedan trunk capacity comes in at 12.4 cubic feet. The Forenza wagon offers 24.4 cubic feet (61.8 cubic feet with the rear seat folded).

Safety

Front-seat side airbags and four-wheel disc brakes are standard, and ABS with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution is optional. In frontal-impact crash tests, the Suzuki Forenza earned four stars (out of five) from NHTSA, and an "Acceptable" rating from the IIHS for frontal-offset safety. In IIHS side-impact tests, it earned a rating of "Poor."

Powertrains and Performance

The Suzuki Forenza comes with only one engine -- a 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder making 127 horsepower and 131 pound-feet of torque. A five-speed manual transmission is standard and a four-speed automatic is optional. Fuel economy is below average, rating just 23 mpg city, 30 mpg highway with the manual and 22/31 with the automatic.

Body Styles, Trim Levels and Options


The Suzuki Forenza is available as a four-door sedan or a four-door wagon in one basic trim level. Standard features include body-color bumpers and door handles, four-wheel disc brakes, a height-adjustable driver seat, a padded center armrest, air conditioning, an eight-speaker stereo with a CD player, steering wheel audio controls and power windows, mirrors and locks. A Premium package available on both body styles adds alloy wheels, foglights, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, cruise control and a remote keyless entry system.

Driving Impressions

When equipped with the manual gearbox, the Forenza has little difficulty keeping up in traffic. However, when the Suzuki car is saddled with the automatic transmission, acceleration is weak and highway maneuvers take planning. Compared with other economy cars, the 2006 Suzuki Forenza also comes up short in ride quality. It strives for comfort with its soft suspension, but theres too much movement over bumps and ruts. Handling around corners is sloppy as well, as the suspension allows too much body roll, while cheap tires offer little grip. On the positive side, the Forenzas four-wheel disc brakes provide short stopping distances (although pedal feel and stability are unimpressive).

Ratings Snapshot
2006 Suzuki Forenza Sedan S 2.0 MT

Highs: Turning circle, audio controls on the steering wheel, fit and finish.

Lows: Handling, ride, noise, ABS may be hard to find, IIHS side-crash test.

This small sedan made by Daewoo is called the Chevrolet Optra in Canada. It has a tempting low price but is not competitive in its class. The 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine delivers fairly slow acceleration and unimpressive fuel economy. The automatic transmission is OK, but the manual is stiff and vague. The car corners reluctantly and does not inspire confidence when pushed to its limits. The ride is stiff and not well controlled. Interior fit and finish is relatively good, and the rear seat is roomy enough. We found it hard to find a Forenza with ABS. The Reno is the hatchback version, and a wagon is available. The Forenza received a Poor rating in the IIHS side-crash test.

Overall Review

It is a deal for the price and depends on what you use it for, itd be great for everyday use and/or traveling around, like a family car.

MSRP Price Range $13,699 - $14,999
Invoice Price Range $13,151 - $14,399