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2006 Suzuki Aerio Compact Economy Sedan and Wagon
Suzuki Aerio affordable, unrefined
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New Car Review of the 2006 Suzuki Aerio Compact Economy Sedan and Wagon
Base MSRP Range: $13,999 - $16,999
Base Invoice Range: $13,439 - $16,319
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MSRP As Tested: $15,079
Versions: Base, SX
Vehicle Category: Compact Economy Sedan and Wagon
Engine Location: Front Engine
Drive Wheels: Front-Wheel Drive,All-Wheel Drive.
Standard Engine: 2.3-liter, Dual Overhead Cam, 16-valves, I-4, 155 -horsepower at 5400 rpm and 152 lb-ft torque at 3000 rpm.
Fuel Economy (city/hwy): 25/31.
Transmission: Four-speed automatic, Five-speed manual.
Standard Safety Features: Dual front airbags, Front side airbags, Antilock 4-wheel disc brakes, Daytime running lights, Emergency inside trunk release.
Competition: Ford Focus, Honda Civic, Mazda 3, Toyota Matrix.
My wife drives a 10-year-old Nissan Altima that still has the original shocks, and they're starting to make a wretched, squeaky, squishing sound every time you hit a bump.
You'll be driving along, minding your own business, when you hit a speedbump and hear the old shocks squeal like they ran into a mugger in a dark alley -- "CREECH!" -- before they gain their composure and drive silently along, like nothing ever happened.
It's time for new shocks.
Why am I mentioning this lapse in maintenance? Because the 2006 Suzuki Aerio I tested came with shocks that sounded exactly the same. That's not a good sign.
Granted, this Aerio was a member of Suzuki's press fleet and had seen more than 7,000 hard, auto-journalist miles in which we wannabe race drivers flogged it as hard as we could to test its limits. After that, you'd expect it to have a lot more wear and tear than the Buick your grandma uses to drive to church once a week.
Still, it's not encouraging to have a new car with 7,000 miles that sounds precisely like a decade-old car with 70,000 on the odometer.
It lacks refinement in other areas, too, like the cheap-feeling, clunky plastics that cover the dash and poor handling with too much body roll.
The only question is whether you'd rather have cash in the bank or a more refined car, because the Aerio is a darn good buy. It starts around $14,000 for the sedan and $14,500 for the SUV-like SX version.
Both body styles offer a lot of space for the money, with a front seat that's almost as roomy as a mid-size family car and a back seat that's perfectly livable. It's more comfortable than most cars in its price range.
While the Aerio sedan looks like a dull, run-of-the-mill family car, the SX seems to have a totally different personality. It looks spunky, youthful and very Japanese with a body that's shaped like a shrunken minivan, and I heard more compliments about its looks than I usually do about an inexpensive economy car.
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