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Posted September, 2006

Road Test: 2007 Suzuki Aerio SX

By Kevin S. Lowery

I Shot an Aerio into the Air. Okay, not really. It just sounded good. Besides, I’m fresh out of catapults. Still, it is possible considering I’ve seen four college guys flip a Beetle upside down as a frat prank. But I digress…

The Suzuki Aerio sedan and wagon debuted in 2002. It’s a low-end vehicle for the cost-conscious who want a decent amount of options while keeping the base price within their budget. Problem is, the Aerio came about at a time when the market segment was rather competitive and the Aerio, with no name recognition, had to compete with the Honda Civic, Ford Focus and Toyota Corolla. Even amenities like an extra-roomy cabin and optional all-wheel drive hasn’t helped it edge out of the doldrums. Yet, there’s hope; at least they’re not losing market share — like GM’s domestic vehicles.

Perhaps the problem with the Aerio is the exterior. Though I could complain about the design, which was meant to be aerodynamic but came off stubby, squished. I realize that the beauty of design is in the eye of the beholder. A jaundiced eye, perhaps? Suzuki had originally planned the new Aerio to be distinctive and therefore appealing to youthful customers. (At last, a good reason to be over thirty! Okay, forty.) The wagon offers young adults plenty of space to haul their gear around, which is important since this is a very mobile time in their lives.

The Aerio’s exterior is higher than most vehicles in this class. Three to four inches, in fact. This, however, throws the proportions of the design off enough that it gives the vehicle that stubby, squished look I mentioned before. And because the roofline needed extra vertical supports in both the front and back windows, this interfered with rear and side vision. I’d rather have a sleek-looking car and unobstructed views instead of excessive head clearance.

If, on the other hand, you have a family you will love the Aerio. Why? It has a surprising amount of room: 14.6 cubic feet of trunk space (21 cubic feet for wagons with the rear seats up and 63.7 when folded). Suzuki built in generous amounts of legroom in both front and back seats that out-class most of its competitors. Furthermore, for those picnics or day trips, you’ll find the cargo space becomes convenient and practical because it has been designed to exceed other manufacturer’s specifications.

One of the reasons for the Aerio’s average performance is in the engine. Most manufacturers have a few different size engines as an option for their compact-sized cars but Suzuki offers just one. It’s a 2.3-liter inline four that generates 155 horsepower and 152 pound-feet of torque. Low-end torque in particular fell far below the minimum that I expected. In other words, don’t try to enter the red light derby; you’ll never make it.

Complimenting the engine is a standard five-speed manual transmission on all front-wheel-drive Aerios. A four-speed automatic is optional. (The optional all-wheel drive is only available with the automatic transmission.) And I’m not convinced that the target market for this vehicle sees that as a desirable feature. But hey, maybe that’s just me, you know, one skid away from the junkyard…

The Aerio uses MacPherson struts all around. Still, they aren’t enough to steady the automobile and prevent body roll and wallowing. It has to do with the exterior design again, that the center of gravity is higher than in most cars. The suspension does little to soften the bumps and prevent the passengers from feeling the variations in the road surface, and it detracted from the sounds I was making of my own inside.

The interior used low-quality plastics, compared to the class leaders in the economy car segment. Last year, Suzuki had a hard-to-read digital instrument panel, but they replaced it with an analog gauge pack while adding a couple of sorely needed storage areas.

The car is offered as a sedan in base trim, and a wagon version in SX trim. Standard features include color-keyed front and rear bumpers; daytime running lights; automatic climate control; a six-speaker stereo with a CD/MP3 player and steering wheel-mounted controls; power windows, locks and mirrors; keyless entry; tilt steering wheel; rear spoiler; and an outside temperature gauge. A premium package is available on both body styles and includes an in-dash CD changer with seven speakers, heated mirrors and cruise control.

Side airbags and four-wheel antilock brakes are standard on all Aerios. In crash tests conducted by the NHTSA, the Suzuki Aerio earned four stars (out of five) for its protection of the driver in frontal impacts, and three stars for front-passenger protection. NHTSA side-impact tests on an Aerio without side airbags returned a perfect five-star rating for the front seat, and four stars for the back. In frontal-offset crash testing conducted by the IIHS, the Aerio earned a "Good" rating, the highest possible. In IIHS side-impact testing, an Aerio with side airbags earned a "Poor" rating, the lowest.

We drove the Aerio SX AWD with the Premium Package. The EPA rates the fuel economy at 24mpg/city and 30mpg/highway. We were surprised at the poor mileage for a car in this class. Base price is $16,999.

The Aerio isn’t going to satisfy you much if you’re looking for a thrill ride, but it will get you from point A to point Z and hit every one in between. So if you’re looking for a first-time car for a college student, a second car or you’re trying not to overburden your budget then you owe it to yourself to test drive the Aerio. R&D