Car Review - Suzuki Vehicles Are Winners

I rent a car every time I go out of town for a book signing, and October 2006 was no different. But this time I went with a bigger crew so a truck ended up being rented. When I saw the silver Suzuki Grand Vitara in the parking lot, my head leaned sideways to take in the view. The big "S" on the front of the truck caught my attention first. I saw the volume control and radio control buttons on the steering wheel, the comfortable leather seats, and the adjustable steering wheel. Even the cup holders were cute. But once I got past the vanity of this beautiful truck, I put it in drive and knew I was going to have to have one. When people think of SUVs, they assume that they are gas guzzlers but I only had to fill up twice through the 8-hour ride from Jefferson City, Missouri to Chicago, Illinois and returned the car without having to fill it up again. It rides smoothly up and down the hills of the capital of Missouri and took on the catastrophic Dan Ryan expressway and road bumps of Chicago just as well. I'd never heard of this vehicle until the rental day, but found out later that they are more popular as motorcyles and pianos.

The next time I saw Suzukis was at the 2007 Chicago Auto Show in February. I saw all kinds of cars from Mercedes to Jaguars to Audis and Chevrolets. But I camped out by the new maroon Suzuki XL7. As soon as I sat on the driver's side, after taking a billion pictures, once again, I kept thinking "I have to get one of these vehicles." I signed up for a sweepstake to win a Suzuki, got an offer to test drive one and get a $50 gas card, and went to the nearest dealership. I told my mother that I was just going to test drive a car or truck, get the postcard stamped, leave, and give her the Suzuki gas card when it was mailed to me. She knew better. I left with a Fusion red Suzuki Forenza and didn't look back. The car salesman had to know I was the easiest sale he had all day. I saw the Ss on the steering wheel, the wheels, and the front of the car again, and as much as I love seeing anything with my initial on it, the deal and the car features was what got me.

Suzuki Forenzas have a fully transferable, zero-dollar deductible 100,000 mile, 7-year powertrain warranty on any vehicle sold after August 1, 2002. Roadside Assistance is 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for tire changes, jumpstarts, lockout services, mechanical repairs, and tow service to any Suzuki dealership. Dual-size front and side passenger airbags, height adjustable 3-point driver, rear door child safety locks, daytime running lights, tire pressure monitoring system, heated outside mirrors, front and rear side impact door beams, and an all-wheel drive system make me feel much safer while I'm traveling in my Forenza. There's even a convenient 60/40 folding rear seat. The Suzuki Forenza comes equipped with a CD/MP3 player and a medium-sized trunk.

The headrests on the backseats were the only thing took some time to get used to, but I'm sure the backseat passengers like the neck support. If the driver feels uncomfortable, the headrests easily come off. Power windows, air conditioning, and keyless remote entry make this Forenza all the more attractive. I got my gas card a couple of weeks ago and still haven't used up the $50 on it, even though gas prices are ridiculous. The trucks don't run out of gas quickly and the Suzuki cars are even better, running at 31 highway miles and 22 city miles in gas mileage. I still owe my mother a gas card, but she's not holding her breath for it, especially when she sees how wide my grin is every time I drive to my parent's house in my new car. Some folks say there's nothing like your first car. I say the first car is cool, but there's nothing like a Suzuki.