Forenza Wagon loaded with value
This week, we’re driving Suzuki’s value-packed 2006 Forenza Wagon with Premium Package. Notable is Forenza’s “out the door” price of just $16,599, which includes loads of equipment, no destination charge and 21 city and 30 highway EPA numbers.
Although the Suzuki name is respected worldwide for its legendary Japanese motorcycles, the company’s automobile is somewhat an irony. The engine comes from Australia, the final assembly point is Korea and some production parts originate in the United Sates and Canada. Add clean European styling by the world famous Pininfarina Design Studio and the company’s stateside corporate offices in Brea, Calif., and this car truly spans the globe for its final aesthetic statement!
Consumers may be surprised to learn that even with its low price, Forenza Premium is loaded with equipment that usually costs extra in competing models. There are 4-wheel ABS disc brakes, automatic transmission, air, multi-airbag safety, cruise, all the powers, remote keyless entry, fog lamps, heated mirrors, CD Stereo system with eight speakers, tilt wheel with radio controls, and a novel driver’s seat height adjuster with excellent manually operated lumbar settings.
For 2006, Forenza receives tweaked styling with a new front fascia and Suzuki “family” grille. The wagons all sport standard silver roof rails that complement a smooth roofline, and the lift gate is easy to operate especially when loading bulky or long items.
Under the hood sits a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine that drives the front wheels. The engine produces 127 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and offers 131 foot-pounds of torque at 4,000 rpm. We’ll admit it moves out fairly well, but fear when fully loaded it may labor a bit. The electronically controlled four-speed automatic offers a “hold” button that prevents unwanted gear hunting when driving in hilly terrain. We didn’t particularly like the gear shifter, as it took “getting used to” making sure you were in the proper gear.
Our Wagon offered roomy interior dimensions, with 121.6 cubic feet of space available. A 60/40 folding rear seat maximizes cargo to an impressive 24.4 cubic, with 61.8 available with the rear seat folded.
Inside, there’s special noise insulation, metallic silver accents surrounding the classic analog gauges and doors and a distinctively designed instrument panel and center console. Some of the trim in the interior is a little on the “plastic” side, but it’s still nice. The seating is comfortable.
The suspension is the trusty independent MacPherson strut front and dual-link rear setup with dual anti-roll bars and four gas-pressurized shocks. This arrangement makes for competent handling, while helping isolate occupants from road noise, vibration and harshness. Nice 15-inch aluminum wheels and P195/55R15 all-season tires offer both good looks and all-around traction for any situation. On the road, good handling, acceptable acceleration and good gas mileage are highlights.
Forenza designers haven’t forgotten protection, with front and rear crumple zones designed to help dissipate crash energy built in to every Suzuki. In addition, Forenza features an advanced dual-stage front airbag supplemental restraint system (SRS), progressive weight-sensing front passenger airbag SRS activation and driver and front passenger seat-mounted side-impact airbags SRS. This is very impressive for the price.
And speaking of price, retail begins at only $13,699 for the sedan and $14,399 for the lesser-equipped wagon. Important numbers include a wheelbase of 102.4-inches, 14.5-gallon fuel tank, and 2,893-pound curb weight.
Overall, there’s not much to complain about when it comes to the effort Suzuki is making with its automobiles. We give Forenza Wagon Premium a solid 8 on a scale of one to 10. It’s worth a serious look.
Likes: Love the manual lumbar settings, good looks, great value for money spent, 100,000-mile warranty.
Dislikes: Gear shifter takes getting used to, available horsepower, engine just a tad noisy.