2004 Suzuki Aerio SX Test Drive

Very roomy, very practical, very affordable, and very wierd looking.

The Suzuki Aerio, a spacious "tall car," comes in both sedan and hatchback bodystyles. 2004 Suzuki Aerio prices: US $16,799 as tested. Canada: $23,395. Warranty US: 10 years/100,000 miles. Canada: 5-years/100,000 km.

Heritage

There's a wonderfully amusing moment in the 1984 movie Oxford Blues where a young Rob Lowe, as Nick Di Angelo, attempts to follow his new roommate through a narrow archway. Geordy, the roommate, is driving a Mini, which is ideally suited to the narrow roads of Oxford, while Nick is at the wheel of a 1956 Thunderbird. Geordy's Mini slips through the arch with ease but the much-wider T-Bird comes to a crunching halt, its sides grasped firmly by the centuries-old bricks. What brings this to mind is the 2004 Suzuki Aerio, a car so flat-sided it was designed precisely for such maneuvers, leaving me to wonder whether the engineers at Suzuki have an arch test in their development program. The Aerio will fit neatly into those 1920's back-alley garages or wiggle through traffic like an eel in a greased pipe. Unfortunately the slab sides, combined with the Aerio's height, also make for a rather ungainly looking beast. But that means you can slide into the front or rear seat with no neck-twisting and no visits to the chiropractor.

Coachwork

Being tall, the 2004 Suzuki Aerio also allows you to sit higher than normal, while rear-seat passengers sit higher still, able to see past the headrests of the folks in front. By the way, Suzuki does not want me to call the Aerio a station wagon. Suzuki also wishes me to avoid referring to the Aerio as a hatchback, another term currently out of favor, though for no good reason. The problem is that the Aerio is both a 4-door station wagon and a 5-door hatch, a combination that provides a roomy interior plus ample luggage space, and with the 60/40 rear seat folded flat, a handy carrier for long loads. Now what, I ask you, is wrong with that logic?

On the Road

After you've slid into your chair-high seat, check the instrument panel. You will be facing a pair of opposing narrow triangles in shiny black-and-and-white plastic with no dials in view. Until you start the engine. Instantly a digital display lights up with the most prominent read-out being a half-moon tachometer. (I don't know about you, but I like my instruments circular, with needles that follow, not bar graphs rising and falling.) The 4-cylinder engine has more than enough zoom for cut-and-thrust city traffic or twisty mountain passes: with 155 eager horses from just 2.3 liters, Suzuki claims this makes the Aerio the class leader. You might get a touch more performance with the 5-speed manual but the 4-speed automatic in our test car was a good match. Better soundproofing is needed, however. When those horses charge out of the gate under full acceleration, the roar is more like a boom box than distant thunder. Our 2004 Suzuki Aerio was an SX model which came with power doors/windows/mirrors, an in-dash 6-speaker sound system, alloy wheels and more importantly, all-wheel-drive (AWD). It handled well on rain-slicked roads but, sitting up high like a bus driver, I never felt entirely secure in the corners.

Summary

In case you ever do attempt one of those Oxford archways and happen to choose an opening that was never intended for anything wider than a motorcycle with a side car, you'll be pleased to learn that the Aerio Fastback has earned the Highway Safety Institute's "highest crash test rating" and "best pick" awards. The 7-year, 100,000 mile powertrain warranty can be most reassuring, as well (Canadian powertrain warranty is 5-years, 100,000 km). Expect around 30 mpg on average for a 2004 Suzuki Aerio, a little less with the optional all-wheel-drive system. Tall and small on the outside, tall and large on the inside, the hatchback 2004 Suzuki Aerio is a practical and economical family automobile, offering excellent value in its class. Ideally suited to narrow spaces.