Driving Sports

There’s a clear leader emerging in the sub-$16,000 economy car market. The Suzuki SX4 Sport sedan is far and away the most fun car in the segment, and also boasts some of the best features. Suzuki is doing everything they can to raise awareness of this model, and I’m happy to help them out.

The SX4 Sport is a different flavor of car from the SX4 “Crossover” hatchback. The main difference is that the hatch features all wheel drive. But the Sport sedan features the same spunky 2-liter engine, sporty 5-speed transmission, and great handling. Plus, the sedan starts at $13,994, and you can get one well-outfitted for under $16,000. The car I tested booked out at $15,834.

The big claim to fame on the SX4, besides the AWD in the wagon, is that it’s the only car in the segment that will deliver a standard GPS navigation system.  Suzuki has really scored a home run with a new idea: instead of building in a $2,000 in-dash GPS integrated with the stereo, they simply made a receptacle for a standard Garmin handheld unit that retails for about $300. The GPS unit is integrated with the stock stereo, so it will give you traffic reports and route guidance through the stereo - hushing your tunes just long enough to make the announcements.

Yes, you read right - you can subscribe to real-time traffic reports, weather, news, gas station finder (sorted by gas price) and it can receive text messages through MSN direct. To top it off, the Garmin has Bluetooth, so you can pair it with your cell phone for hands-free use, as required by law in many states and cities.

In the week I had the Suzuki, I really came to like the no-nonsense functionality of the Garmin unit. And the cherry on top of this sundae is that you can unclip the Garmin from the dash and take it with you on battery power - a major benefit when you’re exploring a new city or neighborhood on foot!

But the GPS isn’t worth much if the car doesn’t measure up - so let’s talk about the car. The SX4 interior is functional and comfortable, and there’s lots of headroom. Suzuki sells a lot of these cars in India, and the cars are designed to work with the tall headwear common to the region – but it works just as well for tall Americans. Air, cruise control, and a nice stereo are all part of the basic package. There’s room for four adults to ride in comfort, and the SX4 is gifted with a cavernous trunk.

The 2.0-liter engine delivers 143 horsepower and 136 pound-feet of torque on regular unleaded gas. You’re never going to feel like you’re in an underpowered crackerbox with the SX4. The car feels solid and substantial, unlike many of its segment competitors. The SX4 is also sure on its feet and fun to drive. I took the car on a long morning’s loop up into the mountains and drove it briskly in the rain. The car has no bad habits and in fact understeer was noticeably less than most cars. A stray dog gave me a moment’s fright, but the SX4 responds well to emergency avoidance maneuvers, even on a wet road.

The SX4 has standard 4-wheel disc brakes - which is nice in any segment and superb in a low-price car. You can also get the car equipped with traction control, anti-lock brakes, tire pressure monitoring and of course lots of airbags. And the LATCH system for child safety seats.

Suzuki says the manual transmission version of the car gets 22/30 MPG, and that matches my experience. I got an aggregate 27.5 MPG in combination driving for a week, and I’m not by any means easy on the gas pedal. Someone who was trying to save fuel could easily top 30 MPG on a regular basis.

The bottom line on the SX4 is this - before you go running after the lowest sticker price in the segment, consider the value of actually enjoying the car you’re going to own. Being thrifty doesn’t mean you have to be miserable, and you’re likely to hold on to an economy car a lot longer if you enjoy the ownership experience. You owe it to yourself to check out the Suzuki SX4.