- 160,680
- 1,584 below average
- 1,450 great
- Houston, TX
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- autoshopper.com
- 1,584 below average 160,680 black automatic
The suzuki forenza wagon and reno are new to suzuki's forenza family for the 2005 model year. Both are based on the forenza sedan, which was introduced as an all-new model for 2004. The underpinnings of the three body styles are mechanically identical. The major difference among them is exterior styling and a few trim choices. from the standpoint of stuff for the money, the forenza family of cars does well. They are well equipped even at the base trim level, and retail for less than most of their competitors. the reno is the fun member of the family. The forenza wagon's most compelling feature is just that: it's a wagon. Larger than the chevy aveo and kia rio, it costs significantly less than comparably sized wagons such as the ford focus zxw or the toyota matrix. The forenza sedan is designed to offer a strong value in a sea of value-priced compact sedans, no easy job. It does this by providing side-impact airbags as standard equipment; they're extra-cost options on the 2005 honda civic, toyota corolla and ford focus. General motors benefits by keeping its daewoo plant active, and suzuki gets a full line of cars to draw more people into its dealerships. the cars resulting from this complex genealogy are not ground breaking; few cars in this segment ever are. Breaking ground costs money, after all, so breaking ground is a job usually done by more expensive vehicles. However, these cars are strong on features, have warranties, and are good values for the money, even if they are short on pizzazz. lineupsuzuki forenza and reno models are available in three trim levels: s, lx and ex. Forenza sedan and reno hatchback are the same price, while the forenza wagon adds $500. reno s 13,499), forenza s 13,499) and forenza wagon s 13,949) come standard with air conditioning, cloth upholstery, am/fm/cd/cassette with six speakers, steering wheel-mounted audio controls, power windows, power door locks, heated power mirrors, 60/40 split folding rear seats, intermittent wipers and other features. Also standard are details such as a trunk light, seatback pockets, and remote releases for the trunk and fuel filler door. The reno's stereo also supports mp3 playback. forenza and reno lx 15,349) and the forenza wagon lx 15,849) add remote keyless entry, cruise control, fog lamps, a power sunroof, 15-inch alloy wheels, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob. forenza and reno ex 16,949) and the wagon 17,449) come with leather upholstery and the automatic. safety features include side-impact airbags as standard equipment along with the mandated dual front airbags. We recommend getting the optional anti-lock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution 500), which are available for lx and ex models. The latch system of lower anchors and top tethers for child seats comes standard along with rear-door child safety locks. Safety sells, and these suzukis are long on it for this class. walkaroundthe biggest distinction between the suzuki forenza and reno models is the exterior styling. the forenza sedan and wagon boast clean lines when viewed from the side, and the jeweled taillights are a nice touch from the rear. The front, however, features a three-element grille, with a center section surrounded by body-colored plastic. Dead center is a texas belt-buckle sized suzuki 's.' it's not the most flattering angle of the car, and it reminds us of mitsubishi's similarly peculiar nose treatment. In addition, the 15-inch wheels look a little lost in the bodywork, especially in the back. Penned by italy's italdesign studios, the reno's smooth shape is its best asset. Sleek headlights sweep into the body work, the fenders are nicely arched, and a strong character line runs along the top of the fender, over the doors, and to the tail. The arched wheel wells give the same 15-inch wheels a little added dimension, so they don't look as tiny here. It's one of the nicer five-door hatchbacks on the road, better than suzuki's own aerio and several others. fit and finish on these cars is good, but not class leading. Still, we couldn't find any assembly problems or anything that pointed to a slapdash effort on the part of the korean builders. Word is that suzuki's engineers taught daewoo a little something about fit and finish, and the lessons seem to have taken hold. Silver is a tough color to get right, but the reno's paint job was without blotches or other cheap-looking touches. The only quirk, and we've noticed this in all the korean-built suzuki models, were doors that required a strong effort to slam. The dash is trimmed in black and metallic-look plastic, and it's a harmonious and integrated design that eschews gimmickry for common sense. The stereo in both cars sounded only mediocre, but both had clear controls and were easy to figure out. the front seats were comfortable, with adjustments for fore, aft, and height. Still, this is a compact, so the back seats are tight. Although five belts are available, we recommend squeezing three people in the back only if they still want cookies and milk before naptime. All forenza and reno models share the same 102. 4-inch wheelbase, the norm for the class. But the forenza wagon is 10 inches longer overall, so it's able to carry more stuff. With the seats up, the forenza wagon can swallow more than 24 cubic feet of cargo, while the reno manages just under 9 cubic feet, less than the sedan. Fold down the seats, however, and the reno really opens up with 45. 4 cubic feet of cargo space compared with 61 cubic feet in the wagon. Neither car's rear seats fold completely flat, but they're good enough for temporary storage. The reno and forenza share the same platform, including suspension, engine and transmission. It's not particularly powerful nor is it particularly fuel efficient.
1,450 Houston, TXHouston, TX at autoshopper.com