Topic: CTC Review: 2009 Suzuki Grand Vitara I4 JLX-L

[carjoe]

Just to throw my 2 cents in, my 2000 Chevy Tracker (rebadged Suzuki Vitara) with winter tires is my winter beater and after 8 years it still has no squeaks or rattles. Nothing stopped it last year. Nothing. If only it had a limited slip rear diff I'd be uber happy.

[X-Traction]

X-traction, your V6 number is obviously wrong, not sure where you got it, but carcrazy has the right numbers and if you compare JLX to JLX it's close to 300lbs (266lbs to be exact).

I used the comparison tool on Suzuki.ca, to compare different models of the GV to similar suv's.  The weight was listed, and is still what I quoted.  I didn't use the more direct specification pages because they wasn't working for me yesterday.  They are working today and verify your numbers.  Could the new engine plus some sound insulation and thicker side glass add up to 300lb over the outgoing 2.7 V6 version?  Where would all that weight go?  Did Suzuki make signficant other changes they're not talking about?

I checked the Suzuki USA site, but it still has the 2008 models.  Suzuki Japan lists their 2009 model range as 1830kg to 1940kg (for the diesel).  The latter is a whopping 4268lb.   That's the same as a first generation Pathfinder.  (Which had a real frame, steel skidplates and all sorts of heavy duty underpinnings.) I agree this degree of weight gain is enough to slow the thing down.

The extendable visors are something owners have wanted, especially since the GV lacks a sun band across the top of the windshield. (Despite the fashionable abundance of blacked out windows)

I noticed in a photo of the black interior, the leather seat bottom cover of the drivers seat is stretched.  This seems to happen to some of them (including mine) and Suzuki has a mixed record of correcting it.

Suzuki still doesn't offer skidplates, even as an option.

To comment on Day 3.  Some new generation GV's seem to have intractable alignment problems.  They wore out tires on the back end like crazy, and I would imagine that would involve forces on the drivetrain.  Suzuki also had to replace parts in a number of customers' drivetrains.  This was far from universal.  Ours shows normal tire wear, and has no odd driveline noises except a faint droning at 1500rpm.

The seat heaters may come on hot, but after a while they almost shut off for a while, then come back warmer.  It would be nicer to have a 2-temperature switch.  But, hey, it cost less than a Lexus.

Ah yes, the drivers mirror.  I saw this the moment I drove ours home in December of 2005.  I took it back, and after a day with it, the dealership said it was not warped.  Now, I could SEE it was warped.  And warped the wrong way, making things wider.  I could understand it if they said it was warped but within specs.  But, I have one of those little wide angle mirrors on it.  I could tell they had removed it because I could tell it had been moved.  So they'd removed it.  Why would they remove it if they saw nothing wrong?  So they must have been untruthful with me when they said they found nothing wrong with it.  They also failed to do anything about the stretched leather seats.  That was the last time I took the GV to them for service.  But, the alternate dealership has been no better.  Now they're failing to deal with squealing rear brakes, and a corroded rim.  All these things are known problems.  Would it cost Suzuki a whole lot to stand behind these minor warranty matters?

[X-Traction]

I apologize for going on and on, but I have to mention a couple of other things.

One is that with the swing tailgate, tailgate glass that doesn't open, back seats that don't fold flat, and a front passenger's seat that doesn't fold flat, you can't carry anything very long in this UTILITY vehicle.  I'd like to see removable back seats ala minivans, and/or a fold-flat front passenger seat.

Second is that one GV owner towed a trailer up a long steepish hill in the US, with the thing revving at about 5000rpm.  Days later he wondered why the heel of his shoe was melted!  Turns out the GV's exhaust and catalytic converter are just under the drivers footwell, and he'd melted through all the layers of carpet etc.

Last month I was installing sound insulation under the carpet in our GV.  I found minor but definite signs of melted materials in the same place.  We've never towed a trailer with ours, and have never pushed it as hard as the fellow who melted his shoe.  I checked a 2008, and nothing has been done to shield against this heat.  Seems to me something should be done.

[wing]

X-traction the 300lbs difference is between the 2.4 and the new 3.2 so the engine and transmission much weight that much more with the bigger engine.

[sirAQUAMAN64]

I don't often think of Suzuki, but the few times I've seen the Grand Vitara up close I've come away impressed with the solidity of the vehicle. Don't know about reliability and such, but overall feel the vehicle is plenty competitive and the I4 should reinvigorate sales somewhat.

[X-Traction]

the 300lbs difference is between the 2.4 and the new 3.2 so the engine and transmission much weight that much more with the bigger engine.

But it's also the same difference between the outgoing 2.7 V6 version and the new 3.2 V6.  So far as I know, the transmission is unchanged.  Surely an increase in engine size of .5L should not cost 260lb.  I don't know.  Maybe the 3.2 is made out of pot metal.

I thought maybe the weight gain was to get the frontal crash score to 5-stars from slightly under 5-stars.  But then the 4-cyl version should show the same weight gain, which it does not.

Thanks for the fair and perceptive articles about the 2008 and 2009 Grand Vitaras.  That's generous coverage for a vehicle that just can't seem to catch on with North Americans, regardless of how good it is.  But then, people drink more Coke than milk, I suppose.

[X-Traction]

I don't often think of Suzuki, but the few times I've seen the Grand Vitara up close I've come away impressed with the solidity of the vehicle. Don't know about reliability and such, but overall feel the vehicle is plenty competitive and the I4 should reinvigorate sales somewhat.

This doesn't exactly respond to your post, but it got me started again.

We know people who bought a new Volvo, and others who bought a new Outback.  The Volvo owner had so much trouble they swore they would never again buy a Volvo or even any new car.  The Outback owners had so much trouble with it they demanded a buyback that included getting a new Forester.  They disliked the Forester so much they replaced it with a Matrix, which they really like.

If the new generation Grand Vitara had hit the market in the guise of a new Rav4 or Forester, journalists and buyers would have been falling over themselves to praise and buy it.  The latest Rav4 and Forester probably are better vehicles, but whether they are better value is debatable.  And of course if you need a low range, there's no comparison.  No one has acknowledged the substantial safety advantage of the GV being in 4wd all the time.

Since we need and use the low range, the only other small suv candidate with a low gear on the market is the Patriot.  Which was not available when we were shopping, and whose quality could be dodgy.  Besides, the Patriot could be terminated within days.  Although I tend to list the issues we've had with our Grand Vitara, overall we're quite satisfied with our choice (or I wouldn't be speaking up for it).

Suzuki sells diesel and 2-door versions in other markets.  Hard to tell if they'd sell here, or if the I4 will help a whole lot, since the brand in general is under the radar in North America.

For those dying to read more about the Grand Vitara, there's a website for the transsiberia rally, which for two years has pitted two factory Grand Vitaras against a large posse of Porsche Cayennes, plus a variety of private efforts.  The Grand Vitaras have done surprisingly well given that they cost so much less, and one Suzuki team comprises amateur drivers.

[Peter Upward]

I have found and I hear repeatedly that compact SUVs with 4 cylinder engines get worse mileage than their 6 cylinder counterparts. I have heard this of the hyundai tucson and sante fe, the previous version Vitara, and even the Toyota RAV4. To my mind, a 4 in an SUV is like a Hen hauling wood (pardon the Eastern Canadian expression). I am sure towing the 1500 to 2000 pounds most of these vehicles are rated for, is a bit of stretch with a 4 cylinder engine. It can be done, but not in comfort.

[dasiuyan]

I have found and I hear repeatedly that compact SUVs with 4 cylinder engines get worse mileage than their 6 cylinder counterparts. I have heard this of the hyundai tucson and sante fe, the previous version Vitara, and even the Toyota RAV4. To my mind, a 4 in an SUV is like a Hen hauling wood (pardon the Eastern Canadian expression). I am sure towing the 1500 to 2000 pounds most of these vehicles are rated for, is a bit of stretch with a 4 cylinder engine. It can be done, but not in comfort.

your comment is interesting, I sometimes think like so too. Do you have any objective evident so I can prove to others too?

i did read from a foreign auto magazine's used car section, stating a BMW E46 325 is a better buy than a  320/323(not sure which one). Because the fuel economy are very close between the two and yet get a better performance.

[safristi]

more coal onna fire............"semantics aside for today" QUOTE......" I can't comment on the new V6,but i can on the I4  my tester is equipped with"...............Hoedya like that bumpy RIDE......... .......never leave a HOOKER with a preposition............

[X-Traction]

I have found and I hear repeatedly that compact SUVs with 4 cylinder engines get worse mileage than their 6 cylinder counterparts. I have heard this of the hyundai tucson and sante fe, the previous version Vitara, and even the Toyota RAV4. To my mind, a 4 in an SUV is like a Hen hauling wood (pardon the Eastern Canadian expression). I am sure towing the 1500 to 2000 pounds most of these vehicles are rated for, is a bit of stretch with a 4 cylinder engine. It can be done, but not in comfort.

I'd expect the 6-cyls to get better mileage on the highway, but worse in the city.  I know this is true for the V6 and 4-cyl versions of the Dodge Spirit and Plymouth Acclaim - if anyone knows what those are.

[X-Traction]

Within the last day, an album of photos of the '09 Grand Vitara was added to the site.  I can't find them already.

Ok, found it later, here:
http://www.canadiandriver.com/forum/index.php/topic,60185.0.html

I see from the photos that Suzuki still hasn't solved the baggy seat leather problem. (last picture on the first page)  In about 10% of the JLX-L's, the bottom panel of the leather seat cover permanently stretches.  In the rest of them, the leather returns to being taut when there's no one sitting on it.  Would this be considered a defect?

Unfortunately there's no equivalent picture of the front seats of the black Grand Vitara with the beige interior.

Our '06 JLX-L's front seats went like this within a week of buying it new.  There is at least one case on the Internet of Suzuki replacing the seat covers.  I've been after them non-intensively for 3 years to do something about ours, and they're taking another look tomorrow.

On a completely different note, Suzuki is now making Grand Vitaras and SX4's in St. Petersburg, Russia.  Just assembling with parts from Japan at first.  Ah, THIS explains why they're in the Trans Siberia Rally.

[Seafoam]

I have found and I hear repeatedly that compact SUVs with 4 cylinder engines get worse mileage than their 6 cylinder counterparts. I have heard this of the hyundai tucson and sante fe, the previous version Vitara, and even the Toyota RAV4. To my mind, a 4 in an SUV is like a Hen hauling wood (pardon the Eastern Canadian expression). I am sure towing the 1500 to 2000 pounds most of these vehicles are rated for, is a bit of stretch with a 4 cylinder engine. It can be done, but not in comfort.

I'd expect the 6-cyls to get better mileage on the highway, but worse in the city.  I know this is true for the V6 and 4-cyl versions of the Dodge Spirit and Plymouth Acclaim - if anyone knows what those are.

I remember those cars, however the v6 had  a 4speed automatic trannie while the 4 -cyl was saddled with a 3speed automatic. This would account for the difference on the highway.The 3 speed transmission was however much more reliable than the chrysler's problematic 4 speed. In general a 4 cylinder will get better mileage than it's 6 cylinder counterpart . The bad mileage sets in when you try to drive a 4 cylinder like a 6 cylinder[to the floor all the time]

[X-Traction]

I have found and I hear repeatedly that compact SUVs with 4 cylinder engines get worse mileage than their 6 cylinder counterparts. I have heard this of the hyundai tucson and sante fe, the previous version Vitara, and even the Toyota RAV4. To my mind, a 4 in an SUV is like a Hen hauling wood (pardon the Eastern Canadian expression). I am sure towing the 1500 to 2000 pounds most of these vehicles are rated for, is a bit of stretch with a 4 cylinder engine. It can be done, but not in comfort.

I'd expect the 6-cyls to get better mileage on the highway, but worse in the city.  I know this is true for the V6 and 4-cyl versions of the Dodge Spirit and Plymouth Acclaim - if anyone knows what those are.

I remember those cars, however the v6 had  a 4speed automatic trannie while the 4 -cyl was saddled with a 3speed automatic. This would account for the difference on the highway.The 3 speed transmission was however much more reliable than the chrysler's problematic 4 speed. In general a 4 cylinder will get better mileage than it's 6 cylinder counterpart . The bad mileage sets in when you try to drive a 4 cylinder like a 6 cylinder[to the floor all the time]

In the last years of production, they mated the 3-spd automatic to the V6.  I think you could still get the 4-spd with the V6.  Yes, the 3-spd wasn't as efficient, but I think the mileage pattern between highway and city use between the V6 and the 4-cyl still held.  There was also at least one manual transmission, including a 5-spd.
Our V6 4-spd Spirit can get over 40mpg on the highway, and the spacious and comfy interior is better than most new cars I've been in. While it ain't no sports car, the power is more than adequate for a 2800lb car.  How about split folding back seats, steering wheel-mounted cruise control, and a trip computer in a cheap 1990 Chrysler product?  Maybe they could have done better re-issuing it than that Challenger thing.   
The A604 transmission failed a lot in early years.  That was fixed by using ATF-3 fluid.  With bi-yearly maintenance, it seems to be fine. But many people persisted in putting the wrong fluid into them.  (since it still says Dextron (sp?) on the dipstick and in the manual.)  Other than lacking grade control logic, it certainly works better than the 5-spd automatic in our 2006 vehicle.

[Seafoam]

I have found and I hear repeatedly that compact SUVs with 4 cylinder engines get worse mileage than their 6 cylinder counterparts. I have heard this of the hyundai tucson and sante fe, the previous version Vitara, and even the Toyota RAV4. To my mind, a 4 in an SUV is like a Hen hauling wood (pardon the Eastern Canadian expression). I am sure towing the 1500 to 2000 pounds most of these vehicles are rated for, is a bit of stretch with a 4 cylinder engine. It can be done, but not in comfort.

I'd expect the 6-cyls to get better mileage on the highway, but worse in the city.  I know this is true for the V6 and 4-cyl versions of the Dodge Spirit and Plymouth Acclaim - if anyone knows what those are.

I remember those cars, however the v6 had  a 4speed automatic trannie while the 4 -cyl was saddled with a 3speed automatic. This would account for the difference on the highway.The 3 speed transmission was however much more reliable than the chrysler's problematic 4 speed. In general a 4 cylinder will get better mileage than it's 6 cylinder counterpart . The bad mileage sets in when you try to drive a 4 cylinder like a 6 cylinder[to the floor all the time]

In the last years of production, they mated the 3-spd automatic to the V6.  I think you could still get the 4-spd with the V6.  Yes, the 3-spd wasn't as efficient, but I think the mileage pattern between highway and city use between the V6 and the 4-cyl still held.  There was also at least one manual transmission, including a 5-spd.
Our V6 4-spd Spirit can get over 40mpg on the highway, and the spacious and comfy interior is better than most new cars I've been in. While it ain't no sports car, the power is more than adequate for a 2800lb car.  How about split folding back seats, steering wheel-mounted cruise control, and a trip computer in a cheap 1990 Chrysler product?  Maybe they could have done better re-issuing it than that Challenger thing.   
The A604 transmission failed a lot in early years.  That was fixed by using ATF-3 fluid.  With bi-yearly maintenance, it seems to be fine. But many people persisted in putting the wrong fluid into them.  (since it still says Dextron (sp?) on the dipstick and in the manual.)  Other than lacking grade control logic, it certainly works better than the 5-spd automatic in our 2006 vehicle.

Straying a little off topic. Those cars could be had with bench seats which was rare for a car of that size  My father had an 89 and a 92 both 4 bangers.

[barber]

Hi,i just got my Suzuki Grand Vitara I4 JLX-L in Sept 09, and its got 37000 kms on it
and the vehicle works great in snow, pulls great in power for a 4 cylinder, fuel usage was a worry at first, do to the cold weather getting about 11-12 L/100KM but now am getting great fuel range between 7.5-8.5 L/100KM on mainly highway. A tank of fuel ranges from 500 to 600 KMS at best. I am very happy with the GV room and ride and for a truck with a 4cyl that can tow 3000lbs is lots and hard to find. I also like the ideal that i have the option of using 4 wheel low range if needed, not offer in Honda CRV, Rav4, or others small SUV. The Grand Vitara i found was a great deal for the money, very solid SUV. Value is great 0% for 72months plus +++++
Hope more people will take a better look at GV. Love the AWD....