San Francisco:
The 2005 Suzuki Reno is truly a World Car.
Suzuki is Japan’s fourth largest automaker. The Reno was designed by
Italdesign in Italy, and the car is built by Daewoo in Korea.
Available only as a
five-door hatchback, the Reno comes in three trim levels, base Reno S,
middle level Reno LX and top-of-the line Reno EX. The styling on a car
that is only 169-inches long can be best described as cute. Only one
engine is offered, a 2.0-liter 16-valve, DOHC, inline four-cylinder
making 126 horsepower at 5600 rpm and 131 pound-feet of torque at 4000
rpm. A five-speed manual transmission is standard on S and LX models. A
four-speed automatic is standard on the top-level EX and optional on the
other trim levels.
The EPA numbers are
just OK for a small car at 22 mpg city and 30 mpg highway. The fuel tank
holds 14.5 gallons. Though not a lot of horsepower by today’s standard,
the car had sufficient zip for both city and freeway driving, at least
in the five- speed Reno LX I tested. You should test the automatic
version before buying. The engine is a bit noisy from the outside, but
well muffled by the insulation so it is reasonably quiet inside. You can
always turn up the eight-speaker, 140-watt, AM/FM/CD/Cassette sound
system with MP3 playback capability that is standard in every Reno, even
the base S.
Speaking of standard
equipment, even the S version with an MSRP of $14,191 is well equipped
with air conditioning, side air bags and power windows, heated mirrors
and door locks standard. Speed sensitive power steering is standard on
all Reno’s as are four-wheel disc brakes. However, antilock brakes with
Electronic Brakeforce Distribution are a $500 option. If you move up to
the LX, you get 16-inch alloy wheels, fog lights, sunroof, cruise
control and remote keyless entry. The EX adds leather upholstery. Even a
“loaded” EX comes in at just over the $17,000 mark.
On the highway, the
Reno handles well, but it isn’t a sports car or even a sports sedan. A
smooth ride takes preference to aggressive handling. The Reno’s tight
turning radius is appreciated on narrow city streets.
The interior is quite
roomy and fit-and-finish is definitely up to competition, maybe even a
bit in front of it. There are features not usually standard in this
market segment including a height-adjustable driver seat; a padded
center armrest, lighted glove box, a micron cabin air-filtration system,
and controls for the radio on the steering wheel.
If you need lots
carrying capacity in a small package, the Reno fits the bill. The Front
seats have a very long fore-aft travel, but at the expense of rear
passenger legroom. Even with the 60/40 folding rear seat upright, this
hatchback holds lots of stuff.
All in all the Suzuki
with its lengthy list of standard equipment represents great value in an
A-to-B commuter car. Another plus is the 7 year / 100,000 mile
transferable warranty. The bottom line is the Suzuki Reno really is a
lot of car for the money. By
Bill Siuru and Shawn Stewart © AutoWire.Net - San Francisco
Suzuki Home Page
Byline: Syndicated content provided by Tony Leopardo ©
AutoWire.Net
Column Name: The
Reno is a lot of car for the money
Topic: The
2005 Suzuki Reno
Word Count:
592
Photo Caption:
The 2005 Suzuki Reno
Photo Credits:
Suzuki
Internet Media
Series #:
2005 - 42
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