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2006 Suzuki Aerio SX

San Francisco: A body that looks like a shrunken minivan on the Suzuki Aerio SX draws more compliments than most cars in its price range. It starts around $14,500 and comes with lots of standard equipment and has a surprisingly big, comfortable cabin.

The Aerio is a darn good buy. It starts around $14,000 for the sedan and $14,500 for the SUV-like SX version. Both body styles offer a lot of space for the money, with a front seat that's almost as roomy as a mid-size family car and a back seat that's perfectly livable. It's more comfortable than most cars in its price range.

While the Aerio sedan looks like a dull, run-of-the-mill family car, the Aerio SX seems to have a totally different personality. It looks spunky, youthful and very Japanese with a body that's shaped like a shrunken minivan, and I heard more compliments about its looks than I usually do about any inexpensive economy car.

A 2.3-liter, four-cylinder engine - the only one available for the Aerio - feels surprisingly peppy with 155 horsepower, enough to have a little fun and zip around in city traffic with ease. It's a good match for both the standard five-speed transmission and the four-speed automatic.

Driving at highway speeds isn't exactly quiet, but it's not unbearable either. The suspension transmits quite a bit of noise into the cabin and 18-wheelers sound a tad scary when you pass them, but it's not bad for a commute. You just wouldn't want to spend 10 hours on the Interstate in this car.

Best of all, even the base models come with a good level of standard equipment, including automatic climate control and a CD player with MP3 capability. Other standard features include power windows, locks and mirrors, keyless entry, a rear spoiler, tilt wheel and outside temperature gauge. That's a lot for the money.

For people who need good traction in the winter, the Aerio SX is the cheapest all-wheel-drive car on the market for about $2,000 more than a basic, front-wheel-drive version.

All in all, the Aerio offers a lot of car for the price, but it doesn't have the kind of refinement you'd expect from, say, a Honda or Toyota - or even a Nissan. Whether you buy one should depend on how picky you are and how much you're willing to pay for little things.

Why buy it? You get a lot of car for the money. It has a roomy cabin and lots of standard features starting around $14,000, and it's the cheapest all-wheel-drive car you can buy.   By Derek Price   © AutoWire.Net - San Francisco

Byline:  Syndicated content provided by Tony Leopardo © AutoWire.Net
Column Name:  The Aerio SX is an affordable fun car
Topic:  The 2006 Suzuki Aerio SX
Word Count:    500
Photo Caption:   The 2006 Suzuki Aerio SX
Photo Credits:   Suzuki Internet Media
Series #:   2006 - 17

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