Suzuki’s Grand Vitara still trails major rivals in sophistication and refinement, but is nevertheless a solid value.
You better bring you’re a-game when your main competition is the Toyota RAV4, Ford Escape and Honda CR-V. Suzuki’s Grand Vitara has all the basics down but still needs some key improvements to compete in this league.
There are two reasons for this evaluation. First, the Grand Vitara’s 185 horsepower 2.7 liter V-6 and five-speed automatic transmission combination isn’t nearly as smooth and sophisticated as the units found under the Toyota, Ford and Honda hoods.
The power is adequate, but whenever your foot calls on the Grand Vitara to move with more than normal alacrity, the V-6 gets all out of sorts, producing noticeable vibration and harshness. I noticed this same flaw in the latest XL-7 with its 3.6 liter V-6.
Acceleration from rest to 60 mph takes 9.11 seconds. Mid-range torque is modest, so two-lane highway passing maneuvers require a bit more of a safety margin than would be the case with the three rivals.
The second reason is the price. Suzuki competes in this segment primarily on the basis of price, but it doesn’t much activity on the option sheet to get your Grand Vitara up in the $22,000+ range. To be honest, there isn’t a sufficient price differential here between the Grand Vitara and its competitive trio to justify going for the former.
Unless you happen to like the way the Grand Vitara looks on the outside and inside. Completely redesigned last year, the Grand Vitara has grown a bit and its exterior styling has definitely improved. The flared fenders front and back combine with the smoother lines and longer wheelbase to leave behind the previous generation Grand Vitara’s look of dinkiness.
Topping the Grand Vitara’s virtues is its passenger cabin, especially when adorned with the optional leather package. The environmental controls in the center stack are nice, round dials and there are three large, easy-to-read gauges in the main panel. There is decent room for four adults and the air bag complement includes front and side bags up front and curtain bags for front and rear passengers.
Standard equipment includes anti-lock brakes, electronic stability control and traction control, plus Suzuki offers a 100,000 mile powertrain warranty. Suzuki makes tremendous motorcycles (Full disclosure: I own an 03 600 Bandit S and love it), but the Japanese firm’s cars and SUVs don’t yet command the resale value or reputation that gives Toyota and Honda such a leg-up on the market before prospects ever enter the dealer showroom.
