Here’s how Suzuki failed at selling cars in the U.S., despite success worldwide

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In this episode I provide the history of Suzuki - specifically the cars they sold in the U.S. and Canada starting in the 1980s, until the North American automotive subsidiary of Suzuki was forced to file for bankruptcy in 2012. Suzuki as a company began over a hundred years ago as a loom maker, but would later branch out into selling motorcycles and cars, with one of their biggest hits being the Jimny, which would later sell in the U.S. and Canada as the Samurai. That car would get embroiled in a rollover scandal, which hurt Suzuki's reputation but only short term, as they would reach record sales of over 102,000 by 2007. But when partial owner GM sold their share in 2008, along with stiff competition, Suzuki sales dropped significantly by 2011, forcing them to exit the North American market.

[@AndresSalazarAutos]

In Mexico (where I live), Suzuki is tremendously successful, and their cars are small, light and relatively fast, the boosterjet engines are a gem.

[@uncannyfox]

Yup, you guys have the new Jimny and I am very jealous. Lol. That thing looks so cool!

[@AndresSalazarAutos]

@@uncannyfox I've driven it, it is literally a toy car for grown ups

[@neoncowboy2789]

Un amigo aprendio a manejar en uno y se volvio fiel a la marca

[@zeroelus]

El “lacetti” también se vendió aquí como Chevrolet pero no me acuerdo cómo se llamaba

[@diablow1411]

Having this brand with a few others in Forza Horizon 5 would be such a great thing! But Playground Games doesn't seem to care for it's fanbase anymore. :/

[@westentrance]

I had a 94 Geo Metro XFI (Suzuki Swift) with the 3-cylinder 5-speed. That car got better gas mileage than todays hybrids, was mechanically bulletproof and had 327K miles on it when I sold it to a guy who drove it away. The most dependable and economical car I ever had.

[@29madmangaud29]

Yeah, and you know, I remember buying a set of tires, at Sears on sale for $11.99 per tire. 145/80R12... those were the days!

[@jakelowang4132]

Yeah i had a Civic 1990 that wheight about 800kg now ca wheight twice as much but more efficient in a light would make crazy mpg

[@lelandunruh7896]

I had a friend in high school who had an early-90s Metro with 1,000,000 miles on it. (No, I did not put an extra zero in there!) This would've been circa 2000. His father had travelled all over Texas for work in it. I can't for the life of me recall whether they'd replaced/rebuilt the engine or transmission, but regardless I found that insanely impressive!

[@29madmangaud29]

@@lelandunruh7896 Man, I just LOVED those little cars, so GREAT! Saved my life, and my wife's life on one occasion !

[@jetstreamdefalpha5411]

My mother had the same car. She travel from deep Mexico to Houston TX four times a month. It was a company car and she gained position after the company bought new cars. The Suzuki keep goin till 2001, I remember cause we crashes it infront of my high school weeks before 9/11. New tires, tune up, and a none oem bumper is all we change on it

[@Hammerhead547]

Fun Fact: Today suzuki samurai's and 2 door sidekick's are actually highly prized by the rock crawling community as bases for budget level rigs due too their light weight and small size which makes them nimble and easy to drive out of tight situations on the trail.

[@michaela2279]

yes!!! i have a lifted X-90 that's a beast on the trail. these cars are basically just SXSs with air conditioning

[@johnpearson492]

The SX4 was astoundingly popular here. The local Suzuki dealer in Erie, PA was the number 1 sales Suzuki auto dealer in the US year over year. The SX4 was the perfect car for this market, inexpensive and 4x4.

[@yak9989]

I had two versions of the Sx4 ( a 2wd sedan and the AWD "Crossover" hatchback); loved them both (specially the hatchback).

[@NazriB]

Lies again? Suzuki Car Soccer Club

[@MayheM_72]

I remember the Suzuki Samurai back when I was in high school, back in the 80s. They were popular for the low price, and my buddy's big sister had one. OK...it wasn't a Jeep CJ/Wrangler, but as a small 4X4, just to putt around town, they were fine. The whole " easy to roll over" issue was blown out of proportion, and the Jeep CJ was stuck with that tag, too. Does anybody else remember how unsafe cars were back in the 80s? Pretty much none of those cars would pass safety testing today!

[@aninnymoose720]

my dad told me a story about how he flipped in a CJ and their buddy got thrown from the cab. he died. no bs.

[@devinbiz]

Truth be told, Consumer Reports pretty much ruined Suzuki and Isuzu, with their skewed testing which later were found to have been biased towards getting at least one wheel to lift off the pavement, and then resulting in them warning of possible rollover risk. Such a shame they did this, as both Suzuki and Isuzu were such early innovators of compact and/or affordable SUV’s

[@American-Motors-Corporation]

Well actually the CJ rollover is a meth that was something that was blown out of proportion by cbs's 60 minutes in the early '80s via the CJ5 it was crap! And of course ever since then it's been said this about all SUVs simply because we have morons behind the wheel who don't know how to drive!

[@Where_is_Waldo]

The Jeep being threatened is precisely why the Suzuki brand was slandered. Without the slander I think that the only reason to buy a Jeep over a Samurai is if you want to build it for max power. If you just want a fun 4x4 for cheap that gets good mileage in town the Samurai would be the way to go and most people probably didn't care about having the most power. Jeep couldn't compete and americans were very prone to slandering Japanese companies back then. It's the same reason for the "buy american" campaigns back then. America couldn't compete so they relied on propaganda claiming that americans were taking jobs from other americans. Really the lack of american competition was incompetence at the management level. This is also why GM bought Lotus in an effort to steal the MR2/Elan Lotus was developing with Toyota but Toyota owned exactly half the rights to the design so GM had to give it up or share it and, after a lengthy battle, they gave it up rather than being affiliated with Toyota. This is especially hilarious when you consider the following tree facts: The Lotus Elan (second gen) wound up being a FWD Isuzu instead, GM's "competition" for the MR2 was the Fiero, and GM would wind up going into a partnership with Toyota by 1995 anyway (the Pontiac Vibe was a restyled Toyota Matrix with a Toyota ZZ series inline four and the Vibe body was actually sold in Japan as a Toyota Volts, you can also get a J-spec Toyota Cavalier)

[@American-Motors-Corporation]

@@Where_is_Waldo not true and in the '80s jeep was owned by AMC American motors corporation, The government really didn't give two s**** about AMC! You have to understand that the Japanese had good quality back then when it came to engines and transmissions, but their bodies on cars were still a little dicey in the '80s OR certain models could be I mean you could get rust in 3 years so though most of the mechanicals were pretty reliable the old joke was always that the engine and transmission is going to outlast the body and in most cases that actually proved true! The real reason to buy a jeep was simply because it is the biggest name in four-wheel drive while at the same time it's capabilities have been proven time and time again! And if you want to talk about you know warranties things like that AMC actually had the best in the business! And of course it wasn't necessarily a matter of the samurai being bad-mouth so much is it wasn't really seen as a manly vehicle it was seen as a hairdressers vehicle! You have to realize that most of the vehicles that Suzuki produced literally was seen is something a hairdresser would drive, in fact they still carry that reputation to this day! And then of course there's the price points to talk about, I mean you'll see some ads where it talks about how you could acquire this thing for what maybe you know over $7,000... But of course that doesn't mean that that's going to be the price at your dealer see that's basically what happened even with the stupid Hugo as it was advertised for like $3,900 bucks but by the time people got down to the dealership the price had gone up because they were a hot I ate them when they first were introduced so dealers were charging more... Well back in them days a fully loaded CJ which was already a pretty well established vehicle and thus the average price though there would be some variance between states here in Ohio I know that you could have gotten one for perhaps under 10 grand now if you went with something like the golden eagle editions and yeah you would have paid closer to $13,000 but here's the thing $7,000 for a little 4-cylinder you got virtually no options of engines it's a foreign vehicle that was back in the time where a lot of mechanics garages particularly in smaller towns where you would want a four-wheel drive to begin with they won't work on so you have to put it in the context of the 80s not the context of today! I can remember even in the early 90s when I was like 78 years old mechanics garages with advertise and they would talk about working on foreign and domestic meaning there were shops that did not work on anything foreign! So here's the deal if you were out to buy a brand new car in the 80s then chances are you had the money that you really could have said screw it what's another four or five thousand dollars and you could have went and bought a Jeep especially because you had engine options you could either get a 4 cylinder you could get a 6 cylinder you could get a V8 whereas the samurai only came with four cylinder you could also get the option of an automatic transmission smack dab in the middle of the '80s early 80s even honestly even clear back in the '70s for the CJ whereas the samurai not so much eventually they had an automatic available but I don't think it was available directly from the start! So no you don't have to get a CJ just to build it up that's baloney honestly I myself would prefer them stock now it's true that I would probably put some different tires on it but that's about it I'm not really into lifted vehicles and I'm a country boy I'm not into lifted vehicles because it screws up the handling and back then you didn't need to actually lift this vehicles they had the highest ground clearance of any four-wheel drive on the market the only time that a lift was really necessary is if you were in to rock climbing which is largely popular out west we don't do that here in the Midwest! Jeeps here are primarily used for snow and mud that's it and the vast majority will probably never see off-road anything outside of someone's gravel driveway! No I will say that the whole rollover thing is largely nonsense it can happen they are vulnerable because of the wheelbase and whatnot but if you know how to drive it that's not a problem see it's like AMC got burnt ears prior to the samurai getting burnt and it was in the early 80s and it was with the CJ5 60 minutes did hit peace on it! The panic of rollovers in Jeep like vehicles or SUVs in general has actually been around for quite some time they planted the seeds somewhere in the late seventies and largely blew it out of proportion in the 80s! Here's the deal people still bought cj5's up until they were discontinued because of the hit piece the government got involved that's the only reason why AMC quit making a CJ5 had the government not stuck their nose in based on a stupid hit piece article then the vehicle still would have sold regardless of the propaganda so I don't necessarily believe that the hit piece that was on the samurai was actually the main killer of it it probably scared some Byers off but in reality it was to do with price points and options and the sheer fact that there was a lot of mechanics that would not touch it with a 10 ft pole you had more conscious buyers back then!

[@milfordcivic6755]

This is why growing up and being of driving age in the 1990's was awesome. There were so many choices for vehicles back then. Now there's no choice at all. Every company makes similar vehicles that have all the same standard features, all perform the same duties and all look the same. The 2020's are the death of the automobile.

[@floyd9572]

I got my license in '01. Back then I still had a damn good selection of decent '80's and '90's cars to choose from. Hell, my first car with my name on the title was an '81 Datsun King Cab. (Note, that truck was a death trap)

[@davidaix5771]

Yeah can you guys believe that all those eighties and nineties Japanese cars these Japanese cars are going up crazy in value nothing's obtainable anymore A lot of the shit nowadays is selling for crazy money

[@Ashurbanipal7446]

@@davidaix5771 yup theres a 99 civic near me with 250k miles and all rusted out. 500? Nope 1000? Nope its 3000$. 03 ford f150 literally rusted in half with the exhaust sitting on the floor, its $2000

[@davidaix5771]

@@Ashurbanipal7446 I had a 1988 honda Civic hatchback dx I loved that care I drove it for 10 years that car Basically grew up with me did a couple of moves with it And I regret getting rid of it the transmission was shot and a couple of things happened but Those cars are stupid expensive now and the thing was mine was stock I didn't put no B16 in it or anything nobody gets it was just a regular old is regular old civic blue and All the ones you do find are all fast and the furious out and they want stupid money form You know those guys for guys from my time but always talk about you know there are muscle cars they had in the sixties and that they regret getting rid of and blah blah blah well that's shitty if blah blah well that civic is my version of that

[@Ashurbanipal7446]

@@davidaix5771 oh yeah dont get me wrong they are wonderful vehicles. I have an 07lx sedan. The only thing im not a fan of is the automatic transmission and the cramped mess that is the engine bay. But its been good to me; drove my car through a foot and a half of water on a flooded portion of i75 with no issue. Civics get too much hate. Plus that FWD is great in snow. Just keep in 2nd gear to start and you take off no problem.

[@micahwest5347]

I heard a slightly different story about what happened at consumer reports. Someone who worked there owned one and went off-roading at a place beyond his capabilities. He rolled it over and was hounded mercilessly by the usually suspects. From there he had it out for suzuki and ran that slalom test over and over increasing the difficulty every time. The video clip were someone states “that’s it” I think was followed by some cheering but that part was cut out. Hardly a neutral test.

[@this_dude5307]

Man Suzuki needs to come back! They make reliable cars and they actually look good too. Along with that consumer reports scandal, I think GM also played a role in ruining their reputation by forcing those awful Daewoo cars on them. If Suzuki were to come back, which hopefully happens, they would have a unique segment to themselves: small, fuel efficient cars that are affordable and reliable, which is something that we DEFINITELY need in the US, especially with the crazy amount of inflation and gas prices nowadays. Vehicles such as the Vitara, S-Cross, Ciaz, Swift, and Jimny would be an ideal lineup in the US. The Swift would be filling in the gap that the Toyota Yaris and Honda Fit left here in the US as an example, while the Jimny would occupy a cheap 4x4 market which is definitely in high demand as there are no options like it here in the US. As for the dealership network, which is important, they can use Toyota’s network of dealerships as they have a partnership with them. They could definitely have tremendous success if they did that along with the great cars they put out nowadays.

[@Hafiz_G_Lumber_1]

I used to bang my step sister in back seat of Suzuki Samurai, O God , what were those days

[@Blank00]

Toyota should bring Suzuki to the US to act as a Scion 2.0

[@theartofwanderlust]

Gm killed Suzuki in North America. When they put their crappy engine instead of the Suzuki V6. At the joint plant in Ontario, Canada

[@PKMNFan4664]

@@Blank00 Ironically, some of this was starting to happen towards Scion's end, but Toyota was also benefiting from their new partnership with Mazda.

[@mychemicalbromance97]

One of my former coworkers told me she used to have a Samurai and was ran off the road by an 18 wheeler during a storm and rolled. She said a sheriff saw her roll and stopped. She said she heard him say on his radio "send an ambulance but don't hurry, there's no way they survived." She was okay but stuck upside down, she shouted out to him, "you better hope I don't cut this belt and get my bag or you're going to need that ambulance!" He said back into the radio "my god she's talking". she ended up leaving us to become a truck driver.

[@Matt-qv8zj]

She’s a good fiction writer

[@ticks60]

Things that didn't happen for 1000 Alex.

[@ramonefacey3829]

one of the best looking SUVs ever ,the grand Vitara.

[@lostcat9lives322]

I'm sure her wife is proud

[@americarocks1776]

What compelled you to write such a ridiculous story?

[@SP84Fanatic]

Arguably, the SX4 Crossover helped pave the way for so many subcompact SUVs to take hold in the U.S., like the Honda HR-V, Nissan Kicks, and Hyundai Kona.

[@johnnymason2460]

The SX4 and the Aerio SX were not crossovers. They were considered wagons with AWD. The Samurai was really the first subcompact SUV. The X90 would be a subcompact SUV coupe.

[@mark_u]

Agreed. The SX4 is one of the first subcompact crossovers

[@DGTelevsionNetwork]

I'm pretty sure Toyota had already paved the way for that class when they released the Rav4 in the 90s.

[@juliogonzo2718]

I think of the Chrysler Pacifica as one of the first real crossovers. When they came out the first thing that came to mind was that it was just a fat car. I actually hated it, and still kinda do. I just read something that credited the rav4 and amc eagles as some of the first. I don't see it that way. I see the eagle as a 4x4 car and the 90s rav4 as an SUV. Just my opinion

[@johnnymason2460]

@@juliogonzo2718 The Eagle was like the Subaru Outback. The RAV4 is considered a crossover. An SUV is more truck-based(the XJ Cherokee and all the Grand Cherokees are unibody SUVs).

[@jimking2299]

I have owned a 4 door Sidekick, an Esteem wagon, a ragtop Vitara, and my current daily driver, a 2012 Grand Vitara. The toughest, most reliable vehicles I've ever had. I blame bad timing, malicious reporting, a sometimes-goofy product mix and the lamest, most embarrassing advertising anywhere for the failure. The Japanese-made, Suzuki-badged models were as good as anything on the road.

[@bob19611000]

I had an Esteem wagon. Would say all around (utility, versatility, cost to own, etc.) it was the best car I've owed.

[@Moparornocar74]

It's really sad that Canada and the US don't get Suzuki cars anymore, we're really missing out

[@Bloodbain88]

Same deal with Toyota. There are a lot of different Toyotas we don't get here that sell like crazy in Australia. With solid axles, lockers, winches, and manuals straight from the factory.

[@RohanSanjith]

@@Bloodbain88 but those come with mostly 4 cylinder diesel and petrol engines, but Americans want V6 and V8

[@giancarlolugo9586]

@@RohanSanjith most of those Land cruiser pickups, sold in Australia are i6 engines with diesel variants.

[@ForkInTheButt]

Not really. You aren't missing much.

[@ayanwg10000]

But In India Toyota is rebagedging suzuki cars in India

[@kyledexter485]

I always thought Suzuki had cool cars in the US.

[@danielevans8910]

*Had*

[@TheHelado36]

In Puerto Rico we love this brand ! Is gone too, but the Samurai and Sidekick are very sought after and they are holding their value incredibly !

[@speedyboi349]

Dude the prices on those samurais are insane

[@NewHaven203]

Tu lo juroooo I was at the Puerto Rican day parade in Philadelphia and seen like 10 Suzuki Samurais! Alot of Boricuas up here in New England still have them! Saludos desde New Haven, Connecticut 🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷

[@rijjhb9467]

Sidekick sounds like a Transformers name.

[@DaFoxQc]

Owned a Suzuki Aerio hatch and Suzuki SX4.... two of the most reliable cars I've ever owned before. The SX4 was a beast in the snow with its AWD and manual transmission.

[@bjwoodruff]

The Suzuki Samurai was the only brand new car my dad ever brought. We would take it off road and on straight road he would let us stand on the front seat and hold on the the roll bar. I love that car.

[@MrLurchsThings]

Sold here in Australia as the Sierra (and now the Jimny), it’s always been pretty popular. And right now, even second hand prices are sky high. They’re such a fun, simple 4x4 and popular with people all the way from teenagers to scoot to school in, all the way through to hard core off-roaders. Back in the late 90s, the Swift GTI, a 1.3L Twin Cam version of what call the Geos was ridiculously popular with the burgeoning JDM scene with heaps of mods available.

[@rijjhb9467]

How many names this car had? Here in Europe was the Santana (although I initially I used to misread it as the Satana, which, admittedly, it's a much better name).

[@donaldgillmore7390]

I have a twin cam Swift, called the GT but the same as GTi

[@tsino2966]

Our family has had a Samurai, Vitara, and Swift in the past. All were reliable and cheap and easy to maintain. Currently have a JB43 Jimny and aside from the easy maintenance, it's also easy to modify due to the huge 4x4 community that loves Jimnys in my country. Actually want to get one of the new Jimnys too, heard they even had better gas mileage.

[@jwnrocks]

I learned to drive on public roads on the early 70’s in a 4WD Suzuki “jeep”, right-hand steering wheel, and the 360cc 2 stroke, two cylinder, air cooled engine. Pretty smart of my dad to make sure I couldn’t speed. Thankfully, the Feds had lowered the speed limit to 55mph because this thing had trouble attaining that speed. Overall, it was a fun vehicle to tow behind our camper, and we used it at Pismo dunes somewhat effectively.

[@JDMHaze]

this always makes me sad. suzuki were GREAT vehicles . i know several ppl who owned different models and have NOTHING BUT GOOD THINGS TO SAY..consumer reports screwed them

[@Oddman1980]

Suzuki is one of those brands I've always had a soft spot for. My dad and brother built a Samurai years ago, with a lift, 31" tires, crawler gears, and some modifications to the 1.3 liter engine that they came with. About the time they started working on that Samurai, dad bought a four-door Chevy Tracker with the 2.0 liter engine, and he drove that thing 300,000 miles with basically no issues. Many years later I ended up with my own "Suzuki", I bought a Metro from a guy at work for the unbeatable price of $50. It needed a water pump and it would run, but I ended up rebuilding the head, swapping out the 12" wheels for some 14" wheels off a Honda Accord, and did various other little repairs it needed, and I ended up with a great little car. Now the only Suzuki I have is a two wheeled one, a DR650. The Suzuki DR650, for those who don't know, is sort of a two-wheeled version of a Jeep. It's a big road legal dirt bike, and they will survive pretty much anything that doesn't kill the person riding it.

[@PixelmechanicYYZ]

Its also a 650cc single cylinder stump puller :) They also had a version called the DR BIG... which was a 750cc thumper!

[@Tango4N]

I have a DR 650. Great bike. I had a '91 Tracker X wife took it in divorce. A month ago bought a '97 Tracker. Needs some cosmetic work but runs good. Has 350,000 km on it maybe I can get it to 500,000?

[@theadventuresofjavier8698]

I purchased a 2003 Suzuki aerio in 2004. Was brand new with 37 miles on it. Top of the line model but it wasn’t awd I still have it . Has 280k miles on it. My daughter currently drives it but will be getting a new car I. December. It will soon become my teenage daughters car . It’s been a wonderful car. Original engine and transmission still going strong.

[@zythr9999]

That's rare, since engines in that year were prone to be problematic

[@kyledexter485]

I also thought the Suzuki Aerio from 2003/2004 were really cool cars. Glad to hear one is still on the road. 👍🏻

[@theadventuresofjavier8698]

@@zythr9999 I’m a professional auto technician. It’s well maintained

[@leethatsme1988]

They are known as liana in my country (england). By far best car i ever had. I have 2004 1.6 petrol and those engines are solid 💪. Its currently sat in my parents yard waiting for my 3 kids to grow out of car seats because i just cannot part with it.

[@zythr9999]

@@theadventuresofjavier8698 That's good

[@downhillblur708]

I had 1995 Geo Tracker. The most trouble-free car I have ever owned. 15 years of 4WD with decent MPG. My maintenance schedule was regular oil changes and that's it.

[@gypsonny2]

I'm living it right now with my 89 Tracker. Although with its age I have had to do a lot of repair. I plan on keeping this thing on the road for a million miles, no joke, for all the same reasons. I love this car, been driving it a little over a year. Btw, 23 mpg with 3.5" of lift and 30" wheels. You can't get that MPG out of modern 4x4s still today!

[@DavidLLambertmobile]

Cool. I left the Army in 1993 & considered buying a new Tracker SUV at the time. The models were popular.

[@JasonScottCarter]

My wife bought a SX4 Crossover in 2012....still going strong today. She loves that thing.

[@tuanh_duong]

A damn shame I miss Suzuki! I had my eye on a Kizashi as my first car since we had a dealership where I lived. Even after they called it quits, the dealership still held out for a short while. Suzuki’s mistake, though, in marketing that vehicle, I heard, and as you mentioned, was basing it as a midsize sedan when, in reality, it was closer to a compact. The Grand Vitara was also pretty neat!

[@LG123ABC]

I think that one of the problems with the Kizashi was that I remember it being a little on the pricey side and you couldn't even get a V6.

[@mrgurulittle7000]

We don't get Suzuki sedans in Japan anymore. But we have Suzuki kei cars all over!!

[@BillLaBrie]

That was one of the few rental cars I didn’t want to give back.

[@MrMannyhw]

Kizashi was a good car but too pricy compared to other similar cars. The Subaru Impreza beats it hands down. Other than that Kizashi would be successful if priced same as the Impreza.

[@ramonefacey3829]

one of the best looking SUVs ever,the grand Vitara.

[@Nickos1b]

I had a Samurai soft top here in Greece bought new in 1990. I drove it daily, took it to the beach, to the mountains everywhere. It never missed a beat. Well, there wasn't much to go wrong, it was an engine on a chassis with a steering wheel. No power steering, power anything or any extreme luxuries like air conditioning. I started a family and it wasn't practical so I put it up for sale and they knocked down my door to buy it. I literally sold it within an hour of the newspapers hitting the stands (no internet then obviously). There are still many roaming the streets as well as Vitaras, Jimnys etc. The new Jimny is so popular there is a waiting list.

[@user-lm6me2tz9t]

There is a months-long waiting list to buy a Suzuki in Greece since they are getting shipped from Japan and a lot of people seem to want one. It seems to me that Japanese cars in general (Toyota, Nissan, Hyundai, Suzuki) are the most popular in Greece, which is good, because you can easily find service and parts for them, if needed.

[@Tougebeat]

I have a 2007 Suzuki Swift Sport. This thing is nuts. People overlook it because it has 125hp but with its low weight and amazing suspension this thing makes fun of way more expensive cars in tight corners.

[@erinfreize4717]

My cousin had a Geo Tracker when I was in college and we lived together. That was a fun little truck! He just died, so I appreciate the fond memory.

[@DavidLLambertmobile]

I considered buying a new Tracker after my Army service, 🎗 1990s. I leaned more towards the V6 Dodge Duster. The "cool guy" 😎 version of the smaller 4cyl Plymouth Sundance sedan. Dusters & "Shadow" models had convertible versions too but not for more than 2-3 model years.

[@jamesengland7461]

My condolences

[@RC_928]

Saw a new Jimny in Phoenix with Sonora Mexico license plates. Kinda wish they were still offered in the states as an alternative to the Wrangler and Bronco

[@zacariaspiedrasdelrio8984]

In Puerto Rico the Samurai and the 3 cylinders were very popular. We had several like security patrols and we loved it. Of course you have to drive carefully specially on curves. You still can see a lot of them nowadays with big speakers on the back ( Samurai ) I hope the Jimny return to the US market!

[@markdugan6231]

In 1986 I bought a new 1985 Sprint for less than $7,000 dollars. It had air cond and got 55 miles per gallon, I had a long commute and kept the little car for seven years, it had 365 thousand miles on it when I got rid of it. It was a great little car.

[@jimcurt99]

I had an 85 Chevy Sprint- LOVED that car- got amazing gas mileage, was fun to drive (but slow)- had a nice 5 speed... then it got to 100000 miles and just fell apart. Replaced it with an 85 Toyota pickup... that went much better

[@GLHS592]

A separate Samurai episode would be great. My dad had two of them. The 1987 was slow as molasses, but tough. His 1991 was fuel injected and had adequate power. I wish I had the 1991. This reminds me of a story. Dad wanted me to drive the 1987 to college, but wasn't too big on the soft top. So, he bought a fiberglass hard top from this manufacturer in Oneida, TN. We went up there from Murfreesboro, TN one summer Saturday in 1993 to have them install it. When we arrived, I saw a fiberlass Lamborghini Countach replica and a Ferrari 308 replica sitting next to each other beside the shop. As they were installing the top, I asked the owner if I could check out those fiberglass replicas. He said I could, but to leave his cats alone. I don't care for cats, so I can do that. I went out to check the bodies out and as I was doing so, I heard this low growl behind me. I turned around and my eyes met the eyes of a female lion. Thankfully, this lion, a male lion, two tigers, and a cougar were all in this giant chainlink fence enclosure. I kept my distance and finally went inside to get my dad. I told him he needed to come out and take a look. He didn't want to, but I insisted. As we were looking at the car bodies, I told him to turn around and he looked as shocked as I probably did earlier. The guy told us a little about the exotic cats and claimed you had to have a license to own them. These people were very odd to say the least. Seeing Lion King on Netflix shows me that all these exotic cat owners are nuts. They didn't seem as crazy as Joe Exotic or Carole Baskin, but they were kinda nutty.

[@robgoffroad]

This is a great example why you shouldn't trust Consumer Reports. I never have.

[@craigslistseller9354]

To HELL with Consumer Reports.

[@popanz25]

I had an 09 vitara out of high school. Best little suv I’ve owned and didn’t have one single issue in 100k miles. Miss it every day.

[@DavidOliveriMcGovern]

My '86 Suzuki Samurai was the most fun car I ever owned. I'd buy one today. I called it my "half-jeep" It was like a go-cart - I could take it anywhere - pop over medians - drive on beaches, mud, took it through mountains. Easy to hose out to keep clean. Lots of room under the hood to work on the engine. Easy to do your own repairs. LOVED IT

[@coldlakealta4043]

Suzuki shared a plant with GM here in south-western Ontario, Canada. My Suzuki Sidekick 4x4 came off the same assembly line as the Chevrolet Tracker, with minimal differences. It was a great trucklette which I really enjoyed. One of the penalties: prices for the Suzuki version of an a car part identical to its GM twin often cost more and was more difficult to obtain. Further, the Suzukis depreciated quite a bit more than their GM twins. One of their final cars here was a little hatchback with AWD called the SX4. You still see them around.

[@rturner4205]

I almost bought an SX4 with AWD and a Manual transmission. Then I found my Subaru Forester.

[@Alpha06R]

That's the CAMI Assembly Plant. My 2005 Equinox came from there. Also, the 2007-2009 Suzuki XL7 was basically a 7-Seater Equinox, with the same Powertrain and Platform as well. In 2009, Suzuki sold it's 50% part of the plant/joint venture to GM, and CAMI manufactured the Equinox until April 2022. As of the the time of this comment, CAMI will built the BrightDrop Zero 600 vans starting November.

[@MybeautifulandamazingPrincess]

Tracker is a rebadged Suzuki Vitara

[@brianhudson6470]

In the late 90’s I had an 88 samurai hardtop and I absolutely loved it. I only sold it because my daughters car seat barely fit in the back seat

[@Oddman1980]

That's the same reason I had to get rid of my Metro. :-(

[@hellsfirefreedomtube6984]

My first car was a 1993 GEO Tracker. Miss that little car

[@brentanderson4285]

In July of 1988, I bought a new Sprint Metro, and still have it. I had it rust-proofed at Ziebart. They also installed a sunroof, and tinted the windows. My "Chezuki" now has 140,000 miles on it. I've been asked who re-painted it. I tell them that it hasn't been repainted, I've just babied it. People have asked what it is, have taken pictures of it, and have shared stories of their own Chevy Sprint. I've owned 3 Geo Metros, and have a '91 convertible that I've now owned for 19 years. So yes, I do love my "weenie-ass" cars!

[@omt4293]

The Sprint was a nice little car. I had a 1995 Metro 4 door sedan it was very reliable. Had only 70 hp but got the job done.

[@29madmangaud29]

Those little Geo Metro's were so GREAT! I've owned 4 of them, and the last 3 of them I've put probably over 340K miles on them in total. I've had at least ONE Geo Metro since 1995, until I've sold my last 3/5 in January of '20. The ONLY reason I don't still drive one today is because the parts are now so INCREDIBLY Difficult to find! I've loved my little Geo's. I've made modifications to them to where I was able to get up to 74.6 MPG from Phoenix, to Yuma, Az. you can still see one of my Geo's that I've sold if you go : Veggipowered/72 mpg Geo Metro. On KZbin

[@westentrance]

Agreed, read my comment.

[@darielbetancourt3493]

here in Costa Rica a lot of Geometros and Suzuki Swifts were sold, there are too many both new and used, and there are thousands and thousands of used parts.

[@DavidLLambertmobile]

My older 6'05" cousin had a new Geo Metro late 1990s. He ran it hard! Delivered 🍕🍕🍕 in it. I felt like it was a riding lawn mower with doors ☺️. 1.8L engine. Good MPG ⛽️ .... loud, noise 🔊 too.

[@cranklabexplosion-labcentr8245]

“Forget you’re troubles get on Suzuki, you’re gonna chase your cares away” Truly profound, based and impactful lyrics…

[@zythr9999]

Yet the company has left the US and Canada lol

[@nothanksguy]

@@zythr9999 too based for its time

[@zythr9999]

@@nothanksguy Probably.

[@craigslistseller9354]

I loved my Chevy Metro Hatchback (3-cyl). I sold it with almost 300,000 miles, to a family who owned 3 other Metro Hatchbacks, housed at their homes in 3 different states. It was still running strong when I let her go...

[@bongodave13]

I had a Geo Metro, which I jokingly called "the chick magnet." That little car wasn't fast at all, but it handled well and got fantastic mileage. Drove it for over a decade, and it still ran like a top when I sold it. It was unbreakable. Saved me a fortune!

[@DavidLLambertmobile]

My mom had a new GM 1994 Prizm sedan. 1990s. Excellent car. She later bought a new 1997 GM 4 door Cavalier sedan. I said for years the Prizm car was better made, better ⛽️, good ride. She didn't take care of the GM Prizm either! Lol. 🚿🪣🧼🔧

[@DStabs720]

@@DavidLLambertmobile The prism was better because it was a rebadged corolla

[@NMS350]

@3:21 the golden nugget! Anyone who watches Matt’s off-road, fab rats, and Robbie Layton will know.

[@theadventuresofjavier8698]

Golden nugget was a fine swimmer😂

[@brandonzilka1274]

I had a 1994 Geo Tracker LSi 4x4 soft top with a 5 speed manual and loved it. It wasn't fast, but it was adequate for most driving situations. Simple, fun, easy and cheap to work on, very reliable overall. Decent in the snow and off-roading. I changed the original front brake pads at 68,000 miles, the rear drum shoes still had more than 50% wear left. When I traded it in around 86,000 miles, it still had the original clutch and everything was working fine. I'd happily buy another one today to keep around as a 2nd car if they were still sold here in the US.

[@jimjames6218]

I currently own a 2012 Suzuki SX4 Crossover. 61k on it, it has been a very good car.

[@fahrenheit2530]

The Samurai is still really common in the Florida Keys. I spent a week in Key West back in August and I saw at least two a day, including those with the rare tin-top. I really love Suzuki's trucks, they're laughable compared to some other obscure trucks from the 80's (like Marmons and Mercedes' semis for the American market), but they always make me smile.

[@LilDiabloRob]

Funny thing is that there is a old Suzuki dealership a mile from my apt. Sadly it’s repurposed as a ma and pa dealership with a variety 90s and 00s vehicles. They never removed the Suzuki sign.

[@skaldlouiscyphre2453]

That's how you know you're close to Barrie.

[@franknedobity2757]

thanks for the video on Suzuki, you left out the fact that VW sued Suzuki North American for trademark infringement on the GTi used on the Swift model, elsewhere in the world the Swift would retain the GTi but in north america it would be the GT. I once owned a 1989 Swuft GTi and it was a great fast car. A co-worker also owned a Kazashi and my mother owned an Equator pickup, both were well built and reliable vehicles but had some strange squeaks and rattles. I had no idea sales numbers in the US were so low for Suzuki but i can see how they most likely sold twice as many motorcycles, boat engines and quads than cars. Here in the northeast it seems that theres less and less Suzuki's on the road.

[@philip4193]

Where I am in Australia, the current model Jimny is a big seller. The only other vehicle on sale here now to offer what the Jimny does (now that the old-school Land Rover Defender is no more) with standard features such as body-on-frame, solid front & rear axels, part-time 4WD with traditional on-demand transfer case etc is the Jeep Wrangler. And a new Jimny costs about a third less than a Wrangler too.

[@roywhitman7109]

I bought a Samurai new in 1988. I loved it! Very little mechanical problems & ran like a champ! Phenomenal gas mileage, also!! Too bad that the body rotted off the frame in 5 years!! And it was "rustproofed" at the dealership!!

[@1mzfe]

Here in Canada Suzuki cars actually stuck around for the 2013 model year, so we actually had them for an extra year.

[@markcampbell369]

Suzuki is alive and well here in Ecuador! The new Jimny is pretty cool looking.

[@EddieJorgeDrummer]

My first car was a 96 Suzuki Esteem. Fully loaded, tons of options, with the exact same engine as my buddy's 1999 Chevy Tracker. Slow but comfy. Bought it with under 120000 km for cheap and lasted me about 8 months before I slammed it against a guardrail on the highway going 80km in a snowstorm.

[@qontoh2s872]

I had an Esteem, one of the best little cars I ever owned.

[@westernspy561]

My first car will be an Esteem(here in Europe it's actually called Baleno), hopefully it will bring me joy when i drive it haha. It's my dad's car, but he will let me drive it(2001 Suzuki Baleno wagon version. So far it has 200000km and it's been working perfectly.

[@beltdriveadventures2550]

Still have my first Suzuki Swift. It's almost 10 years now. It never had a single issue with anything. Reliable and frugal with fuel.

[@carobsessions4707]

Very awesome bro i own Fiat Grande Punto 1.3 since 2008 it's almost 14 years still runs as new not a single issue till date just start run the car . Superb reliable maybe Fiat doesn't know for reliability but believe me Punto is way reliable car And Indian Suzuki was use Fiat 1.3 in their swift and other cars superb reliable Mine has done only 401,643 kms on odo and car runs perfect

[@Pray4Beats]

I purchased a brand new SX4 back in 2008 and owned it until 2019. It was a fully loaded AWD Touring package with a 5 speed manual and it was one of the best cars i have ever had the pleasure of owning. AWD system was amazing (toggle between 2wd, iAWD and 50/50 lock)...I took it on a lot of road trips and made many ski trips possible during snow blizzards! It had smart key door openers which not even my current 2023 Subaru Crosstrek Premium 6MT offers! It's a shame they left the US, I would of consider a newer generation of it. Hence the reason I now drive a Crosstrek lol

[@ryanglass2778]

Great coverage of an entire brand. But you forgot about the Esteem from 1995 to 2001. I still own a 1999 Esteem wagon and it's extremely reliable I've always had a soft spot for Suzuki. They build reliable, solid cars that were somewhat kooky compared to the bland offerings from Honda and Toyota but at a lower price. It's my favourite Japanese brand

[@adalbertosantiagopagan8738]

I used to own a 1998 Esteem Wagon was probably the best car I ever owned, I was young and got rid of it for a Civic and I regret it haha

[@FaithforMoney]

I always enjoy your videos of these kind of cars. Hope all is well, look forward to the next one.

[@J.W.W.]

I lived in So Cal back when these first hit our shores. As a young Airman, I didn’t have a lot of money and these little 4X4’s were very attractive to people on a tight budget. My wife and I drove out to the local ‘dealership’ where these were being sold, a dirt lot with portable tables and chairs and a mobile office. We took a test drive, and my 6’ 4” frame didn’t quite fit, but I could make it work. The only reason I didn’t buy was because I knew I was getting out in ‘86 and moving back to Michigan, and the dealer service network was unknown at that time. If only Suzuki would bring over the Jimney…

[@kreaola93]

I had a 2004 Suzuki Verona. It was used, and fully loaded. Hella slow, wouldn't go past 90, but I loved how luxurious it was for the price.

[@ed4253]

Maybe Suzuki can make a comeback with low priced offerings during this car shortage

[@MrTheHillfolk]

How about a nice little mini pickup again? I'd like to have a little 2wd pickup like a Toyota or ranger or whatever. The new ranger looks about the size of a late 90s f150, it's not small. Because of that, I said screw it and bought a Smyth Ute kit and chopped into the wife's old Mk4 vr6 Jetta that's been in the garage for the past 8yrs taking up space. All I need is to get a few 2+4s at depot or a few bags of wood pellets for the stove, not need a stepladder for some huge brodozer.

[@paddyballgame]

Thanks! I believe I requested a video on the Samurai a little while ago. This was very well done!

[@GIAMOBILEMECHANICBerwyn]

Awesome episode 👏 bravo love this channel the most for real fascinating like always my friend

[@larrypatterson5363]

This was my FAVORITE car company! Great cars at an affordable price. I owned 4 of them and they all were super comfortable to drive, and relatively cheap to own. I always wanted an X-90 - great for sun or snow! Unfortunately, too pricey after they were discontinued. I still can’t look at a Honda Fit without thinking of a Suzuki Aerio (except the Aerio was available in AWD and the Fit isn’t.) They’re still plentiful today, but trying to get parts can be a nightmare. Wish they would come back to North America. ☹️ Someone told me that another factor in their demise was their original set- up of dealerships. In order to secure investors, Suzuki agreed with most dealers not to set-up another dealership within 50 miles or so, thus insuring a captive marketplace for parts & service. Don’t know if that’s true or not, but it sounds about right in the 2000’s (when I would search for Suzuki dealers online).

[@ultimobile]

'super comfortable to drive' - I loved my 1985 Suzy Swift 1.5GC and only sold it sadly after my doctor said my old left ankle fracture told me was being aggravated by the clutch pedal, so I changed to an automatic but yeah the spring seat was so comfortable and it was so reliable I would happily have set off on a drive around Australia - like around the US - without a second thought. I also said it was the closest fun to a motorbike on four wheels - when the tyres wore a bit I used to do four wheel slides on tight curves - wonderful stuff. They used to win Australian races for some years, e.g. looks like a whole class here in 1995 - kzbin.info/www/bejne/rIvPcmmogc2np6s

[@larrypatterson5363]

@@ultimobile Yeah, I could never figure out how the 9th biggest auto manufacturer in the world could completely pull out of North America? That fact alone used to baffle me…!!!

[@angryshoebox]

I learned to drive a stickshift in my stepfather's '86 Chevy Sprint, actually kind of a fun car to drive, like a big go kart. And I remember seeing quite a few Samurais my first year in college (1986) in the student parking lots; I wonder how many of them were high school graduation presents, LOL.

[@theadvocate4698]

I had a manual 2 door 1985 forsa, so many memories! That car made me discover manual transmission, hatchback and small car! It was basic, light and reliable...cheap on gas and fun to drive....I wish suzuki would still be around, a manual 4x4 sx4 would be in my driveway for sure!

[@nathancook1404]

I remember seeing those Suzuki Samurais as a Kid including the sidekick that was rebadge as a GEO, And when Walmart was selling Tomica Toy Cars during 2019-2021, they had some Suzuki Castings including the Jimny and many other Suzuki Models.

[@donaldwilson2620]

One underappreciated gem that wasn't mentioned was the Suzuki Swift GTI/GT from the early 90's. Equipped with a 1.3 L Twin Cam 16V engine with just over 100 hp, 0-60 in under 9 seconds, and weighing just barely over 2000lbs, it actually gave other hot hatches from that era such as the Honda Civic Si, VW GTI, and Ford Escort GT a run for their money.

[@TassieLorenzo]

Yes! It still lives on as the Suzuki Swift Sport which is a great little hot hatch!

[@citibear57]

You always find awesome clips and commercials, of which some are hilarious! 😂

[@craigslistseller9354]

I absolutely love my 2012 Suzuki Kizashi 6MT!!! I will buy another Kizashi to be its companion whenever one becomes available.

[@RichieRouge206]

Great video! Suzuki are still very popular here in the UK, especially the Vitara and Swift. My aunt has recently bought a 2019 Ignis which is a brilliant little car, as tall as most crossovers, very tall inside and yet small in footprint. And it always does over 50mpg (petrol/gas). Suzuki are more of a budget brand but highly respected and dependable. The Ignis is quirky and definitely a European K-Car

[@cnorton1us]

I had a 1987 "Chevy" Sprint, which I knew was actually a Suzuki seeing as how the plate in the door jam clearly stated that. It only had 48HP, but considering the car only weighed 1800 lbs as I recall, it actually felt quicker with the 5-speed manual than some other small cars of the day. At only $6400, you couldn't expect much in the way of features, but in some ways I miss how simple those old cars were - and how easy they were to maintain and repair. It lasted longer than the payments and had 120K miles when I traded it in, and at that time while the body was starting to fall apart the engine still ran practically like new.

[@djkenny1202]

I sold my turbo 87 Sprint in 2012. Bought it in 1993. Great car. Pretty Fast. Very Reliable. Just short of 200k when I Sold it.

[@sneakerfreak2002]

Great memories with the chevy sprint . My dad had an 87 sprint company car and a 92 geo metro. I loved riding in those. I remember when the geo was brand new. Was exciting as a kid

[@chico6k_]

I’m lucky enough to own a relatively stock Samurai and I’m never letting it go. Such a wonderful little 4x4 and more fun to drive than anything built in the modern era.

[@stanstenson8168]

I have one also. A pretty much stock '88. Love it.

[@RandyWillcox]

I wish we had the new Jimnys here in the US to this day. And man, I knew Consumer Reports had become useless, but I didn't realize they had gotten so shady so long ago.

[@seeburg10]

The MSNBC of magazines. Pure liberal propaganda.

[@derickbartlett1714]

Great video, I used to love Suzuki and when I graduated I almost got a Suzuki Reno but the battery was dead so they couldn’t sell it. They were always the underdog and it’s a shame they left.

[@rene5861]

Haven’t been back here in months, happy to see the channel blew up

[@gw4690]

Probably the most reliable and best built car I ever had, great off road and in snow. It could have been just a bit bigger with a little bit more horsepower, and the convertible top was more of a 'seasonal' thing due to the difficulty of putting it up and taking down. If I could get the Jimney I would. Also had an Isuzu Amigo (future episode please?), my favorite car I ever had, but the lease reliable.

[@darklink539]

My father-in-law has a sidekick, and I've certainly seen worse. It's simple and easy to work on. A decent 4 wheel drive.

[@TheBORG580]

I bought my wife a 05 XL7 red and it was one of the best SUVs we’ve ever had and never gave us not one day of trouble and all I had to replace on it was the belts I gave it to my daughter to drive up in New York when she lived up there and she got wrecked in the back I love that SUV and wish I still had it truly one of the best cars we’ve ever had and trust me we had them all the BMW,Cadillac,Jaguar.

[@acorazado27]

I love when people talk about a free market, is just an illusion as soon as they see some competition, it must be eliminated by any means.

[@michaelsimko7694]

The SX-4 is a Suzuki I still sometimes see in my area A Japanese sports car you should do a video on is the Nissan 240SX. It was a cool car during the glory days of the Japanese sports car. And I'm still waiting for that video on the Chevy Avalanche.

[@electrofreak0]

Anyone interested in Suzuki's modern offerings should check out Doug Demuro's Jimny review. Shows a bit of how they've "modernized" their cars, or how they haven't.

[@Thanatos833]

Here, in India, Suzuki is a dominant brand, and deserves more credit than any other car company for putting the country on wheels. The Suzuki Alto in particular, was the closest thing we had to a “ people’s car” for the masses.

[@Thanatos833]

@@christga100 Suzuki Swift Variants

[@jeronronnunkoffunk4691]

Cool video awesome history breakdown, i remember many of those 80’s ads especially the samurai and when the sidekicks were introduced

[@mentok3027]

It's too bad that consumer reports article killed sales of the Samurai. I really wish there were more of them around as they're basically a cheaper side by side ATV with heat that's street legal.

[@bwofficial1776]

@@oi32df Depending on the state you can register a Roxor for street use, you just have to add turn signals. They're treated as kit cars. With the speed limiter removed they can hit highway speeds.

[@mattfissell3068]

If I remember correctly, the very earliest of the Suzuki's were not so good, then got significantly better before falling flat due to the knowledge they were leaving the market. I think of them the same as Kia and Hyundai in that regard, they just never got enough market share to keep them in the US. I also get Isuzu and Suzuki confused a whole lot.

[@johnbockelie3899]

I remember in the 80' s all the car lots were busy selling Suzuki Samouri cars.

[@goclunker]

You don’t remember correctly. Other than rust, they were bulletproof

[@andrewknowlton8678]

Just bought a 2006 Grand Vitara (5 door) with only 66k miles. Runs great and much quicker than expected.

[@waynefontaine5533]

There were 3 dudes who owned Samurai's when I was in high school, 87-91, so those Suzuki's were brand new on the market...they were all lowered, 2 of em ridin on deep dish Zeneth gold wire rims, all 3 of em had bumpin systems with one havin four 15" Redlines in the back, somewhere north of 2000 watts...you could hear that Samurai bumpin "Freaky Tails" by Too Short from a mile away....

[@bwofficial1776]

What is the point of removing the ground clearance of a 4x4? Kind of defeats the purpose.

[@zsoltpapp3363]

Maybe not the most comfortable cars of the world, but one of the most reliable for sure. Here in Eastern Europe Swifts are still popular, and there are many running strong with 2-300K+ miles on them. Excellent gas mileage, minimal maintenance costs. And because they are light, they are pretty fun to drive as well. Only the rust can finish off the old Suzukis.

[@dmandman9]

The Sprint/Metro wasn’t that bad. The only major problem was that many of them would burn valves. (So would the Samarai) . But they were very simple to repair.

[@whoami7721]

There's an Equator pickup truck on my street. I'd never even heard of them until last year, they're so obscure. I looked it up, and only about 5,000 were sold from 2008 to '12. Pretty rare.

[@koolbugz]

very informative so much more than the title says

[@eptenlepidecko8863]

Here in Europe they are still going strong, especially with the vitara and the new Jimny. My daughter has a 2016 Suzuki Swift special editon which hasnt had any issues. Very reliable cars.

[@justsumguy2u]

It always annoys me when people only think of the 3 cylinder Metro---the second generation Metro/Swift had a 4 cylinder, and was a solid car. I think that many potential buyers saw Suzuki as they did Daihatsu and Isuzu, the general (and perhaps misplaced) perception being that they didn't have the quality of Honda, Toyota and Mazda.

[@dmandman9]

In all fairness, the 3 cylinder Metro was pretty good. It didn’t have much power. But a lot of cars of that era as weak. However, they were tough and reliable.

[@Ashurbanipal7446]

Honeslty both isuzu and suzuki are more reliable than mazda imo

[@dmandman9]

@@Ashurbanipal7446 I'm not too certain about the isuzu. But back then the Suzuki was better than the Mazda. I'm not sure how well the Suzuki's were once DAEWOO made some of their cars. I wasn't impressed at all with Daewoo

[@Ashurbanipal7446]

@@dmandman9 might be a regional thing but i still see lots of Isuzu’s but fewer older mazdas

[@dmandman9]

@@Ashurbanipal7446 Possibly. I remember that as a mechanic the Mazdas cars would burn oil and the Trucks would blow head gaskets. The Isuzu cars were trouble prone. But the Trucks and SUVS were decent for their day.

[@A.R.77]

Bought an XL-7 the 2nd year it was out. The interior was vastly upgraded from the year before. The V6 and low gearing made for an unusually fast, cost effective SUV. Still one of my favorite over all cars I've owned.

[@alan6832]

My '98 Metro 3 cyl is getting pretty tired in several ways, but is still hanging in there and I still like it. I keep my eyes out for another like it, so I can eventually retire mine into a parts car to maintain the better one.

[@tucker8594]

I really liked the Samurai back in the day, but nothing else was appealing.

[@BadaBing.UCF30]

The Swift Sport is a very peppy pocket rocket, even better performer than a stock Fiesta ST in my opinion.

[@coldlakealta4043]

is that your Mini out there in the margin? Looks early - it has sliding windows. Mark I or II? Mine's a '67 Traveler (station wagon) with a 1275.

[@tucker8594]

@@coldlakealta4043 nope, just took a pic of an awesome car that I saw in a parking lot one day!

[@coldlakealta4043]

@@tucker8594 ahh, then you have excellent taste in cars!

[@davidballoid2118]

Given the right conditions at highway speeds, you can flip anything over on it's roof! What a derogatory slander claim made toward Suzuki and only them right. Did anyone else remember their ford explorer having the same problem that was blamed on the tires and found out that afterward they were still rolling over? Many SUV's and trucks are sold now with rollover warnings. I would blame other car manufactures for chasing them out by not stepping up at the time for the real physics or facts. I feel if they were to come back now they would be more successful than ever because of the fuel economy and capability's for off road adventures that other car manufactures lack for a compact SUV.