In 2005, the Japanese manufacturer released a new generation of Suzuki Grand Vitara. The car, which, despite the popular format of a mid-size crossover, was unique in many respects. Alas, the car was not particularly appreciated in the world, so in 2015 Suzuki completely abandoned the model, focusing on more compact crossovers. Nevertheless, there is a very good choice of Grand Vitara in the secondary market today, and their mature age has reduced their cost to very attractive values. So is it worth paying attention to this car?
5 Reasons to Love and Hate Grand Vitara
1) Endurance and reliability
People consider endurance and reliability to be the main advantage of Grand Vitara. The car does not have many problems during use. For two-liter motors, the timing belt stretches after passing 150,000 km, especially if the owner has not kept track of the oil level. From 40 to 100 thousand km, the neutralizer in the exhaust system can “die”: the Check Engine lights up on the panel and the cruise control stops working. The power steering tube must be replaced every 3-4 years. There are also several typical breakdowns, but this whole story is greatly extended in time, so the total price of car ownership turns out to be quite acceptable, while the Suzuki auto parts are easy to find online.
2) Rigid suspension
Most drivers complain about the stiffness of the suspension. Someone is quite happy with this rigidity, someone is ready to put up with it, but there are enough of those who mention it among the main disadvantages. On an uneven road, the car’s owner feels every hole with his entire body. A smooth ride appears only when fully loaded. However, the stiffness of the suspension has a downside: drivers confirm the very good handling of the Grand Vitara.
3) Cross-country ability
At least four out of five Grand Vitara owners consider cross-country ability to be one of the main advantages of their vehicle. You need to remember that the Grand Vitara is an SUV with the soul of a crossover, and you should not do what the car was not intended for at all. It can easily drive through a snowfield or overcome a washed-out country road, but not more.
4) Visibility
No one has any complaints about the car’s visibility. Many brands equip their crossovers with side mirrors that are more appropriate for a sedan. Mirrors of Grand Vitara have quite a decent “off-road” size, do not distort the distance to objects, and are equipped with electric adjustments and heating. At the same time, the aerodynamics is fine so they hardly get dirty on the go, eliminating the need for the driver to constantly go out and wipe them with a cloth.
5) Design
Very few of the Grand Vitara owners consider their car as “beautiful”, but almost everyone positively evaluates its appearance. Indeed, Suzuki’s designers have managed to create a timeless and spaceless look. The car does not seem outdated today. At the same time, the model differs by fantastic gender and age universalism. A young mother with children, a fan of some extreme sports, a manager in a business suit, and a pensioner with fishing rods look equally organic at the wheel of the Grand Vitara.
In general, Suzuki company has its philosophy: “We do not care about fashion trends in auto design, we just make cars to move in space, and we do them perfectly!” What is your impression of this car? Share with us in the comments.
