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SUVs Suzuki Grand Vitara/Vitara Suzuki Grand Vitara 2006 through 2008
1006 messages, Last post on Oct 11, 2009 at 9:29 PM
You are in the Suzuki Grand Vitara/Vitara Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & tidester
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Replying to: budman3 (Oct 14, 2008 10:17 am) 
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Replying to: bm000092 (Oct 31, 2008 4:24 am) Recently tested the base '09 Forester. EXCELLENT car like cornering feel thanks to that low center of mass. However: 5 speed manual too "rubbery" lacking the much tough(er) feel of a Suzuki '08 manual. Unfortunate dash treatment, and the grey interior is very dull, but the black is nice. NOTE: the engine is noise(ier) than the new '09 four cylinder GV, but it's know for that, for whatever that's worth? Not broken in, it ran out of breath on a freeway hill in 5th, but the auto four cylinder GV did not on the same hill! Clearly the auto box would be the trannie to go with in this much more car like Sube. Tough(er) though it is for '09, you can feel it wouldn't stand up as well to the same sort of demanding recreational usage which Suzuki's can. The "expedition class" winner?, no surprise, it's advantage Suzuki. Still need to find a base '09 JA GV [somewhere] to test. Yes, even drove a used auto '02 XL-7. That 2.7 engine does wear well, which also is no surprise to me as all Suzuki engines seem to. Haven't ruled it out as a stop gap move. But may default to the old principal that 4:30pm on the last business day in December, is THE best time/day of the year to buy a car.... Still no new '09 owners out there?
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Replying to: norwoodsmn (Nov 01, 2008 10:30 pm) www.canadiandriver.com/ctc/blog/trucks-suvs/2009-suzuki-grand-vitara.htm
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Replying to: bm000092 (Nov 03, 2008 4:59 am) I was browsing cars over the weekend and went to the web page of the local Suzuki dealer to check out the SX4 Sport. There was a drop down menu for the Grvtr. It took me a minute to figure out what the heck that was. 
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Replying to: steve_ (Nov 03, 2008 6:38 am) I'd like to see a test that explored the extent of what the base GV, (the Forester fighter), JA AWD version could do in [reasonably] demanding conditions. That info is out there now on the base '09 5speed Forester, as it was "pressed" in California on Catalina Island where it did well on rough goat tracks. But again my Forester TD recently suggested "you wouldn't want to go there" in the Sube on a regular basis, with, (on the other hand), it likely being OK(er) in a much tougher base '09 Grand Vitara. Would like to see a head to head between these two base models. A potentially valuable marketing ploy [Suzuki?] Especially since the Forester can now almost be considered mainstream with it's up market redesign for '09? Go for it.
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Replying to: norwoodsmn (Nov 04, 2008 10:56 am) But we digress... 
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Replying to: steve_ (Nov 04, 2008 12:08 pm) Maybe I'm off here?, but further I see the two as chief competitors against one another for active recreational users who potentially can make do without the low range gears. Think the 2wd GV model is std. base for '09 in the US, with AWD, (but no low range), optional for their four cylinder? At least AWD is std. eqpt. on our base JA here in The Great White North. Still nothing on the US site, but spending time to get it all working right first, might not be a bad idea.....
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Replying to: norwoodsmn (Nov 04, 2008 1:54 pm) The guy next door has a Grand Vitara (which he likes very much btw), but it looks more like a SUV to me and my wife really doesn't want anything that looks remotely like an SUV. I've had no luck with my Forester hints, much less something more rugged looking, and she flat turned down a test drive after just sitting in a mild CR-V. So far she's liking the Scion xD the best. That's my SX4 digression in here, since it seems more directly comparable to the xD than the GV. But your point is well taken. I'll try to sneak both of them on her list. 
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Replying to: steve_ (Nov 04, 2008 1:58 pm) The real Beauty of the Beast is that while it may look like a politically incorrect SUV?, (but it's the same size as a CRV, right?), advise her that the '09 2.4 liter: 1.) Has attended AA meetings with it's 2.7 liter cousin, and thus has not acquired it's drinking problem. 2.) It no longer drives as much "like one" in the handling department, and in fact is a real pleasure to drive. She'd love an auto box one, I'm sure. On station wagons, right, but the additional space in the "a bit bigger" GV would be a real blessing. But that Forester has a mini "cavern" back there too. If it's more car like though, I hear her. The security of AWD is sure a blessing though in either the GV or Forester, as you well know. We encouraged my dad to buy a new Outback a few years ago for safety reasons. Happy shopping. PS: gotcha on our digression. But: my son would love to have the Scion coupe. We finally get Scions here in Canada next year. JUST SAW this Toyota brand is now considered to have the best RELIABILITY in the biz. Impressive. Again, the "R" word would be a factor to have to consider in the purchase of either the mostly all new '09 Forester, or GV. But we shall digress no more, (maybe)...
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Replying to: norwoodsmn (Nov 04, 2008 2:40 pm) It's hard to say what a deal killer would be, but an automatic would be right up there with black paint. We both miss having a stick shift. We will keep either the wagon or minivan, so we'd like this car to be smaller (ergo her immediate nixing of the CR-V). So the Grand Vitara probably won't get far on her list. We owned mostly FWD cars in Anchorage for 20 winters and like them fine, especially since they tend to get better mpg than AWD/4WD flavors. There are times when it's nice though. Reliability is a nice plus, but most all cars are pretty reliable these days. Scions sales were slumping before the recent economic crash and still aren't setting records here in spite of that nice reliability report from Consumer Reports. What I should do is call Parts and find out how much a Grand Vitara or SX4 alternator or starter costs and compare those numbers to the Subarus and Toyotas and Hondas and Pontiacs.
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