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SUVs Suzuki SX4 Suzuki SX4 MPG Real World Numbers
102 messages, Last post on Nov 02, 2009 at 11:33 AM
You are in the Suzuki SX4 Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & tidester
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Actually a folding back seat is pretty much standard, not in danger of becoming a rarity. A no-folder is the exception, not the rule. It always garners comments from road testers, because utility and flexibility are attractive features. Once something has become common and expected, such as power windows, customers notice when it's not there. Same with folding seats. And of course, not everyone wants a wagon or a hatch. Me, for one. Wagons are not exactly common as they were in the 60s. Hatches never made it big in the US, despite their popularity on The Continent. And I want a sedan, not a hatch. I would still buy the 08 sedan version sans folder, but eventually I would have to make some sort of mods to give me access to the trunk for long objects such as 8' boards and what have you. It is not exotic engineering to design the back seats to fold. Otherwise, the 2009 sedans would not be folders. Clearly that was an issue that Suzuki responded to from field reports, otherwise why would they go to the trouble of doing later what they should have done in the beginning? As for the hatch fuel tank, my '08 SX4 catalogue which covers both models lists all hatches as having an 11.2 gallon tank and all sedans as having a 13.2 gallon tank. One of the common complaints on the boards is the limited range with an 11 gallon tank. Just because an Aveo and an Accent have tiny tanks does not make it a smart marketing move. Our PT Cruiser takes 15 gallons and it's about 160" OAL. The VW Golf etc. have a 14.5 capacity IIRC. I'm not here to argue, I am simply repeating the old adage that has been known for centuries regarding doing things right the first time, vs. correcting things later. Measure twice, cut once. Look before you leap. A stitch in time saves nine. And IMO despite Suzuki's having been in the US market for a long time, they missed two important concepts: range and utility. And in fact, range is a large factor in the definition of utility for many. One gallon liquid is 231 cubic inches, the cube root of which is 6.136". So squeezing in two or three more gallons of fuel tank capacity is fairly simple if you do it at the outset. Apparently enough customers and dealers commented about hatch fuel capacity and sedan folding seats that Suzuki was motivated to make changes for MY 2009.
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Replying to: lamronh49 (Jan 22, 2009 7:40 am) However, the Crossover FWD fuel tank has always been 13 gallons, and that is right in the ballpark of all the competition. It is on the web site. It is in my 08 owner's manual. As for folding seats in sedans, they became quite popular in the 90s and early 2000s. If you pay attention to the auto press and new models (I can name names if you wish), many of the 09s and 10 sedans have gone back to pass-throughs are no access at all through the back seat for the greater stiffness and improved handling dynamics this imparts. The SX4 sedan, even as tall as it is, has been praised for its stiffness and handling feel. Many like you would prefer the utility to the greater stiffness, but Suzuki is hardly alone in making the choice for greater stiffness on its newest models. I frankly don't understand why the huge preference for sedans in the case of little cars. The hatchback is far more versatile (greater hauling capacity) on a shorter more efficient, easier-to-park footprint. A larger sedan usually looks better than a large hatchback, but in the case of subcompacts, the sedan usually looks like a little hatchback with a trunk grafted on. In some cases, like the Versa sedan, the result is truly awkward-looking. To each his own. Bottom line, what Suzuki has done with tanks and seats on a little car is very much in line with what the rest of the market is doing or has done. If you don't like it (and after all, it is all personal preference) then buy something else. But given the few models Suzuki has for sale here (and in niche areas like where the Crossover resides), they are doing ok. They need to dump the Daewoos badged as Suzukis, get a mid-size sedan, bring back the Swift, and generally expand their offerings. Meanwhile, they do very well in other parts of the world, notably India. |
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Discussions with your attitude are non productive. I simply stated what is in the Suzuki publication. Since I'm not interested in the hatch, I didn't pursue information further because it's not a concern of mine. Some people prefer hatches. Some people prefer sedans. What's to not understand?
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Replying to: lamronh49 (Jan 22, 2009 9:17 am) And I simply stated what is in the owner's manual and on the website. If you had actually read my message, you would know that I already said it is all about personal preference. Lighten up.
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Replying to: gregg_vw (Jan 22, 2009 10:09 am) You also said "Deny Reality." which, at best, is posturing. Let's please keep the discussion respectful and on topic. Thanks.  tidester, host SUVs and Smart Shopper
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Replying to: tidester (Jan 22, 2009 10:30 am) |
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Replying to: perry99 (Sep 18, 2008 2:36 pm) |
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For anyone interested, I picked up my new SX4 last week... I'm normally a pretty conservative driver, but I've been babying the new Zuke for break-in. For my first fill-up yesterday, I got 31 MPG. (Onboard computer and calculator results matched, so the car's reading was accurate.)
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Replying to: cnvh (Nov 01, 2009 5:10 pm) While I appreciate this is a MPG thread, I'm not only interested in your fuel economy numbers but since I'm looking seriously at a new 2008 leftover SX4 sedan myself, I am very curious to learn if the $12,995 price I've been given is a good one for the Automatic 2wd sedan. Craig |
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