Grand Vitara Is Near Excellent For Family of 3 or 4

I bought by my wife and I a 2003 model Suzuki Grand Vitara in October '03. At the time, we had been married since June and neither of us had a 4-wheel drive vehicle. Considering where we live (Southwest Virginia - we have to cross a mountain regardless of where we go just to leave our home), we NEEDED a 4-wheel drive.

I was prompted to write this review after reading one by Kegman, located here. Granted, his review is written very well and does make a lot of good points, I do not feel that he does this vehicle the justice it deserves.

The GV falls into the small SUV category. It cargo capacity is much larger than the average sedan, but nowhere near the size of, say a Mitsibishi Montero Sport. Everything from a child's hobby horse to groceries to christmas gifts to an unassembled kitchen table have fit in this vehicle with rather ease.

Interior room is more than adequate in my opinion. Being 6' and 250 pounds, I was comfortable in the drivers seat (with and without a person sitting behind me) and in the passengers seat (although with my daughters carseat, the passenger seat does become cramped). The seating has not seen any complaints from my family, as we regularly take 4-5 hour trips without complaints about the seats hurting.

I believe the driving of the vehicle is wonderful, among the best of any vehicle I have ever driven. With the roads where I live being very "rural" (aka curves, bumps, potholes, and more curves), the vehicle handles very well. On highways, the steering is loose and easy to manage.

The factory CD player sounds fine, even coming with a remote controller attached to the steering wheel (a nice touch that I keep trying to use when in my other vehicles).

And the four-wheel drive. Yes, the main reason I even bought this vehicle. The four wheel drive is excellent, easily the best of any vehicle I have ever driven with 4 wheel drive in the worst of conditions (snow, sleet, and ice). Through 8 inches of snow, the 4WD held to the road perfect, pulling up mountains with ease. I felt in complete control of the road, almost like there wasn't any snow on the road at times. In icy conditions, the vehicle seemed to do just as well, not having any problems with the ice at all. The vehicle never slid once in either of those conditions at reasonable speed on rough terrain.

As for the flaws of the vehicle, Kegman was dead-on about two things.

1) Cruise Control up-hill is horrible. In his very own words:

"If cruise control is used, the transmission downshifts from overdrive harshly when encountered with uphill gradients more than 1 degree, buzzes in passing gear for a few seconds, then returns to overdrive, all of which is highly unnecessary. This action is repeated until the 'hill' has passed."

2) For a small V-6, the gas mileage ranges from good to bad depending on the type of roads you travel. When driving from 60 to 70 MPH, the vehicle runs anywhere from 2900 to 3300 RPM (which kills gas mileage on the highway). However, on rural roads where you rarely pass the 40 to 55 range, the gas mileage improves tenfold.

All in all, this is a great vehicle, but it is not for everyone. Perfect for families of 4 and under, capable of hauling everyday items. Looks nice, and drives well. Reccommended for people who want a 'car plus'. Not reccomended for families of 5 or more, nor people who have to haul furniture or other large items.