Service Cars

2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara Road Test Review

Motivation for the 2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara comes from a 2.7-liter, dual overhead cam, 24-valve, aluminum V6 pushing 185 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 184 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,500 rpm.

A five-speed manual or five-speed automatic transmission directs power to the rear axle or to all four wheels through a full-time four-wheel-drive system complete with a two-speed transfer case and self-locking hubs.



The Grand Vitara’s curb weight ranges from 3,452 to 3,682 pounds, guided by rack-and-pinion steering and supported by a MacPherson strut front suspension with a multi-link setup in the rear. Front vented discs and rear drums slow things down, and the Grand Vitara comes standard with ABS, electronic brake-force distribution, traction control, and stability control.



Interior Design and Special Features

The Grand Vitaras new interior is one of the best-looking weve seen in any Suzuki. The dash incorporates nice textures and flowing lines, and the gauges are housed in an attractive three-circle fashion with each ring surrounded by faux aluminum trim. The center stack is also bordered by simulated aluminum trim and the stereo controls especially feel more upscale than expected. With the rear seats lowered, theres 68.9 cubic feet of cargo room available.

Safety

Standard safety features on the Grand Vitara include stability control, ABS with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, side curtain airbags for front and rear outboard passengers and front side airbags.

Powertrains and Performance

The Suzuki Grand Vitara is powered by a 2.7-liter V6 making 185 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. A five-speed manual is standard on the base and premium models and a five-speed automatic is optional. Luxury and XSport versions have that automatic as a standard feature. Four-wheel drive is available for each style.

Body Styles, Trim Levels and Options

The Suzuki Grand Vitara, a four-door compact SUV, is offered in four styles: base, Premium, XSport, and Luxury. Base models come well equipped with items like 16-inch wheels, automatic climate control, cruise control, keyless entry, full power accessories, a MP3-compatible CD player and steering wheel-mounted controls. To this, the Premium style adds alloy wheels an in-dash CD changer and the XSport adds a standard automatic transmission and a remote "SmartPass" keyless engine-start feature. The top-line Luxury style includes leather seating, 17-inch alloy wheels, a moonroof, heated front seats and wood grain trim.

Road Test

While the old Grand Vitara was mostly famous for acting like the dim-witted truck it was, its replacement shows some traces of athlete DNA. The once-slow rack-and-pinion steering got sped up to a proper speed, and Suzuki figured out how to let enough sensation come through to make it a fun handler. The tires dont grip any better than your average sedans, but since the Grand Vitara can put almost as much pressure on its rear tires as its fronts, some of that nose-plowing can be offset by intentional oversteer. (You can only get truly rowdy under 19 MPH, the allowable range for shutting off the ESP stability control.)

This wouldnt be possible without the Grand Vitaras rear-wheel-drive origins, a fairly significant dynamic distinction in this front-drive-dominated class. It makes you wonder why Suzukis so silent on the subject, flooding its website and sales brochure with "2WD" without once mentioning the word "rear." Guys, you got it; why not flaunt it?

Additionally, two optional 4-wheel-drive systems make the Grand Vitara, as Suzuki puts it, "no off-road poser." The first, optional on the lower two models (and equipped on our tester), is a regular all-wheel-drive unit that works invisibly and independently. The second, optional on the higher two models, also contains AWD but can also be locked in 4WD High or 4WD Low for serious terrain. Top this all off with the Grand Vitaras "unibody construction with a built-in ladder frame" - a possible self-contradiction - and Suzuki gets to claim having one of the few real mud warriors. Together, rear-drive and the ladder frame also explain the Grand Vitaras high-for-the-class 3,000-pound towing capacity.

Standardizing a V6 helps prowess in all aforementioned areas. 2.7 liters, 185 horsepower, and 184 pounds-feet of torque give it a slight edge in a class of 4-bangers. It never feels fast, least of all when passing, but it addresses most velocity needs. At first acquaintance, it struck me as the most gruff-sounding V6 made in the continent of Asia. After a week, I just found it edgy and distinct. Whatever your opinion of the engine, the 5-speed automatic transmission at the end of it shifts fine at almost all times, even under full throttle.

The weak link on the Grand Vitaras specs sheet, as in Suzukis own Aerio, are the brakes. Once again, the engineers cheaped out and gave us rear drums, which grab hold a little too strongly. It happens near the bottom of the pedals travel, so its not too bothersome.

The greater flaw actually runs contrary to the specs. With all else equal, switching from a live rigid rear axle to an independent multilink suspension promises a brighter day when it comes to ride comfort. Which must mean the reason I was getting thrashed around by these jumpy, jiggly, hoppy, droppy shocks lies elsewhere. You barely notice it in a ten-minute cross-town jaunt, but spend enough time on the freeway and youll definitely notice too much bounce and that certain types of bumps cycle through the suspension more than once - an indication of the classic underdamped-and-oversprung problem, and possibly of that ladder frames mediocre absorption abilities. If this is the price to be paid for the somewhat playful chassis, I demand a refund.

Freeway cruising isnt bad otherwise; the Grand Vitara knows how to walk a straight line and its not too noisy aside from all that wind buffeting the side mirrors. Fuel economy was no surprise for a little battering ram, averaging only 20 MPG despite 75% of the drive having been conducted at 75 MPH.

The surprise was encountering the most inept cruise control system Ive encountered in my decade-long driving lifetime. The Accelerate button wont take multiple orders, so inching up by 5 MPH takes five presses spread out over 30 seconds. Or you could hold it down, but then youll get full throttle and a dramatic double-downshift. It wont downshift when using "Resume," prolonging that operation pretty badly, and when it finally does resume, it settles on a speed exactly 2 MPH below what it was before. Heck, even when you set a fresh speed, 2 MPH will mysteriously taper off over time.

None of this will strand you by the roadside, but its not cool when your rides got more MPH than IQ.

Auto-trex Advice about the 2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara

In today’s urban reality of crumbling, traffic-choked roads and increasingly tight parking spots, the 2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara makes great sense. It’s small, a nimble handler, equipped to battle snowstorms without giving much up in terms of ride and handling. Because its engineered for real off-roading, the Grand Vitara is stout enough to take the pummeling doled out by potholes and frost heaves, and if you lead that active lifestyle that every marketer talks about but few Americans actually engage in, the Grand Vitara’s got the goods to get you farther off the beaten path than many of its competitors. Add in the impressive powertrain warranty, quality construction, and tailored design inside and out, and it’s hard not to recommend a look at this rugged little ute. The trade-off, however, is interior size and driving refinement. The Grand Vitara’s V6 is adequate, no more, and the rear seat is tight for use by adults or rear-facing child seats. A family hauler this Suzuki is not.

There isn’t a big cost savings here but the seven-year or 100,000-mile transferable powertrain warranty makes considering the 2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara a worthwhile option. This is a decent vehicle depending on your needs. It isn’t a serious family hauler due to the lack of storage space and seating, but it would be a great vehicle for a college student or an active single person that needs a 4X4 and the small available cargo space for a bike, rock climbing gear or anything of that size and nature.