Forenza Wagon features value, style
Pity the poor station wagon. Beaten, battered and bruised by successive waves of minivans, SUVs and crossover vehicles, the humble wagon clings tenaciously to survivor status, a mere shadow of its former desirable self.
Two cases to illustrate. A year or so ago, my youngest daughter began making noises about buying a small SUV. It took me a while to figure out that her maternal instincts had kicked in and she was paving the way, as it were, for my first grandchild.
That’s well and good, I told her, with a parent’s unwanted reasoning, but why spend all that money when you could do just as well with a small wagon. After all, she lives in a city that rarely sees snow and she hasn’t skied since high school.
The look she shot me told me she questioned the wisdom of extending the family line.
Her husband was no help. At the time his stable included a vintage Mustang, a vintage Land Cruiser and a new Jetta.
These people were not station wagon candidates.
Then my friend Gary got an itch for a hotrod German sedan but could only get the options he wanted, configured the way he wanted them, in a wagon.
He was tormented. He wanted the car so bad his teeth hurt. But he couldn’t imagine owning a wagon.
I finally convince him he’d never regret buying the wagon; which, fortunately, has turned out to be the case.
If manufacturers built cars only for the U.S. market, wagons would be as gone as Plymouth, Oldsmobile and Studebaker. Like manual transmissions, station wagons are an endangered species here.
The rest of the world sees things differently. On the crowded streets of Asia and Europe, small wagons are valued for their utility and economy. How else to carry your family and its gear without paying an SUV’s fuel penalty? And if you have a really big load, just drop the rear seats and cram it in.
The latest little wagon to try its luck on these shores comes from Suzuki, a company best known stateside for its motorcycles and small SUVs. New for 2005 and based on the Forenza sedan, the Forenza Wagon offers legitimate four-passenger seating, impressive fit-and-finish, handsome styling and a terrific warranty.
Even at its base price of $14,494 (including destination), the Forenza comes equipped with air conditioning, including micron air filter; AM/FM audio with CD and cassette players; power mirrors, windows and door locks; heated mirrors; tilt steering wheel with satellite audio controls; front- and side-impact airbags; and four-wheel disc brakes (ABS, with electronic brake-force distribution, is a $500 option on all models).
Also standard is a jumbo warranty, perhaps the best tool in existence to convince wary drivers to try your product. The engine and transmission are covered by a transferable seven-year/100,000-mile warranty, which takes care of the big-ticket items, and a 24-hour roadside assistance program promotes peace of mind.
The only engine offered is a 2-liter four-banger that makes 126 horsepower. It’s not the most sophisticated power plant in the class, nor the most fuel-efficient (20 city/28 highway), but it provides decent around-town performance and cruises comfortably at freeway speeds.
Load it up with passengers and gear, and you’ll need to watch your elbowroom when entering the freeway.
At speed, the Forenza Wagon is a downright pleasant performer. Most notable in its absence is the cargo-hold boominess that often afflicts wagons and hatchbacks as that empty chamber turns into a road-noise amplifier.
Instead, wind and road noise are kept to a minimum and a surprisingly sophisticated suspension — it includes front and rear stabilizer bars and gas-pressurized dampers — keeps the wagon calm and planted. You wouldn’t want to thrash it through the corners, but under normal conditions it gets around just fine, and with minimal body lean. Fifteen-inch tires are standard, so one shouldn’t expect a lot of sticking power.
Suzuki outsources design to Italy’s famed Pininfarina studios, which proves a good investment. Both the wagon and its sedan sibling are handsome little critters, with clean, unornamented lines and a subtle touch of wheel-well sculpting.
Interior plastics are at least one flight up from the bargain-basement petroleum products often offered at the entry level, and nice use of aluminum-look trim lightens the works and lends a touch of elegance.
As is common in small cars, the audio controls verge on being too small, but they all make sense and are easy to use – all but the radio’s “seek” function, which is combined with “tune” and demands a fine touch to prevent overshooting the next station up the dial.
The seats are adequate, even for large American bodies, and seem to offer decent lumbar support, although a long road trip might prove me wrong on that count.
As for a wagon’s primary purpose in life, the Forenza acquits itself admirably. With both rear seats in the upright position, the cargo capacity is 24.4 cubic feet. Fold them down and it will accept 61.4 cf, which is right up there with the class-leading Subaru Impreza wagon, which will handle 61.6 cf.
Wagons may not stir the soul of the typical American driver, but when utility and economy are demanded, a small wagon might just answer the call. And if there’s a little wagon in your future, there’s a new player in town.