Comparison review: eight compact SUVs (seventh place)

This 2009 Suzuki Grand Vitara needed some gas before it could go on a test drive. With an EPA rating of 20 miles per gallon
in combined driving -- lower than its competitors -- the Grand Vitara will spend plenty of time refueling over its lifetime.
See more photos of the Grand Vitara below the article in today's slideshow.

For a vehicle that ranks so low, the Suzuki Grand Vitara can come off as an awfully nice vehicle. 

It’s comfortable inside, at least for four adult passengers. Its engine is quiet and acceptably peppy. Its interior feels upscale of the others in this comparison. Its handling is almost nimble. 

But the Grand Vitara suffers from the “excepts.” It’s a really nice vehicle, except for the bouncy ride that makes this SUV feel more like a truck than a car when it hits a bump. It’s really nice, except for the gas mileage that’s lower than the other seven. It’s really nice, except for just-adequate performance in some crash tests. It’s really nice, except for the relative lack of cargo space behind the rear seat.  

The Grand Vitara is easy to like, but you don’t have to give up so much when you buy your compact SUV.

Get in, and the Grand Vitara gives you a good impression of comfort and quality. Plastic and cloth trim feels nice, and an automatic climate control system is standard, another premium touch. However, some reviewers have criticized the Grand Vitara for having “dummy switch covers” – blank pieces of plastic where buttons would go to operate extra-cost equipment in pricier models – which they say cheapens the interior ambiance; many people will likely have no such complaint.

The front seats are mounted high and well-shaped, firm and quite comfortable overall. But although you get a good forward view, thick roof pillars cut into rear visibility. In the back, the high rear seat offers plenty of space and comfort for two adults, but the rear bench is narrower than in some of the Grand Vitara’s competitors, making a third passenger less comfortable. 

There’s surprisingly little cargo space behind the rear seat, barely more than the smallest Jeep Patriot at 24.4 cubic feet. Some competitors offer nearly 50 percent more room there. The rear seat tumbles forward instead of folding flat, but doing so opens up a more competitive 68.9 cubic feet. 

The cargo area is accessed by a swing-out door rather than a flip-up hatch because the spare tire is mounted there rather than under the vehicle or below the cargo floor. This makes the door easier to close, but you need more clearance behind the vehicle to get it open. A closed garage door, for example, could be an impediment. 

One of the first things you’ll notice as you drive the Grand Vitara is how much quieter the standard 4-cylinder engine is than most of its competitors’. It can get a bit harsh and noisy if you really push it, but it’s more pleasant in most situations than in many other compact SUVs. It offers good acceleration performance, too, especially at low speeds.

However, this engine does not minimize fuel consumption. The Grand Vitara is rated for just 19 miles per gallon in the city and 23 on the highway, lower than its 4-cylinder competitors and worse even than the V6 versions of some other small SUVs.

Another problem that quickly becomes apparent is the Grand Vitara’s ride comfort. Though it’s nice enough on smooth pavements, bumps slam through the stiff suspension more than in any of the other seven SUVs in this comparison. Though it’s a car-based SUV, the Grand Vitara feels more like a truck as it bounces over poor pavement. It does handle well, at least, with well-weighted steering and quick responses. 

The Grand Vitara sells for just a few dollars above the least expensive SUV of these eight; Fitzgerald Auto Malls will sell you the car driven for this review for $19,710, a price that’s been reduced since I drove it there nearly a month ago. However, with all but three vehicles in this comparison coming in under $21,000, the Grand Vitara’s price is approximately equal to most of its competitors’.

But the overall package is not.

The pleasant interior appointments and quiet engine are marred by a stiff, bouncy ride, mediocre gas mileage, and a lack of cargo space. The Grand Vitara has enough strengths to make a good impression, but its shortcomings add up to bring it down in the end. 

Overall grade: C