2008 Suzuki Forenza Sedan

The Suzuki Forenza represents an affordable choice for families looking for decent space, safety, power and fuel economy wrapped up in a European-inspired package. It is available in both sedan and wagon configurations.

Introduced to the market in 2004, this Suzuki sedan is less expensive and has more interior space than the class leaders, the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic. However, engineering refinement is not quite on par.

The Forenza owes its styling to the legendary Giugiaro design. Some would say it looks more upscale than its competition, but most would say it looks just like the four-door, five-seat runabout that it is.

The sole engine for the Forenza is a 2.0-liter 16-valve four-cylinder with 127 horsepower and 131 pound-feet of torque, merely adequate for shuffling this 2,756-pound sedan around the city and getting it up to speed on the highway. The EPA estimates fuel economy at 20 mpg on the city cycle and 28 on the highway when equipped with the standard five-speed manual transmission. The city number drops by one mpg with the optional four-speed automatic (the highway number stays the same).

The Forenza comes with a long list of safety and convenience features as standard. They include four-wheel disc brakes, dual front and side airbags, a tire pressure monitoring system, six-speaker CD stereo, air conditioning, 15-inch steel wheels with wheel covers, and power features (windows, door locks and heated exterior mirrors).

For just $400, the Convenience Package adds cruise control, steering wheel-mounted audio controls and remote keyless entry with security system.

For $2,100, the Popular Package includes all the items from the Convenience Package and adds the four-speed automatic transmission, fog lights and a power sunroof.

Anti-lock brakes with Electronic Brake-force distribution are available only with the Convenience Package.