2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara consumer reviews

06 Grand Vitara Leather Loaded +On the Plus Side +Great value for the money. +Keyless entry / start is second to none. As long as you have the Key Fob on you you can un-lock the doors and start the engine. +All the saftey features you could ask for and more. Anti lock brakes, ESP, Traction Control +Home link system is great +Heated Leather seats +4x4 Hi/ Hi lock/ Low lock /Neutral +Climate control is great -Negatives - Automatic tranny is not good on the highway. It is down-shift happy. The slightest hill will have the tranny down shifting to 4th or 3rd even though you are giving it very little gas. It revs to over 5000 RPM on even the small hills out on the Highway. Stay away from the auto tranny. -Windshield wiper switch is backwards compared to other makes. Buttons for power acc are not lighted. -Rear door opens from the wrong side. Should have been hatch style and open up ward to help keep you dry when loading/un-loading in bad weather. What could have been a GREAT SUV is really ruined by a very bad Auto tranny. If you live in a hilly area STAY AWAY FROM THE AUTO TRANNY.. I had the dealer test drive and say it is normal for the Grand Vitara to rev like that (5000RPM) on the highway. And I had the regonal Rep take a test drive and say it is normal for the Grand Vitara to REV like this on small hills on the highway, it is normal. I have owned many cars and trucks and drivin many company cars and trucks but I have never seen an auto work this bad. Stay away from the Auto Trans. Rob

I will recommend this SUV to any one as it is real value for money with great style & driving pleasure. I was looking for a good SUV & came across this from a Nisan Dealer with 10,000 miles on it but still feel likes new as it is over 20,000 miles now.

I agree with the other reviews almost entirely. First of all, the car looks really sharp. I have the X-Sport package with 18 inch rims and tires, and an added sunroof. It looks real nice and stands out from the other comparable vehicles in its class like the Rav4 or CR-V and is cheaper. Other greats: the steering wheel controls, the temperature controls, the 6-disk cd in-dash changer, smooth riding and great handling. The cons: 19-20 mpg average, engine whines a bit when punched but is not too bad, a bit slow of a car for the lack of great mpg, the mpg indicator which goes up and down as the car goes slower or faster, up hills, downhills, when you let off the gas, braking, etc... It would have been nicer if the gauge just showed you what you have been averaging for mpg for the tank as a whole instead of what you are averaging every second you are driving. Or it would have been nice to take out this feature and add a compass instead. This would have been a better and more usable feature. All-in-all, it is a great looking vehicle with nice features, for a lot less money than comparable vehicles.

My version is the 4x4 luxury model. I am very impressed with the options and performance of this vehicle for the price that I paid. I am convinced this vehicle is equal in quality and economy to Honda and Toyota without the higher cost. I would recomend the addition of power seats and a more accurate mileage gauge.

After I put after market tires on this thing it absolutely tears it up off road. I found out that by using premium gas I get 3 MPG better gas mileage (Phillips 66) or around 22 MPG city!!! I only have two minor complaints...The options were tied into packages so I couldn't add a sunroof and I hoped for better gas mileage or would trade it for 50 more horsepower. Otherwise, this thing is SAWEEET!!!

chose the grand vitara after great consideration of two other suv's in its class. not at all sorry with my decision.

I purchased one of these in Jan 06 with the Premium package. I had wanted a small SUV that had ample room, was good on-road and off-road, lots of good features, and that I could afford. I found all these in the Grand Vitara. I looked at several other small SUVs, and none had such a good combination of all factors. I was very surprised at how well the GV drove on road. It felt very smooth and little road noise. Everything felt very solidly built. The styling is very attractive, I thought, and bore an uncanny resemblance to the RAV4. But unlike the RAV4, CRV, VUE, etc. it can actually go offroad! The interior is absolutely gorgeous. It is very well laid out and even the "aluminum" trim encircling the gauges looks very nice, and also on the shift knob and along the sides of the console (wood trim in higher models). The wood and leather of the higher models looks even better, but I'm very happy with the black mesh cloth. It all looks more expensive than it is. Its very comfortable, even in the back seat with 3 people. It was also thousands less than the toyota, even when the toyota had only a 4cyl and fewer amenities. I got my premium package with 6 disc, 7 speakers (with subwoofer), keyfob, steering wheel mounted audio/cruise controls, auto climate control, 6cyl, 4x4, 5spd auto, ABS, traction control, 2spd transfer case, and more for just under 20K. (The RAV4 with 4cyl and less "stuff" was selling for about 27K when it first debuted in my local dealerships.) But every car has its cons. Automatic gear shifting was slightly jerky, but mostly from 1st to 2nd or when gunning the engine. Not enough to bother me, though. The car could use some more power, for when you really need to gun it, but it doesn't need to be a sports car. It could also be more fuel efficient. Suzuki has been making engines for a long time, you'd think they could either make it more powerful or more gas friendly. Preferably both, but I'd rather see more fuel economy - the power is pretty good as is. The engine also likes to whine a little when you're punching the gas, but I'm usually too busy blaring my Clarion audio system to notice! But, in short, this Suzuki is a whole other animal than its previous incarnations. It is refined, handsome, more powerful, inexpensive and multicapable at the same time. I love it. I would buy it all over again.