Mother Proof's view

This is the time of year when those of us who live in places where it snows begin to dream about beaches and warm sunny days that are still a long way away. Instead, we have inches of snow piled up on our lawns, a guilt complex over not wanting to go outside and play with the kids, and a healthy dose of apprehension about driving. It was with this mindset that I went to pick up the Suzuki SX4 Sport, which I thought would be an all-wheel-drive vehicle like one I drove last year. Well surprise, surprise – this was a sedan and didn’t have AWD. (All-wheel drive is still available on the SX4, just not on the model I drove. To see what all has changed since last year, check out a side-by-side comparison here.)

All the same, I pulled out onto the icy, snow-covered streets outside Mother Proof’s Global Headquarters and was pleasantly surprised with the SX4’s ability to perform in the snow. The front-wheel drive easily pulled this little sedan from the stop sign with no wheel spin. Each of the starts, stops and turns during my two-week drive were equally impressive. About two days into the drive, I dubbed the car the Suzuki Snow Cat, which eventually became just “the Snow Cat” to my kids. Unlike a real Snow Cat, however, the low stance of this car made it easy for the kids to get in and out. (For our fair-weather friends out there, a Snow Cat is a giant snow tractor used for grooming ski slopes, among other things.) Because its winter driving performance was so awesome, the Snow Cat became our vehicle of choice for all our errands, which is saying something in mid-December. The Suzuki wouldn’t be the best vehicle to take on shopping adventures if you were planning to buy a 42-inch TV, but for the myriad toys, clothes and small electronics on my list, it was great. Having a trunk that discreetly hid all the goodies from curious little eyes was a huge advantage.

The downside was that having a trunk full of gifts meant that the kids’ regular gear had to find a place inside the car. Now that was a challenge. For a small family, let’s say one child, the size would be no problem (though the four-star safety rating might be). There are three kids in my family, one of whom is almost 6 feet tall, so the small size meant body parts touching in the backseat on a regular basis and, thus, plenty of arguments that began and ended with “she’s touching my pinky.” I also couldn’t take my entire family anywhere in this car. Sure, there’s a seat belt in the middle position in the back, but I didn’t have the heart to make my teenager squeeze into a space that was about the width of his right thigh. I did take my 9-year-old niece in the middle seat a few times, and even her little bottom was thoroughly scrunched.

The Suzuki SX4 might be a car to consider for the new-driver set, except for the fact that there’s no auxiliary input for plugging in an iPod – hard to believe, I know – and that less-than-perfect safety rating. My soon-to-be-driving teen is of the opinion that any car would be better than no car, though, so he said he would be willing to overlook just about any shortcoming (all the way up to wooden tires, I suspect). The price is definitely right, with the base model starting at just over $14K. A couple thousand more adds cruise control, a heated outside mirror and steering-wheel-mounted controls for the radio and cruise settings. Forget the automatic transmission, though – that will cost you another $1,100, bringing your price tag in line with several other models in this class. I think even the Suzuki SX4 all-wheel-drive hatchback would probably be a better choice for my money.

For more information on the Suzuki SX4 Sport and its safety features, visit Cars.com. With questions or comments regarding this review, write to editor@motherproof.com.

LET’S TALK NUMBERS

Latch Connectors: 2

Seating Capacity (includes driver): 5 (barely)

IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS THAT COUNT

Storage Compartments (Puny, Fair, Ample, Galore): Fair

Cargo/Trunk Space (Puny, Fair, Ample, Galore): Fair – Fair

SENSE AND STYLE

Family Friendly (Not Really, Fair, Great, Excellent): Fair

Fun-Factor (None, Some, Good Times, Groove-On): Some

Specs

2008 Suzuki SX4 Sport

Base price: $15,270

Price as tested: $15,270

Engine: 143-hp, 2.0-liter I-4

Fuel: 22/30 mpg

Length: 177.6″

Width: 68.1″

Ground clearance: 6.3″

Turning Radius: 17.4′

Cargo space: 15.0 cu. ft.

NHTSA Crash-Test Ratings

Frontal Impact

Driver’s side: 4 Stars

Passenger’s side: 4 Stars

Side Impact

Front occupant: 5 Stars

Rear occupant: 4 Stars

Rollover resistance: 4 Stars