It’s easy to be cynical about cars these days. Prices are high, styling is by and large atrocious, and everything feels way too serious. Add in all this self-driving folderol and the headaches that go along with a car being connected to the internet, and the modern automotive landscape can make you want to give it all up and just walk everywhere. But luckily, I have a one-word cure for your gearhead blues: Suzuki.
Yesterday was all about Nissan. We looked at cars from two different eras, and considering Nissan’s reputation in recent years, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that the older Stanza won. The Versa may have done better if it had a manual, but the CVT’s reputation sealed its fate.
Ordinarily, I would choose the Stanza as well, but I remembered, too late to mention it, that the Stanza has automatic seat belts. I can grudgingly tolerate them, but my wife hates them, so the old beige box could never find a home in our garage. I rented a first-generation Versa back when they were new, and it was fine. I’m sure it still is.
Suzuki stopped selling cars in the US in 2012, after two and a half decades. It all started with the Samurai and the badge-engineered Chevy Sprint, both of which defined the term “cheap and cheerful.” The company still sells motorcycles, ATVs, and boat engines here, but we are denied the latest iterations of fun little vehicles like the Swift and the Jimny. We have to get our Suzuki fix on the used market. Fortunately, lots of cool little Suzukis have aged into import eligibility and have found their way to the US. Today, we’re going to take a look at one such import, and one small SUV that was sold here new.
1997 Suzuki Alto Works – $7,500
Engine/drivetrain: Turbocharged 658 cc DOHC inline 3, three-speed automatic, FWD
Location: Durham, NC
Odometer reading: 130,000 kilometers
Operational status: Runs and drives well
Japanese kei vehicles are a hot topic these days; these pint-sized cars seem to have taken American car culture by storm. The vast majority of kei cars aren’t all that interesting, though; most are just boring little hatchbacks. Enthusiasts tend to favor the spicier variants. After all, it costs the same to import a regular Suzuki Alto as it does this turbocharged Works model, so why not go for the fun version?
I didn’t realize this until I started looking into them, but the majority of kei cars are automatics. You’d think small cars would benefit from a manual transmission, but I guess traffic is bad enough in Japan to make the automatic more desirable. Kei engines are limited to 660 cubic centimeters, and a “gentleman’s agreement” between automakers limits horsepower to 64, but this Alto, like many others, pushes right up to those limits. I would imagine that just about anything modern could outrun this thing, but it sure looks fast, and I bet it feels fast, since it’s so small. It just had a bunch of maintenance work done, including the timing belt, so it should be good to go.
The interior is in good shape, and it includes these racy-looking seats. It is of course right-hand-drive, which presents all sorts of challenges in a left-hand-drive country, but kei cars are pretty narrow. There’s a chance you could just lean across to reach drive-thru windows.
It has been repainted, and it looks like it used to be white. I’m not sure if I consider the red an improvement, but it is nice and shiny. The wheels have some scuffs on them, but that’s all I see. I do love the double rear spoiler, though I don’t know how much good it does on a car with a top speed of 85 MPH.
1999 Suzuki Vitara JX – $4,995
Engine/drivetrain: 2.0-liter DOHC inline 4, four-speed automatic, 4WD
Location: Kent, WA
Odometer reading: 166,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
Suzuki first built a small 4×4 way back in 1970, and first sold one in America in 1986. The Jimny, sold here as the Samurai, was a big hit – despite Consumer Reports‘ best efforts – and in 1989 it was followed up with a larger and more sophisticated model, the Sidekick. The Sidekick was also sold through Chevy/Geo dealers as the Tracker. For the second generation, Suzuki dropped the Sidekick name in favor of Vitara, the name used in the rest of the world. By the time this one was built, most Vitaras were four-door wagons. This two-door convertible is uncommon.
The old Samurai and Sidekick were not known for an excess of power. This second generation does a bit better, with a 2.0-liter four that makes 127 horsepower and 134 pound-feet of torque. This one has an automatic transmission, which wouldn’t be my first choice, but sometimes you have to take what you can get. It’s being sold by a dealer, so we don’t get any history. As always, you’d be wise to do a careful inspection, or bring along someone who can.
The Vitara is a lot nicer and more car-like than earlier Suzuki 4x4s. It has power windows and air conditioning and all that good stuff, which makes it a little more pleasant to live with if you drive it daily. It also has cool seat fabric, though it does sort of give Extended Stay sofa vibes.
I don’t think it’s actually green on the bottom; I think that’s just a weird tone in the photos. It’s probably silver. This would have originally come with a soft top, but it wears an aftermarket cap that sort of looks like a tiny truck topper. Whether or not it still includes the soft top, I don’t know. It also looks like it might have had a tow bar on the front bumper too; these were popular as tow-behind vehicles for RVs, because of the manual transfer case. Put it in neutral, and you can flat-tow it easily.
These are both a little expensive for what they are, but that’s just how the market is these days. Sure, they’d be more engaging with manual transmissions, but if you can’t have fun with an automatic, you aren’t trying hard enough. And these two both look like fun to me. Which one looks like more fun to you?
I have a tracker (SOHC, 3spd which tbh we don’t use enough) and its a blast. It’s a basic, unrefined, simple vehicle and you just don’t get that anymore. They’re charming. I’d really like the DOHC engine that this one has, and a couple power accessories are kinda nice too. The 3 speed autos on these are not great, but they do the job. It’s not really a road trip car anyways so around town you’re golden.
Am I the only child here that calls these things Suzuki Viagras and Grand Viagras?
Either way, I went with it mostly because I can’t even imagine how terrible an automatic 660cc vehicle would be to try and drive on American roads. Even city ones.
No, no you are not. I also chose the blue pill today.
Even worse with RHD. Gimme the Viagra so I can put G-Wagen badges on it.
I’ll take the Suzuki.
“a regular Suzuki Alto as it does this turbocharged Works model, so why not go for the fun version?”
I mean a 3 speed auto and the word fun only mingle when talking drag racing a 60’s muscle car, and even then the bench racers still wish it had 4 on the floor. Even though most cannot be repeatable enough with the shifting at a light to be competitive regularly.
That being said I imagine I would still take the Kei. Just because I want one at some point and this one is fine. it is no Autozam, but it would suffice.
BHPH dealer in KENT?
PASS.
This would be a killer two-car garage for my better half and me. She’s driven boxy little SUVs her whole life and has no intention of stopping, and I have made tiny hatchbacks my entire personality (username checks out?). Since there is no “both” option today and I’m responding for myself here – I would drive the crap out of that Alto.
Sorry, nothing is cute enough to get over 65 hp, an auto, and a fart can muffler. Let me grab my old Soundgarden CDs, ditch the top and I’d cruise the Vitara all afternoon!
At least it is the 2 door sport variant. But still.
I had 10 grand saved up to buy an Alto Works RS/Z. I had spent countless hours researching everything I could for parts availability (Not too bad actually! Suzuki actually sold a snowmobile with a K6A in the US for a few years), whether it was possible to drop in sealed beams in place of those headlights (it is but you need to build something to mount them on, like you do for some Honda motorcycles), whether it was better to have the AWD or the FF version of the car (AWD mostly just adds weight and makes the rear end a stick axle vs the independent rear the FF cars have). I drove 8 hours to Cleveland to look at one freshly imported, cash in hand.
I arrived at the dealer/importer and we talked at length and got on famously; until he told me that he was pretty sure that New York had just started banning registration of them within the past month (an early example of DMVs taking the law into their own hands like Mercedes has written a bunch about in the past year). After a Google search confirming I basically just shriveled up into a raisin and went home empty handed; completely dejected. Now that I moved to a state that explicitly allows Kei Car registration written into law, I will have one within the year (though I’m leaning more towards the maligned next generation car instead now).
I would never ever buy one with a 3 speed slushbox. Tracker all the way.
I’m way less of a stick shift queen than I used to be, but that little red alto really really really needs a stick.
The Alto looks to be very fun and engaging – even with the auto – but I’m not sure that I’d be prepared for all of the conversations it would generate wherever it would be driven. The Viagra er-uh Vitara is more my speed at this point in life.
I want to get a kei truck, but it’s something I would not run on roads of any substance or for any lengthy time period. Really have looked at them as a substitute to getting a side by side for farm work. A kei vehicle like the Alto is too much like a real car that you should just get the real car in the Vitara instead.
Cami, Cami, Cami, Cami, Cami Chameleon
You come and go, fun in deep snowww
Loving you is easy, just like a dream
Drop top machine, colour white as cream.
As I’m a man of Culture
Club, I’m picking the Vitara.Where were you yesterday when it was Stanzas and Versas?
You caught me slipping like a Jatco CVT
Well good news then, the 4-speed auto in the Vitara is generally regarded as pretty stout and reliable. I’d prefer a manual but if I have to have an auto, “reliable” being one of the first terms to come up in its description is a big win.
Vitaras are kind of fun, and a major improvement over the Samurai. Not loving the autobox, but I guess we can’t have everything. Still, it will do mild off-roading well, and isn’t awful on the highway. Pretty sure I remember seeing the two-tone on a Vitara wearing its original paint. I like it.
My experience with Kei cars is that you have to wind the bejeebers out of those mouse motors to make much forward progress. The automatic doesn’t encourage that. Otherwise, the Alto is nifty.
So both are really second choices today, manual transmissions away from being as fun as they could be.
I used to drive a Grand Vitara… so I’m going for the two-door convertible variant here.
*gasp!*
Keeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee *inhaaaaaaale* eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeicar!
*huff*…And since both be auto…*huff*….then I be Alto.
I was all over the little Alto until I saw the slushbox. Then I was entirely meh.
The Vitara fixed most of what was dreadful about the Samurai – namely, its willingness to exchange shiny for dirty sides facing up – while retaining a lot of its surprisingly capable offroadiness wrapped in a twee little Speedo-like fit. It’s got the hard top instead of the fabric fold-down; fold down roofs might be fun for some folks but never for me.
Vitara takes the cake today. Takes it waaaaaaayyyy out into the boonies.
Consumer Reports actually severely sabotaged the Samurai to roll over, it’s not really any less stable than other off-roaders of the era and in the video you can hear them cheering because they finally managed to roll it with some extremely aggressive maneuvering.
My grandpa had a 1990(?) Sidekick for years when I was a kid and teenager. Bought it at a yard sale for $1,000. Lots of good memories driving around his farm and the countryside with him in that thing. I even got to drive it once I got my license. It’s nothing special to drive, and I’d really prefer the Sidekick version, but for noatalgia’s sake I’m going with the Vitara.
Beep Beep Hi!
I voted Vitara. It would be hard to pass up an imported baby offroader for this price, even if it has the wrong number of pedals. I’m torn as to whether or not I like the hard top – it presumably reduces noise considerably and is small/light enough I could remove and install it easily without help, but it looks weird. I don’t think it would keep me from buying this Vitara, but I would try to locate a soft top.
The Alto is interesting, but it isn’t for me. I think it is weirdly proportioned from most angles and I don’t like the front or rear end styling. Also, I prefer “normal” cars – I can’t fix most car problems myself, and finding someone willing to work on this car might be challenging. Also, I’m not sure I would fit in this thing, even after losing 70 lbs. in the past year.
Well congrats on the weight loss at least.
Assuming that was what you were going for. If it’s cancer or you had a few yards of intestine removed, then my condolences.
It was intentional, so it is a good thing. No cancer or other medical maladies – just eating healthy-ish and exercise. It turns out weight loss is relatively easy if you first neglect your health and overeat for several decades. I wouldn’t recommend that strategy, though.
I probably can’t lose enough weight to fit in a kei car, but I’m far healthier and on a few less medications than this time last year.
Going against the (probable) grain today and choosing Alto! It’s more expensive, still an auto, but maybe that auto would make learning RHD a bit easier? Just point and go (eventually).
The learning curve for RHD in a LHD place (even with a manual) is not an issue for the most part. The most difficult thing is to remember that the turn signal stalk is now on the right side of the steering column. Don’t ask how many times I’ve activated the wipers instead of the turn signals on my Sambar.
I think that turn signal stalk belongs on the right side on RHD vehicles. Your left hand is (usually) on the shifter, so you need to use your right fingers for flicking the signal lever.
Back in the early 2000s, I was in the Cayman Islands and had a Daihatsu Cuore for a rental. That one was RHD, but the signal stalk was still on the left. And of course, it was a 5-speed, so when I needed to downshift to slow down while approaching an intersection where I also had to turn, it seemed I turned those damn wipers on all the time.
“0 – 60? Yes.”
I think that New Beetle billboard copy from the 90’s fits both these vehicles pretty well.
A tiny, high-revving, turbocharged engine would be a tragic thing to experience through a three-speed automatic transmission. I’ll take the Vitara, it’s cheap enough to off-road guilt-free.
Right?
“This peaky little mill needs something to carve off its rough edges.” Said no enthusiastic driver ever.
I dunno – REALLY depends on overall gearing. Turbos are GREAT with early 80s highway gears and long-ish first gear ratios in an automatic.
Gets you on boost and makes use of it before a shift has to happen.
Ex: RWD Volvo turbos are WAY better with the AW71 than the M46. The manuals did not get ratios swapped out for a better match to the turbo engine’s torque curve. Not much boost in 1st, which was also crazy short because the same gearbox was there to help a carbureted 2-liter version of tue same engine get 3200 pounds of car and occupants moving.
So maybe the turbo Alto with the Auto is a damned hoot
Fair point, it might be zippy enough to have fun in. Sadly, I live in a suburban flatland, so shifting gears is all there is to do most of the time, with a rare opportunity to take a corner when there’s good visibility and low traffic at a roundabout.
Guaranteed you can circle the roundabout with your right foot planted and barely steering.
Well, maybe not. Might be more entertaining to lust let the throttle go abruptly
The liftoff halfway through is where all the fun is! Besides, you won’t find sticky tires in that size, and economy rubber has… interesting handling behavior.
I’m not paying 8 large for an automatic Alto. Vitara it is.
That Alto Works is flexing a unique charm that the Vitara can’t even begin to aspire to. I’d say the Vitara is a better car to own for all the things but the irrational car person inside me chooses the little Alto.
Vitara, all day, every day.
I had a ’95 Geo Tracker as the first new car I ever bought. I loved that little guy, and my oldest even learned to drive in it. I’d love to have another one.