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The 40 mpg Cars of 2013

2009 Suzuki Grand Vitara

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Curious about the newer model? Check out the 2013 Suzuki Grand Vitara

Overview

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2009 Suzuki Grand Vitara Review

By KBB.com Editors

The junior member of Suzuki's appealing sport utility vehicle lineup, the compact 2009 Grand Vitara provides a comfortable, versatile and very livable alternative to a conventional station wagon or crossover utility vehicle – and has the power and mechanical capability to complete its mission on or off the road. Available in base, Premium, XSport and Luxury trim, this slick Suzuki offers room for five, a generous assortment of standard features plus the choice of rear- or full-time four-wheel drive, and wraps it in one of the longest and most owner-friendly warranties in the business. It needs all of that to compete in one of the toughest and most heavily populated markets, a segment where it must take on everything from the Ford Escape, Jeep Liberty, Mitsubishi Outlander and Saturn VUE to the Honda CR-V, Kia Sportage, Nissan Rogue and Toyota RAV4.

You'll Like This Car If...

Those seeking a combination of practicality and capability in a vehicle that's easy to drive, easy to live with and doesn't cost a fortune in gas should find the 2009 Grand Vitara well worth a look. The availability of the 4-Mode full-time four-wheel drive system adds even more all-season and on- and off-road appeal to the mix.

You May Not Like This Car If...

Buyers who demand a premium level interior with such options as navigation may be happier with the Honda CR-V. Those who expect a high resale value when it comes time to trade in their cars won't be happy with the Grand Vitara's middle-of-the-pack ranking.

What's New for 2009

Along with a revised front end, the 2009 Suzuki Grand Vitara touts two new engines: a 2.4-liter four cylinder and a 3.2-liter V6. Interior improvements include illuminated steering wheel controls, a sliding feature added to the center armrest and sun visors and improved ventilation and audio controls.

Driving the Grand Vitara

Driving Impressions Rear-drive or four-wheel drive, the 2009 Suzuki Grand Vitara has a solid feel, thanks to its integrated body-frame construction that combines the best of unitized design with supplemental full length...

and width structural rails. Its compact size and fairly tight 36.0-foot turning circle makes maneuvering easy even in relatively tight confines. Tire drone and wind noise do get a bit more pronounced on rougher roads and at higher speeds, but overall isolation levels are livable if not best-in-class. Standard stability control and anti-lock disc brakes with Electronic Brake-force Distribution give the Grand Vitara a confident character regardless of the number of wheels being driven. Hard cornering does elicit some body roll, but not an excessive amount; after all, it's not a sports car. The supplemental low-gear range gives four-wheel drive versions impressive off-road capability, although the additional weight does impact on-road performance and fuel economy.

Favorite Features

Optional 4-Mode Full-Time Four-Wheel-Drive
The Grand Vitara's versatile 4-Mode full-time four-wheel-drive system features a locking differential with 4HI, 4HI and 4LO lock modes and incorporates a locking center differential to help tame everything from slick pavement to rocky trails. It also has a convenient "neutral" setting that permits easy flat-towing, such as behind a motor home.

Available SmartPass Keyless Entry System
A feature normally found on more expensive vehicles, the available SmartPass system lets you leave the key/transmitter in your pocket or purse and lock and unlock the Grand Vitara by pushing a button on the door handle and start or stop the engine by turning a switch on the steering column.

2009 Suzuki Grand Vitara Details

Interior

The Grand Vitara's tastefully designed cabin complements hard-plastic trim elements with numerous soft-touch surfaces. Cloth upholstery and silver plastic accents on the base, Premium and XSport are replaced by leather and faux wood in the Luxury model. All boast legible instruments, logical control layouts and three 12-volt power points. The comfortable front seats provide good lateral support while the seatbacks of the 60/40-split rear bench offer adjustable reclining and room for two six-foot adults or three kids. Flipping and tumbling both sides to their forward position increases cargo capacity from 24.4 cubic feet to 68.9 cubic feet (marginally less with the optional sunroof).

Exterior

The Grand Vitara applies traditional SUV styling cues to a scaled-down package with just the right rounding of contours to yield a clean and contemporary appearance. Up front, its black mesh grille and lower front air-intake inserts are punctuated by a prominent chrome Suzuki logo, while the large right-hinged rear tailgate mounts a full-size spare tire in an available lockable hard-shell case. A large upright glass area ensures good driver sightlines, and well-sized doors, plus a big swinging tailgate to simplify loading of people and cargo. Purposefully bulged fenders house 225/70 all-season tires fitted to 16-inch steel wheels on the base model and aluminum rims on the XSport, while the top-line Luxury model has 225/65 tires on larger 17-inch alloys.

Notable Equipment

Standard Equipment

All 2009 Suzuki Grand Vitaras include a generous set of standard features. Even the rear-drive base model with a five-speed manual transmission includes power windows, locks and mirrors, 16-inch wheels, automatic digital climate control, an AM/FM/CD/MP3 audio system, tilt steering wheel and automatic headlamps. The Premium adds privacy glass, a spare tire cover, cruise control, steering wheel audio controls and on four-wheel drive models, heated side mirrors. Step up to the XSport or the leather-trimmed Luxury model and you gain a five-speed automatic transmission Hill Descent Control and Hill Hold Control, upgraded audio package with six-disc CD changer, power sunroof, roof rails, SmartPass keyless entry and starting, fog lamps, alloy wheels and more. On the safety front, Electronic Stability Program ,anti-lock brakes with Electronic Brake-force Distribution, and front, front-side and side-curtain airbags are standard across the lineup.

Optional Equipment

Beyond the specific feature enhancements included in each of its three trim levels, Grand Vitara factory extras are relatively few. Base model buyers can opt for the automatic transmission, hard-shell spare-tire case and a cargo cover while the 4-Mode full-time four-wheel-drive system is available on all Grand Vitaras. Key dealer-installed options include Bluetooth wireless connectivity, XM Satellite Radio and an iPod integration kit.

Under the Hood

A new 2.4-liter four cylinder is added to the lineup, offering improved fuel economy and a lower base price. The 2.4-liter produces 166 horsepower and earns an impressive 26 miles per gallon highway when teamed with the standard five-speed manual transmission. The XSport and Luxury models are powered by an all-new 3.2-liter V6 engine that makes 230 horsepower, an increase of 45 additional horsepower over last year's 2.7-liter V6. Despite the increase in power, the new V6 delivers better fuel economy estimates in both city and highway driving. Both rear-drive and four-wheel drive models can tow up to a 3,000-pound trailer.

2.4-liter in-line 4
166 horsepower @ 6000 rpm
162 lb.-ft. of torque @ 4000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 19/26 (RWD, manual), 19/25 (RWD, automatic), 19/25 (4WD, manual), 19/23 (4WD, automatic)

3.2-liter V6
230 horsepower @ 6200 rpm
213 lb.-ft. of torque @ 3500 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 18/24 (RWD), 17/23 (4WD)

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2009 Suzuki Grand Vitara Consumer Reviews

Overall Rating

8.1

Out of 10

Based on 185 Ratings for the 2006 - 2013 models.

Review this car

Value

8.4/10

Quality

8.3/10
Reliability

8.7/10

Performance

8.3/10
Comfort

8.5/10

Styling

8.7/10

Not such a great buy with the best warranty

By J (NY) on Tuesday, July 30, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 65,500

10 6.0

overall rating 6 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 6/10
Value: 7/10
Reliability: 7/10
Quality: 5/10
Performance: 5/10
Styling: 7/10
Comfort: 7/10

Pros: "Not a bad vehicle to drive short distances"

Cons: "Doesn't age well, falling apart after 4 years."

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 5

"Gasoline mileage per gallon is probably less than its competitors. Four wheel-drive all the time nets 15mpg city to 20mpg highway. Constantly in the shop for brake work. In the seven years with this vehicle, I’ve had it in for minor brake work to major brake work – replacing all the brakes. Overtime this vehicle has developed many noises from a squeaky driver’s seat that cannot seem to be silenced by the dealer’s mechanics to many other oddity noises. I’ve had the o-rings replace because they were allowing gasoline to spraying where it shouldn’t have been."

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Great SUV for the price

By suzukiluv (PA) on Wednesday, May 15, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 5,100

10 9.0

overall rating 9 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 9/10
Value: 8/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 10/10
Performance: 8/10
Styling: 9/10
Comfort: 9/10

Pros: "Standard features and comfort"

Cons: "gas mileage."

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 9

"We have had our 2013 Suzuki Grand Vitara for a few months now. No regrets buying it. Yes the gas mileage could be better we are getting a combined hyw/city of 19.8 It does not seem as sluggish as people have described. The list of standard features is incredible. So far I would buy another one but will not be able to now."

1 person out of 1 found this review helpful

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Great SUV for the price

By suzukiluv (PA) on Wednesday, May 15, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 5,100

10 9.0

overall rating 9 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 9/10
Value: 8/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 10/10
Performance: 8/10
Styling: 9/10
Comfort: 9/10

Pros: "Standard features and comfort"

Cons: "gas mileage."

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 9

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Very disappointed

By Brs (PA) on Wednesday, May 01, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 1,300

10 2.0

overall rating 2 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 2/10
Value: 9/10
Reliability: 1/10
Quality: 4/10
Performance: Not Rated
Styling: 10/10
Comfort: 7/10

Pros: "Sale price, nav, touchscreen radio"

Cons: "Everything else"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 1

"2013-GV Worst gas mileage ever, average 20.5 on highway. Dash rattles, cd got stuck first day, gas lid doesn't open ( have to pry it while another person holds the gas popper). RIdes real rough, notice every single crack you hit."

2 people out of 3 found this review helpful

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Very Nice SUV

By sunshine (CA) on Sunday, April 28, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 46,000

10 8.0

overall rating 8 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 8/10
Value: 7/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 9/10
Performance: 9/10
Styling: 9/10
Comfort: 10/10

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 7

"I bought the suv brand new and the only problem i have ever had and it is still ongoing is the Brakes,they keeps going out of alignment. The seats are the best you can drive for miles with no backache."

1 person out of 1 found this review helpful

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my second new suzuki. best ever.

By twolane (OR) on Tuesday, April 09, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 5,000

10 10.0

overall rating 10 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Reliability: 9/10
Quality: 10/10
Performance: 9/10
Styling: 9/10
Comfort: 10/10

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"Had a 2008 SX4 Touring, 50,000 miles, zero problems. Traded in on the 2012 Grand Vitara Limited. Last Limited on the west coast before Suzuki pulled out of the market. Has much more content for the price than any other SUV. Is a billy goat off-road just like the SX4. I needed a little larger vehicle for my new job, so I went with the Grand Viagra over the SX4.Like the fact that most of the interior controls are the same as the SX4. Suzuki is like Mercedes in that, when something works, they don't change it. mechanically, for the price ($20,000), has all the accident avoidance and real 4WD that costs extra on the rest in this catagory. Styling is much better, tight lines, no overhang, built to be an SUV. 4 banger has plenty of power, decent mileage, 20.3 mostly city so far. GPS is removeable, custom made by Garmin for this car. even has my exact car and color for the 3d!. love the voice command and traffic alert function. easy upload from Garmin. heated seats and keyless start are great in cold weather with gloves on. carried 5 sets of clubs the other day and only used 1/3 of the back with folded rear seat."

3 people out of 3 found this review helpful

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See all 185 reviews