written by Dogmad on 22/02/2007
Good Points
Practical
Value for money
Cheap servicing via an independent garage
Economical for its size
Easy to drive
Comfortable
Bad Points
Rear door handle broke
Rear parcel shelf fell to pieces
General Comments
I've now owned a Suzuki Grand Vitara 2000 for 3 years, I normally change my car every 3 years buying an ex-demonstrator to save money on the new list price, this year how ever I shall keep this car and buy a new one for my wife instead.
It's been a real work horse, being used to carry building materials and rubbish as we've renovated our home over the last years.
People moan about Chelsea tractors and them being pointless, the Grand Vitara is actually a cleaner vehicle then many executive cars on the road and has a smaller footprint then many other cars, including people carriers that also clog the school run.
The 4X4 also comes in useful, living in the country we often have to pull over to pass other cars, having 4x4 we can pull right over on to verges with out the fear of being getting two wheels stuck or damaged by a passing motorist who doesn't know how wide their car actually is, only yesterday this happened with the rear wheel off the road and spinning uselessly, all it took was to slip the car in to four wheel drive, drive back on to the road and away we went. Being a five door there's also plenty of room in the back with the seats up for my 3 working English Springers Spaniels, the four wheel drive copes will with deep mud even with road tires on, and the car goes well off road.
OK, the Suzuki doesn't have the street cred that Land Rovers have, but then they cost three times more and at the end of the day most of then like the Suzuki's never go off road seriously.