2005 Suzuki Reno: In The Autoblog Garage Day 3
By far the most impressive aspect of the Suzuki Reno is the interior. I'm
going to spend a lot of time applauding the work the company has done to this cool little hatchback. Again I'll compare
it to the Kia Spectra that was redesigned this year and also marvel at how come other brands can't make cheap cars feel
not so cheap.
Notice the first picture here (click on it for larger version) and see the semetric bar going across the dash and the cool air vents. This is plastic made to look like metal but is nice to the touch and offers a very stylish contrast of dark and light greys to the cabin. I'm no design student or critic but I know what I like and the Reno is one of those rare economy cars that will not make you feel like you're driving an economy car. It also follows the Chevy Aveo in making something inexpensive look more upscale. The Spectra felt cheap to me at all times. Flimsy map holders to a boring center stack reminded me that no one will be impressed with the Spectra.
In the Reno there are tons
of trays, cubbies
and two front cup holders that can adjust to fit small water bottles, a must these days. I wasnt impressed by the CD
player and speaker quality but the sound system was head and tails better than the last Suzuki I tested, the much more
expensive Verona, and obviously its better than the Chevy Aveo.
There is a rather large for the class sunroof that opens easily. The door panels also follow the lines of the dash and are laid out well. The drivers side window has an auto-down function and I guess that means it matches that feature on the double the price Subaru Legacy GT. And the doors have some decent weight to them adding to the aura of better quality.
Some things I dont like include the
tray under the CD
player. It is popping up a little from the plastic underneath. Its not a huge deal but shows some poor quality in
an otherwise very tight package. Im also a bit disappointed with the seat support and Im not a fan of leather in a
car in this price range but overall Id give the interior a big thumbs up.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
sammy 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
how does it compare to the hyundai elentra?
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David Thomas 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
honestly I haven't been in a new Elantra yet! I don't get into every car out there unfortunately but I did have extensive time with the similar Spectra so used that as the comparison.
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Alan Bedenko 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
That's not bad at all for what's generally considered to be a cheapo car. Ital Design designed the car.
I know in Canada, that car is branded as a Chevy. I did a double-take a few months ago when I saw it, because it didn't _look_ like a Chevy.
So, my dopey question: Does the radio feature RDS?
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David Thomas 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
man you're killing me. you want to know about RDS! The car just got picked up. You caught me I'm posting behind from the holiday etc. Sorry my man. i'll try and find out for you though.
Yes I like GM going to Italy for their economy cars like this and the Aveo. Now why not those new corssovers they just released? that would've been interesting.
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Alan Bedenko 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
Since GM owns an interest in Fiat (if not the whole thing - I can't keep up with that saga), maybe they could modify some of the cooler Fiat crossovers for the States.
But I realize as I'm writing this that it's too much to ask, since they make more on the 10 MPG avalanche than they'd ever make on a rebadged Fiat.
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