1997 Suzuki X-90 1.6 liter gasoline

Summary:

This car at 19 years of age is a testament to how automobiles can be designed

Faults:

Nothing at all.

General Comments:

We have crossed over into the high mileage category of "how long will this car last?" We are quite amazed. It has towed a small utility trailer with a motorcycle strapped on an 8,000 km trip. Gas mileage is great. I cannot say enough good about this car.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 17th May, 2015

1998 Suzuki X-90 4WD 2 door T tops 95 hsp

Summary:

Reliable car for the northwest, snow and sand fun with great MPG!

Faults:

It didn't come with A/C, and I had the dealer put it on. It blew shortly after purchase. They had charged it to an incorrect level and put the wrong belt on, they later told me.

General Comments:

I consistently got over 30 mpg on this car. It is one of those, love it or hate it. My husband HATED it. The seats are not really made for "big" people (read old and fat like us).

I used it as my daily commuter, living in the country on acreage and driving to the city, the 4 wd often came in handy. Being only 1 1/2 hours from the Pacific ocean, it was great to take the t-tops off and head to the beach where you can drive on the sand and have some fun.

Plenty of room for overnight/weekend luggage for two. My dogs loved the t-tops.

My husband is balding so he would have his t-top on to protect his head from sun-burning, I would have mine off. He would have the A/C on for his asthma. The 6 CD dish changer under the passenger seat was a bit inconvenient, but appreciated on a long trip.

Not something you want to drive across the country in for sure. But what else out there gets great mileage, never lets you down reliability wise... that you can EASILY park in the city.

Nothing I've had since compares (my husband was happy to see it go). We just agree to disagree on this one car!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 26th October, 2010

1997 Suzuki X-90 4 cylinder

Summary:

I love this car!!

Faults:

Nothing has gone wrong.

General Comments:

OK, call me crazy and laugh at me, but this is the best car EVER. (Well, maybe just for me). It admittedly isn't a race car, but that's its only shortcoming. It's perfectly comfortable doing 75-85 on the freeway, and if you get the manual transmission, you can get the hang of speed shifting it, so it keeps up with most cars from a stoplight. (Don't get an automatic). I'm convinced that this little SUV came out a decade before its time. With Smart cars, Mini Coopers and other small cars gaining popularity these days, this little car makes sense -- and at a fraction of the cost of a new car.

Here's what I like so much about it:

Uses regular gas.

Gets between 30-35 mpg.

Easy to drive, very comfortable, lots of headroom.

I even like the funky "retro-80s" interior.

Great heater and A/C.

Everyone thinks it's a new model of car.

The T-tops are awesome! It's a convertible SUV.

Extremely dependable.

Easily serviced.

Parts are cheeeeep and easy to get.

Easy to squeeze into tight parking places.

It's so danged cute.

People love it and ask me about it all the time.

Leaves a small "carbon footprint".

Easy to trick out if you want to do that.

Totally affordable fun.

Plenty of room in the trunk and behind the seat.

Rides high and has big windows all around, so the visibility is great.

Great Alpine stereo.

Practical for a single person or a couple with no kids.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 4th January, 2009

6th Mar 2012, 00:06

Hi -- I'm the same person who wrote the review above. It's 3 years later. This little car continues to put a big smile on my face (as well as the faces of others). I still get questions and quizzical looks all the time when I'm driving it... "what IS that"?? I love this car as much (or more) than ever, especially now with gas prices going out of control (again).

The car continues to be absolutely dependable and practically trouble-free. I'll be replacing the struts soon -- not unheard of for a 15-year-old car with over 77.000 miles. The "check engine" light has come on (my mechanic says it's probably caused by an occasional glitch in the MAP sensor), but it still runs fine.

Sure, automotive writers and critics say the X-90 was one of the worst or ugliest cars of all time... but you know what? They can kiss my Suzuki. :)

I will probably keep this car 'til I'm either too old to drive, or I die. Whichever comes first.

7th Mar 2012, 20:32

I just bought a '96 X-90 and love it; my family not so much. My brother in law thinks it's a goofy looking car, and ridicules it every chance he gets. I don't care, because it makes me smile when I look at it.

It is a fun car to drive, and I live in Oregon so snow/ice driving is now no problem. I just bought another one, 2wd only, but I am toying with converting it to 4wd. This car has gotten under my skin, much to my family's/friends chagrin!

These cars have an issue with the EGR system getting clogged with soot, that could be causing your check engine light to go off. A Google search will provide more info...

27th Mar 2012, 16:03

A smile is the typical first reaction to seeing an X-90.

It's the outright laughter that always follows that gets kinda tiresome...

16th Jan 2016, 17:33

Hi, how do you open the trunk? I've found the handle for opening the hood in the glove compartment, but the handle for the trunk I just can't find!

29th Oct 2017, 02:45

Insert the key and unlock the trunk, lifting at the same time.

You can lift by the license plate indentation or use the spoiler.

There is no handle.