Hi,

I've been wanting to buy a Suzuki (Grand) Vitara for nearly 10 years now, and am finally weeks away from putting a deposit on the new 3rd generation model.

Here in Australia we have two models available - a 2.0 litre 4 cyl or a  2.7 litre 6 cyl
There is no diesel model here   Both models are identical in features, with the exception of the motors, and the price difference is only about $2000 for the bigger engine.

I'd prefer the larger V6 engine as it provides the most power (135kw/250Nm against 103kw/183Nm), but am concerned about the fuel economy in todays rising petrol price world.  The v6 has a combined fuel consumption of 11.6 l/100km vs the 4cyl 9.2l/100km

Does anyone have any recomendations?
Do any owners of the 4cyl model care to comment on it's reported lack of power?
Do any owners of the 6cyl model care to comment on it's reported thirst (up to 16l/km)

Does anyone have any recomendations for increasing the output of the 4cyl or improving the fuel economy of the 6cyl?

cheers,

Cameron

Our 2006 with the 6 cylider engine has 7900 miles on it I would say the mileage is acceptable as I get around 24 to 26 mpg on the highway and anywhere from 16 to 24 in the city. I do not feel a 4 cyl would have enough power as our truck seems to be a good balance of power and mileage we have a full time 4x4 single mode also

Thanks heaps for your reply Eaglescout 

I ran the same questions by a family friend who works in the automotive & 4wd industry, and also races his own vehicle (Nissan Patrol Turbo Diesel Ute) in offroad 4wd competition.

His advise was actually kind of the reverse - he thought it would be easier to increase the efficiency & power of the 2.0 litre model than to try and improve the economy of the 2.7 litre model....

I guess it will all come down to how I feel about both models when I test drive them early next month...

Cam

Well, I finally test drove both models yesterday.  My wife is away for the weekend on business, so I took my Dad with me for some support and a second opinion. 
(He liked the Prestige Grand Vitara so much, he's thinking of buying one next year as a 70th birthday present to himself) 
The Dealer was more than helpful - I explained my concerns re power vs economy.  He was happy to take my drivers licence number & have me fill out an insurance cover note.  He then left us to take each model on a test drive for as long as I wanted so that I could get a feel for both engines.

The 4cyl ran ok, but I found I was hitting the floor with the accelerator when trying to pick up speed to merge with city traffic travelling at 60km/h. There was also a BIG drop in the revs from 1st to 2nd gear which meant I had to constantly run 1st gear out to about 6500rpm to make 2nd gear effective.  On the highway travelling at 110 km/h (a bit over 65mph I think), If I was behind a truck or slower moving vehicle, I had to drop back as far as 3rd gear if my speed was down around 80-90km/h to safely merge into the faster moving passing lane - 4th and 5th just wouldn't get me up to the faster 110km/h speed safely unless there was a massive gap between cars  I was merging between.

So it was back to the dealers and into the 6cyl model..

All I can say is WOW!!!!  What a difference.  We drove back over the exact same roads.  There wasn't a hint of engine strain during any of the merging or highway use.  In fact, there was an excess of power that I didn't need to use,  but was comforted to know it was on tap if needd.  No need to race the engine to achieve safe merging, plenty of pickup at highway speeds in 4th and 5th.

My conclusion after spending approx 30-45 minutes with each model is that any economical gain made by selecting the smaller 4cyl engine would be totally lost by the way it has to be driven hard to keep up with traffic.  The 6cyl was definately a winner - especially as I do a lot of highway driving on weekends - often with 4 people and a boot full of gear. 
Additionally, at the same time that I buy a Vitara, my wife is also buying a Suzuki Swift (I better get a good deal from Suzuki here  ) - we figure we'd use the smaller and more economical Swift for city driving Monday to Friday, and drive the Vitara on weekends.

Now, the only question remaining is:  What accessories do I want?   


Cam


ps.....The Dealer also advised me that Suzuki Australia have just announced all new Vitaras will now be fitted with MP3 compatible cd players  ;D  I guess that's after the current stock vehicles sell..

wow camduncan, you have no idea how much you made me want a 2.7 v6 now. I had a talk with my dealer and apparently the 2.7 is a problem to deliver, as it is not inported in belgium, homologation can be unpossible to make it streat legal, or very expencive.

And on top of that, there is no 2.0 petrol version available for test driving, only 1.9 ddis models.

this country (and suzuki belgium) sucks!  :'( :'(

Nils, do you know how many litres the ddis needs on 100km?

a guy at work rented a 06 gv, i think he must have driven it uneconomical

beerman, according to specs:

urban : 9.4 l/100km
extra urban : 6.7 l/100km
combined : 7.7 l/100

but i guess those numbers are a bit optimistic. ad at least 1 litre if you want it to move

ok, he had used approx.12litres-100km's

my '99 used 8,2litres-100km, after chip-tuning it needs 6-6,5-100km combined!

(and that's not economical driwing )

if you get a GV ddis, check out www.dte-systems.com

it pay's for it self

Update on my test drive - now a dialogue on the purchase of a new vehicle..

Our re-financing documents got signed last night - the money should be through mid-next week 
I've got two quotes on hand and am going for a 3rd quote this weekend.
(V6 Vitara optioned with cruise, alloys and fog lamps for me and a base model Swift for my wife - we'll also be wanting tinted windows and paint protection) 
Then I'll see who is prepared to negotiate a better deal   
I have a dealer who I'd prefer to buy from, and thankfully his quote is the better one so far.
This is the part that makes me nervous - I'm not a fan of haggling with salesmen for a better price...so if anyone has some tips for negotiating ...............

act like you are prepared to tear the documents apart, it worked for my father

my parents bought a Toyota, and after a lot of nagging they got the best price ever

I guess it all depends on your dealer, if the one you refer knows you as a costumer already, he'll prob make u the best price. Go to others and always use your best price to get a better.
Dealers will always try to go below the other one's price, at last take the lowest price you got and go to your dealer, he'll most likely will go under it.

My Dealer came through with a great price
We signed a contract yesterday and are now eagerly awaiting delivery in approx 2 weeks time....
Delivery could have been earlier if I wanted another colour and didn't ask for the optional accessories that require fitting, but I'm happy to wait if it means the car is exactly what I want..
The final vehicle is a Grand Vitara v6 in cats-eye blue with the darkest legal window tint available (the Aussie sun can get pretty hot)
Accessories I opted for are - cruise control, factory mag wheels, fog lights, mud flaps (front and rear) and a tow bar, as well as the usual floor mats and cargo area mats...
In a moment of weakness, I also asked for paint and fabric protection  ....oh well, I suppose it won't hurt 

I'm not sure how to post a picture...or if I can, but I'll try and post something once I take delivery of the car...

I took delivery earlier this week, and wow, is this a fantastic car or what!!!!!!!
The end wait was well worth it - I'm a very happy Suzi owner :D:D
I'll try and post a picture shortly.....

Dang that's a nice colour!  I wish they'd offer that in Canada.  I had to settle for Azure Grey.