Brain Fertilizer

I think I'm getting completely committed to my Verona. I have Suzuki Media - Auto in my bookmark toolbar so I can check daily for reports.

I usually spend as much time looking for articles about Suzuki cars (not SUVs) as I do looking for news about the Kansas City Chiefs.

Anyway, here's a post on the Suzuki Verona forum at Edmunds that matches my own recent research. This guy noted it in Sept 2003, so I wish I'd stumbled across it when I was researching vehicles, as it would have totally erased any worries about the engine on my part.

I drove several sedans yesterday again. By far the Toyota, Nissan, and Mazda V6 are more powerful engines than the I6 in the Verona, BUT to get a similar equipped car you have to pay between $6000 and $11000 MORE. To compare closest priced vehicles to the $20.5K Verona, we have the V6 Sonata $21,459, I4 Altima $26,171, I4 Camry $25,310, I4 Accord $24,800. NONE of the 4 cylinder engines came close to the smooth transfer of power to the wheels and were much slower off the line to the I6 in the Verona. Here is the short list of what I test drove just yesterday: 1. Verona $20.5K , I6 155HP at 5600RPM with 171FtLbs Torque at 4000rpm. 2. Accord EX Leather $24,800 (no sunroof), I4 160HP at 5500rpm with 161 FtLbs torque at 4500RPM. 3. Camry 2.4L Top of the line with the I4, $25,310, 157HP at 5600RPM with 162 FtLbs Torque at 4000RPM. By far the quietist and smoothest car was the Verona. Interior materials and fit and finish were comparable between all three. The extreme smoothness of the power in the Verona made it seem like it was less powerful, but actual acceleration times were better. It simply did not have much engine noise or vibration at all under hard acceleration. Upon initial impression due to the noise of the 4 cylinder in the Accord it seemed like it had more power, but in reality the Verona was much quicker off the line in normal driving. The Verona is priced like a 4 Cylinder comparable car, but has better low end power like a 6 cylinder engine. If the only gripe is the lack of passing power when compared with more expensive V6 engines, no big deal. Try getting the same passing power out of one of the similarily priced I4 engines. I think the car hits the mark on filling in a GAP left by all the other manufactures, a very smooth, quiet, and easy to drive sedan. The closest comparison in quiet ride is something like the Buick LeSabre, with handling close to the Mercury Sable. Just an all around smooth quiet sedan for $20.5K and under.

Yeah. I got mine for $14.7k. Woot!

At this point, I'm just looking for after-market tuning improvements to boost horsepower or fuel economy...or both.