Great gas mileage, fun to drive, easy to park, adequate power

Considering what this car was made for there really are no outstanding weaknesses

The '99 Suzuki Swift is the second Swift I have owned. The other was a 1989 GTi which I drove hard for 250,000 miles without any major problems with normal maintenance. Dollar for dollar it was the best car I have ever owned. It was fun, fast and handled very well. At the same time I had this car I owned a Porsche 911 Turbo.
The '99 Swift is not as fast and does not handle as well but gets significantly better gas mileage and is still fun to drive. It has been trouble free for 90,000 miles and have no plans to sell it, especially with rising fuel prices. I have gotten up to 46 mpg on a trip from Portland to Seattle on the interstate but usually average around 38 mpg driving to and from work.

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1989 Suzuki Swift GTi, numerous VW Bugs, 1981 Toyota Starlet

I have over 183,000 miles and it just keeps running perfectly. Runs as well at +120 and -20 degrees F, south central Washington state desert climate or the humidity of the Mississippi River valley. It handles extended stop/go or 75+ mph freeways just fine - though you have to give it a chance to get up to those speeds. Once there, I have easily maintained 70 -75 up a 8 mile long 6% grade by bouncing between 4th and 5th on the 5 speed manual. Only significant repair has been 1 CV joint ~ 6 years ago. I suspect another is going out now. Still running the original rotor, clutch, rear brakes, and the engine has only been tuned up twice. Still gets 33-35 mpg combined, but that is because I can't get the prescribed tire size anymore and had to substitute a taller 13" tire. For what it is - it does it extremely well and without complaint. No, it doesn't ride quietly or smooth, and the power to climb hills is a little weak with the A/C running - but I expected that. I wish it had a cruise control and a rear window wiper. But I am very happy with the car, and will drive it until it drops. Watch out for hydroplaning, and it likes to swap ends when braking hard on slick surfaces. Mine does not have an air bag, and I wish it did. I would hate to get in an accident in this little guy..... Its getting hard to find replacement parts now. Dealers are few and far between, and even those that exist can't find replacement interior parts that are starting to go (passenger side visor, etc.) Replacement parts can be steep (I lost 1 wheel cover when it was 3 months old and Suzuki wanted $100 to replace it! I bought a cheap cover at the auto parts store and its served me fine ever since) Oddly enough, some of the guys at my daughters high school love it, on those few times I let her drive it. Best car I've ever owned.

1) small size 2) tendency to swap ends when braking hard on slick surfaces 3) difficulty in finding parts and dealer support 4) power goes WAY DOWN when running the AC

Awesome economy car. Perfect for commuters and those who appreciate reliability. Only car I've ever owned that I would cheerfully buy again. Why did Suzuki quit making this gem?

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Good gas mileage - I get about 34 to the gallon with mainly freeway driving. No major repairs needed of any kind. Just keeps running.

Noisy. Also will leak oil but only when the weather gets cold (?). No power but I didn't expect much when I bought it.

Bought this in 1998. Had 49,000 miles on it. It now has 186,000 miles and is still running strong. I keep up on preventive maintenance (do it all myself) and it never gives a problem.

Quick,Reliable,Great Manuvuerability,Great gas mileage.

It doesnt handle to good in bad weather, Hydroplanes alot.

I bought this car a couple of months ago since i was looking for something Economical and Reliable. The suzuki swift is a great car when it comes to getting good gas mileage. It had a handfull of miles for a 98 when i bought it ((97450 on the odometer)) everything seems to still run strong and it hasnt left me stranded once. As long as you maintain it right these little beasts will run forever. One more other thing is its actually pretty fast for being a little 4 cylinder motor. ((Its faster than many 4 cylinder cars ive driven)) Overall if your tired of high gas prices and want some decent performance then the suzuki swift is the way to go.

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1992 Accord

The car is getting great mileage anywhere from a low of 36.8 to a high of 45.3 with an average of 40.0. The car has good pick up in traffic and is very good car on the open road.

I've had no problems with the car.

This is my second Swift/Metro. I've taken many a road trip and love this car.

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I had a 1999 chevy metro I bought new 1.0 liter 5-speed. It was slower and the mileage was more varied, 36-47 mpg but it was a good car also.

It has the greatest gas mileage. 24.00 for a 12hour trip.!!

Interior falls apart first. Windows too. I'm afraid to see the winter in it.

I love my eggmobile(white) it has taken me From oregon to montana and then some. It has the greatest gas mileage. 24.00 for a 12hour trip.!!

great on gas. handles well. comforatble ride. been to new orleans and atlanta on numerous road trips and the car performed without a bump. car now has 90k miles and still rolling

a.c. really poor. gotta be doing 80 to cool off in florida. real bad oil leak that's gonna cause me to get rid of the thing. i'll never buy another one and will ward-off others also.

the car is great on gas as long as you do your p.m. on it. i had no major problems for the first 2 years but have since developed an ugly oil leak in 2 major seals for no apparent reason. had to replace timming belt because it got saturated with oil and gave out on me.

high gas mileage 42-50 mpg nice body style so far the interior is still looking like new w/ nothing broken realiability quiet ride good ergonomics good radio and speakers for a basic system very comfortable seats

windows work but feel alittle sloppy in their travel up and down the brakes feel inadequate, although I've never had to put them to the test, but my "seat of the pants" feeling is they would let me down in a panic situation

As long as you keep in mind that this car was designed for commuting you won't be dissapointed. It does everything it was designed to do in my opinion. Handels well and has plenty of power to do the job It was well cared for befor I got it from the origional owner. 70K miles on the clock, I bought it with 57K only routine service up to this point. Love this car..

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Engine life, gas economy, handles well, fun to drive.

Basic amenities, no lux here. Loud road and engine noise, and you feel every bump.

The Swift is a great basic transportation/economy car for the commuter or student. I bought this car new and drove it non-stop, putting 25K miles on it every year for 6 years. The terrain in California is everything from flat-as-a-pancake desert to very hilly/mountainous roads leading to the Pacific Ocean. My little 4-cylinder, 5-speed manual transmission Swift would fly past the big, powerful cars, going 70+ mph up the 6% Conejo Grade, even when loaded with the teenagers and all of their weekend gear. I just had to make sure that I got a running start at the bottom of the hill. The car gave me great service and no engine problems whatsoever in 6 years. Around the 4-year mark, little things like an inside door handle breaking apart, the driver's window disengaging from the crank gear and slipping down into the door, the driver's sunvisor losing its ability to stay in a set position and instead swinging free...the car kinda fell apart on the inside before the engine had any trouble. The car ran like a top. I put the back seat down and loaded the car with camping gear many times. Once I moved my complete apartment in 5 carloads. You can stuff alot into the car, and it still has the power to navigate hilly terrain.

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you buy this car to drive from point a to point b. it's cheap and it's fun to drive in summer. the car's motor is surprisingly nerveous and always ready to boost your speed

small... don't want to be in it when i'll crash with it. some pieces are expensive. small motor = highter revolution = more oil changes. in winter, this is a real b!tch to drive (too small)

what can i say abour this car. driving this car in canadian's winter is pretty frustrating. in fact, i hate my car in winter. it doesn't really defrost, it's not heating and there is always fog in the windsheeld. but, in summer, it's a great car. it's small and not really expensive to drive. i've had some problems with my brakes, but i think it's because of the guy who changed them last year and it's not related to any imperfection in the car itself. in fact, in my head, i already have 2 choices for my next car. another swift (more recent and better equiped) and a big buick for the fun of having a big car.

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honda civic 1991 (a lot better than the swift but a lot more $$ also)