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The Verona looks
impressive on paper, with low prices, clean styling, a roomy interior, and a
standard 6-cylinder engine. Even under closer evaluation it looks like an
adequate car, with a decent ride and reasonable interior quality. But it falls
short under closer evaluation. It handles clumsily, and even with the
6-cylinder engine the Verona is slower than most competing 4-cylinders, while
still returning 6-cylinder fuel economy. And while it does most other things
adequately, most of the others here do those things even better. The Verona is
inexpensive and adequate in most ways, but that’s not enough anymore.
The Verona has a soft,
fairly comfortable ride, but it gets floaty on the highway, and recovers
slowly from bumps. In the cheapest cars, a soft ride tends to bring about soft
handling, and the Verona is no exception. It feels rather clumsy, with
pronounced body roll and lifeless steering, though at least never unsafe. As
noted, the standard 2.5-liter I6 provides acceleration barely on par with a
below-average 4-cylinder competitor, lacking in off-the-line and in passing
power. It is quiet enough in most circumstances, but whines under
acceleration. Wind and road noises are capably suppressed. Fuel economy is
mediocre even for a 6-cylinder car.
Inside, the rather narrow
front seats too soft and have a short cushion. The rear is roomy enough, but
the seat is too low, which helps headroom but hurts thigh support. The dash is
constructed of solid-fitting materials, most of which are of reasonable
quality. Some instruments are too small, and the gauges wash out easily.
Entry/exit is complicated by the low roof. Drivers sit either too far from the
pedals or too close to the steering wheel; neither a telescoping wheel nor
adjustable pedals are offered. The trunk is small.
The Verona did not excel
in crash testing. It was rated a mediocre three stars for the driver and four
for the front passenger in the NHTSA frontal crash test, and four for the
driver and three for the rear passenger in the NHTSA side crash test. The car
was Acceptable in the IIHS offset crash test, and Marginal (only the second
highest of the five ratings) in the IIHS side crash test. Its head restraints
were rated Poor.
The Verona reviewed here
came with the only available option (traction control) for only $20,136. That
price includes heated power leather seats, torso-protecting side airbags,
antilock brakes, a sunroof, and automatic climate control. Missing from the
options list are stability control and a CD changer, but the car is very
well-equipped for the money overall.
Overall, the Verona is a
decent car when viewed in exclusion from its competitors. But their superior
comfort, power, fuel economy, and driving dynamics clarify exactly why this
Suzuki costs so much less. It’s not a terrible car, but its competitors are
just too much better.
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