The steady fashion for "SUVs" made the serious SUV Suzuki Grand Vitara before only outwardly resemble them. But in the end, he abandoned the classic principles of building jeeps.
No, of course, he did not lose his off-road qualities, but, as it turned out, he significantly reduced the requirements for them. So, on the previous generation of the Suzuki Grand Vitara, there were distinct signs of an SUV: small overhangs, a short “base”, a frame chassis, a “transfer case” with a lowering row and the possibility of hard connection of the second axle, a continuous rear axle. The Grand Vitara that replaced it, in addition to a more “parquet” appearance (you can’t call it otherwise than pretty), received other body designs, transmissions and suspensions. Now he can no longer boast of a separate frame: the body has become load-bearing, however, powerful spars and cross members are integrated into it. The suspension has undergone significant changes: it was made independent for all wheels. And although the Suzuki Grand Vitara still retains permanent four-wheel drive, the transfer case lever has disappeared - the pride of a serious SUV. From now on, transmission modes are selected by a selector on the center console. There are four of them: N - neutral position (completely disabling the drive); 4H - main (center differential divides the torque equally between the front and rear wheels: 47% forward and 53% back); 4H Lock - the central differential is additionally blocked; 4L Lock - a downshift is engaged in the "razdatka". Everything is controlled by electronics, and therefore, with the slightest failure (for example, a fuse failure), none of the indicated modes will come into operation. In addition, the “thoughtfulness” of the latter sometimes greatly puzzles the driver. However, many "all-wheel drive" have already switched to an electronic control drive for a "razdatka" for a long time, of course, if such is provided for by the design. And it doesn't seem to bother them much in real life.
The absence of a second lever on the central tunnel is not the only innovation in the interior of the Grand Vitara. The next generation of the "Japanese" received more solid plastic for decoration, and the front panel itself became much more solid. The standard audio system looks especially rich (by the way, it has very good acoustics, and for an extra charge you can put a six-disc CD changer), round wheels that control the air conditioning system, and an instrument panel with contrast scales and bright red arrows. But the main thing is that the functionality of the salon has not been disturbed. There were also pockets in the doors, and a niche with a lid in the center of the dashboard, and a "glove box" - an armrest, and, of course, cup holders. More importantly, the glazing of the body absolutely does not interfere with excellent visibility. Even the “spare wheel” that is brought out (like that of “adult” SUVs) does not cover the rear window, and large side mirrors allow you to clearly feel the dimensions of the car.
Salon Suzuki Grand Vitara is quite spacious, although the luggage compartment is not so impressive. The wide rear seat cushion is an undoubted advantage. But the fact that it stands upright when folded is not very practical: not every long length will fit. But the hinged tailgate made it possible to significantly lower the loading height and even hide a set of tools needed on the road under the raised floor. A comfortable driver's seat is height adjustable, allowing even a tall person to get behind the wheel, but the lack of a steering wheel adjustment for reach significantly limits the use of the entire horizontal range of seat adjustment. In any case, it took some time to find a compromise landing. Perhaps such a long device was "helped" by floor mats. The boots of the average size 42 always tried to catch their toes on the bottom of the front panel when working with the pedals. It turned out that ours was simply covered with "non-native" carpets, which significantly reduced the driver's legroom. At the same time, the wide pedal arrangement is a huge plus. Today, it is more often the other way around, as a result, “pedaling” is quite difficult - you have to sit behind the wheel in sneakers that tightly fit your leg.
Suzuki Grand Vitara is currently equipped exclusively with a 2-liter engine with a capacity of 140 hp, aggregated with a manual gearbox or "automatic" (for "three-door" only a 1.6-liter engine - 106 hp - and only with "mechanics"). Its power is quite enough for movement in urban traffic, although it is not as elastic as we would like. For sharp acceleration, you have to “poke” the gear lower, because already at the tachometer mark of 4500 rpm it noticeably “turns sour”. For the city, it is probably better to choose an automatic transmission - let it “think” on its own, less work for the driver.
The new chassis design with independent suspension made the Vitara more of a passenger car. He is now more collected, and therefore confidently moves in a straight line, quite clearly passes the turns, smoothly sliding the rear wheels in the direction of skidding. The car behaves predictably and perfectly holds even a slippery road due to the presence of permanent all-wheel drive. True, on steep turns you can get into a diagonal buildup. He does not “like” the Grand Vitara and sudden movements by the steering wheel - the information content on the “steering wheel” disappears. Although the above-mentioned handling shortcomings are more likely caused by a high ground clearance of 198 mm, most SUVs of other brands do not have this. But on real off-road, such an impressive ground clearance will come in handy. Believe me, I successfully stormed the hills near Moscow right over rough terrain. Actually, a locking center differential and a two-stage transfer case are designed for this. In addition, the long-travel suspension allows you to move over bumps at a fairly high speed. In any case, not every "SUV" can drive so fast on such roads. A trial run on a Suzuki Grand Vitara on an autumn-winter primer showed that it behaves obediently and demonstrates a high energy intensity of the suspension. Although here it is not recommended to turn the steering wheel sharply so as not to “lose” the road. By the way, I really liked how Vitara kept comfort on bumps - in any case, passengers were not thrown up to the ceiling.
As a rule, any update of a particular model leads to an inevitable increase in the price of it. The Suzuki Grand Vitara was no exception. The car added in price by almost ... $ 10,000 against its predecessor. And this is serious! In a similar price niche today, a lot of cars are "performing" and larger, and not deprived of "handouts" to improve cross-country ability. So the Vitara market will have a hard time ...
The Vitara market will have a hard time ...
The steady fashion for "SUVs" made the serious SUV Suzuki Grand Vitara before only outwardly resemble them. But in the end, he abandoned the classic principles of building jeeps.
No, the car, of course, did not lose its off-road qualities, but, as it turned out, it significantly reduced the requirements for them. So, on the previous generation of the Suzuki Grand Vitara, there were distinct signs of an SUV: small overhangs, a short “base”, a frame chassis, a “transfer case” with a lowering row and the possibility of hard connection of the second axle, a continuous rear axle. The Grand Vitara that replaced it, in addition to a more “parquet” appearance (you can’t call it otherwise than pretty), received other body designs, transmissions and suspensions. Now he can no longer boast of a separate frame: the body has become load-bearing, however, powerful spars and cross members are integrated into it. The suspension has undergone significant changes: it was made independent for all wheels. And although the Suzuki Grand Vitara still retains permanent four-wheel drive, the transfer case lever has disappeared - the pride of a serious SUV. From now on, transmission modes are selected by a selector on the center console. There are four of them: N - neutral position (completely disabling the drive); 4H - main (center differential divides the torque equally between the front and rear wheels: 47% forward and 53% back); 4H Lock - the central differential is additionally blocked; 4L Lock - a downshift is engaged in the "razdatka". Everything is controlled by electronics, and therefore, with the slightest failure (for example, a fuse failure), none of the indicated modes will come into operation. In addition, the “thoughtfulness” of the latter sometimes greatly puzzles the driver. However, many "all-wheel drive" have already switched to an electronic control drive for a "razdatka" for a long time, of course, if such is provided for by the design. And it doesn't seem to bother them much in real life.
The absence of a second lever on the central tunnel is not the only innovation in the interior of the Grand Vitara. The next generation of the "Japanese" received more solid plastic for decoration, and the front panel itself became much more solid. The standard audio system looks especially rich (by the way, it has very good acoustics, and for an extra charge you can put a six-disc CD changer), round wheels that control the air conditioning system, and an instrument panel with contrast scales and bright red arrows. But the main thing is that the functionality of the salon has not been disturbed. There were also pockets in the doors, and a niche with a lid in the center of the dashboard, and a "glove box" - an armrest, and, of course, cup holders. More importantly, the glazing of the body absolutely does not interfere with excellent visibility. Even the “spare wheel” that is brought out (like that of “adult” SUVs) does not cover the rear window, and large side mirrors allow you to clearly feel the dimensions of the car.
Salon Suzuki Grand Vitara is quite spacious, although the luggage compartment is not so impressive. The wide rear seat cushion is a definite plus. But the fact that it stands upright when folded is not very practical: not every long length will fit. But the hinged tailgate made it possible to significantly lower the loading height and even hide a set of tools needed on the road under the raised floor. A comfortable driver's seat is height adjustable, allowing even a tall person to get behind the wheel, but the lack of a steering wheel adjustment for reach significantly limits the use of the entire horizontal range of seat adjustment. In any case, it took some time to find a compromise landing. Perhaps such a long device was "helped" by floor mats. The boots of the average size 42 always tried to catch their toes on the bottom of the front panel when working with the pedals. It turned out that our car was simply covered with "non-native" carpets, which significantly reduced the driver's legroom. At the same time, the wide pedal arrangement is a huge plus. Today, it is more often the other way around, as a result, “pedaling” is quite difficult - you have to sit behind the wheel in sneakers that tightly fit your leg.
So far, the Suzuki Grand Vitara is equipped exclusively with a 2-liter engine with a capacity of 140 hp, aggregated with a manual gearbox or an “automatic” (for “three-doors” only a 1.6-liter engine is offered - 106 hp - and only with "mechanics"). Its power is quite enough for movement in urban traffic, although it is not as elastic as we would like. For sharp acceleration, you have to “poke” the gear lower, because already at the tachometer mark of 4500 rpm it noticeably “turns sour”. For the city, it’s probably better to choose an automatic transmission - let it “think” on its own, less work for the driver.
The new chassis design with independent suspension made the Vitara more of a passenger car. He is now more collected, and therefore confidently moves in a straight line, quite clearly passes the turns, smoothly sliding the rear wheels in the direction of skidding. The AV car behaves predictably and perfectly holds even a slippery road due to the presence of a permanent all-wheel drive. True, on steep turns you can get into a diagonal buildup. Does not "like" the Grand Vitara and sudden movements of the steering wheel - the information content on the "steering wheel" disappears. Although the above handling shortcomings are more likely caused by a high ground clearance of 198 mm, most SUVs of other brands do not have this. But on real off-road, such an impressive ground clearance will come in handy. Believe me, the car successfully stormed the hills near Moscow right over rough terrain. Actually, a locking center differential and a two-stage transfer case are designed for this. In addition, the long-travel suspension allows you to move over bumps at a fairly high speed. In any case, not every "SUV" can drive so fast on such roads. A trial run on a Suzuki Grand Vitara on an autumn-winter primer showed that the car behaves obediently and demonstrates a high energy intensity of the suspension. Although here it is not recommended to turn the steering wheel sharply so as not to “lose” the road. By the way, I really liked how Vitara kept comfort on bumps - in any case, passengers were not thrown up to the ceiling.
As a rule, any update of a particular model leads to an inevitable increase in the price of it. The Suzuki Grand Vitara was no exception. The AV car added almost... $10,000 in price against its predecessor. And this is serious! In a similar price niche today, a lot of cars are "performing" and larger, and not deprived of "handouts" to improve cross-country ability. So the Vitara market will have a hard time ...
Text: Andrey KONSTANTINOV
The third generation of the Grand Vitara, or Escudo, as it is called in its historical homeland, we unexpectedly managed to fight with the giants of the “crossover” market. Such as Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V.
Her car could not win due to objective reasons, but it made a lot of noise. The battles of fans of permanent all-wheel drive and the longitudinal arrangement of the engine, fans of “lowering” and blocking, fans of suspension lifts and similar tuning and the opposite side (supporters of light and practical “all-terrain” cars with nominal all-wheel drive) continued for a long time. They subsided only after a sharp increase in prices for Suzuki in 2008 and its virtual disappearance from the focus of user interests. The market was divided among themselves by localized cars, and Grand Vitara was no longer among them. What is the secret of this short period of model success?
Pictured: Suzuki Grand Vitara 5-door "2005–08
In addition to the typical off-road values that Suzuki compact SUVs carry, this generation added a more voluminous and practical body, a more pleasant interior and significantly improved the car's behavior on asphalt. Of course, the car turned out to be quite complicated, but the company knows how to make such designs inexpensive, and Japanese quality allows you not to upset customers very much in the first years after purchase. And, of course, for fans of "real SUVs" in a compact form factor, problems with handling, ride and fuel consumption were not so important. Of course, the car was far in popularity from the Ford Focus or Mazda 3, but it had an army of loyal fans. And this army stubbornly bought Vitara for many years, allowing the company to sell an already fairly outdated design. However, this is quite typical for Suzuki, they always had enough “long-livers” in their lineup.
Pictured: Suzuki Grand Vitara "2008–12
Having survived three restylings, the model left the assembly line only in 2016, when it was replaced with a simple crossover with a transverse power unit and low fuel consumption.
For all the time the car has not changed so much. During the second restyling, only the range of engines was updated and the appearance was slightly ennobled, during the third, the interior and a set of service electronics were slightly changed.
The design itself at the time of launch was extremely "classic". This does not mean "outdated", it's just that in our time such a layout is not used on machines of this class. Cars with it have a large mass, many vibration sources that are difficult to decoupling, and a large volume of units. And besides, such a design is not technologically advanced during assembly, which entails additional costs both when creating a car and during its operation. On the other hand, such a layout has great potential for bringing to mind both cross-country ability and handling, which is clearly seen in the example of European premium crossovers.
Pictured: Suzuki Grand Vitara "2012–present I note that with a 3.2 liter engine, which became available after 2008, the car turned out to be quite dynamic: about 9 seconds to hundreds with a non-alternative automatic transmission. And it has no less opportunities for towing trailers than SUVs that are a class or two higher, which is also an important factor for many.
However, with standard two- and 2.4-liter engines, dynamics can not be expected. And economy too: even on the highway, a rather heavy car with permanent all-wheel drive and a high body “eats” its 9-10 liters per hundred, and in the city, the appetite of cars with automatic transmission easily goes beyond 15 liters. If you want a fast and economical Suzuki, then you need to buy a two-wheeled GSX-R, and the company's four-wheeled cars are generally not about that.
Body
Suzuki's perfectly corrosion-protected machines are not. But this generation of Vitara in this indicator significantly exceeds the first and second generations. For those, it happened that the doors under the plastic lining simply rotted into dust, like the thresholds, and the body supports broke off. No such horrors can be found even on cars before the first restyling. But still, corrosion on machines is almost always present.
A typical place where problems appear is the rear arch. Regardless of the presence of a rubber seal along the edge of the arch, the metal in this area rots. Installing gum on cars after restyling did not help, but rather even accelerated the appearance of problems: sand is simply stuffed under the seal, and the process goes even faster, only at first it is not noticeable from the outside. Inside the arch itself, processes are also going on, slowly but surely.
In the fourth or fifth year of a car's life, corrosion begins to break through at the attachment points of the fuel filler tube and suspension brackets. Especially if the wheel arches aren't washed often in the winter or after off-road exploits.
Pictured: Suzuki Grand Vitara 5-door "2008–12 At the same age, pitting becomes clearly visible in the rear of the side members above the exhaust system, corrosion of the brake line mounting brackets, the transfer case mounting bracket and suspension parts. In especially advanced cases, you can find violations of the seam sealant at the seams in the rear arches. They are here of a complex shape, and in the lower part they are connected to the spar, which increases the load on this part.
original price
29 703 rubles
You can not look at the upper part of the rear doors under the seal, there is almost certainly corrosion there, the only question is how much the door frame has rotted. If it is visible from the inside, then this is serious, and if only under the seal, then it can still be restored.
Nasty pockets of corrosion on the front of the roof, windshield pillars and hood edge are almost certainly found on cars with decent highway mileage. Chips from stones inevitably bloom if they are not painted over immediately. Over time, “bubbles” appear on the paintwork, and the damage zone can grow to a good few centimeters in diameter.
Corrosion of the suspension elements on the Vitara sometimes leads to trouble. The ball joint mount in the front arms is one-piece, but corrosion can “fix that problem” for you. If the lever coating is scratched, it corrodes at an astonishing rate. And even without this, it quickly becomes covered with rust dots. It happens that the lever has to be changed due to the destruction of the ball joint landing, even when it is still quite alive. However, the ball joint itself on five-door cars usually has a small resource.
If the levers are reworked for a removable ball joint, then first of all they will take care of painting the restored part.
Rusting shock absorber cases are a definite success for Suzuki, such an anecdotal malfunction has never been seen in my memory. Fortunately, only the outer case rusts, and mainly at the bottom edge in places where dirt accumulates. Theoretically, this can lead to the destruction of the shock absorber, but we could not find any mention of such cases. The reason lies not only in the weak metal and its poor processing, but also in the complete absence of anthers on its stem. On other machines, the installation of such parts from the "eights" helps a lot, I believe this advice applies to the Vitara as well.
Of the minor, but typical troubles, it is worth mentioning the drawdown of the rear door hinges on cars before the third restyling. This is due to the weight of the heavy "reserve" and the lack of unloading guides. The castle is also having a hard time, after five years of operation, it is likely to require repair.
Wet floors in the front and internal corrosion of these panels are typical for cars after restyling. There is a somewhat unsuccessful design of the air conditioning drain tube, which cracks in the cabin and clogs from the outside. As a result - a wet floor carpet, misted glass and an extra center of corrosion.
Moisture in the trunk is typical mainly for three-door cars, it is much less common on five-door cars. It’s more difficult to figure out the reason, but it’s worth checking the side niches and the central trunk panel. In the presence of moisture, be sure to check the fastenings of the railings, their fastening caps break, and the fastening holes usually leak just in the back.
Pictured: Suzuki Grand Vitara 3-door "2012–present In general, the body is painted well, but it requires timely repair of damage to the paintwork and careful monitoring of hidden areas. If galvanization is present, then not to the same extent as on European cars. The metal cannot withstand two years without paint, after a month one can expect the appearance of under-film corrosion near the damage site. And as usual for SUVs, check the internal cavities for dirt and soil. Not washed in time, they greatly accelerate the “decomposition” of the car body, and Vitara is often taken for “riding” on serious off-road, and not for commuting in the city.
Windshield
original price
20 028 rubles
A weak windshield is not the biggest problem, there are enough inexpensive analogues of decent quality. Here are the door stops - the problem is a little more serious. The original ones, after 40-50 thousand mileage, almost certainly no longer hold the door in intermediate positions, and if handled carelessly, they can simply break out with damage to the door panel itself. The problem is more relevant for three-doors; for five-doors, a breakdown simply causes some inconvenience, and nothing more. Of course, the limiters can be sorted out and repaired, but you must admit that on a three-year-old car this is simply a shame.
At the back door, the problem is different: the sealant strives to erase the paint around the perimeter, and if you do not touch up in time, then corrosion will appear.
There are many complaints about the smallest door - the gas tank hatch. Its lock is made of plastic, and the locking pin wears out and begins to wedge when opening and closing. I recommend changing on time so as not to be left without gasoline at the most inopportune moment.
Pictured: Suzuki Grand Vitara 3-door "2008–12 If water is not pouring onto the rear window, then check for water under the fuse box under the hood. If there is, then your washer hose has very successfully flown off. Here you can easily connect it and drive on, without consequences. But if he flies in the back door, then the work will be added. The reason is most often the use of too viscous antifreeze fluid.
Salon
The salon is quite simple, and, as practice shows, very high quality. In any case, the seats are quite strong, although not particularly comfortable, the handles, buttons and power windows do not break, the climate works well, and even its fan does not buzz, whistle or wear out the brushes until runs of one and a half to two hundred thousand. But it's not without minor annoyances.
In the photo: Torpedo Suzuki Grand Vitara 3-door "2005–08 The fastening of the upper cover of the armrest is weak, it starts to roll back and forth due to the breakage of the limiters. And the light bulbs in the buttons are quite expensive, if they change at all. Their resource is not too big, five or six years - and the backlight goes out. However, the problems are not great, you can replace the LEDs yourself or use the services of detailing workshops, the armrests are repaired, the peeled handles are replaced or covered with leather.
In the photo: Torpedo Suzuki Grand Vitara 5-door "2008–12 A variety of squeaks and crickets of the cabin are also a completely removable thing. The most difficult thing is to eliminate the creaking of the driver's seat, sometimes the welding of the frame fails, and sometimes the fastening tapes simply rub, which is quite difficult to detect. But a typical problem is the breakage of the sled.
The rattling of the backs of the rear seats is eliminated quite easily, you just need to tighten the loops and cover the upper mount brackets with heat shrink or electrical tape, but it will not help for a long time. A permanent solution to the problem is more complicated and simple options have not yet been observed.
In the photo: Torpedo Suzuki Grand Vitara 5-door "2012–present. Knocks and noises of the climate system on older cars are also found, dampers are tapping somewhere in the depths, the air is making noise at speed ... Finding the cause is more difficult than fixing the problem, usually you just need to switch modes a couple of times and that's it. Particularly meticulous, you can try to tighten the fastenings of the white rollers of the central air ducts, this will require “only” to disassemble the entire center console, risking damaging the side panels sitting on the clips. However, it is most difficult to drive in complete silence. With good noise isolation against the background of classmates, the noise of the front gearbox and transfer case is well heard, which pisses off perfectionists and just people with increased suspicion.
Pictured: Interior of Suzuki Grand Vitara 5-door "2008–12 Not quite a “salon” problem - a breakdown of the gear knob on cars with manual transmission - turned out to be very common. The company even announced a revocable company to replace shift rod 28104-78K01. If your part has obvious traces of welding, then just contact the dealer, they will change it for free. Well, be careful with the car, the previous owner obviously did not follow the news and did not go to the dealer.
Electrician
This part of the car is far from perfect. Like all SUVs, the chances of damage to the wiring by sand are increased, you should carefully check the cleanliness of the corrugations. Otherwise, failures and "glitches" due to fractures and corrosion of the wires inside overtake the owner of the car already in the "childhood" age, literally after 5 years.
Pictured: Suzuki Grand Vitara 5-door "2005–08 Cars with more than a hundred thousand miles are already at risk of a generator. Insidious rivals from Mitsubishi supply Suzuki with a unit with a very bad rear bearing. It does not lubricate well and does not have a reliable separator. As a result, the generator rotor “walks”, damaging the current collector brushes and touching the stator. It is recommended to replace the bearing with a sealed European one.
Check radiator fans. The design is quite delicate, both its mechanical part and electrical.
The transfer box control unit is very vulnerable. It is not very tight and is often damaged by moisture when overcoming fords or simply when completely depressurized.
Body level sensors for cars with xenon are a delicate thing and require careful handling, sometimes they do not survive even one trip to serious off-road.
Brakes, suspension and steering
The braking system of the Grand Vitara is quite reliable. Corrosion of the tubes usually does not lead to leaks yet, the front disc brakes work pretty well. But still, it is better to change the caliper fingers every 50 thousand, otherwise souring of both the sliding part and damage to the threaded part is possible.
Disc brakes at the rear differ little from the front ones, they are just as unpretentious, but require replacement fingers.
Active riders on cars with a 3.2 liter engine have problems with early failure of cylinder seals, after 40-50 thousand calipers can wedge, but most owners of 2.0-2.4 liter engines are not threatened.
Pictured: Suzuki Grand Vitara 3-door "2005–08 Well, those who have drums behind them should not worry either. The mechanism is simple, runs for a long time, and often after hundreds of thousands it will have to be sorted out not because of the wear of the pads, but because of the corrosion of the springs and guides. And from the outside, the drum does not look aesthetically pleasing for such a run.
ABS is reliable and does not fail, it even knows how to slow down well on loose surfaces.
If the ESP icon is on on five-door cars, then it is likely that after disconnecting the battery or starting in a hard frost with a voltage drop in the on-board network, they simply forgot to “train” the steering wheel position sensor. All you need to do is turn the steering wheel several times from lock to lock.
The suspension of an SUV is a surprisingly dualistic thing. On the one hand, it withstands the most severe tests, and on the other hand, it has a very small resource of front suspension ball bearings, strut mounts and wheel bearings. These components are heavily loaded with wide wheels, high vehicle weight and sometimes serve less than 50 thousand kilometers.
Front lever
original price
8 902 rubles
An additional nuance is the corrosion of the suspension arms. They are made of black metal, which corrodes very well without painting. The front levers are in the area of special risk, the ball joint mount can rot in them over time, and the rear ones occasionally “wipe” the spring support cup due to corrosion. In general, this should be monitored.
Breakup bolts corrode just as much, they need to be lubricated every year if you don’t want to do wheel alignment again with the help of a grinder.
Suspension springs also have a limited service life, their breakdowns are not so uncommon, so when buying a car, you should check the number of turns, and then monitor their condition. Again, corrosion is often the root cause of problems. Do not want extra expenses - wash the suspension, renew the anti-corrosion coating on it.
Pictured: Suzuki Grand Vitara 5-door "2012–present A special nuance is associated with the suspension lift. With a lift of up to 45 mm, only the front strut mounts and the rear trailing arm mounting brackets will require replacement. In this case, the wheel alignment will be maintained, and the car will retain quite acceptable behavior on the road. If for some reason there is not enough ground clearance of 245 mm, then you will seriously spoil the car. On taller tires or other suspension changes, handling is nothing. By the way, larger wheels are the main reason for the early failure of wheel bearings. Even installing heavier tires leads to a sharp reduction in their resource, not to mention games with a crash.
The stabilizer bar bushings and struts are a “consumable”. Just try to get used to the idea. You will have to change at every second MOT or even more often. Take high-quality parts, and it is better to replace the bushings with the brackets with restyled ones.
The steering on the Suzuki is moderately simple. No newfangled features: just power steering, just a rail. And the latter sometimes flows and knocks. But he rarely does this and does not present unexpected surprises. But the resource of steering rods and tips is small, after a run of 30 thousand, you need to carefully check if there are any backlashes, and monitor the safety of the seals.
Pictured: Suzuki Grand Vitara 5-door "2012–present Let's summarize the intermediate result: Suzuki Grand Vitara III is a car with a "zest", but so far there is nothing that would make you refuse to buy this car. Now it remains only to see how things are with engines and gearboxes, after which you can start calling the sellers of used Vitars.
31.01.2017
SUZUKI Grand Vitara) is the most popular car in the Suzuki lineup. This model, according to many experts, is considered the best among crossovers in terms of price-quality ratio and off-road capabilities, plus, the car boasts a real Japanese assembly. Many owners classify this car as not to be killed, arguing that it is unpretentious and enduring. But how things are with the reliability of the used Suzuki Grand Vitara in fact and what you should pay attention to when choosing this car in the secondary market, now let's try to find out.
A bit of history:
The debut of the first generation Suzuki Grant Vitara took place in 1997. Initially, this car was a rear-wheel drive frame SUV with a hard-wired front-wheel drive. The second generation of the car was introduced in 2005. Unlike the previous version, the novelty has lost the standard frame body structure (the frame is integrated into the body), and the all-wheel drive has become permanent with the presence of reduction gears and center differential locks. In 2008, the car underwent restyling, as a result of which the front bumper, radiator grille, front fenders and mirrors were changed. But, the main innovations touched the technical part - the drum brakes were replaced with disc brakes, the transmission was modernized, and two new engines appeared. In 2010, the car underwent a minor upgrade, as a result of which the boot lid lost the spare wheel, thanks to which the Vitara became 200 mm shorter, and the diesel engine was upgraded to meet the Euro 5 level. This model was available for purchase in three and five-door bodies. In 2015, the production of this crossover was finally discontinued.
Problem areas and disadvantages of the Suzuki Grand Vitara
The body elements of the Suzuki Grand Vitara are fitted with high quality. Also, there are no significant comments on the quality of the paintwork and anti-corrosion coating, and if a used copy has a large amount of rust, then this is the first sign that the car was being restored after an accident. Of the shortcomings of the body elements, only thin metal on the hood can be distinguished (even dents remain from slight contact) and sagging of the rear door, this is due to the impact of the heavy spare wheel that is installed on it. In order to fix the problem, you need to adjust the hinges.
Engines
Suzuki Grand Vitara, as for a Japanese-made car, has a fairly wide range of power units: gasoline - 1.6 (106 hp), 2.0 (140 hp), 2.4 (166 hp) 3.2 (233 hp) With.); diesel 1.9 (129 hp). Operating experience has shown that all engines are quite reliable, but, nevertheless, some characteristic sores in them have been identified. So, in particular, a 1.6-liter engine is afraid of overheating, and it also painfully endures oil starvation. A timing chain drive is installed on the motor, as a rule, up to 100-120 thousand km this unit does not cause any problems, in order to increase the life of the chain it is necessary to use high-quality oil, also try to warm up the engine well in severe frosts. After 200,000 km, the oil consumption increases, and if they liked to “light up” the car, then the oil consumption can be unpleasantly surprising (up to 400 grams per 1000 km). In order to fix the problem, it is necessary to change the rings and valve stem seals.
Among the shortcomings of engines with a volume of 2.0 and 2.4 liters, a small resource of drive belt rollers (40-50 thousand km) can be noted. Also, on some specimens, the chain stretches quite early and its tensioner fails. A diesel rumble and a metallic ringing during a cold start will serve as a signal that there is a problem. All four-cylinder engines are not equipped with hydraulic lifters, which is why valve clearances must be adjusted every 40,000 km. All engines are quite sensitive to fuel quality, when using low-quality fuel, first of all, spark plugs, a fuel filter (complete with a gasoline pump) and a catalyst suffer. The car with the most powerful 3.2-liter V6 engine has established itself as the most reliable, but has a very high fuel consumption (20-22 liters per hundred in the city).
Diesel engine 1.9 - the development of the French manufacturer Renault. This engine does not have outstanding characteristics and has a number of disadvantages. In our realities, most often, the owners complain about the small resource of the turbocharger, pump, and DPF filter. Also, the disadvantages include high fuel consumption (8-10 liters per hundred) and high maintenance costs.
Transmission
This model is equipped with two types of gearboxes - a five-speed manual and a four-speed automatic. No matter how paradoxical it may sound, but automatic transmission is much more reliable than mechanics. One of the significant drawbacks of the mechanics is the deterioration in the performance of the box (fuzzy inclusion of 1st, 2nd and 3rd gears). There can be several reasons for the incorrect operation of the box - failure of the bearings or the gear selection mechanism, also, the problem manifests itself with partial wear of the clutch. Despite this, the clutch lasts a long time - 100-120 thousand km. Automatic transmission, as a rule, does not require intervention 200-250 thousand km, but only if it is properly maintained (oil change every 60,000 km) and operated. The disadvantages of automatic transmission include large delays when shifting gears.
The all-wheel drive system is one of the advantages of the Suzuki Grand Vitara. There are locking center differential and downshift. Among the shortcomings, the noisy operation of the front axle gearbox can be noted (60-80 thousand km starts to buzz, if you often storm off-road, it can buzz even after 30,000 thousand km). Often, changing the oil helps eliminate the hum. Once every 100-120 thousand km, the front gearbox oil seals need to be replaced, a little earlier, at 60-80 thousand km, the transfer case oil seal begins to leak, it is better not to delay its replacement, since a decrease in the oil level in the transfer case, over time, will lead to costly node repairs.
Suzuki Grand Vitara suspension weaknesses
Suzuki Grand Vitara is equipped with a fully independent suspension, despite this, the car is not a benchmark for comfort and handling. If we talk about the reliability of the chassis, then it is quite hardy, even despite the small resource of some elements. Most often, bushings and stabilizer struts require attention, on average, they serve about 30,000 km, but they can start to creak even after 10000 km. If, after replacing the bushings, there is a knocking sound when driving on an uneven road, then it is necessary to install rubber spacers between the bracket and the bushing or replace the brackets. The front shock absorbers are rather weak and on most specimens serve no more than 80,000 km, and in harsh operating conditions their life is halved. Breaker levers, wheel bearings and ball joints are able to please owners with a mileage of 120,000 km.
The rear wheel bearing is less durable and lasts only 60-80 thousand km (it changes as an assembly with the hub). The remaining elements of the rear suspension last about 100,000 km, but many owners recommend regularly checking the alignment and changing the tires every 15,000 km. The steering does not cause any particular remarks, the only thing that the owners have complaints about is the howling power steering pump, it is worth noting that with the onset of cold weather, the hum intensifies (in some cases, replacing the power steering fluid helps to fix the problem). Also, on cars of the first years of production, they are not famous for the reliability of the tube of the hydraulic booster cooling system (liquid leaks at the junctions). Front brake pads, on average, nursed 30-40 thousand km, rear up to 60,000 km, discs - twice as long.
Salon
Despite the fact that the interior trim of the second generation Suzuki Grand Vitara is made of simple materials, it is assembled very high quality, thanks to which extraneous squeaks and knocks rarely bother car owners. The main source of squeaks are: the front seats, the trunk shelf, and the plastic lining of the racks. Electrical equipment is quite reliable and, even after many years of operation, does not cause any trouble. The only thing that can bother is the stove fan motor (brushes and relays fail).
Outcome:
The Suzuki Grand Vitara is a reasonably reliable vehicle with good off-road capability, and if only original parts are used, it won't cause much trouble. But, if you are looking for a comfortable, family crossover with good cross-country ability, then it is better to pay attention to another car, for example,.
If you are the owner of this car model, please describe the problems that you had to face during the operation of the car. Perhaps it is your review that will help readers of our site when choosing a car.
Sincerely, editorial Autoavenue
The second is a "family" car, after Smart. It is mainly used for long-distance and not very trips to the village / to the country / to another city to relatives and city trips, with the need for a cargo / passenger seat.
since 2010, this machine in my hands. We chose a car with the ability to move outside the asphalt, out of all the abundance of SUVs and jeeps in the price range up to a million, we chose Vitara for the external "square \ angular" look and a good offer for sale.
2.4-liter engine, automatic, leather interior, sunroof, mileage of 5 thousand kilometers, 2008 release, all this prompted the purchase.
According to the Vitara classification, it belongs to SUVs, a longitudinal engine, an integrated frame, permanent all-wheel drive (with power distribution along the axes - 60 rear \ 40 front), transfer case with center lock and lowering. But it falls short of real SUVs, due to low ground clearance (20 cm) and long overhangs. There are, of course, vitar drivers that lift them, put power bumpers, "toothy" rubber, etc. Transfer modes are switched by a knob / knob under the climate control unit
In normal mode - four-wheel drive, for trips on public roads, I turn on the lock when I drive through shallow mud / snowdrifts, if the dirt is deeper, and even hills / pits / gullies, I turn on the lowering in advance. The stabilization system is disabled only with a locked diff.
The salon, in principle, is convenient and comfortable, but there are drawbacks.
The steering wheel is adjustable only for the angle of inclination, at the seat of the seat only the entire plane of the seat is regulated at once (on the Lacetti the front part was regulated separately, the rear separately) and the seat itself is short, my knees are in limbo, from which I sit in a "captain's" landing for comfortable taxiing (or like on a toilet) while driving - "I sit high - I look far away." Throughout the cabin, soft plastic mixed with hard, with perforated leather inserts. In the back row, it is very convenient to accommodate two or three, if the complexion allows. Adjustable backrest angle
It’s only inconvenient to get in / out on the back row - a narrow doorway in the lower part. But the doors close the thresholds, and you don’t stain your trousers with dirt when disembarking
The trunk is medium in size, comparable to the trunk of a golf-class hatchback, only in height you can load more under the roof, since there is no spare tire under the floor, the spare tire hangs on the gate (just like in adult SUVs)
An engine with a box from Pikanta Kati @Tangerine easily fits in the trunk
Back row folds down to form a flat floor
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The rigid suspension makes you aware of all sorts of pits / joints, but energy-intensive and almost impenetrable. Management is similar to driving a minibus or light truck.
At the moment, the mileage is 96 thousand km, I do maintenance every 12-15 thousand km, every other time I change the oil in the razdatka and gearboxes, as there may be problems with them without maintenance, replacing gearboxes is not cheap: (Children's sores with rollers were fixed \ alternator belt (according to the recall campaign) and replacement of the flange on the front cardan from the side of the transfer case.At 50 thousand, the front struts died, changed to Kayaba - it became a little softer.
About the expense. Consumes 95th gasoline, a tank of 66 liters. If you actively drive around the city - it will be 15-17 liters per hundred, if in a vegetable way - about 12 liters. On the highway, the consumption is 9-11 liters, on cruise control the consumption is about a liter more. The dynamics are enough for overtaking on the highway and for fast movement in the stream, though you don’t want to drive the Vitara quickly, it predisposes you to comfortable “vegetable” driving, there is Smart for quick movements around the city ;-)
For money. Was bought for 900 kilorubley. MOT on average 6-7 thousand re, OSAGO 8 thousand
