MotorMouths

Suzuki Sx4s are well priced, super durable and bulletproof, and a hoot to drive, all with plenty of practicality.

The Suzuki SX4 is a good choice among small cars for anyone looking for something other than just the cheapest, most basic transportation. All models are bargain priced and they deliver a lot of content.

The 2010 SX4 Sportback wagon is something else. It competes well with everything in its class, and it performed beautifully in an East Coast blizzard.

Fix a few things and the Suzuki SX4 SportBack’s a strong contender for best of its class — if a jolly time is higher on your list than a dirt-cheap price.

With the Suzuki SX4, you get a sweet-handling, stuff carrying, stylish little runner for less than $18,000. Suzuki sits in the shadow of other Japanese brands, but it’s a shame to ignore them.

The SX4’s trademark is affordability. Suzuki also one-ups the competition by offering nearly the only all-wheel-drive vehicle in the micro-compact segment should you choose to go down that off-road.

In a segment that sees more than its fair share of unimaginative rides, the SX4 Crossover is surprisingly peppy and competent on the road.

Suzuki’s 2010 SX4 Sportback is as capable as it is inconspicuous. It’s a box on wheels with rounded corners, four doors and a hatchback, so it neither turns heads nor inspires automotive lust. The styling could be said to evoke that of a well-designed refrigerator.

With its peppy inline-four-cylinder engine and six-speed manual transmission, the SX4 Sportback was fun to drive and took some of the drudgery out of the errands. Although it’s on the small side, the SX4 Sportback has a surprising amount of cargo space.

Despite its dynamic faults, the 2011 SportBack is a compelling package, with generous headroom, a handsome center console, robust safety features and, a $400 option on my test car, the latest in Bluetooth hands-free telephone technology.

Weird or not, the Suzuki SX4 sedan impresses with its fit and finish, good ride and lots of space for tall folks. Its powertrain isn’t as refined as several competitors but if you can live with the fat front pillars, it’s a competent small sedan that is worth a look.

The 2012 Suzuki SX4 presents definite value when it comes to standard features at an affordable price. But there are also some drawbacks to Suzuki’s entry-level model that might give you pause.