When we added up all the numbers, the Suzuki Verona had the lowest score and therefore had to be considered the least qualified family sedan in this test. But it's not as if it was devoid of redeeming qualities — its cohesive cabin design, for example, puts the mishmash ensembles in the Sebring and Sonata on notice. And there's something to be said for a low purchase price and a 7-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty that's fully transferable to successive owners. Obviously, these aren't compelling reasons to go out and buy a car that failed to measure up in so many other areas, but we liked the Verona enough to say, "You played a good game."

The Verona is a newcomer to the family sedan segment this year, but you've seen glimpses of it before. As part of a partnership with General Motors, Suzuki rebadges the Korean-manufactured Daewoo Magnus for the U.S. market (GM has ownership stakes in both Suzuki and Daewoo). The Verona/Magnus is the successor to the Daewoo Leganza sold here from 1999 to 2002. Thankfully, the Suzuki Verona is a much better car than the Leganza and far better suited to the typical American buyer. Just looking at the car tells you plenty: The sheet metal is nothing memorable, but the Verona has crisp, handsome lines and none of the Leganza's odd styling details.

Inside, Suzuki's midsize sedan offers a pleasing two-tone ensemble not unlike that of an Accord or Passat. The material used on the dash and door tops has an upscale grain pattern and is soft to the touch. White-faced gauges light up in a soothing lime-green color that matches the readouts for the automatic climate control and stereo head unit. Faux wood inlays appeared in abundance in our high-line EX test vehicle, and they didn't look half bad, especially considering the car's low price tag. Closer examination of the headliner and visors returned an impression of substance and quality.

Unfortunately, not all of the materials gave us such a good feeling about the Verona. The leather on the seats matched the grain of the upper dash but had a rough, dry feel. The plastic used on the lower dash and console also picked up the correct grain pattern but had a glossy, cheap feel. In addition, as in the Sonata, the control stalks felt lower in quality than those of the other import-branded sedans. Many of the plastics had rough, unfinished edges, but other than that, build quality was tight inside and out. Or at least it was on the first Verona we examined. A second test car had a seriously misaligned trunk lid but was otherwise well constructed. We didn't notice a single rattle in either of the cars.

The Verona's front seats provided passable comfort for a couple hours of driving, but they're not especially supportive or well shaped. The back cushion does offer better-than-average lateral bolstering to hold you during cornering, and the nicely padded center armrest invites you to rest an elbow. The steering wheel tilts but does not telescope.

The rear-seat accommodations are a bit better, as a properly positioned bench assures good thigh support for adults, while a full set of head restraints gives everyone a place for his noggin. Back support is decent but not exceptional, and legroom is a bit tight for adults. There is, however, room to slide your feet under the front seats. The fold-down center armrest is a comfy respite, but the door panel armrests could stand to be wider.

Only half of the 12 features we consider most important in a family sedan are available on the Verona. Although you can talk yourself out of amenities like an in-dash CD changer and a grocery net in the trunk rather easily, the fact that you can't get key safety items like seat-mounted side airbags and full-length head curtain airbags is disappointing. The Suzuki hasn't been crash tested yet, so it's hard to speculate how helpful these airbags might be. But if you're like us, you want all the protection you can get when loved ones are in the car.

Most of the Verona's controls are easy to use, particularly the automatic climate control, which employs a large temperature dial and pictograph display to help drivers find their preferred settings. The stereo head unit has more buttons than we would like, but their relatively large size makes them mostly painless to navigate, provided you stay away from the assortment of tonal and equalizer settings. Satellite controls on the steering wheel cover seek and volume functions. Other highlights include window buttons that are illuminated on all doors, and a dial-button combo for mirror adjustment that is particularly user-friendly.

In-cabin storage space is about average for this group. A spacious felt-lined compartment in the rear fold-down center armrest is a nice touch, but up front you're limited to a small center console container, average-size door bins and glovebox, and a felt-lined coin drawer and sunglasses holder. Cupholders are small and best suited for 12-ounce soda cans. Trunk capacity is on the low side at 13.4 cubic feet, but if you can work around the intrusive metal hinges, you'll find the opening quite wide. The lid is fully lined in felt to help minimize cabin noise.

The driving experience is easily the least enjoyable aspect of the Verona. The trouble begins under the hood where you'll find one of the weakest six-cylinder engines currently on the market. Rated at just 155 horsepower, the Verona's 2.5-liter inline six feels slow down low, in the middle and up high. Using passing lanes on two-lane roads was a dicey proposition, as the car took what seemed like an eternity to build up enough speed to overtake trucks. The power delivery is smooth, but since the engine has to work so hard most of the time, the sound of its labors gets old quickly. The standard four-speed automatic transmission makes the best of the situation by generally picking the right gear at the right time, but most of the time, acceleration is barely adequate.

Instrumented testing supported these impressions, as the Suzuki Verona took 11.8 seconds to reach 60 mph — almost three seconds longer that the next slowest car. This might not sound so bad to the casual observer, but consider that the Suzuki would also have been the slowest car in the 2003 Economy Sedan Comparison Test we recently conducted. If you're thinking of buying a Verona because of its six-cylinder engine, we'd recommend a reality check before you go through with it: Most four-cylinder-equipped midsize sedans offer better acceleration for about the same price.

Ultrasoft suspension tuning yields a cushy highway ride that any grizzled commuter will appreciate, but the trade-off is a sedan that's weak-kneed around twists and turns. If you're willing to trust the car, the body does settle eventually, but until that happens, it's easy to feel like you're on the edge of losing control. The steering is no help in these situations, as it's as light and feels as disconnected from the road as the Hyundai's setup. The brake pedal also feels a bit soft, but the brakes perform capably, particularly in emergency situations — the Verona needed just 122 feet to stop from 60 mph. We had no complaints about the car's 16-inch Hankook tires, which proved both quiet and capable in turns. Although road noise was largely absent from the cabin, we did notice considerable wind noise — apparently caused by poor sealing around the windshield and sunroof.

In a segment populated by heavy hitters from Japan and Germany, it isn't enough to meet them on their terms in a few areas while falling behind in important areas like performance and safety. In its current form, the Verona faces a serious struggle. While bargain hunters may find its package of amenities enticing, we think they'd be better off with a four-cylinder sedan from one of the other manufacturers. That is, until Suzuki gives its midsize sedan some much needed retrofits.

Second Opinions:

Photography Editor Scott Jacobs says:
The Suzuki Verona is kind of a dark horse with a checkered past. It was brought to light for me by a fellow automotive journalist. OK, so it's sold as a Suzuki that's really manufactured by Daewoo, which is owned by GM, which partners with Suzuki, so it's brought to the U.S. as a Suzuki but sold as a Daewoo in Canada. It's confusing, but that's the truth.

I drove our test vehicle around and was surprised by how much I liked it. Though it's marred by bland exterior styling reminiscent of the forgettable Taurus, it's a pretty well-rounded car packed with tons of features. The interior is reasonably aesthetically pleasing with extremely comfortable seats. Moving the seats along is an adequate inline 6 and it all rides on a pretty soft suspension. It's definitely comfortable and enjoyable, just not very sporty or inspiring.

To most people, the Verona will seem like a nice car, but that probably isn't enough of a reason to run out and get one. Well, when I consider the substantial 7-year/100,000-mile transferable warranty with roadside assistance to go along with the multitudes of creature comforts, the Verona gets a whole lot more attractive for its relatively low price point. It's a car that people should really consider, even if its background is a little blurry.

Road Test Coordinator Kelly Stennick says:
The Suzuki Verona was nearly left out of our comparison test. While it's already on sale in other parts of the world, it's a newcomer to the United States this year, and therefore, almost slipped below our radar.

Our local Suzuki PR rep worked hard to accommodate our last-minute request, and for that we're grateful. After staging it with the rest of our test cars for the group photo shoot, I found myself admitting that it wasn't bad. It has some idiosyncrasies that I could do without, such as its quirky shifter, but for the first midsize Suzuki sedan for the United States, I'd like to see it sell.