Used 1998 Suzuki Esteem Consumer Reviews
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We have a limited number of reviews for the 1998 Esteem, so we've included reviews for other years of the Esteem since its last redesign.
Good first car
BrianS, 08/01/2009
1998 Suzuki Esteem GLX 4dr Wagon
6 of 6 people found this review helpful
I had the 5 spd manual and loved it! Gas mileage 35-38. Tranny needed adjusting at 140k and then finally went out at 170K. New brakes were put on. Other than that I made few repairs on it.
Completely Love this car
cubyogi, 08/30/2010
1998 Suzuki Esteem GL 4dr Wagon
6 of 6 people found this review helpful
I've owned this car for nearly 9 years, I absolutely love it. More reliable than a horse. Never had any problems at all, and absolutely fun to drive. I live in Michigan, and I've learned to have rust proofing on any future cars. I have to consider selling my Suzuki because the undercarriage is starting to rust.
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Kay, 01/28/2009
1998 Suzuki Esteem GL 4dr Sedan
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
I have had my car for 10 years. I rarely had any repair work done on it and it is great on gas. Nothing fancy but very reliable and enjoyable.
Great first car
anthonypavone, 09/27/2013
1998 Suzuki Esteem GLX SE 4dr Wagon
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
I got this as my first car about six months ago with 134,000 miles on it for about $1,500 not including tax and such. The first time i saw it, i thought it was a subaru legacy. It took a lot of getting used to after driving my mothers 2007 Trailblazer since i started driving but now i hate driving anything else. The engine has very little power and its a little loud but once you get up to speed it holds it very well. Definitely doesn't compare to my friends mustang. The turning radius is fantastic. The rides pretty comfortable. The interior is pretty average. But the best part is that with so many miles, i haven't had any problems; other than my alternator dying at 140,000.
Good Choice
suzuki driver, 04/01/2003
1998 Suzuki Esteem GL 4dr Sedan
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
We were reluctant to buying the suzuki at first because of the concern of a poor resale value. Don't worry, buy one now. It has been, by far, the most reliable car i have ever owned. My explorer has more problems, and it has less mileage and is a year newer. The car has decent acceleration, and driving is a blast. Plus, the car is extremely cheap. You cant buy many 1- year old cars with 16,000 miles for $6500 bucks. No regrets. Nothing but recomendations.
Good Enough
A Orsi, 07/02/2002
1998 Suzuki Esteem GL 4dr Wagon
3 of 4 people found this review helpful
I bought this car one year ago with 50,000 miles and have driven it to 75,000 miles. It is a noisy ride, the radio doesn't work well, interior plastic is cheap, the heat shields ALL rattle. at 55k i replaced driverside tie rod at 75k i replaced passenger side tie rod. Other than that , no problems. Brakes last a LONG time. Engine is very simple and runs A1. Extremely reliable. There is no luxury. But it's cheap and reliable.
Best car for the money
stormy23 , 11/25/2008
1997 Suzuki Esteem GL 4dr Sedan
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
We bought this car with 60,000 miles on it in 1998. We have had this car for 10 years and only put a water pump into it and of course brakes and normal maintenance. The car now has 168000 miles and now has died on us. We are very upset. The engine locked up on it. But honestly ,we paid $9000 for it ,which was too much at the time but we needed a car and this is all we could get with our credit at the time. I would recomend this car to anyone.
Amazing Little Car!
danac210, 12/22/2008
1997 Suzuki Esteem GLX 4dr Sedan
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
I bought this little car and even though it is over 11 years old it is running great. I only needed it to go about town in, and as I only work 2 miles from home, it is perfect. I do occasionally take for longer highway trips and it does great there too. I love this reliable, tiny car. I live up a really steep, windy driveway and it does well on the sharp curves. It gets excellent gas mileage, friends have even commented on how rarely I need gas. I plan to take care of it and hope it lasts many years to come.
Transmission Problems
jbean1, 02/12/2004
1997 Suzuki Esteem GL 4dr Sedan
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Expect to have gear and transmission problems after 50,000 miles.
Not to shabby
Cruzin Cheap, 04/10/2003
1997 Suzuki Esteem GL 4dr Sedan
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
I've owned this rig for about a year and haven't had any problems. I get good gas milage (27) and seems to have good pick up. The only problem I have is that the interior components are very crappy. The carpet has holes all over the place and pulls out from the frame very easily. It handles well and I haven't had a single problem with the engine. It is a bit narrow and doesn't fit 3 people in the back very well. The front seats are kinda cheap (I can feel the metal springs and I only weigh 160lbs). A fun cheap little car.
ok ride
shayneerin, 04/12/2003
1997 Suzuki Esteem GL 4dr Sedan
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
For the price this is a good little car. Had it a year with no problems. Gets good gas milage and has good power.
206,000 miles and still getting 30+ per gallon
oheggy, 04/13/2012
1998 Suzuki Esteem GL 4dr Wagon
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
purchased a 1998 in 2000 with 44,000 miles on it it now has 206,000 miles on it. never had any major repairs. Just now needing its first new clutch and struts. All other repairs brakes, cv joints were due to mileage. Handles well in all seasons. I have been rear ended 4 times and minimal damage, never needed any body shop attention. The accidents never effected drivability. The driver handle clip broke getting that fixed. Will drive it till it quits and at this pace expect it to go for another 200,000 miles. I have run thru only 4 sets of tires. My car is 14 years old, I also own a Jeep Grand Cherokee Larado 4x4 that is a 1998 and only has 147,000 on it.
Never Again
alm, 09/22/2006
1998 Suzuki Esteem GL 4dr Sedan
1 of 7 people found this review helpful
I hated this car. I spent so much on repairs, it was getting to where I would pay $200-$300 a month on repairs, the equivelent of what a car payment would be. This was when the car was only four years old. It finally died for good in 2003 and life has been so much better since. I drive Hondas now and I will never go back.
BORING
FORDMAN, 01/08/2005
1995 Suzuki Esteem GLX 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I bought this car from my step sister as the 3rd owner. Other than it being INCREDIBLY slow and VERY temperamental, it is a good car. It accelerates like a slug till about 3000rpm and then it advances to turtle status. Being my first car I am glad that i'm not walking but still. This car was not designed for Colorado winters either. During extreme cold the MPG drops to about 20 from 35. It does do well when going a constant speed, i achieved 45 MPG on a long haul trip but, it just doesn't do it for me for short hops around town. I guess i can't expect that much from an engine smaller than a bottle of soda!
Very Reliable little car
Pleased1, 01/18/2010
1996 Suzuki Esteem GLX 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I purchased this Esteem in 2001 for $5000 with 40,000 miles on it. I expected it to be a throw away car that would be discarded after 100,000 miles if I was lucky. 9 years later it now has 200,000 miles on it and is still going strong. I can't believe how well this little car runs. It always starts even at 30 degrees below zero. I have never had to change a sensor or had any major maintenance required other than CV boots at about 60,000 and a bearing in the transmission went out at around 100,000 miles. I consistantly get 40 mpg, mostly highway. I installed a cruise control to complete the package. The GLX comes with power door locks ,windows and mirrors definately a plus' for this car.
Overlooked
christophducati, 08/28/2004
1996 Suzuki Esteem GL 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I bought this car new in 1996 to replace a six month old Dodge Neon that was a total lemon. While it is a plan little car the Esteem has lasted with out a single problem for years and years. In most areas I would say Suzuki is just as good as other Japanese auto makers. I love the styling and the fact that you do not see yourself coming down the street every other car.
a smile-worthy econobox
suzuiki fan, 05/13/2003
1996 Suzuki Esteem GL 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
A suzukie esteem was on the lot when i was looking to replace my huge van, and i didnt even bo ther looking at it becuase it was so gastly ugly. well, whadda know, i drove it, and i fell in love. the car feels fast (even though it isnt, i mean, 98 horses, what do you expect?), corners well, and gets outstanding fuel economy. if yoru worried about buying one of thses machines, just take it for a test dive, ad dont worry aboutwhats in head of you, because this is a reliable car.
She ain't fancy, but she runs!
Coastal Carolina, 04/26/2007
1998 Suzuki Esteem GL 4dr Wagon
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Let's see... no power windows, no power locks, no cruise control. But guess what? No problems, either! My GL wagon is about as basic of a vehicle you can get, but in two years has never had one single incident. The five speed helps to milk the mileage out of the little four-banger, to be sure. Interior isn't luxurious and much past 75 MPH is too much. But as a daily commuter (and a paid-for one at that), it isn't all bad. Get in, fire it up and drive off with no concerns or worries. My kind of car!
a pleasant ride
spp, 03/26/2003
1998 Suzuki Esteem GL 4dr Wagon
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I bought the car five years ago with 8 miles on it. It was paid off (5 yr/4.9 apr through american suzuki credit) last month and I just got the title. It is a very reliable car, great gas mileage. I have changed two front brake pads last summer at 75k mile, no other mechanic job was needed after 5 cold winters in New Hampshire. Now it has 80k miles on it and still runs great. Too bad it is discontinued after 2002.
Best little car I ever owned!
B.J, 03/18/2024
1998 Suzuki Esteem GL 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I owned a 1998 Suzuki Esteem until I had a wreck & totaled it in 2018 ! Still ran like a new car! Best dependable car I ever owned ,Great gas milage! Only 90,000 miles on it ! Until I had a wreck & had a choice hit the guardrail or hit rush hour traffic head on! & the tire rim got caught on the guardrail & it chewed up everything on the driver's side ! The motor still ran like a new car ,Until we sold it !
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
My first serious car
Adamsofi, 05/06/2004
1998 Suzuki Esteem GLX 4dr Sedan
0 of 2 people found this review helpful
I love this car. My next car will be probably also Suzuki...