Used 2001 Suzuki Esteem Consumer Reviews
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Durable little beast
Well my 85' lincoln died so I walked across rte. 112 to the first dealership i saw and bought this little Esteem. The guys there helped me get financing because my credit sucked at the time. i haven't regretted my impulse buy AT ALL> The esteem's a great little car that I have beat the s^&* out of and took on several long trips <NY to Buffalo>....knock on wood I've had no trouble with it at all. It has some speed too.
What a good surprise!
Car was two years old and had 30,000 miles on it at purchase. I'd read good reviews, but my expectations were low. I was just looking for a cheap little wagon to drive for a while. I tested a 1.6L, but it was underpowered. The 1.8L is way better. I liked that the 1.8L wouldn't need timing belt replacement, since it has a chain. Well, I've been surprised by how much I love this car. It's cute, extremely peppy, and fits a ton of stuff. It's amazingly reliable. In five years, I've put 30,000 miles on it, mostly vacation driving. We've taken it out on the road for weeks at a time without a worry. It's been from sea level to Colorado mountain tops. It's a champ.
wow.......what a car
here we go......this is the same car as in the review above. Now, it has 140000 miles on it(I commute 100 miles toand from work each day). I cannot say enough about this car. In 130k miles, here are my repairs: 4 front brake jobs (including the de-laminated brake pad), replaced front rotors once, 2 sets of tires, I had a stalling problem at around 105k that was the ONLY repair that was not wear-and-tear related. It was a throttle control valve or something. I am on my ORIGINAL rear brakes. It has only not started for me once, so I changed the plugs.this was at 120k. New plugs also cleared the check engine light. I really beat this car. Simply, the best car I have EVER owned.
best car for the buck
Purchased 6/2/2000 and I will not part with it. Power is good as sea level BUT could be better in the mountains. (USE 91 OCTANE IN THE MOUNTAINS) Mileage runs about 24 street and 35 in freeways. Handles very well and is stable at all speeds and rides like a larger car.
In High Esteem
My car has the 1.8L engine and 14" wheels. Built in Japan. Clutch/shifter is ultra smooth and easy, smooth ride, comfortable, and relatively quiet (compared to even Mazda Protege and Honda Civic). Excellent sight lines, supportive seat (I'm tall). Leg room about the same as other small cars. Fun to drive. Precise steering, mild body lean. Nice stereo sound. No mechanical problems.