The 2008 Suzuki Forenza is a compact economy car that is available as a 4 door sedan or a 5 door wagon. The aerodynamically designed Forenza has an MSRP of about $17,000 for a fully equipped model and gas mileage is estimated at 19 MPG in the city and 28 on the highway-not the least expensive or fuel efficient compact on the market today. Although the price is reasonable and the gas mileage acceptable, there seems to be little else that would attract buyers to this particular compact car. Unfortunately, the Forenza lacks the power, fuel efficiency and handling that seems to have been almost perfected in comparable cars offered by other manufacturers. Minor changes have been made for the 2008 model year that include inside door handles made of polished chrome and Bluetooth is now an available option.

Both the sedan and wagon styles come in only one trim with additional features available through the purchase of specially designed option packages. All models come standard with 15 inch steel wheels, a 60/40 split folding rear seat, air conditioning, power operated accessories, a height adjustable driver seat and an 8 speaker stereo system with CD player. Purchasing the Convenience Package will net you remote keyless entry, cruise control and steering wheel mounted audio controls. The Popular Package includes those in the Convenience Package as well as a sun roof and fog lights. Bluetooth be purchased separately and installed by the dealer if so desired.

A 2.0 liter 4 cylinder that delivers 127 horsepower is no more than adequate at powering the Forenza. Performance is better when matched with the standard 5 speed manual transmission as the optional 4 speed automatic tends to make it lag even more.

The interior of the 2008 Suzuki Forenza is full of inconsistent and unrefined materials. The ride can be rough and its overall lack of quality engineering and build don't do a lot for this economy car. The sedans trunk offers a good amount of space, and the wagon provides an ample 65 cubic feet with the rear seat down, but that's about the only feature that truly stands out amongst the competition.