2007 Suzuki XL7 Review

PROS
Good passenger and cargo room, Reasonable price, Quiet ride

CONS Clunky suspension, Wide turning radius, Small interior storage bins

A coming-out party If I asked 100 people to name 20 automotive brands, I bet less than 10 would offer up Suzuki as one of their 20. There's good reason for that, Suzuki's better known in the U.S. for its motorcycles, ATVs, and outboard motors. In fact, the Japanese brand has only been selling automobiles in the U.S. for 22 years, making it a mere child compared to companies like Ford who has been selling vehicles for more than 100 years.

Still, the brand has a lot going for it. Suzuki is partly owned by General Motors, which gives it vast engineering resources. They have a small dealer network that's concentrated in urban areas that makes it appealing to younger buyers. And, Suzuki has a relatively fresh model lineup.

One of the newest products is the XL7. It's Suzuki's largest SUV and competes against other midsize SUVs like the Chevrolet Trailblazer, Ford Explorer, Honda Pilot, and Toyota Highlander. As the name implies, XL7 seats up to seven passengers.

For 2007 Suzuki has completely redesigned XL7. Gone is the truck-based chassis that was shared with the Vitara. The new XL7 shares chassis with Chevrolet Equinox and Saturn VUE. XL7 is 10 inches longer than Equinox and 10 inches longer than the vehicle it replaces. XL-7 comes in four trim levels: Base, Special, Luxury, and Limited.  All models are available with front- or all-wheel drive.

Sole engine is a 3.6-liter V6 that makes 252 horsepower and 243 pounds-feet of torque. The V6 mates to a 5-speed automatic that comes with a separate shift gate for manual operation. The available AWD system does not have a low range and is not intended for severe off-road use.

Standard safety equipment includes curtain side airbags with rollover protection, stability control, traction control, tire-pressure monitor, and antilock brakes. Prices range from $22,899 for the Base 2WD to $29,549 for the Limited AWD. Destination charge is $635. Notable options include rear-seat DVD entertainment system, third-row seat, and Touring package that bundles navigation system, sunroof, and alloy wheels for $2,200.

Get up and Go
XL7's V6 engine can be found in a number of General Motors vehicles, including the Cadillac CTS and SRX. There's good reason for that, the engine is powerful, refined, and fuel efficient.

In addition to being powerful, the engine is also smooth and refined. It also mates well to the 5-speed automatic, which provides crisp upshifts and prompt downshifts. The manual mode is nice for maintaining speed on grades or in traffic, but, truth be told, the transmission works so well, you'll seldom need it.

The front-drive XL7 is EPA rated at 18 mpg city and 24 mpg highway, which is about average for a midsize SUV. In typical urban driving expect to average about 18 to 19 mpg. On longer highway trips expect to average between 22 and 24 mpg. Suzuki says that XL7 will run fine on less-expensive regular-grade fuel.

On the Road Like it's cousins at General Motors, XL7's suspension tuning favors ride comfort over sports-car like handing. However, XL7 is considerably more stiffly sprung that either Equinox or VUE (except VUE Redline, of course). That's to say that body motions are well controlled and there's little bobbing or bouncing over rough roads.

The suspension does an admirable job of filtering out individual bumps and potholes. However, at times the rear suspension will clunk over highway expansion joints. On the whole the suspension is comparable to other midsize SUVs, what it lacks in refinement it makes up for with absorbency.

Overall noise suppression was surprisingly good on the Limited, this despite some claims from other publications that XL7's interior is overly noisy. Wind noise suppression is excellent and there's little tire or engine noise.

Behind the Wheel XL7's interior is as modern and user-friendly as any midsize SUV. Materials are par for the class, and assembly quality was good. Gauges, radio, and climate control are straight from the General Motor's parts bin and that's good. Speedometer, tachometer, and fuel gauge are clear and easy to read, and audio and climate controls are placed high on the center console and are clearly marked. Even the borrowed from General Motors navigation system is easier to operate than those offered in most competitors.

About the only drawback of the control layout are power window switches that are arranged around the console-mounted shifter. They are difficult to find quickly and positioned in such a way that you can't operate more than one at a time.

Front seats are large but are firm and don't offer much lateral support. Head and leg room are excellent. The seating position is up high, making visibility to the front and sides excellent. However, the small rear window and thick rear pillars block the view to the rear. Park assist should be standard and a rear-camera would help things even further.

Second row seats have adult-size head and leg room and are reasonably comfortable. Seats fold flat in one motion and you don't have to remove the headrests. Available third-row seats offer more room than expected, but are still marginal for any adult over 6 feet tall.

Cargo space behind the third-row seats is adequate for most shopping trips and there's a handy covered bin for storing smaller items. Folding the third-row seats is a snap and greatly increases cargo space. The second-row seats also fold, creating a huge cargo hold that's easily among the largest in the class. Sadly, the same can't be said for interior storage. It's as if Suzuki pulled a glovebox, map pockets, and center console bin out of a compact car and put them in the XL7. There all there, but they are too small.

Bottom Line XL7 is Suzuki's coming out party. It's substantially better than the vehicle it replaces and competitive with other vehicles in the class. That's not to say it is not without faults. The suspension needs more refinement, the turning radius needs to be improved, and Suzuki has got to upgrade the storage cubbies throughout.

Still, XL7 is a great leap forward for Suzuki, and puts the automaker on equal footing with other mainstream manufacturers. In addition, the price is right. When comparably equipped, XL7 is among the least-expensive 7-passenger SUVs on the market. Even though the price is low, the interior doesn't feel cut rate and the vehicle is well equipped.

Suzuki has got a winner on its hands, and, while XL7 isn't going to become the most-popular midsize SUV, it will likely help raise shopper's impressions of the brand.