2002 Suzuki Vitara Review and Specs

Summary

What Edmunds.com says

One of the fastest-growing vehicle segments is the small SUV. Suzuki's Vitara is definitely small, but there's no reason that it should be contributing to mini-ute sales growth charts unless somebody out there really wants a convertible SUV and can't afford a Jeep Wrangler.

Pros

Available two-door soft-top body style, truck-based body-on-frame design.

Cons

Meager cargo space, cramped rear seats, lacks refinement.

What's New for 2002

The previous base-level Vitara JS and JX have been discontinued. The Vitara now comes only in fully equipped JLS (rear-wheel drive) and JLX (four-wheel drive) trim in either body style. Additionally, motivation for all Vitaras now comes from the 2.0-liter engine as the 1.6-liter has been dropped. Other changes for the new year include the addition of the LATCH child seat system, a new fender-mounted antenna, new donut-style headrests for better visibility and new exterior colors. Suzuki offers 24-hour emergency roadside assistance and towing for the duration of the vehicle's warranty to increase customer satisfaction.

Consumer Ratings & Reviews

3 to 5 days for parts

Written by: suzuki gone wild on 02/27/2009

Detailed Ratings

Overall Rating


Performance:	9	Fun-to-Drive:	7	Build Quality:	5
Comfort:	8	Interior Design:	7	Reliability:	1
Fuel Economy:	7	Exterior Design:	7

Vehicle

2002 Suzuki Vitara JLS 2WD 4dr SUV (2.0L 4cyl 5M)

Review

hi there, i been driving my Vitara for 7 years now the truck just hit 200k miles and its starting to see some oil leaks on the engine and lets get to my point .... everytime something brakes i have to find a suzuki dealer for parts and it takes 3-5 days to get parts.1st thing to go was the alt and i had to get one at a autozone 3 hours away and needed it. was on a sunday and i needed to get to work on monday.road trip.the rear passanger side alxe bearings went out...the alxe almost come out!!!! the brakes failed..if you want a car that takes 3- 5 days to fix buy one

Favorite Features

sits up high and can take being hit in the rear 4 times and a few in the side and 2 in the front....this thing is tough

Suggested Improvements

stock the parts in more then one state....how about one dealer per state has a warehouse full of parts will not buy suzuki again due to this...stinks I like the car

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All-Round Duty-Bound

Written by: Scott Keirn on 06/19/2008


Performance:	7	Fun-to-Drive:	10	Build Quality:	8
Comfort:	7	Interior Design:	8	Reliability:	10
Fuel Economy:	9	Exterior Design:	8

2002 Suzuki Vitara JLX 4WD 4dr SUV (2.0L 4cyl 5M)

Great little SUV in this day of outrageous gas prices. By traveling 5-10 mph under the speed limit, my scanguage tells me I average 31-32 mpg. Good little vehicle for a man or woman and fun to drive and easy to maintain.

Easy entry and exit, four wheel drive easy to engage, and looks are appealing.

None

My Suzuki

Written by: khill on 11/13/2003


Performance:	6	Fun-to-Drive:	10	Build Quality:	10
Comfort:	8	Interior Design:	8	Reliability:	10
Fuel Economy:	8	Exterior Design:	8

I have had no probelms with the car to speak of but the dealer is another thing The only wisdom I would give is if you're going to do any towing ( i tow 2 quads) I would get the V-6 My 4 cyl. is borderline for hills and such Other than that ilove it Off road it really shines not fast or alot of ground clearance but pick your route carefully and if it can clear it it'll take you ANYWHERE..... KW

MORE GROUND CLEARANCE

My Third One

Written by: WOldaker on 07/04/2003


Performance:	6	Fun-to-Drive:	9	Build Quality:	9
Comfort:	8	Interior Design:	7	Reliability:	9
Fuel Economy:	8	Exterior Design:	9

This is the 3rd 4wd Suzuki I have owned. irst was a Samauri,then Side Kick. and the last one the Vitara. After owning the "dangerous" Samuari :=) I knew I would probabably never drive anther brand though would opt for more comforts. It was time for my wife to get a new vehicle so she ended up with the Vitara. My Sidekick only has 170000 miles and is not ready to go yet. My wife teaches at 2 colleges 50+ miles from each other and I wanted to have a reliable, durable and safe vehicle for her in any weather or situation. That sums up the Suzuki Vitara.

Fit and finish are good. 4wd drive system easy to use and solid traction in snow.

Seats are not too supportive too narrow and no lumbar, my old Sidekick has better. Door swings open too easily no retarder. Engine needs to go to 2liters but stay 4cyl

So far, so good.

Written by: wfalone on 12/05/2002


Performance:	5	Fun-to-Drive:	5	Build Quality:	7
Comfort:	7	Interior Design:	7	Reliability:	7
Fuel Economy:	4	Exterior Design:	6

I use this car for work in the city. It is comfortable, quiet, and well assembled. Not particularly peppy (automatic). Visiblity is good. Nice size, great manuverability. Fine climate controls. Real bad back seat leg room if you have two adults in the front seats. My biggest gripe is that I cannot seem to exceed 20 mpg city/ 23 mpg hiway (no matter how gently I drive).

Fit and finish. CD player (who has cassette tapes?).

Better fuel economy (25 mpg).

2002 Suzuki Vitara Consumer Ratings & Reviews