Hi guys, just a question, have you ever felt regretful after buying your GV?
Any regret for choosing a GV?
renn_007
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The GV was the featured "Toad of the Year" in the 2006 Towing World Dinghy Guide - the year of the new GV body style, but I haven't seen many behind motor homes either. I think the GV is absolutely one of the best choices available for a tow vehicle. Towing aside, in the US you see thousands more CRV's and RAV4's than GV's on the road. The GV is a MUCH better car than either of those, has more eminities, and cost less. I can't figure it out. It's almost as if the Suzuki is a well kept secret here. :huh:
Robin
'06 GV Sport
-A secret, indeed. I think the main reason for poor sales of the GV, has always been the lack of advertising, compared to the RAV4 and CRV. And this applies to all countries, including our dear old Finland.
-At the same time, the advertising for the RAV4 and CRV has been ferocious, and the slightly higher degree of refinement (on-road) provided by the two, has always attracted more customers. Two thirds of the customers do want a refined vehicle, more than they want a rugged 4x4.
-In Finland, the launch of the new GV in fall 2005 was doomed to fail, because it was priced at $ 8k more than a basic RAV4 or CRV
When Suzuki finally reduced the price level in 2007-2008, it was simply too late. People just thought it was too expensive for the level of refinement.
-I still think, I made a wise decision, buying the GV, and so far, I've seen nothing, that could persuade me to buy any other vehicle. I especially hate the "wannabe" 4x4's, like the Hyundai Tucson and Honda CRV, RAV4, Kia Sportage, and list goes on. The 4-wheel drive on these trucks is a joke at best, and I can not find any reason, why they should'nt be 2wd trucks?
-At the same time, the advertising for the RAV4 and CRV has been ferocious, and the slightly higher degree of refinement (on-road) provided by the two, has always attracted more customers. Two thirds of the customers do want a refined vehicle, more than they want a rugged 4x4.
-In Finland, the launch of the new GV in fall 2005 was doomed to fail, because it was priced at $ 8k more than a basic RAV4 or CRV
When Suzuki finally reduced the price level in 2007-2008, it was simply too late. People just thought it was too expensive for the level of refinement.-I still think, I made a wise decision, buying the GV, and so far, I've seen nothing, that could persuade me to buy any other vehicle.
I especially hate the "wannabe" 4x4's, like the Hyundai Tucson and Honda CRV, RAV4, Kia Sportage, and list goes on. The 4-wheel drive on these trucks is a joke at best, and I can not find any reason, why they should'nt be 2wd trucks?
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226 Posts
Hey fingv
The 1.6L 3dr was a dog of a car. I took one out for a spin back in '07 & told the dealer that Suzuki is going backwards. The last 1.6L was my 1994 Suzuki SE416C Type3 Vitara JLX 3dr Auto 3sp 4x4 It was was miles better than the '07 version. Dealers were slashing prices just to move them but still nobody wanted them. Suzuki Australia dumped that model big time. I feel sorry for those who did buy it as they are missing out on what the GV was really made for.
Suzuki really need to advertise their products better. If they had the same budget as Toyota they would be doing far better. The most disgusting ad campaign here in Australia with the Rav4 is that Toyota claims it to be "The original SUV"! Since when Toyota huh? These ads are on all our channels & it makes me sick that Toyota is now mis-informing their customers just to get more sales & an advantage over mis-informed people to buy something for which it's not. Suzuki have great products at good prices & they should capitalise on that. I hate the "wannabe's" too as they are just glorified raised up people movers. Look at any 4x4 magazine & you will see Toyota & Mitsubishi spending big on advertising. That's why you see their products plastered with the journos saying that they are better. It shows advertising buys you better kudos with journos & thats why these 4x4's are getting gongs from these magazines.
The '09 GV's are far better refined than the models it replaced. Safety alone is a huge improvement. 6 airbags in my new GV compared to 2 airbags in my old '07 GV.
Diesel has never been a big hit here. Mainly of the price which is silly since diesel is cheaper to produce than gasoline. The larger 4x4's were the dominant use of diesel but with the advent of the VW golf & polo diesel & other European cars offering diesel models it is making buyers think twice. I'm sure you're having a good laugh at our fuel prices, but as I say to everyone "We live in the backside of the world..... what do you expect!". Hopefully Suzuki will offer some time down the track a more technological advanced diesel. Maybe someone will offer an after-market intercooler for the GV's..... Here's hoping!
The reason why I buy Suzuki's..... it's easy! They are rugged & dependable. They can go anywhere even where the larger 4x4's can go & still show them up. If you saw our crappy roads, you'd want something rugged to drive. You'll see more refined road SUV's up on hoists out here getting their suspensions fixed. People buy the "wannabes" cos they are comfortable. Since when has any proper 4x4 been comfortable? My old Nissan Bluebirds took a beating on country roads & thats why I gave up on them & stuck with Vitara's
As far as I'm concerned, we here made the right choice of vehicle. I hope that others wanting a proper SUV will see we made the right choice instead of the "wannabes".
The 1.6L 3dr was a dog of a car. I took one out for a spin back in '07 & told the dealer that Suzuki is going backwards. The last 1.6L was my 1994 Suzuki SE416C Type3 Vitara JLX 3dr Auto 3sp 4x4 It was was miles better than the '07 version. Dealers were slashing prices just to move them but still nobody wanted them. Suzuki Australia dumped that model big time. I feel sorry for those who did buy it as they are missing out on what the GV was really made for.
Suzuki really need to advertise their products better. If they had the same budget as Toyota they would be doing far better. The most disgusting ad campaign here in Australia with the Rav4 is that Toyota claims it to be "The original SUV"! Since when Toyota huh? These ads are on all our channels & it makes me sick that Toyota is now mis-informing their customers just to get more sales & an advantage over mis-informed people to buy something for which it's not. Suzuki have great products at good prices & they should capitalise on that. I hate the "wannabe's" too as they are just glorified raised up people movers. Look at any 4x4 magazine & you will see Toyota & Mitsubishi spending big on advertising. That's why you see their products plastered with the journos saying that they are better. It shows advertising buys you better kudos with journos & thats why these 4x4's are getting gongs from these magazines.
The '09 GV's are far better refined than the models it replaced. Safety alone is a huge improvement. 6 airbags in my new GV compared to 2 airbags in my old '07 GV.
Diesel has never been a big hit here. Mainly of the price which is silly since diesel is cheaper to produce than gasoline. The larger 4x4's were the dominant use of diesel but with the advent of the VW golf & polo diesel & other European cars offering diesel models it is making buyers think twice. I'm sure you're having a good laugh at our fuel prices, but as I say to everyone "We live in the backside of the world..... what do you expect!". Hopefully Suzuki will offer some time down the track a more technological advanced diesel. Maybe someone will offer an after-market intercooler for the GV's..... Here's hoping!
The reason why I buy Suzuki's..... it's easy! They are rugged & dependable. They can go anywhere even where the larger 4x4's can go & still show them up. If you saw our crappy roads, you'd want something rugged to drive. You'll see more refined road SUV's up on hoists out here getting their suspensions fixed. People buy the "wannabes" cos they are comfortable. Since when has any proper 4x4 been comfortable? My old Nissan Bluebirds took a beating on country roads & thats why I gave up on them & stuck with Vitara's
As far as I'm concerned, we here made the right choice of vehicle. I hope that others wanting a proper SUV will see we made the right choice instead of the "wannabes".
You don't need to do the valve inspection unless there is noise which there never is. Our dealership has never done this as a service.Just Recently purchased a 07 GV X-Sport Auto 5 SPD RWD.
I am 90% satisfied so far.
THE GOOD
The 2.7L V6 has good power. Fuel Eco is Fair (I get an average of 22mpg mixed city and Hwy.). Has good towing capacity for it's size (3000 Lbs). Other Compact SUVs of similar size only tow up to 1500 Lbs. This may be because the GV is rear wheel drive. Has lots of features for the price and the seats are firm and comfortable at least for me.
THE BAD
The engine is noisy. Has a loud whine on acceleration. Sounds like I'm driving an old truck. It drives like a truck, bumpy and harsh. The H27A Engine requires valve inspection every 22K Mi. Really! You'd think a modern Engine would not require this tune up procedure. Soundproofing is poor. I hear everything from Harley Davidsons to Bass Booming Stereo Systems. This could be considered a safety feature in that you will have no problem hearing emergency vehicles coming. There is a vibration in my dash when I am on course pavement and I have yet to hunt this down and it is annoying.
No Regrets; since I needed a new vehicle to replace my 10 year old Pontiac and The Suzuki GV was Cheap, Especially now in a recession, It was a good value for me.
-Risky; I agree on absolutely everything with you. But I never laugh at fuel prices, even in other countries Fuel is never cheap enough
-I'm also very glad of my choice, and for our conditions, I think it's the best variant from the lineup. It's also priced right; it costs exactly the same, as the 2.0 petrol model, so people only have to decide, whether they want a diesel or petrol Mind you, the diesel does offer almost twice the torque, so I never even considered the petrol
-For the last two days we've had -18C, -20C here, and the GV still drove like in the summer Could'nt ask for more
-I can't praise the Webasto heater enough! The GV is so nice and warm every morning, before I take off I just wish, that Suzuki makes the Webasto standard equipment for the next model, It's one of the few 4x4s here, that does'nt have it as standard It was the most expensive option, I had installed on my GV, an extra 1.900 euros (installed)
Fuel is never cheap enough -I'm also very glad of my choice, and for our conditions, I think it's the best variant from the lineup. It's also priced right; it costs exactly the same, as the 2.0 petrol model, so people only have to decide, whether they want a diesel or petrol
Mind you, the diesel does offer almost twice the torque, so I never even considered the petrol -For the last two days we've had -18C, -20C here, and the GV still drove like in the summer
Could'nt ask for more -I can't praise the Webasto heater enough! The GV is so nice and warm every morning, before I take off
I just wish, that Suzuki makes the Webasto standard equipment for the next model, It's one of the few 4x4s here, that does'nt have it as standard It was the most expensive option, I had installed on my GV, an extra 1.900 euros (installed) I am happy with my 2006 GV but I do wish they had a better oil filter location and drain plug for the 2.7L and that they had carried over the hydraulic lifters of the 2.7L in the 7 passenger Suzuki SUV. I assumed they were hydraulic. Checking solid lifters does not have to be a big pain but Suzuki also put the inplet plumbing right on top of the valve covers so it is a pain - lots of parts to remove and replace.
Other than these maintenance hassles, I like my GV. I think it has good power and I get about 26 mpg in mixed driving including occasional towing. I have towed over 2,000 lbs with it and thought power was fine. It actually got better when I went 70 mph than when I did 62 mph - being higher in the torque curve more than offset the added air resistance.
Jim
Other than these maintenance hassles, I like my GV. I think it has good power and I get about 26 mpg in mixed driving including occasional towing. I have towed over 2,000 lbs with it and thought power was fine. It actually got better when I went 70 mph than when I did 62 mph - being higher in the torque curve more than offset the added air resistance.
Jim
Happy with my 08 GV LUX overall except for one small thing that bothered me for a bit the sunroof was not tited at all. I felt like my head was on fire in the summer. This was the first car I had that did not come w/ a tinted sunroof. After getting tired of not being able to enjoy the natural light I got it tinted... Great overall vehicle no major regrets
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Lol fingv we still live in the backside of the world here. Fuel prices will always forever be a bugbear for us poor motorists.
Our summer temps during the past week have been anywhere between 25C-32C but at night with the high humidity it's around 22C-25C. I went to the beach early this morning for a swim & even when I dried off I started sweating again! The only thing that's annoying the crap out of me is that we have a plague of poisonous spiders in our area. I nearly got bitten last night by a very large female mouse that was sitting just above the light switch while I switched it on. It scared the living daylights out of me. Not to mention I've killed a dozen red-back spiders this past week. I was bitten by one several years ago while I was asleep & it wasn't fun I'll tell you
I'm glad your GV operates well in winter conditions. It says a lot for it's design. Those damn annoying Toyota RAV4 ads saying they are the original SUV are pestering everyone. Hopefully someone will set them straight soon. They should have properly done their research before they boasted.
Back to spider killing.....
Our summer temps during the past week have been anywhere between 25C-32C but at night with the high humidity it's around 22C-25C. I went to the beach early this morning for a swim & even when I dried off I started sweating again! The only thing that's annoying the crap out of me is that we have a plague of poisonous spiders in our area. I nearly got bitten last night by a very large female mouse that was sitting just above the light switch while I switched it on. It scared the living daylights out of me. Not to mention I've killed a dozen red-back spiders this past week. I was bitten by one several years ago while I was asleep & it wasn't fun I'll tell you
I'm glad your GV operates well in winter conditions. It says a lot for it's design. Those damn annoying Toyota RAV4 ads saying they are the original SUV are pestering everyone. Hopefully someone will set them straight soon. They should have properly done their research before they boasted.
Back to spider killing.....
No regrets. I also have a 2004 Honda Civic which I bought new. The initial quality and ongoing reliability of my 2007 GV has been just as good as the Honda. I find that impressive and after 27K miles there have been no issues requiring warranty service.
Specific likes: The full time AWD mode so the wife doesn't have to mess with the transfer case yet I can lock it in when the snow gets real deep. And the GV is a tank in snow and that's a requirement here. The power of the 2.7 V-6 is adequate for our needs. The Aisin-Warner 5 speed automatic is the very first slush box that I can live with. I generally hate automatics and prefer a stick shift. But this AW tranny shifts smooth and is nearly always in the right gear and stays on the engine's torque curve. And the design of the shifter gives me the easy capability to manually downshift if needed. I don't mind the firm ride that others complain about. In fact, I prefer it. After all, this is an off road capable SUV. The suspension HAS to be taunt and firm. If you wanted a "mall cruiser" SUV then get a RAV-4 or CRV.
Specific dislikes: The already mentioned oil filter location. The sound quality of the stock audio system quite frankly sucks. That will get upgraded someday but isn't a priority. The TPM system needs more design work. It's too sensitive and I discovered that you can "fool" it into turning on the fault light. First, I've had it set a fault when the tires are just 2 PSI low. That can even happen when the ambient temperature falls to near 10 degrees F. I overcame this design fault by bumping up the tires to 35 PSI cold rather than 32 PSI cold. And with a full rated load of passengers and cargo the TPM is fooled by the additional "squat" of rear tires even though they are inflated to the correct PSI. There is no fix for this until you remove the additional load and then the TPM system resets itself.
Specific likes: The full time AWD mode so the wife doesn't have to mess with the transfer case yet I can lock it in when the snow gets real deep. And the GV is a tank in snow and that's a requirement here. The power of the 2.7 V-6 is adequate for our needs. The Aisin-Warner 5 speed automatic is the very first slush box that I can live with. I generally hate automatics and prefer a stick shift. But this AW tranny shifts smooth and is nearly always in the right gear and stays on the engine's torque curve. And the design of the shifter gives me the easy capability to manually downshift if needed. I don't mind the firm ride that others complain about. In fact, I prefer it. After all, this is an off road capable SUV. The suspension HAS to be taunt and firm. If you wanted a "mall cruiser" SUV then get a RAV-4 or CRV.
Specific dislikes: The already mentioned oil filter location. The sound quality of the stock audio system quite frankly sucks. That will get upgraded someday but isn't a priority. The TPM system needs more design work. It's too sensitive and I discovered that you can "fool" it into turning on the fault light. First, I've had it set a fault when the tires are just 2 PSI low. That can even happen when the ambient temperature falls to near 10 degrees F. I overcame this design fault by bumping up the tires to 35 PSI cold rather than 32 PSI cold. And with a full rated load of passengers and cargo the TPM is fooled by the additional "squat" of rear tires even though they are inflated to the correct PSI. There is no fix for this until you remove the additional load and then the TPM system resets itself.
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207 Posts
Hey RiskyLol fingv we still live in the backside of the world here. Fuel prices will always forever be a bugbear for us poor motorists.
Our summer temps during the past week have been anywhere between 25C-32C but at night with the high humidity it's around 22C-25C. I went to the beach early this morning for a swim & even when I dried off I started sweating again! The only thing that's annoying the crap out of me is that we have a plague of poisonous spiders in our area. I nearly got bitten last night by a very large female mouse that was sitting just above the light switch while I switched it on. It scared the living daylights out of me. Not to mention I've killed a dozen red-back spiders this past week. I was bitten by one several years ago while I was asleep & it wasn't fun I'll tell you
I'm glad your GV operates well in winter conditions. It says a lot for it's design. Those damn annoying Toyota RAV4 ads saying they are the original SUV are pestering everyone. Hopefully someone will set them straight soon. They should have properly done their research before they boasted.
Back to spider killing.....
You should come back to the UK,no man eating spiders or mice here mate just snow.It's been the worst snowfall in 18 years and the biggest problem is that you still get the nutters that can't adapt their driving or SLOW down.There were 8 crashes in just 300yards,and of course i'am getting callled all the names under the sun because i drive a 4x4 and can get where i'am going safely.
Regards,GV1888.
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207 Posts
No, we get the Brigdestones as standard,but personally i think they're crap(don't all shout at me,it's just my thoughts).I have since changed to continental cross contact 4x4 winter tyres,which are good in the wet and snow.I never lost traction at all with these.
Regards GV1888.
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226 Posts
:lol: GV1888 I'll stick to living in God's country down under with it's weather, beer & nice looking girls. The only time I go to the UK is to visit rellies during Sept-Oct periods. Mind you another trip is due as I haven't been for a while. There's plenty of nutters who don't know how to drive & don't know their vehicles. Just keep smiling mate cos you're driving a better vehicle & you know how to handle it.
Don't worry about those spiders..... I deal with them my way & they have a very short life expectancy when they hit my place!
We have Bridgestone Dueler H/T as OEM's on our GV's. They are absolute rubbish tyres & will last about 20,000kms before replacement. I had Dunlop Grandtrek AT2 215/65R16's on my 1997 Suzuki SV420G Type3 Vitara JLX 3dr Auto 3sp plus o/drive 4wd 2.0iL & it made a huge difference after the OEM Bridgestones. The tread lasted a hell of a lot longer, they stick to the road in all conditions & off-road on gravel, mud & dust they were brilliant. Suzuki should look at tyres like these as standard equipment. It's a 50/50 tyre.
Anyway Axe Man glad you're enjoying your GV. You're right about those who whine that the GV doesn't have a softer ride. In Australia cars need a stiffer ride over our roads. I always suggest to those who want a car-like suspensioned SUV is to get a wannabe like the RAV4 or simply go bounce on their bed! Obviously those people know nothing about proper SUV's. Next thing you'll know is they'll whine that earth movers need softer suspensions :lol:
It's 26°C here & very humid. We had a late evening shower out our way last night & it's very sticky today because of it. I shall be heading to the beach later
Don't worry about those spiders..... I deal with them my way & they have a very short life expectancy when they hit my place!
We have Bridgestone Dueler H/T as OEM's on our GV's. They are absolute rubbish tyres & will last about 20,000kms before replacement. I had Dunlop Grandtrek AT2 215/65R16's on my 1997 Suzuki SV420G Type3 Vitara JLX 3dr Auto 3sp plus o/drive 4wd 2.0iL & it made a huge difference after the OEM Bridgestones. The tread lasted a hell of a lot longer, they stick to the road in all conditions & off-road on gravel, mud & dust they were brilliant. Suzuki should look at tyres like these as standard equipment. It's a 50/50 tyre.
Anyway Axe Man glad you're enjoying your GV. You're right about those who whine that the GV doesn't have a softer ride. In Australia cars need a stiffer ride over our roads. I always suggest to those who want a car-like suspensioned SUV is to get a wannabe like the RAV4 or simply go bounce on their bed! Obviously those people know nothing about proper SUV's. Next thing you'll know is they'll whine that earth movers need softer suspensions :lol:
It's 26°C here & very humid. We had a late evening shower out our way last night & it's very sticky today because of it. I shall be heading to the beach later
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2,242 Posts
I'm not a mechanic, so perhaps you can correct me on this.
I understand the valve clearance can be loose or tight. If it's loose, you will get noise, but not if it's tight. Damage can result either way, so you have to do the inspection even if you don't have noise.
Valves need clearance. Valves do not get looser over time, they get tighter. As the valve wears into the valve seat, the clearance becomes less until it approaches zero. The valve will then remain slightly open causing the valve seats to burn. This happens more often on the exhaust valve since it runs at a much higher tempurature than the intake valve. This can get very expensive.
The clearance also allows for expansion of metals as the engine heats up.
In the motorcycle world, we like to say "A tappy engine is a happy engine". If the engine is quiet, no valve noise, your are in trouble.
Excessive clearance would not harm an engine, it would just change the valve timing slightly as the duration of the valve being open would change.
If your are tuning an engine for maxiumum performance, setting the valves to the tighter range of the specification may give you a little more top-end power, like putting in a higher duration cam.
-Risky; I must have been totally blind!
-The diesel GV does have both, a turbo and intercooler! What confused me, and the service guy I asked about this earlier, was the way it is mounted.
-There is actually a huge (radiator size) intercooler in front of the A/C condenser and radiator. The pressured air hoses are located so low and behind everything else, that it's almost impossible to see them.
-Another dealer service professional showed them to me, and also explained, what the other gadgets do in the engine bay. It was a half an hour well spent!
-This means, that the diesel engine in the GV (and Renault) is a very modern unit, and is just very mildly tuned, compared to other makes. Therefore, the engine should not be keeping anyone from buying one.
-BTW, on last saturday, I saw the first 2009 DDiS, that had been chiptuned The owner showed me the dyno papers, and there was 156Hp/3910rpm v the claimed original 130Hp/4000rpm, and 359Nm/1890rpm v the claimed original 300Nm/2000. And all this just from a new ECU chip! The model he used, required the soldered chip swap, but there are "plug-in" versions available also. I will keep mine stock at least as long there is warranty.
-The diesel GV does have both, a turbo and intercooler! What confused me, and the service guy I asked about this earlier, was the way it is mounted.
-There is actually a huge (radiator size) intercooler in front of the A/C condenser and radiator. The pressured air hoses are located so low and behind everything else, that it's almost impossible to see them.
-Another dealer service professional showed them to me, and also explained, what the other gadgets do in the engine bay. It was a half an hour well spent!
-This means, that the diesel engine in the GV (and Renault) is a very modern unit, and is just very mildly tuned, compared to other makes. Therefore, the engine should not be keeping anyone from buying one.
-BTW, on last saturday, I saw the first 2009 DDiS, that had been chiptuned
The owner showed me the dyno papers, and there was 156Hp/3910rpm v the claimed original 130Hp/4000rpm, and 359Nm/1890rpm v the claimed original 300Nm/2000. And all this just from a new ECU chip! The model he used, required the soldered chip swap, but there are "plug-in" versions available also. I will keep mine stock at least as long there is warranty.
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226 Posts
Lol fingv we both learn something new everyday!
I wonder how long the chiptuned GV will last before things start going on it.
Is the Renault diesel & GV diesel exactly the same in specs & power? I would assume the Renault unit would be slightly more powerful so they can sell more of their brand.
Sounds like the guy you spoke to knows his stuff.... make sure you go back to him for more info & any probs you might get.
Hmm I wonder if there's a kit to install the 3.2L V6 in the 3dr model..... that would give it a bit of grunt! But again I guess I'm dreaming.
Just off-topic for a sec, the bush fires in Victoria have been absolutely terrible with a great loss of life & small towns now scorched off the map. The fires were going that fast people that were escaping were burnt alive in their cars as they were escaping as you may see in footage. A friend of mine who lives down that way has lost everything she owns so we're organising help for her (not everything she had was insured). This is the highest lost of life & property in our peacetime history.
I wonder how long the chiptuned GV will last before things start going on it.
Is the Renault diesel & GV diesel exactly the same in specs & power? I would assume the Renault unit would be slightly more powerful so they can sell more of their brand.
Sounds like the guy you spoke to knows his stuff.... make sure you go back to him for more info & any probs you might get.
Hmm I wonder if there's a kit to install the 3.2L V6 in the 3dr model..... that would give it a bit of grunt! But again I guess I'm dreaming.
Just off-topic for a sec, the bush fires in Victoria have been absolutely terrible with a great loss of life & small towns now scorched off the map. The fires were going that fast people that were escaping were burnt alive in their cars as they were escaping as you may see in footage. A friend of mine who lives down that way has lost everything she owns so we're organising help for her (not everything she had was insured). This is the highest lost of life & property in our peacetime history.
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