CTC Review: 2007 Suzuki XL7 JLX AWD

[gottarondo]

Don't be surprised if Suzuki is selling 40,000 cars in Canada by 2013-2014, they have a robust product pipeline.  

If they leave all customers as satisfied as we were with our 2000 Suzuki Esteem wagon the company will indeed grow.  They didn't have a model that provided what we wanted this time or we would happily have been second-time buyers.  We wouldn't have even been car shopping yet if my old bones hadn't finally rebelled at driving a standard around town. 

[Blueprint]

Ah pricing...Value for the $ is certainly where the XL7 shines, especially compared to most of it's competition.  Sante Fe shares a similar pricing strategy, dollar for dollar they are bang on.  When you get into the nitty gritty they have each have features that would appeal to different buyers. But comparisons with the the Lambda platform?  Does anyone even bother checking pricing before piping in lol? A fully loaded XL7 is 38 with a NAV system. With only AWD, leather and a roof it's 36...price out any comparable model in terms of features (V6, leather, roof, XM, AWD) and they will be thousands more.  An Outlook? It starts at 34k for a FWD base, that'll be 47k with leather, roof and AWD...oh you want NAV?  $52,000!!

The Outlook pricing I remembered is what I saw at the auto show : 32k$ for a base fwd, 44k$ for a loaded awd.  I don't care for leather in a non-premium vehicle, and I despise the very existence of nav systems.  Point is, some cars add value in their upper trim levels, some lose value by way of overpricing.  I see value in the base Lambda, but I don't see any in a loaded Lambda or XL7 (or Sante Fe, or RAV, or ...).  A 3rd-tier brand such as Suzuki is not a place (yet, at least) to spend money on upper-trim doo-dads, unless you plan to run it into the ground.  Otherwise, you're throwin' money through the windows.  There's more value in the base XL7, but if you like the basic vehicle and don't need the 3rd row, the Equinox / Torrent are easier on the eyes.  I see good value in the Grand Vitara, btw, and its styling makes my head turn.

[eax]

Outlook FWD is 35k+freight,  XL7 JX FWD is 31k +frieght...a loaded XL7 with Leather and Roof at 35k has tons of value but that would be up to the comparision shopper to really determine. 
As for fuel consumption, I don't know about Ottawa but it's been -16 to 20 in Toronto that's takes a toll but James never seems to be very happy with Fuel Consumption...hmmmm...maybe tailout behaviour are negatively skewing the numbers vs. the Transport Canada City/Highway cycle lol...I have a lead foot too...I've never seen transport canada numbers in anything i've ever driven.

[wing]

smallfry, I'll fill it tonight but I have been VERY light footed with this vehicle.  I drove the Santa Fe last week with a fairly heavy foot.  Does 17L/100km not disappoint you?  Certainly does to me!  Hopefully the computer is wrong!

[davidm]

James, the "odd" window switch placement is exactly like all e36 BMWs.  It's a "driver's thing" ...

[wing]

Seems like a cost savings thing.  They save 1 whole switch

[airbalancer]

James, the "odd" window switch placement is exactly like all e36 BMWs.  It's a "driver's thing" ...

Once you are use to the placement of the window switches in the centre, it works just fine
E46 also have them in the centre
I believe it has more to do with it being a world car ( for the 3 series anyway) on the passenger door rest you can see where the knock out is for the mirror adjustment would be for a right hand drive car

[haris]

Saab window switches are in the middle as well (or at least they are on my 900). I seriously doubt that Saab (who placed heat vents at the back seat windows so they clear faster in the winter) was saving a switch or two... Door locks and interior light switches are in the middle as well.
Some GM cars had the switches in the middle (old Z24s - pre 1994, few others).

[gottarondo]

That's funny that both Saab and Suzuki have window switches in the middle; glad I owned both these types of car in the days of wind-up windows when creative placement of controls was NOT an option!  When I saw the centre console placement of the window control switches on the Chevy HHR recently I was not impressed.

[CptCanuck]

smallfry, I'll fill it tonight but I have been VERY light footed with this vehicle.  I drove the Santa Fe last week with a fairly heavy foot.  Does 17L/100km not disappoint you?  Certainly does to me!  Hopefully the computer is wrong!

17L/100km?  That's insane for something that is supposed to be in the same class as a RAV4 or Santa Fe.  I don't know about everyone else, but when I'm looking for a vehicle I look at total cost of ownership (maintenance, insurance, etc.) and fuel economy is the biggest cost of ownership.

[Blueprint]

My 4500 pound, 3.5 litre 240 hp Odyssey never creeps beyond the 14 l/100 km range, cold and all, so another week in a GM product with the Caddy V-6 would give you a comparison point, specific for vehicle type.

Regarding the window switches, Wing, you should have mentioned that this is not a Suzuki feature, but a GM one, as this is the same layout as the Equinox.  Giving credit were credit is due, from the outside, the vehicles don't look like rebadged twins.

[chunho]

the new XL7 looks funky esp headlamp lower angle... should be deleted look better & rearlamp looks blend inside not excited cost hight than Hyundai SantaFe. Looks similar to GMC Acadia/Saturn outlook, too! I am looking for another crossover that seats more than 5 passenger with 4 cylinder, guess what there are only 2 real crossovers. Mazda 5 which I brought last year & this year for my wife... 2007 Kia Rondo

[Blueprint]

Let's put the fuel consumption in perspective : minivans tend to be better than would-be off-roaders, and here's 2 examples that support this : city driving in the same cold spell in the Odyssey, including warm-up time : even 15 l/100 km; Road trip to Quebec City in the MPV with some local driving there, 3 adult passengers, rolling on Blizzaks and snowy roads : even 11 l/100 km.

17 l/100 km in the XL7 is a lot (green engine ?) as both of my vans aren't exactly featherweights (around 4500 lbs for the Ody, 3800 lbs for the MPV).

[sirAQUAMAN64]

I am looking for another crossover that seats more than 5 passenger with 4 cylinder, guess what there are only 2 real crossovers. Mazda 5 which I brought last year & this year for my wife... 2007 Kia Rondo

Which do you prefer and for what reasons?

[blueberry]

There is no cloth hanger in the Equinoxe. This is a piece of plastic costing 5 cents. Same thing in the XL-7?

[wing]

There is but it is almost unusable.  The placement is very odd.

[sirAQUAMAN64]

Saw an XL7 ad last night - desert with a bike and an XL7... they skid and then get out to exchange keys asking "Can you handle it?" to each other.

This commerical looked of normal/high TV quality (the Wolfboy SX4 one did too) versus past Suzuki ads, but I don't know why they had to use the XL7 for this concept. It's simply not sporty enough - they should be spending the money advertising the 3rd row or some family friendly features. The concept would have worked for a saucy new euro Swift or something, but cheesy for the XL7.

At least I noticed it.

[Loudpedal]

I sat in an XL-7 last night and I thought it felt el cheapo.   I would not even bother driving one now after my showroom impressions.   

[eax]

that commerical is part of a series put out in the US.  A little along the lines of the BMW film series but mixes in Bikes/Cars and action in one story instead of various different tales.  They shot the series and then pulled commericals out of it. 
www.suzukifilms.com

[sirAQUAMAN64]

that commerical is part of a series put out in the US.  A little along the lines of the BMW film series but mixes in Bikes/Cars and action in one story instead of various different tales.  They shot the series and then pulled commericals out of it. 
www.suzukifilms.com

Interesting. Didn't know that existed. I actually like the tie to other Suzuki vehicles, just this particular one seemed polar.

Loudpedal... you're definitely 'in the market', aren't you? What's the story there?