2007 Suzuki XL7 SUV New 7 Passenger CUV Review and Test Drive by Car Reviews And News

02/01/2007 07:56 PM

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2007 Suzuki XL7 Limited The Good Stylish exterior, roomy interior, lots of features for a low price.
The Bad Front seats are partially powered, body sway is noticeable, gas mileage is not very good. Engine Output Top Speed 0-60 mph Weight Price As Tested V6, 3.6 Liters 252 hp / 243 lb-ft 120 mph 7.7 sec (est.) 3886 lbs $27,949
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Click any picture to enlarge to full large size. Car Reviews And News.com The Suzuki XL7 features a 3.6 liter V6 with electronic fuel injection and dual overhead cams. It produces 252 horsepower at 6400 rpm and 243 lb.-ft. of torque at 3200 rpm. With all this horsepower, zero to sixty times are a very respectable 7.7 seconds and the quarter mile is 16 seconds at 90 mph. We found the engine to be responsive and smooth. Highway acceleration was good with enough power on tap for quick and effortless passing. Although the engine is noticeably loud when really pushed, we could barely hear it in everyday around-town driving. Braking is good with a stopping distance of 133 feet from 60 mph. The 5-speed transmission was smooth and responsive to changing road conditions. A manual shift mode is also included for those who want to shift on their own. Electronic stability program is standard along with antilock brakes, traction control and electronic brakeforce distribution. Tire pressure monitoring with a display showing each tire's pressure is also standard. We are impressed by all the safety features that Suzuki has included in the XLS. These items are a must have on any

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The Suzuki XL7 is newly revamped for 2007 for a completely new look both inside and out. The XL7 has a bold front end, smooth side panels, and a sporty rear hatch. The new XL7 is bolder and more powerful than the previous generation, having evolved from the Concept-X which we saw at Detroit in 2005. The 2007 XL7 features a new unitized chassis with more car-like driving characteristics. The chassis is an elongated version of the Chevrolet Equinox's underbody, however Suzuki offers the buyer a choice of two or three rows of seats. The wheelbase has grown by 2.2 inches to 112.4 inches. The vehicle is also longer by 9.8 inches at an overall length of 197.2 inches. This provides much improved interior space and comfort. Our test car is the
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Our test car is the XL7 Limited model which has 7-passenger seating and almost all optional items. The base model starts off at a mere $22,900, while adding options brings our upgraded model to about $28,000. When you go out and actually buy this vehicle, the final price will likely be close to or below invoice price, therefore we highly suggest buying the loaded Limited version for its added luxury. 1 The XL7 features a Nivomat load leveling rear suspension which cuts down on body sway and keeps the vehicle at a constant level. However, even with this suspension system we found body sway to be a bit too high. We feel that Suzuki could have given the XL7 a firmer suspension that would inevitably give the driver better control at higher speeds. However, it looks like they sacrificed performance for comfort. Storage is
new car yet we seldom see it in vehicles priced under $30K. Suzuki is really stepping up and providing the consumer with a complete package that is well designed and features all the newest technology, all at an affordable price. Without reading the nameplate, its easy to confuse this with a much higher priced luxury vehicle from Acura or Lexus.

2 Car Reviews And News.com Leather seating surfaces are a welcome feature on the XL7 giving us a more luxurious and upscale feeling. We did not like the fact that only the lower seat cushion of the driver's seat was powered. Two fully powered front seats should be available in this vehicle when it has everything else. We also found it hard to get your arm down to move the lever for adjusting the seat back while sitting inside the car with the doors closed due to a rather large and stiff armrest on the door. If you are going to have more than one driver behind the wheel, we suggest you try adjusting the seats before buying.

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sacrificed performance for comfort. Storage is plentiful in back with a total of 14 cubic feet of room even with a third row. When the third row is folded you have 50 cubic feet of space. Fold the second row and you get 95 cubic feet of space. Additionally, the first row passenger seat folds down flat as well for even more room. There are three bins under rear trunk floor for extra storage. The automatic climate control system works well and features separate temperature, fan, and direction controls for both front and rear seat passengers. Even in the automatic setting, front and rear seat passengers can keep their own temperature settings. In back you have four air vents built into the roof for cooling all the way to the third row. A trip computer gives you all the information you need from average mph to distance traveled. The stereo system offers XM satellite radio and up to six screens for favorite radio stations with each screen holding six preset stations. A single disc CD and a separate single disc DVD slot lets you watch movies in the rear seat TV screen. Two wireless headphones and a remote
Seating comfort is adequate on long trips. Even after a 5-hour drive, we didn't have any sore spots or back aches. Features such as heated dual stage front seats and a automatically dimming rearview mirror with compass are great to have. Wood grain trim in light color looked very nice. We suggest you buy colors with a beige interior color for a better feeling inside. We also liked the remote starting feature which worked well but would not remember our interior climate control settings or remember to turn on the seat heaters. Automatic headlamps are standard but we would have liked to see a HID system offered. The XL7 also features with fog lamps for better visibility in foul weather. For buyers looking for more night time visibility and a HID effect, we suggest Solaris Headamp Bulbs for a true xenon look, see Autosupermart.com for more information.

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control are included for a complete rear seat entertainment system. 3 Surprisingly, there is a lot going on inside the XL7 for your money. Nobody else will give you so many features for a price this low. The XL7 is large and roomy with high quality interior parts. Dash mounted buttons turn smoothly and feel good. Even the window switches are located around the gear shift knob, just like in the much more expensive BMW X3. There are nifty spots for storing your accessories like the one located just above the rear view mirror. We used this to store our EZpass and it worked just fine without holding up to the the front windshield. The flat folding front passenger seat is a thoughtful item which allows to you put long items into the vehicle. Anyone who has ever
4 Car Reviews And News.com Our test car has a retail price of $27,949. Everything is included for this price. This makes the XL7 a great buy. The window sticker shows 18 miles per gallon in the city and 24 on the highway. Our test car average 19 miles per gallon in city and highway driving. About 45% of the parts on the XL7 come from the US or Canada. Japan provides 35% of the parts. The Suzuki XL7 is assembled in Ingersoll, Ontario, Canada with the engine and transmission coming from Japan. The XL7 is backed by America's #1 Warranty: 100,000-mile/ seven-year, fully transferable, zero-deductible powertrain limited warranty.

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bought wood from Home Depot for a do-ityourself project would appreciate this feature. There are a few things which would like to see improved. The instrument cluster needs brighter lighting and missing is a indicator near the shift lever showing what gear you are selecting. Brighter lighting in the center console would help when sunlight is pointing directly at the stereo system. Also, stronger feeling doors and interior door pulls would add to a higher end feeling in daily driving. Car Reviews And News.com

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PRICING Base Pricing

INVOICE $27,949

RETAIL $26,831
COMPARISONS 2007 Suzuki XL7 Limited 4dr SUV (3.6L 6cyl 5A)
2007 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited 4dr SUV (3.3L 6cyl 5A)
2007 Mazda CX-7 Grand Touring 4dr SUV (2.3L 4cyl Turbo
2007 Jeep Commander Sport 4dr SUV (3.7L 6cyl 5A)
2007 Mitsubishi Outlander XLS 4dr SUV (3.0L 6cyl 6A)

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6cyl 5A) MSRP Invoice Basic Drivetrain Roadside $27,949 $26,yr. / 36000 mi. 7 yr. / 100000 mi. 3 yr. / 36000 mi. 3 yr. / Unlimited mi. V6 3.6 liters
6cyl 5A) $25,945 $24,yr. / 60000 mi. 10 yr. / 100000 mi. 5 yr. / Unlimited mi. 7 yr. / Unlimited mi. V6 3.3 liters
4cyl Turbo 6A) $26,300 $24,yr. / 36000 mi. 5 yr. / 60000 mi. 3 yr. / 36000 mi. 5 yr. / Unlimited mi. inline 4 2.3 liters $27,915 $25,684

6cyl 6A) $23,650 $22,294

3 yr. / yr. / 60000 mi. mi. 3 yr. / yr. / mi. 100000 mi. 5 yr. / 3 yr. / 36000 Unlimited mi. mi. 5 yr. / 100000 mi. V6 3.7 liters 7 yr. / 100000 mi. V6 3.0 liters
Rust Base Engine Type & Cylinders Base Engine Displacement

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Displacement Horsepower Torque 5 Speed Shiftable Automatic Driven Wheels Tires
3.6 liters 252 hp @ 6500 rpm
3.3 liters 242 hp @ 6000 rpm
2.3 liters 244 hp @ 5000 rpm
3.7 liters 210 hp @ 5200 rpm
3.0 liters 220 hp @ 6250 rpm
243 ft-lbs. 226 ft-lbs. 258 ft-lbs. 235 ft-lbs. @ 204 ft-lbs. @ 2300 rpm @ 4500 rpm @ 2500 rpm 4000 rpm @ 4000 rpm Standard front wheel drive Standard front wheel drive 6 speed front wheel drive Standard rear wheel drive Not Available front wheel drive
P235/60R18 P235/60R17 P235/60R18 P245/65R17 P225/55R18 H all season all season all terrain all season all season Standard 35.8 ft. Santa Fe 78 cu. ft. 3500 lbs. 184.1 in. 74.4 in. 67.9 in. 3846 lbs. 106.3 in. 40.2 in. 108.3 in. 39.7 in. CX-cu. ft. 2000 lbs. 184.1 in. 73.7 in. 64.8 in. Standard Standard 36.8 ft. Standard 34.8 ft. 41.8 ft. XL-cu. ft. 3500 lbs. 197.2 in. 72.2 in. 68.9 in. 3886 lbs. 112.4 in.
Traction Control Standard Turning Circle Hauling Max. Cargo Capacity Max. Towing Capacity Length Width Height Weight Wheel Base

Commander Outlander 69 cu. ft. 6500 lbs. 188.5 in. 74.8 in. 75.6 in. 4649 lbs. 109.5 in. 42.1 in. 73 cu. ft. 2000 lbs. 182.7 in. 70.9 in. 66.1 in. 3649 lbs. 105.1 in. 40.3 in.

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Shop at Front Headroom 41.3 in. Autosupermart.com:

Autosupermart.com:

Front Headroom 41.3 in. Rear Headroom 40 in. 55.6 in. 55.3 in.
40.2 in. 39.6 in. 59.5 in. 58.6 in. 55.8 in. 55 in. 42.6 in. 36.8 in. 34.2 cu.ft.
39.7 in. 39.3 in. 58 in. 55.8 in. 54.8 in. 53 in. 41.7 in. 36.4 in. 29.9 cu.ft.
42.1 in. 40.3 in. 59 in. 58.5 in. 55.6 in. 54 in. 41.7 in. 36.1 in. 7.5 cu.ft.
40.3 in. 38.3 in. 56.4 in. 56.1 in. 52.2 in. 51.9 in. 41.6 in. 36.8 in. 14.9 cu.ft.
Front Shoulder 3m Perfect-it Show Car Room Detailing Cloth Rear Shoulder More Info Room Our Price: $5.25 Rear Hip Room
Front Hip Room 52.2 in. 53.1 in. Front Leg Room 41.2 in. Rear Leg Room 38.8 in. Maximum Luggage Capacity
Park Smart Garage Door Seal 50 Feet (Gray or Brown) More Info Our Price: $199.95

14 cu.ft.

Meguiars W6000 6" Soft Buff Buffing Pad More Info Our Price: $10.99

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Mechanix Apron Colored More Info Our Price: $24.11
Genuine Leather Gear Shift Boots Grand Prix 1997-01 More Info Our Price: $59.16

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