Suzuki's Bland Vitara

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The buyer profile for the Grand Vitara is similar to that of other compact SUVs. The purchaser's average age is 47, and nearly half of them are women, according to PIN. Nearly two-thirds of buyers finance their purchase, while 20% pay cash and only 15% lease. (Like BusinessWeek, the Power Information Network is a unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies (MHP.)

Behind the Wheel

The Grand Vitara's big selling point is its versatility, especially if you go off-road or do a lot of winter driving in the snowbelt. This is a compact SUV, but there's nothing namby-pamby about its capabilities.

The Grand Vitara has a relatively high ground clearance of 7.9 inches. It also comes with a low-range four-wheel-drive option for use in rugged conditions. A transfer switch allows you to choose among three settings: the "4H" setting for normal driving, "4H Lock" to increase traction when you're driving on slippery roads, and "4L Lock" for hunkering down in mud or snow at low speeds. In "4L Lock," the antilock brakes and stability control automatically turn off at low speeds, and torque is increased so you can negotiate steep hills and even do some rudimentary rock climbing.

Maximum towing capacity is 3,000 pounds, plenty for hauling small boats and trailers. The transmission also has a neutral setting that makes it easy to haul the Grand Vitara behind a recreational vehicle without damaging the drivetrain.

In everyday driving, the Grand Vitara has a car-like ride. It cruises along quite nicely at highway speeds, though the cabin is noisier than in most sedans. It's no Ferrari, but it's quick enough for everyday purposes. In accelerating from 0 to 60 mph, I usually had times of around 10.5 seconds in a four-wheel-drive test vehicle with an automatic transmission.

Maximum seating capacity is five, but four is more realistic if all the passengers are adults. There's plenty of legroom for average-size adults in both the front and rear seats, and there's room to slide your feet under the front seats when you're sitting in back. Head space in the backseat is a little tight, however.

The rear seatbacks fold down in a 60/40 pattern and can be rolled up against the backs of the front seats, creating a large cargo space in back. The rear-seat headrests retract easily and pop back up at the push of a button. This makes it easy to retract the headrests and improve visibility through the rearview mirror when there are no passengers in the rear seat.

I have doubts about how sturdy the Grand Vitara will prove to be over the long term. There are too many flimsy plastic parts in the interior, even on the "luxury" model. The plastic rear-seat cup holders, which open out of the back of the rear console, don't seem sturdy enough to last. Ditto for the cover over the rear cargo area. I took it off to put the rear seats down, then had trouble getting it back on, and I don't think the little plastic clips that hold it in place will endure many years' use.

The instrument panel is also made in multiple parts and seems likely to develop rattles and squeaks over time. My test car—which had fewer than 6,600 miles on it—had already developed a dashboard rattle that was quite audible on bumpy roads, as well as a rattle in the ceiling light, or headliner, just behind the driver's right ear. The leather seats on my test vehicle were soft and seemed likely to be durable, but there was far too much unattractive shiny black plastic on the doors and instrument panel.

Buy It Or Bag It?

With gasoline prices so high, there's no point in buying an SUV unless you really need one. But for people who actually need a rugged vehicle with good cargo and towing capacity, you can't beat the price of compact SUVs right now. That's especially true if you won't be putting a lot of miles on the vehicle annually.

Don't buy a Grand Vitara without bargaining hard, though. The '07 Saturn Vue, Ford Escape, and DaimlerChrsyler's (DCX) Jeep Patriot are all selling for under $22,000 right now on average, according to PIN. Even the brand-new '08 Vue and Escape sell for under $23,000 at the moment (the '08 grand Vitara is due out soon, but won't differ much from the '07).

It's a buyer's market, so if your Suzuki dealer won't come down on price, the Ford, Saturn, Jeep, or Kia dealer down the block probably will.

Click here to see more of the 2007 Suzuki Grand Vitara.

Thane Peterson reviews cars for BusinessWeek.com.