Suzuki

...a 4x4 and I thought Suzuki would be good as they had been around for years. I saw a Suzuki Vitara for sale from another small second hand dealer (I know I should learnt) for about £5000.

First Suzuki
==========

It was a Suzuki Vitara 1.5 L reg and it was petrol, nobody told me these could drink fuel. I had problems with the dealer but not with the car and I owned it for four years and except for general maintenance ...
...I had with my first Suzuki was petrol, it took unleaded and with the amount of miles I was doing per week sometimes my weekly petrol bill was around £80-£100. Despite it's drinking problem it was a very reliable car and I never had issue of it starting, cutting out etc. The other cost of owning a Suzuki is the tyre prices around £70 per tyre.

In 2005 the fuel prices (still like it now) were high and I noticed more and more that my ... more

I am not a wealthy person so when buying a car I am always looking for the best price. I am now currently on my third car, I bought my first two cars from small second hand dealers and had some bad experiences.

Introduction
==========

My first car was a Ford Escort (E Reg) it cost me £1000 and the engine blew within 3 weeks, it manage to get it fixed for free but that took a lot of effort and pressure from me to get the dealer, where I bought it from to fix it without charging.

I moved from a town to the country with my little Ford Escort (who had problems starting in the mornings) and after about 3 months I realised I needed a better car. I got trapped in my little country village by rain, it was flooded. However people with 4x4 vehicles were able to drive out.

I had made my mind up, I had had my Ford Escort for about a year but it had to go. I knew I wanted a 4x4 and I thought Suzuki would be good as they had been around for years. I saw a Suzuki Vitara for sale from another small second hand dealer (I know I should learnt) for about £5000.

First Suzuki
==========

It was a Suzuki Vitara 1.5 L reg and it was petrol, nobody told me these could drink fuel. I had problems with the dealer but not with the car and I owned it for four years and except for general maintenance things (Tyres etc) it only cost me £130 for a clutch repair.

The major cost I had with my first Suzuki was petrol, it took unleaded and with the amount of miles I was doing per week sometimes my weekly petrol bill was around £80-£100. Despite it's drinking problem it was a very reliable car and I never had issue of it starting, cutting out etc. The other cost of owning a Suzuki is the tyre prices around £70 per tyre.

In 2005 the fuel prices (still like it now) were high and I noticed more and more that my money was just fuelling the car each week. Please note I changed my car due to the cost of fuel versus the amount of miles I was doing but it was an excellent 4x4 and if you don't do many miles then petrol may be suitable for you.

Another dealer
============

I had finally learnt from my mistakes I went to a Suzuki dealership this time. The dealership had many second hand (approved) cars available. There were also other makes available not just Suzuki's. Suzuki also have normal cars available as well, I have never owned one and I don't think I ever will but I have heard they are just as reliable as the 4x4.

I spotted a couple of 4x4's that I liked so I decided to have a chat with someone. Now this was a Sunday in January so there was only one sales person in the dealership, his name was Matt.

Matt was very happy to see me as being January it was quiet (January is the best month to by a car as sales are low after Christmas). I told him of my issue with my current Suzuki and he pointed out the two diesel's he had available (the two I was looking at) one was a Vitara 2.0 T reg and the other was Grand Vitara 2.0 TD 51 reg, prices were £7000 for the first and £11,000 for the latter.

Matt, despite for the commission, got the keys to both cars and told my to go and have a drive to see which one I liked best. They were both nice but I couldn't really afford the Grand Vitara it was a bit out of my price range.

Back at the dealership it was time to talk turkey, how much would they give me for my Suzuki and what would they be willing to knock off the new one. After about 30 minutes we have agreed on prices and I was ready to sign the deal when Matt asked "So you didn't like the Grand Vitara then?" I told him that I did like it but was just out of my price range.

We started going over the deal on the Grand Vitara and it looked very good, the price had come down from £11,000 to just under £8,000, I was only getting a grand off the first Suzuki. Not wanting to seem too eager I went home to think it over and talk with a few friends.

The Sale
=======

I bought the Grand Vitara and got 1 year's warranty, 12 months tax-free and my first service free. Matt was willing to wait for me to turn up to sign paper work after 6pm and within 4 days my new car was ready and waiting to be picked up.

I was excited and sad when I picked my new car up, I didn't want to leave my old one but I was desperate to drive my new one home. I arrived, again, after 6pm and signed the final bits and was handed the keys.

I was directed towards my new car and it looked as if it had just come off the production line. Matt sat in the car with me and showed me how to work all the gadgets, where the manuals were, under the bonnet oil and water etc. I had never experienced service like that, I was used to being given the keys and that was it. Matt told me any questions and queries just give him a call, that's why you have bought from a dealership.

After Sales
=========

I did not have a single problem with this vehicle until October this year, the engine light lilt up on the dash board and I could not drive above 30mph. I checked all the usual stuff under the bonnet, which was fine, and then I rang Matt.

The light indicated that there was a problem with the engine and I would not be able to drive above 30mph because the car had gone into idle mode to protect itself from further damage. The car needed to come in and have a diagnostic check to find the problem, did I want it picked up or did I want to limp it in? It was so nice to be asked and not just expected to bring it in myself but I did limp in (Apologies to anyone who followed my that day).

When I arrived I was welcomed and dealt with very quickly I was informed that my car would take up to an hour but I was welcome to wait in their waiting area where refreshments were available free of charge. I wanted to do some shopping anyway so I left and came back about 45 minutes later.

My car was ready when I returned and I was sat down for the results. A diagnostic check is when they plug a computer into the car and the car gives a code for the problem, which they can rectify. My car gave them a code that was unknown but my car had been taken out of idle mode and was driving perfectly with no problems. The code was going to be sent away for further investigation and I would know by the end of the week.

The Bill
=======

Now I know all cars break but sometimes when you hear the bill you think to yourself "How much?" When I asked how much this diagnostic check was I nearly fainted from shock, no charge. Yes I'll repeat that NO CHARGE. I walked out, my car fixed and working properly and I didn't have to pay a penny.

The Problem
===========

There was no problem with the car, they have had the car back again since that time to do a full service free of charge (in addition to the one I got free) to double check that the car is in good working order, which it is and I still haven't paid anything.

Overview
========

I have had two Suzuki's and never had any major problems with these cars. They are reliable and hardwearing for the British weather and yes I do take mine off road too. The tyres can be quite expensive but they do last, before buying make sure you do your homework if you do a lot of miles get a diesel, if you do fewer miles get a petrol.

I am always going to use this dealership for the reason that I was not too pushed into the sale like other small dealerships do, the buying process was hassle free and Matt was willing to work around my work for signing and picking up. The after sales service is first rate and the waiting area is excellent with free refreshments and magazines available while you wait. They are very big on customer service and ensure that you understand the process your car is going through, they do not fill your head with things you don't understand either, they speak in plain English for all of us who don't know mechanical terms.

After all my experiences of buying a car I would say this one is best, the whole service from the Suzuki dealership was excellent and when I want to change my car again I will be going back to them. I highly recommend Suzuki cars and dealerships.

Thanks for reading 

...less