Fuel economy and all-wheel drive might have slipped lower on your list of car selection priorities amid this winter's relatively mild weather and falling gasoline prices.

But if you're still in the market for a vehicle that won't bust the budget and won't guzzle gas but offers the security of all-wheel drive, your local Suzuki dealer wants to show you the new SX4.
On sale since the fall, the SX4 is an up-to-date, handsome subcompact four-door wagon that you can drive out the door for less than $17,000 and will get you there in reasonable comfort and safety. It replaces the frumpy Aerio wagon.

Except for its standard all-wheel drive, nothing about the SX4 will surprise, delight or thrill, and the SX4 probably won't satisfy the interior cubic footage requirements of most American families as the household's principal car. But its prices and generally pleasant personality make it worth considering as a second car/commuter.

As with other Suzukis, the SX4's biggest strength is the price tag, not the design or performance.

Under the hood is a reasonably quiet and buzz-free 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine putting out 143 hp. - more than most competitors and enough for quick starts when the light turns green. PBS' "MotorWeek" said 0 to 60 mph averaged 9.1 seconds in its track tests, but the car feels quicker than that.

The 136 pound-feet of torque also beats most competitors, but drivers with a heavy foot will find that the SX4 almost always needs a downshift to pick up speed rapidly, such as for passing.

Fuel economy with automatic transmission is 24 mpg city, 30 highway by EPA estimates. Competitors do better but also have less power.

On the road, the steering gets uncomfortably light at superlegal, but real-world highway speeds. The ride is typically choppy for this size class. And the cabin noise level is about average - again, for this price level.

My tester stickered at under $17,000 with automatic transmission, AC and all-wheel drive - the latter two standard on all SX4s.

The all-wheel drive normally apportions torque between the front and rear wheels based on available traction, with as little as none and as much as 50 percent going to the rear. For tough going at low speed, the system can be set, via a rocker switch on the center console, so that no less than 30 percent of torque is sent to the rear. The system will revert back to normal mode at 36 mph.

A third setting on that switch allows the system to be shut off completely, leaving the SX4 a front-driver. Suzuki says this probably saves some fuel by reducing friction in the system, but it has no estimates of how much.

Among competitors such as the Honda Fit, Nissan Versa, Toyota Yaris, Scion xA, Hyundai Accent and Chevrolet Aveo, only the SX4 is even available with all-wheel drive. But, that aside, the Fit is more fun to drive (even with only 109 hp.) and more innovative in its use of interior space.

But the SX4 does offer 2 inches more rear seat legroom than the Fit and slightly more than the four-door Yaris. The Versa beats them all, though, with 38 inches.

The SX4, which stands for "sport crossover four seasons," is the lowest priced all-wheel-drive vehicle sold in this country, Suzuki says.

The SX4 slips into Suzuki's growing U.S. lineup near the budget-minded bottom. Suzuki prices begin with the 127-hp. Reno four-door hatchback at $14,094.

Next up is the compact, 127-hp. Forenza sedan at $14,594,

Although the Aerio wagon is gone, there still is a 155-hp. Aerio sedan at $14,894. Next up in price and size is the $15,294 Forenza station wagon.

Yet another car model, the Verona, went away for '07.

Suzuki also sells two SUVs, a traditional rear-drive/all-wheel-drive model called the Grand Vitara that descends from the Sidekick/Chevy Tracker family, and the more modern XL7 - a front-drive unibody vehicle structurally related to the Chevrolet Equinox and Pontiac Torrent, but with a longer body to allow a third row of seats.

The 185-hp. six-cylinder-powered Grand Vitara starts at about $20,000 with rear drive and about $21,500 with all-wheel drive. The larger, 252-hp. XL7, on the market since Nov. 1, starts at $23,534 with front drive and $25,134 with all-wheel (and will be discussed in detail in another of these columns in coming weeks).

SX4 prices begin at $15,594 with freight for a version with a five-speed stick shift and without what Suzuki calls a "convenience" package that includes cruise control and a leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls.

Models with automatic transmission - a mere four-speed at a time when five, six and even seven are offered in other cars - start at $16,594.

There's a "sport" equipment level, for $16,994 with stability control, traction control and nicer trim - about $18,000 with automatic transmission.

Unfortunately, stability control isn't available in any other version of the SX4, but antilock brakes are standard in all versions and so are seat-mounted side-impact air bags up front and curtain-type air bags covering front- and rear-seaters.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration offers no crash test ratings for the SX4. Nor was the car included in recent report on "minicars" by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Inside the SX4, materials look and feel like they cost a few bucks. The front bucket seats are firmly supportive, but there is no height adjustment for the driver.

The speedometer and tachometer are clearly readable, day or night, but the fuel gauge needle is so thin it nearly disappears in daylight. Worse, the displays for the stereo and, above it, the one showing time, outside temperature and fuel economy, are nearly unreadable in daylight - even on a cloudy day.

Controls, on the other hand, are logically located, self-explanatory and mostly large enough to grab or jab on the move. The split rear seatback folds flat to accommodate cargo.

Audiophiles will want to consider upgrading to an available six-disc in-dash CD AM/FM/MP3 audio system with nine speakers to replace the average-sounding four-speaker stereo that comes with the SX4. Both audio systems are XM Satellite Radio-capable. Dealers sell a fully integrated iPod2 interface, Suzuki says.

If Suzuki's prices are attractive and its cars acceptable in performance, its ranking among carmakers for reliability and dealer servicing is low - near the bottom in J.D. Power and Associates' latest studies that measure quality out of the box, dependability, long-term satisfaction with dealer sales practices and satisfaction with dealer servicing.

Does that mean your experience will be awful at the dealership and your Suzuki will fall apart before it's paid for? Probably not. But Suzuki's poor showing does suggest that it has work to do on its cars and in its stores before it can stand shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Toyota and Honda - and can attract buyers with something more than just low prices.

In the meantime, Suzuki backs its vehicles with a good warranty, seven years or 100,000 miles on the powertrain, three years or 36,000 miles on everything else. Roadside assistance is included for three years or 36,000 miles.

2007 Suzuki SX4 AWD

Vehicle tested:

Engine: 2.0-liter, four-cylinder, 143 hp.

Torque: 136 pound-feet at 3,500 rpm

Fuel: Regular

Transmission: Four-speed automatic, all-wheel drive.

Safety: Dual front, seat-mounted side and curtain-type air bags; four-wheel disc brakes with antilock.

Place of assembly: Kosai, Japan

Weight: 2,926 pounds

Cargo room, rear seatbacks up/down, cubic feet: 16.2/54.3

EPA fuel economy rating: 24 mpg city, 30 highway

Price as driven: $16,594, including destination charge