From the logbook: Suzuki SX4

Driving our new SX4 reminds me of the Spring break road trip I took with my college buddies 21 years ago. Three of us drove to the beach in St. Petersburg, Florida, in a “space blue over liberty white” Subaru XT coupe. It had a tiny backseat, adjustable height suspension, a slow reacting 111-hp turbocharged engine, on-demand all-wheel drive, and a moveable and brightly lighted instrument cluster that made the designers of the Asteroids video game jealous.

The SX4– adds two rear doors, doesn’t bother with the over exuberant displays, but retains the on-demand all-wheel drive system. It also has a 143-hp four-cylinder engine. And compared to the Subie, the SX4 comes standard with ABS, side- and curtain air bags. We bought one with the Sport package and four-speed automatic transmission ($17,994), which includes stability control. Admittedly, many of these safety features were as far away for most automakers as the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 were to Atari.

Like the earliest Subarus, the SX4 brings back the compelling idea of affordable AWD. To see how this new Suzuki is holding up, take a look at the first impressions our car experts have scrawled so far in the SX4’s logbook:

“Well equipped for an $18K car.”

"The engine’s 143 hp seems optimistic; it gets boomy and buzzy in hard acceleration."

"Automatic transmission’s programming is really bad; it up shifts way too early and then hunts on even minor highway grades."

"Very stiff ride."

"It’s nimble with a wonderful driving position and excellent visibility."

"Simple controls are well-sized for convenient use."

"Nice fit and finish in the class with tight gaps, cloth inserts, and quality feel for most controls."

"Comfortable seating in front; [seating] is good in the rear, but leg room is so-so."

"Twelve-gallon tank translates into a really short cruising range."

"So many acronyms--AWD, ATC, ESC--for so little money."

"Why is the headlight indicator on when the lights are off?"

"Plenty of head room [according to our tallest tester]."

"Overall, this is a cheerful little runabout and a pleasant surprise."

"If only the [Dodge] Caliber was as good as this SX4."

Certainly the four-door SX4 would provide three college students a more comfortable transport to Spring break beaches than the old XT, though without the distracting (but occasionally entertaining) dash display light show. Check back for more insights on the SX4 as testing continues.

--Mike Quincy