MT, don't put too much faith in that photo of storage space you posted with a mountain bike in the back... Sure that is the available space, but it'll only look that roomy if you slice off the roof and take a photo from 10 feet away... Like Taffy said the rear storage is limited and in my experience the interior is quite cramped... I've been in an SX4 with 3 other people on a cross town drive and it was a jarring, claustrophobic experience... FWIW (not much I know) these are merely one person's observations in comparison to a Golf TDI...

Well, we're scheduled for delivery of our new SX4, finally, on Friday.

We ordered it and paid our deposit in January, at which time they said we would receive it in February. Then they moved delivery date back to the second week of March. (The thing was still in Japan when we ordered it.) Then last week they told us it might be the last week of March, and I'm very proud of how my wife handled it.

She was pissed, for very good reason, because we have been counting on the car for a trip we have planned leaving this weekend. So when they tried to push it back to the end of March, she told them forget it, give us our deposit back, we don't want it, we'll go somewhere else. So they suddenly scurried about and got back to her, saying they'll deliver this week. They had better or I will be seriously pissed off at them for screwing up our plans, and then we will definitely pull out of the deal.

But, supposedly all's on schedule now and they're working on final details like getting the bike rack, etc.

Hopefully they will perform, in which case I'll let you know how we like it.

Congrats....However, the experience you're getting with the dealer pulling delivery date changes was exactly what my buddy went through when he got his SX4. In the end, it took 7 months for him to get his car. Whenever he would make a stink of it, the dealer would say "ok, your car will be delivered next week", but that must of happened 6 times...So, I hope your dealer has better intentions than the one here in Taichung. Let us know if you get it on time...Cheers

Good to hear, but poor news for the person that just had their delivery canceled due to your demand. Not blaming you though as I would have done the same. I had a poor experience myself with Suzuki promises but our was down to a specific dealer.

Remember the only place to get your car serviced that I can recommend is Binjang Road near the local Taipei airport. They are (acording to the best information I have) the only ones who actually use the manufacturer's paint too. Other body shops mix it and often get the wrong colour, so watch out.

Am not very well versed with the ins and outs of car repairs etc but in the new Suzuki Swifts the filter in the a/c unit has been removed to save on costs....i don't know where exactly this filter is located but u can get it checked...I am not sure if it applies to the SX4 also....

Denso China is the supplier of the full a/c system to Suzuki and they were given a fixed price target...so its best that when you buy a new car better take a look and see if the filter is missing or no...

before someone jumps all over me I am not spreading rumors because this information has come from a very close inside source..

A few months ago I wanted to buy the wife a car and we also looked at the Golf and Audi A3. Initially my wife wanted a BMW Mini but we couldn't fit even a medium sized baby stroller and it would have been a pain in the ass getting a car seat in and out of the rear. We both thought it was a really nice looking car and good to drive but almost as useless as a scooter.

My wife was happy just to have any car but she does like driving so I wanted something nice but easy to drive and a bit classy. We drove the GTI and A3 back to back and while they share the same engine and transmission they do feel different to drive. We took both onto the Changhua expressway and the Audi was noticeably quieter (the Mini was very rough on this point, it was almost impossible to hold a conversation at 100 with the Turbo S version).

In the end we bought the Audi, and to be honest 80% of that decision was emotional. The GTI just didn't do anything for me and didn't feel as classy. We bought the 1.8TFSI which was about $300k more than a similar Golf but I reckon it's worth it. On a practical note the A3 is a little wider and longer than the Golf but also sits a little lower. Of course the Audi's interior is about the best you can find in its class and that was another selling point.

I think you made the right choice between the Tiida and SX4. My wife's friend has a Tiida, it's awful. Did you look at the Ford Focus? If I wanted a practical hatchback around this price it would be the Focus for me.

A little of OP topic.....The GTI engine is a 2.0 liter turbo....so, what would an A3 with that engine have cost you compared to the 1.8Tfsi you got?

I didn't see this thread when you started it in January or I would have piped up.

The SX-4 was the car Suzuki was racing in the World Rally Championship last year, albeit with a 300bhp version of the engine, and it scored quite a few points. All the talk I heard and read said the street version is more sporty than one would expect.

I personally don't like the look of the back end of the SX-4, with or without the spoiler, but the Ford Focus hatchback isn't too pretty yet it's a winner on the road as well.

Ok, so now we're trying to find the best bike rack for the SX4. I assume the Suzuki guys don't know squat about bike racks. They're car salesmen, not cyclists. So I won't put much faith in their suggestions/recommendations (even though I don't know what those are). But it's my understanding Thule is one of the leading brands, with great products. Would you agree?

I went to the Thule website, though, and began working through the 2009 SX4 roof rack category, trying to find the right rack when I got to this page and didn't know how to respond. Which option is best?


http://www.thuleracks.com/fg_vehicle.asp

Anyone have an SX4 with a rooftop bike rack? What brand/model did you choose?


EDIT: Ok, my wife just sent me this from Thule in Chinese. Someone recommended this model.
http://www.thule.com/Thule/ProductPage____28954.aspx
which apparently mounts on this crossbar (the #755), that goes across the Suzuki roof rails
http://www.thule.com/Thule/Iframe____5544.aspx

Does that look right? Recommend anything better?

Get a rack which mounts on the rear door. Sooner or later you will drive your car in or out of a basement with the bikes on the rack. It's a matter of time. Roof racks are technically illegal in Taiwan. I've used them for years without trouble but they are still illegal.