Everyone that came aboard the Suzuki felt comfortable, and

(Photo: Michel Deslauriers, Auto123)

rear legroom is rather generous. Strapping two child seats in the back pretty much compromises the 3rd seat in back, but that's the case with virtually all compact vehicles. The rear seat folds down, split 60/40, and has adjustable headrests for all three occupants. The Aerio has no less than four airbags, two in the front and two on the side. If I could decide, I would take zero airbags and save $1,500 on the price of the car. But that's just me.

The AM/FM/CD stereo has 6 speakers and sounded pretty good. The receiver itself is simple to use, with rubber rotary knobs and a big digital

(Photo: Michel Deslauriers, Auto123)

readout. The standard climate control blasts cold air imported directly from the Arctic Circle. On the coldest setting, I was freezing to death, even in 30-plus Celsius weather. I tried the automatic setting, but found that it didn't blow enough air in the cabin. I guess it works better in winter than in a hot and hazy summer.

"Wow, black car!" said my 2½ year-old son as I picked him up from day-care. I got his thumbs up, although the high beltline prevented him from having a good view outside. That beltline rewards you,though, with a cavernous trunk, where I stuffed four summer tires

(Photo: Michel Deslauriers, Auto123)

with room to spare. A black car is pretty nice when it's clean and when the rain just stopped, but it gets dirty faster than my kid can get into trouble. I scrubbed it like crazy at the self-serve car wash (the car, not the kid), and it still had spots when it dried, which are probably noticeable in the pictures. Oh well.

The only engine available in every Aerio is a 2.3-litre 16-valve inline-4 that develops 155 horsepower and 152 lb-ft of torque. It feels as if about 25 horses

(Photo: Michel Deslauriers, Auto123)

were sent prematurely to the glue factory, though. All that torque peaks at only 3,000 rpm, which would logically translate into very good acceleration runs. It doesn't. But, stomp the pedal, and the transmission kicks down and lunges the car forward with decent urgency (my test car had the optional 4-speed automatic). In short, 155 horses seems like an optimistic number, but the car is in no way underpowered, and if all those 152 pound-feet were accounted for, the car would probably suffer from torque steer anyway. Under my reign, the car managed an even 10.0 L/100 km, which is reasonable considering my heavy right foot commuting to work.

(Photo: Michel Deslauriers, Auto123)

As well-equipped as the Aerio is, Suzuki got cheap on the tires, with smallish 185/65R14 tires and hubcaps. Handling is not as good as more recent compact competitors, such as the Mazda3 GT and Mitsu Lancer Ralliart. But then, you shouldn't buy this car to go drag-racing anyway. The suspension does a good job; while it doesn't offer a cushy ride, it's as compliant as a Honda Civic. I found the power steering a little heavy at low speeds, though, but it has a good feel to it and has a minimal dead zone at center, so the car doesn't need constant corrections on the highway. As for the brakes, with a disc/drum setup, antilock and electronic brake distribution, they provide worry-free deceleration. Bigger tires would certainly have helped. Oh, and while I'm complaining, the foot-wide C-pillars in back make backing up and changing lanes a challenge.