2001 Suzuki Esteem/Swift: Overview

Vehicle Highlights

Suzuki's cars are the entry-level Swift hatchback and larger Esteem sedan and wagon. All are front-wheel-drive subcompacts, but Esteem outsells Swift 5-1 and is built in Japan instead of Canada. All Esteems have four doors and a 1.8-liter 4-cyl engine. Esteem GLX-Plus includes automatic transmission and ABS; other models don't offer ABS. All 2001 Esteems get restyled grille, new seat fabrics, standard floormats, and CD player. Swift is unchanged except for paint colors. It comes only with a 1.3-liter 4 cyl in 2-dr GA and better-equipped GL models.

COMPETITION

A perennial favorite, the Honda Civic, is new and better than ever. We love the wide range of bodystyles, engines, and equipment. Civic is a solid car that has good performance, a nice ride, and a high degree of civility. New last year was the Ford Focus. Though we loved almost everything about the Focus, we were reluctant to rank it a Best Buy because it was new from the ground up. After a year of living with a ZTS model, we can say that the reliability is good. Focus ranks a notch below Civic in some areas but costs less. Topping the crowded Recommended list are the Volkswagen Golf and Jetta. They easily could be Best Buys as they are better than the Civic in many ways. However, they are also the most expensive cars in this segment. Other Recommended choices include the no-frills Dodge Neon and Toyota Echo, the slightly-upscale Nissan Sentra, and the roomy Mazda Protege. If you are looking for a budget buy, the Hyundai Accent offers a lot for your dollar, however, it's not as refined as more-expensive competitors.