Item: Used Suzuki Liana Saloon 2001 - 2007
Rating: 2
Author: What Car? Team

What is it like?

Ownership cost

Advice for buyers

Our recommendations

Alternatives

Saloon

Suzuki is well known as a motorcycle manufacturer, but the car brand has been enjoying decent success in recent years, thanks to a line-up of neat, well-equipped and keenly priced models.

Its expertise focuses on smaller cars, although its high-riding SUV range is also hugely credible, especially the Ignis and Vitara, which are both rated highly by What Car?’s testers and which have enjoyed success at the What Car? Awards as a result.

Well priced, decent to drive and full of useful tech, Suzuki’s cars also generally stand out for delivering good fuel economy. The Ignis, Celerio and Baleno have all stood head and shoulders above the competition during our True MPG testing.

SUZUKI

LIANA

It's not bad, but it's outclassed by the class best. It should prove reliable enough, though

Used Suzuki Liana Saloon 2001 - 2007

The Liana needs fettling every 6000 miles and that makes it considerably more expensive to service over three years than a Ford Focus or Vauxhall Astra.

Dealers are in much shorter supply, too, but the good news is that their hourly rates tend to be a lot cheaper than those of most rivals. Warranty Direct shows that the average repair cost will be lower on the Suzuki than almost any rival, too.

Most small family cars offer a frugal diesel engine, but the Liana only comes with petrol. Still, the 105bhp unit seems to offer reasonable economy, with official figures of 32.1mpg in town and an overall combined figure of 40.9mpg.

However, in our experience such figures will be hard to match, especially on the motorway, where the engine needs to be worked hard. Around 35mpg is a more realistic everyday fuel figure. Opting for the four-speed automatic gearbox will reduce economy further, but insurance on either model is a reasonable group 7.

It's not bad, but it's outclassed by the class best. It should prove reliable enough, though

When buying second-hand, it really is a case of reversing the advice we gave when buying this car new. When new, it wasn't worth paying the extra £1000 asking price for the GLX over the GL. However, now that someone else has taken the hit on depreciation - and, believe us, they will have - you may as well go for the better equipped GLX.

Early GL models left the factory with electric windows, electric mirrors, twin airbags and radio cassette players, but were fitted with CD players after the interior was revised in April 2004. GLX trim adds alloy wheels, air-con, a rear centre-three point belt and, more importantly, side airbags.

This four-door saloon was introduced in 2002, but if you must have a Liana, we recommend the more practical five-door hatchback.

There's only one engine, a 105bhp 1.6-litre and it's best with the five-speed manual rather than the four-speed auto.

<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Plenty of practical space </li> <li>Low running costs </li> <li>A comfortable ride </li> <li>A healthy equipment list </li> <li>Quality materials and thoughtful touches inside </li> <li>Rock-solid reliability</li></ul>

Family cars arguably have the toughest brief of all: they have to be good at pretty much everything. They’re used as the daily drive, on the school run or work commute (often both), and have to be able to cope with a family’s clutter on weekends and holidays.

The Skoda Scala is a relative newcomer, but it's&nbsp;already carved out a name for itself in this segment.&nbsp;If you're looking for a moderately priced car that combines a supple ride, neat handling, a spacious interior and a capacious boot&nbsp;it's well worth a look.&nbsp;Alternatively, if you're looking for entertaining handling then the&nbsp;BMW 1 Series may well be for you. It's great to drive, rides well&nbsp;and also comes with a top-notch interior, featuring one of our very favourite infotainment systems.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Toyota Corolla&nbsp;is another great choice. This latest version of one of the world's best-selling cars of all time can be had with a choice of two different petrol-electric hybrid engines, both of which should mean&nbsp;potentially lower fuel bills. It's comfortable, well equipped and should be very reliable, too.&nbsp;

Family

Despite the firm ride and the choice of only one engine, Suzuki Liana owners seem to take every available opportunity to express their satisfaction with their purchase, as its high showing in What Car's JD Power Satisfaction Survey shows.

The only major fault that seems to have emerged with any frequency is the suspension. If you're buying a high-mileage car from a private buyer without any warranty, it could prove useful to take along an expert who can check the supsension.

There's a fair chance that most Lianas will have been well looked after in their early years, but demand the usual test drive before purchasing.

Look out for slack-feeling or noisy gearchanges and any evidence of clutch slip. Check all the electrics are in good working order, including the central locking and the air-conditioning.

Some small cars are so refined and comfortable they can convince you that you're driving a much bigger car. Alas, the Suzuki Liana is not one of them - every bump in road is sent into the cabin. However, to be fair, the Liana doesn't handle too badly and it corners tidily without massive amounts of body roll.

There's not too much wind or road noise, but the 1.6-litre petrol engine is far from hushed. It needs to be revved hard to get the best from it, and that just means it gets noisy and harsh.

Otherwise, things aren't too bad behind the wheel, thanks to a reasonable dashboard, and there's plenty of room both front and rear. The split-folding seat is easy to use, but a high boot floor and the intruding suspension turrets reduce carrying capacity.

Used Suzuki Liana Saloon 2001 - 2007 review

Every 2021 Electric and Hybrid Car Awards winner

What's the used Suzuki Liana saloon like?