Used Suzuki Vitara 2015-present review

What's the used Suzuki Vitara like?

For a brand with a long history of making rugged 4x4s, it took Suzuki quite a long time to jump on the small SUV bandwagon. Previous Suzukis of this size had been good, solid workhorses, but not necessarily adept at providing that pleasing blend of on-road refinement and family-friendly practicality that marks out the best cars in this class.

Enter the Suzuki Vitara. Upright, square-cornered and with plenty of air inside its wheel arches, it's aimed directly at the more high-rise, genuinely dual-purpose offerings labelled up as small SUVs.

Overview

The Suzuki Vitara is good to drive, spacious inside and well-equipped. It's not the most plush-feeling car in this class but it's well worth a look as a used buy.

Pros

• Good driving manners
• Spacious and practical interior
• Well equipped

Cons

• High emissions on some petrol models
• Diesel engines can be noisy
• Some of the trim feels flimsy

Used cars available now

In partnership with

Suzuki VITARA

1.6 DDiS SZ-T Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr

£3,490

Suzuki Vitara

1.6 DDiS SZ-T Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr

£3,995

Suzuki Vitara

1.6 DDiS SZ-T Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr

£3,995

Suzuki Vitara

1.6 SZ-T Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr

£4,950

Suzuki Vitara

1.6 SZ4 Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr

£4,995

Suzuki Vitara

1.6 DDiS SZ5 ALLGRIP Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr

£4,995

Suzuki Vitara

1.6 SZ4 Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr

£5,000

Suzuki VITARA

1.6 SZ4 Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr

£5,095

Suzuki VITARA

1.6 SZ-T Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr

£5,295

See all available cars

For the most part, it succeeds, and we think the Vitara is a genuinely competent used car. It looks good, has four-wheel drive (Allgrip), and has strong engine options.

Engines: Buyers originally had a choice of three engines to propel the Vitara: 1.6-litre petrol and diesel units and a 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol ‘Boosterjet’ engine, which is the most powerful engine in the range but was initially only available with four-wheel drive. After a 2019 facelift, the 1.6-litre diesel and petrol options were dropped and a turbocharged 1.0-litre petrol was added to the range, while the 1.4 Boosterjet was offered in both two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive forms with either an automatic or manual gearbox.

All the engines are eager and responsive, but the 1.4 and 1.6-litre petrols can be quite thirsty, while the diesel – the most economical of the line-up – can be gruff under acceleration.

Ride and handling: The Vitara drives well, too, and is certainly better than some of Suzuki’s earlier efforts. The compromise between ride and handling is well judged – it does both pretty well – and keen drivers will find the car surprisingly rewarding.

Interior and practicality: Inside, the driving position is good, as is visibility, and there’s a reasonable amount of space both front and back. The boot is a decent size, too. On the whole, the interior feels strong and solid, although the doors and tailgate feel and sound a little tinny and some of the interior plastics are a bit utilitarian. Quality was improved after the facelift, with the top part of the dashboard using some soft-touch plastics and a classier-looking instrument cluster.

Trims and equipment: The Vitara model range comes in SZ4, SZ-T, SZ5 and sporty S trim levels, but all are well equipped. The entry-level SZ4 gets air conditioning, cruise control, a DAB radio, electric windows, front foglights, USB and Bluetooth connectivity and 16in alloy wheels. Consequently, it doesn’t feel like a completely budget choice. We’d recommend seeking out the SZ-T trim, because it gets the integrated sat-nav and media system.

SZ-5 features lots of upmarket upgrades, including suede seat trim, LED headlights, a panoramic sunroof and adaptive cruise control, while the sporty S trim comes with stiffer sports suspension, black alloy wheels and sportier interior detailing.

Updates

November 2024: Suzuki tweaks Vitara for the 2025 model year, with updated styling and more equipment
March 2022: Suzuki releases Vitara with full-hybrid engine and four-wheel drive
April 2021: six-speed automatic transmission made available on Vitara
December 2015: Sporty S model added to range, with new 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine, adaptive cruise control, DAB radio and gloss black alloy wheels
February 2015: all-new Vitara revealed, and receives five-star Euro NCAP rating

"It's an old car now and it feels it in some areas, but the Vitara is still worth a look if you're on a budget." - Mark Pearson, used cars editor

Interested in buying a used Suzuki Vitara? Visit our Used Cars For Sale pages to find lots of cars listed at great prices.

Page 1 of 5

Ownership cost

What used Suzuki Vitara will I get for my budget?

Entrance to the Vitara club starts at around £5000, at the time of writing, for which you should be able to pick up a 2015 car with an average to high mileage with a full history from an independent dealer. Up the budget to £7000 for a 2015 car with a lower mileage, or an early 2016 car with a higher one. Spend £8000 for a 2018 or 2019 car with all the right criteria: an average mileage, a full history and the backing of an independent or franchised dealer. A facelifted example from 2020 starts from £10,000. Spend between £10,000 and £12,000 on later cars from 2022 and over £12,000 on 2023 and 2024 models. Spend around £15,000 on 2025 and 2026 cars.

Check the value of a used Suzuki Vitara with What Car? Valuations

Our recommendations

Which used Suzuki Vitara should I buy?

The naturally aspirated 1.6-litre petrol is smooth and quite eager. It isn’t the cleanest engine around, though, and it doesn’t offer as much mid-range pulling power as some rivals’ smaller turbo engines. But it's the best compromise in terms of how much it costs to buy versus performance. With a turbocharger to boost power, the nippy 1.4-litre petrol is actually the best of all the Vitara’s engines. However, because it’s only available in high-spec trims and mostly with four-wheel drive, it’s more expensive to buy and run.

Choose the diesel if you plan on doing lots of miles. However, it's a bit too unrefined in everyday motoring to make it our first choice.

The entry-level SZ4 Vitara comes with pretty much all you'll need, but we'd still suggest stepping up to mid-range SZ-T trim for its easier-to-use infotainment system. Higher-spec SZ-5 examples are fine if you can find one for a similar price, but a bit of extra suede on the seats doesn't turn the Vitara into a luxury car, so it isn't worth the additional expense. Sporty S examples aren't as comfortable as other models, due to their bigger alloy wheels and stiffer suspension.

Our favourite Suzuki Vitara: 1.6 SZ-T

Page 4 of 5

Alternatives

What alternatives should I consider to a used Suzuki Vitara?

The Skoda Yeti is one of our favourites. From it chunky styling through to its broad range of efficient engines and go-anywhere ability, it’s one of the most practical and solid of all the SUVs. It’s spacious, has a big boot, is nice to drive and is affordable to buy and own.

The Kia Soul is an interesting and stylish alternative to the Vitara. It’s remarkably practical, for one, with a very spacious interior, as well as being good to drive, more so in its later form, and reasonably cheap to buy and run. It certainly cuts a dash in this class.

For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? Newsletter here

Interested in buying a used Suzuki Vitara? Visit our Used Cars For Sale pages to find lots of cars listed at great prices.

Page 5 of 5