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Walkaround
The Grand Vitara sits high off the ground. This stance, along with its body cladding, gives it a more rugged appearance than the other small utilities. The Grand Vitara appears fairly large, but it's actually slightly smaller than the wagon-like Honda CR-V.Suzuki has a reputation for fine workmanship. We sampled three different Grand Vitaras; the paint was lustrous on all three, and the body-on-frame construction produced no squeaks and rattles in the first of two. The third one we tested, however, showing 9500 miles on the odometer, suffered from an ongoing rattle and also idled roughly.
Interior Features
Despite its high stance, getting into a Grand Vitara is easier than climbing into a bigger sport-utility. And once there, the driver enjoys a commanding view of the road, clouded by only a couple of minor quirks. The steering wheel offers a good range of tilt adjustment, but is always angled slightly upward from the bottom. The front seats are a bit narrow, with better bolstering for the thighs than torso. They are still reasonably comfortable. Passenger and cargo space in the Grand Vitara abounds, with enough front-seat headroom for a cowboy hat. Rear-seat legroom is good, considering the Suzuki's small proportions, and the rear seats seem to work better than do their counterparts up front. For 2002, Suzuki has added standardized LATCH anchors and tethers for child safety seats. A sizable cargo area lies behind the rear seats; flip the seats forward and Vitara's carrying capacity is huge. The rear door swings out to the right, like a Toyota RAV4's, which is not ideal for curbside loading. A new-for-2002 cargo cover hides packages from roving eyes. You can order the interior of your Vitara or Grand Vitara in any color you like, as long as you like gray. Still, warm plastics and tweedy fabrics look both durable and pleasing, while the leather hides in the Limited, while definitely plush, seem to make a small truck look overdressed.
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