SX4 is lowest-priced all-wheel-driver

The list of new, small hatchback cars keeps growing, but only Suzukis SX4 comes with the lowest retail price for an all-wheel-drive vehicle.

New for 2007, the compact, five-passenger SX4 has a starting manufacturers suggested retail price, including destination charge, of $15,594.

This is for a base model with 143-horsepower, four-cylinder engine and manual transmission and is about $3,000 less than the second-lowest-priced all-wheel-drive vehicle on the market, which is the 2007 Subaru Impreza 2.5i. The Impreza, which also has standard all-wheel-drive, has a starting price, including destination charge, of $18,620 for a sedan or wagon with 173-horsepower, four-cylinder engine and manual transmission.

SX4 comes with a longer, limited powertrain warranty that runs for 100,000 miles or seven years, whichever comes first.

The SX4 arrives as Suzuki marks its best year ever in the United States with calendar 2006 sales of cars and sport utility vehicles topping 100,000 for the first time. The company, perhaps better known for its motorcycles, has been selling cars in this country for 21 years.

The SX4 could be considered in a class all its own as a five-door, tall, small hatchback with all-wheel drive.

Other five-door small cars, such as the Toyota Matrix and Pontiac Vibe, have dropped their all-wheel-drive versions.

And the newest five-door hatchbacks, such as the Honda Fit and Nissan Versa, aren't offered with all-wheel-drive. The name SX4 is derived from "sport crossover for four seasons of weather." Unlike real crossovers in the U.S. market that wear sport utility vehicle styling, the SX4 looks like a car - and a rather plain-looking one at that.

Not a single driver or pedestrian took a second look at the SX4 during my test drive.

Driver and passengers in the SX4 sit up quite nicely above the pavement without having to climb to get inside the vehicle.

Rear-seat riders, in particular, sit high enough that they can see pretty easily into the front seat area and the dashboard. There was no height adjustment for the driver's seat and front-passenger seat.

At 13.5 feet in length from bumper to bumper, the SX4 is about 5 inches longer than the Honda Fit.

The car is deceptive, though. It feels roomy in the front seats, thanks to its tall roofline and large windshield that provide a spacious feel.

When I parked the test vehicle in my garage, I wondered where the rest of the car was because there was so much space left around it.

Needless to say, the trim, little SX4 was a breeze getting into and out of parking spaces, particularly parallel parking spots in congested downtown.

I never hesitated to make a U-turn. The turning circle is just 35.4 feet.

The Suzuki offers decent cargo room. There are 8.2 cubic feet behind the rear seats. When these seats - they're split 60/40 and fold down and then move up against the front seat backs - are out of the way, though, there's a nearly SUV-like 54.3 cubic feet of cargo room. This is if you stack things up to the ceiling in the 5-foot-2-inch-tall SX4.

There are, however, some hints of cheapness. The ventilation controls don't have the tactile quality of those on many other cars, and some radio buttons are almost small slits on the faceplate.

Storage cubbies between the front seats weren't covered, and the ceiling material looks and feels scratchy.

The ride is straightforward - not too cushioned and not too harsh. At times, I heard loud road noise on some rough pavement. I also heard the 2-liter, double overhead cam, four-cylinder engine all the time, and it became buzzy when pressed.

I had to plan ahead to pass other cars on the highway to make sure the engine power was there. I did better in city driving, where I could work the five-speed manual in low gears for more spunky performance.

Maximum torque is 136 foot-pounds at 3,600 rpm, which doesn't sound like much, but the car weighs less than 3,000 pounds.

Still, Subaru's Impreza, with a larger four-cylinder, has peak torque of 166 foot-pounds, while the 109-horsepower, 1.5-liter four-cylinder in Honda's Fit delivers only 105 foot-pounds of torque.

The Fit, however, has higher government fuel economy ratings than the SX4's 25.5 miles per gallon in combined city/highway driving with a manual transmission and 27 mpg with four-speed automatic. For the record, I got 25 mpg, without trying, with manual transmission.

Suzuki sells the SX4 in two trim levels - base and Sport - and both come with standard all-wheel drive. The system, controlled by a switch on the console, can be set for fuel-efficient front-wheel-drive, automatic all-wheel drive and all-wheel-drive lock. The latter is for strenuous traction-demanding situations.

Other standard features include manual air conditioning, six air bags, including curtain air bags and front seat-mounted side air bags, in addition to four-wheel disc brakes with anti-lock and electronic brake force distribution to help a driver maintain control during panic stops. Roof rails are standard, too, but cross bars to allow securing of cargo on the SX4 roof are not.