2005 Suzuki Reno First Drive

So the Reno is stylish. That’s a good thing – because with an underwhelming 126 horsepower, 2.0 four-liter engine, people will have plenty of time to look the car over. Zero-to-sixty times are not important, except as warning: never drag race, or challenge someone for pinks. It is better to look good than to drive fast, apparently, and so it goes. Now, if Suzuki were to develop a supercharged version of the Reno -- that would surely get the attention of the young crowd. And in the process, they’d be able to sell a few of the gutless wonders to weak teens happy to look like they are going really fast. As is, though, the Reno has almost-adequate daily driving power. It could use a little bit more of a boost on freeway, hills and while merging or changing lanes. The lack of power is critical enough, perhaps, to claim that it is the biggest reason NOT to buy the Suzuki Reno. But it is close enough to the competition that it’s not really a very good reason. The Reno offers much more in other areas, so as to make this lack of thump quite livable.