Plain (Petite) Jane

Shop the competition, and the first thing you'll notice about the SX4 is its diminutive size. A family friend who owns a Honda Fit said my test car looked tiny. Technically, it isn't: The SX4 has roughly the same footprint as cars like the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla, but its height — 60.8 inches — is tall for this class, and that gives it a stubby, thin appearance. A benefit of that is the SX4's tall windows, which translates into excellent sight lines all around. That — and the car's relatively impressive 34.8-foot turning circle — makes this car great for city driving. At my North Chicago condo, I have to thread cars down a back alley to park in my garage. The SX4? Piece o' cake.

As cakes come, though, it's a bland one. Elements from the headlights to the fenders fit a cohesive styling theme, but that theme seems to be "forgettable design." This doesn't necessarily spell doom for the SX4: Toyota has struck automotive vanilla with the new Corolla, but that hasn't stopped droves of shoppers from choosing it.

See also:

Cruise Control (if equipped)
Cruise Control (if equipped) The cruise control system allows you to maintain a steady speed without keeping your foot on the accelerator pedal. The controls for operating the cruise control sy ...

Cargo & Towing
As noted, the Grand Vitara's maximum trailer weight is 3,000 pounds — twice that of the CR-V and four-cylinder Escape, but less than the Escape V6, which has car-based construction and better mi ...

Heating System
Description of Controls Temperature selector (1) This is used to select the temperature by turning the selector. Blower speed selector (2) This is used to turn on the blower and to select blow ...

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