If my experience driving around Chicago is any indicator, there's quite a market for small, sporty-looking hatchbacks. Most of them are heavily modified used cars, and against this benchmark the SX4 performs quite well, if for no other reason than it has up-to-date safety equipment.
It's when the SX4 is compared with other new offerings that it suffers. Is it as crisp, poised and refined as the segment leaders? Nope. And while it's fun to drive on twisty roads, it's not the most fun. The SX4 doesn't look like many other cars on the road, and the SportBack version is well-differentiated from its siblings. For some people, that plus good handling will be enough. I'm not convinced, though, that I wouldn't be happier in day-to-day use with something different.
Maintenance Recommended under Severe Driving Conditions
Follow this schedule if your car is mainly operated under one or more of the
following conditions:
• When most trips are less than 6 kilometers (4 miles).
• When most trips are less than 16 ki ...
Basic Power
This year's four-cylinder engine gains some guts — it makes 150 horsepower,
up from last year's 143 — and it works through either a stick shift or a new
continuously variable automatic transmi ...
Jacking Instructions
Jacking Instructions
1) Place the vehicle on level, hard ground.
2) Set the parking brake firmly and shift
into “P” (Park) if your vehicle has an
automatic transmission, or shift into “R ...