They were a partnership between Suzuki and GM at the time and 1989 was the first year they were available in North America, entering the market in late 1988. I’m not sure how Suzuki came up with the name Sidekick for North American versions of the Vitara, or Escudo, as the line of Vitara SUVs was known in most other markets. for sending in this tip! This one won’t last long at that price. Here is the original listing, and thanks to Pat L. This 1989 Suzuki Sidekick is posted here on craigslist in the Ukiah, California area and they’re asking $4,800. Everyone under 40 (50?) just fell asleep, but hopefully a few of you know who I’m talking about. Truett’s tip: In a world filled with outstanding sport-utility vehicles, Suzuki’s sidekick JXL is no better than average in terms of performance, quality, features and value.I’m showing my age by saying that whenever I hear the word sidekick, I think of Ed McMahon. Unfortunately, I’llremember it for all the wrong reasons. The Suzuki Sidekick JLX is a vehicle I’ll remember. Rear vision was partially blocked by the spare tire, which is mounted onthe swing-out rear door. On the plus side, the interior offers decent head and leg room.īoth front and rear seats were comfortable and the instruments were clearand easy to read, if a bit utilitarian. Out of desperation, I finally inserted the ignition keybetween the body and the fuel door and pried it open. I was infuriated and embarrassed at a gas pump when the fuel-filler doorrefused to open. With the volume turned up, thespeak ers distorted the sound so much that music was almost unintelligible. I also didn’t like the AM/FM cassette radio. Even suchthings as the steering wheel looked cheap. And when Islammed a rear door, I heard a symphony of noises and rattles. The Sidekick exhibits little of the exceptional quality we have come toexpect from Japanese vehicles.įor instance, a window-switch housing on the driver’s door panel was loose.So was the housing on the dash-mounted air conditioner switches. Suzuki’s Sidekick, however, must be viewed as a setback, albeit a minorone, for the Japanese. These days, when one mentions Japan,quality is the word that often comes to mind. Thatperception began to change in the 1970s after the invasion of well-builtJapanese cars and electronic products. It canturn a circle in 35.4 feet.īrakes, discs up front and drums with anti-lock in the rear, are adequate,but nothing more.įor years, the words ”cheap” and ”Japanese” were synonymous. The steering is power-assisted, making the vehicle easyto maneuver. But on sharp turns, the body leans considerably. The Sidekick offers a fairly soft and stable ride for a small vehicle.Unlike the two-door Sidekick, the heavier four-door isn’t affected much bywind gusts. Using the airconditioner, the test vehicle logged 25 mpg in city driving and 29 on thehighway. Gas mileage was excellent for a sport-utility vehicle. The only real difference seems to be in the roughness of theshifts, because performance does not improve much. The driver can select between ”normal” and ”power”shift modes. The test vehicle came with a four-speed automatic. The engine also gets somewhatraucous (read: loud and buzzy) as it approaches 5,000 rpm. Though the engine runs smoothly, it has to struggle to provide reasonableacceleration onto interstates and while passing. The Sidekick is powered by a 95-horsepower, four-cylinder engine that has16 valves and electronic fuel injection. If driven inenvironments that don’t require quick turns, panic-braking orpedal-to-the-metal acceleration, the Sidekick can be acceptabletransportation. The Sidekick would best be suited as an urban commuter. Also, it didn’t really have enough power. The vehicle I tested was not assembled particularly well it seemedexceptionally tinny, almost flimsy. You’ll have to look at the second tier of vehicles, which include the IsuzuRodeo, the best-selling import sport-utility the original Jeep Cherokee Chevy’s S-10 Blazer and this week’s test vehicle, the Suzuki Sidekick.įor 16 grand, you would expect better than you get in the Suzuki SidekickJLX. You can forget about Ford’s Explorer or Jeep’s Grand Cherokee, the twohottest sport utilities. If you have about $16,000 and want to buy a well-equipped four-doorsport-utility vehicle, the choices are rather slim.
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