Elements of a good weekend in February: SnoDrift and the Suzuki

Pro Rally is one of the few racing events where you eat dinner with the same drivers that crashed their car into the crowd of people right next to you an hour ago. My father and I stayed in the same motel as these guys, and they were as loopy as they drove. They even fixed their cars and changed tires in the parking lot of the motel.

Reilly Brennan Daily Driver

This was real racing. I suggest this free event as medicine for anyone depressed by the fact that Nascar is considered to be the foremost medium of racing in America. Go to www.scca.org for more information.

At any rate, this trip to the northern wilds proved a perfect opportunity to test Suzuki's recent offering into the mini-ute game: The Grand Vitara. My father and I took to I-75 for the four-hour jaunt, stopping in Gaylord for lunch at the Sugar Bowl, a terribly outdated restaurant that is a favorite of G.P. Brennan for its wonderfully kind and overweight waiters and waitresses.

The Grand Vitara is better than it looks. I think of it as more of a cartoon-based transport, ideal for youthful college women but somewhat uncharacteristic of the machismo ethic that I try to convey. My dad and I were avocados in the kiwi bin - he's 64 with white hair, has the map of southwestern Ireland on his face, and drives old-man cars like the Mercury Grand Marquis; 44 years his junior, I'm his image, spat. But I balanced out the car by wearing my purple Vans.

The fact that the Suzuki claims to have a V-6 under the hood should be a selling point. But like towns in northern Michigan, Pro Rally drivers, and automotive journalists, all V-6 engines are not created equal. Weaker than my grades last semester, this thing strains when traversing simple hills and climbs. I even lifted the hood during a gas stop to see if it was really a four cylinder in there - nope.

When most people think Suzuki, which is rare, they think Samurai and Sidekick. Those unstable weenies are long gone, and comparatively the Grand Vitara is an amazing car. But it takes a lot to go up against this segment's competitors, i.e. Subaru's Forester, the Civic-based Honda CR-V, and the Toyota RAV4. To that end, the SGV falls short by price tag. My tester, the JLX+ model, was steep at $21,429. The "+" indicates standard alloy wheels and anti-lock brakes.

But, where the Grand Vitara does well is in the ride and handling department. The steering wheel is pretty inviting with a comfortably small diameter and a good weighted feel.

But the Grand Vitara could use a bit more around its waist. Normal Brennan highway speeds caused some serious susceptibility to winds. I drove for nearly four hours with two hands tight around the wheel - like I was holding on to the grab bar on a rollercoaster.

One must consider that most of the utes in this segment have the very same problems on the highway. It's nothing shockingly new; and I guess it's the price you pay for not paying enough.

The one thing that surprised father and son alike over the weekend was the amount of interior space that the SGV holds. There was plenty of room for a few duffels, cameras, big boots with red laces, a bag full of oranges that my mom sneaked in, the two laundry bags that I forgot to take out before we left, and two Irishmen known for their hoodwinking and storytelling abilities.

The four-wheel drive system that comes optional on the Grand Vitara is damn good for a car of this segment, and is capable in the rough stuff. The two-speed drivetrain is something that should be appreciated - Toyota's RAV4 and the Honda CR-V cannot go into low range, and the Subaru Forester is an all-wheel drive system.

You can shift-on-the-fly up to 62 miles per hour while traveling straight, but I feared the worst and tried to stay under 30 mph while doing so. Atlanta was a nice town, but I didn't want to spend another night eating at Kristie's Country Kitchen.

Before one of the night stages of SnoDrift, we were asked to park off the road so an ambulance could pass through in case of disaster. I didn't think the Grand Vitara would be up for a trip through the snow, but a swift toss into 4-low was all I needed. The little sport-utility chugged through two feet of snow and mud in no time. After the rally, getting out of the hole we created was no problem either - we exited while I looked back and saw an old BMW 325ix having difficulty with the snow mound we made in our wake.

What makes the Grand Vitara that much more grand from the regular Vitara is not clear, but the GV is a bit more puffed up with lower body effects and fender flares. The Vitara is also limited to a 16-valve four cylinder, while the Grand Vitara gets the 24-valve, 2.5 liter V-6.

Is it worth 21K? I'd rather have the Forester any day, or even the old favorite Jeep Wrangler. But, for off-roaders, Suzuki's four-wheel drive is better than a Honda or Toyota, the reigning champs of this market. Also, the V-6, while measly, is the only one of its class and could be less annoying for the long haul.

- Reilly Brennan yearns to be a Pro Rally Driver. He can be reached at

brennanr@umich.edu.

Courtesy of Suzuki Suzuki's Grand Vitara has a four-wheel drive system that tops that of Honda and Toyota, the leaders of the mini-ute game.

02-25-99