Introduction

We're calling the Suzuki Sidekick JLX 4WD small because it has the smallest wheelbase of any four-door on the market. We found it to be a great value-ours had a sticker price of $15,429 with standard features such as power steering, cruise control, rear wheel anti-lock brakes, a security system, a locking spare tire case and power windows and locks. It is one of the more complete four-door four wheelers we've sampled. Another big advantage is its fuel economy, with EPA numbers of 23 mpg city/26 mpg highway. The downside here is performance. The 1.6-liter 95-hp four has to make man noisy revolutions to get this vehicle going. Even then, "go" seems on the meager side.

Walkaround

The Suzuki four-door Sidekick JLX 4WD is good-looking. Resemblances to the two-door Sidekick and its Geo Tracker cousin (also made by Suzuki) are present in the flared fenders, body color mirrors, black bodyside and rocker moldings and large si 'de glass. The profile is somewhat upright but perky-looking. Our Sidekick was in a Red Pearl coat, which was set off nicely by the black trim. The front and rear bumpers are body color capped by black. They look nice but could be vulnerable o marring in off-road situations. chromed wheels are standard and aluminum sport wheels an option. The rear cargo compartment is accessed by a full-length door opening toward the curbside that carries the securely mounted spare outside. A locking hard case is included in the JLX model. There are front and rear tow hooks, a skid plate under the fuel tank and a locking fuel filler door with remote release.

Interior Features

The Japanese do an excellent job of outfitting the cabins of their 4WD vehicles. Our JLX model had standard deluxe cloth seat trim and was tough and handsome. Front sport buckets seats are standard, and although they don't get any high marks for support, they're comfortable. The rear seat is the popular 60/40 split-back bench for seating a passenger or two and accommodating long cargo. We sat in all seats and found them to be roomy and passenger-friendly. There are handgrips above all the door openings but the driver's door (traditionally, he or she can use the steering wheel). Plus, there is a very substantial handgrip molded into the instrument panel facia in front of the front-seat passenger. Visibility, except to the rear, was excellent. Attempting to see above the rear door-mounted spare and around the headrests proved to be difficult. We found a similar but less-severe problem in the Isuzu Trooper. All gauges and controls are well-placed, lighted and easy to operate. We did note that the outside mirrors are fixed housings with an in-cabin remote control operating the mirror inside. This looks nice, but mirrors are vulnerable in serious off-road situations, and we would be more comfortable if they were in flexible housings. One more bit of carping: Suzuki, apparently for product liability reasons, has placed a big warning notice on the driver's door about possible rollover situations. Perhaps necessary from a legal standpoint, it seems at best "horsey" looking and at worst, intimidating. A similar notice about use of 4WD is placed near the transfer case shift lever.