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Suzuki Alto HA25, the official learner car, or for the wives who received a car from their husband, and for people who generally want to go from A to B, as cheaply as possible.

Truth be told, the Alto had to go up against the Aygo - C1 - 107 triad, the Hyundai i10 - Kia Picanto duo, the Twingo, the Mitsubishi Colt - Smart ForFour duo and I'm sure I forgot something from the list. No wonder it was left behind, biting the dust.

So why buy an Alto and not something else from the list?

• The Alto came strictly with 4 doors and a boot, so you didn't have to dumpster dive through the ads for a 4 door city car the same way I am dumpster diving at three o'clock in the morning, every morning. 


• The main reason instead is that Alto is the cheapest on the list. Alto was not marketed very much and most people have no idea about Alto and so the prices kept low, new and used. It was cheap and new, and again I say that it wasn't really marketed so it flew under the radar of the fleet cars and they are generally private owned. So they won't be so used and abused. Plus you can buy a Euro 5 Alto for 1500-2500 pounds in 2024 and it's hard to find a Euro 5 car for less. That is if Euro 5 is relevant for you.


• Suzuki Alto HA25 is another car...almost another car that has a reliable automatic transmission because, you won't believe it, it came with a 4-speed torque converter. And it's the only Japanese city car from its time, that had a classic torque converter gearbox, because Mitsubishi and Toyota used automated manuals on their city cars. Which is also what Suzuki would do with the next model, the Celerio coming with an automated manual.


• It is a very small car, with which many will envy you around town. It does 40 mpg city, you can park it anywhere, and for 1500 pounds you won't care if you hit a pole or find the door dented in the parking lot, because the gentleman that parked next to you opened the door of his car as if he here at the Olympic Games.

Suzuki Alto HA25 Engines

Petrol

1.0 K10B of 68 horsepower – We have only one engine and it needed one more horsepower to be the perfect engine. In fact, in order for it to have been perfect, it would have also needed the engine and gearbox mounts replaced every 3 weeks. But you will more than make up for the costs by saving money on petrol, because if it were a person it would've been a girl drinking water.

Suzuki Alto HA25 Reliability Issues

• If you have a Suzuki Alto, you probably won't be looking back too much and will only look forward. And not because you've listened to some Jordan Peterson podcast, but because the windshield wiper constantly fails. 


• Low level of equipment. Many do not have air conditioning or even a rev counter. Not that you need a rev counter in an 68 horsepower 1 litre Alto, but it's good to know you have it.

Suzuki Alto HA25 Verdict

Suzuki Alto HA25 remains one of the cheapest city cars, Euro 5 cars and cars in general. The level of equipment is minimal. But when you know that you have a car that does 40 mpg city, and that you have to change the oil and/or parts when you remember, does it really matter that you don't have basic equipment such as a rev counter or climate control ? Yes, it's almost a car, but it's one of the best city cars you can buy at the moment.

Which engines do I recommend? Clearly the 68 horsepower 1.0 K10B and I would tune it for exactly 1 extra horse power, so that it would be the perfect number.