I had the chance to drive the 2006 version of the Suzuki Vitara, and I must say that this little SUV isn't bad at all. It was the 2.0-litre EFI 4x4 door type. I didn't get the chance to take it off road but it did well on the pavement. The seats were a bit too firm for my taste and it wasn't comfortable at all.

However, the seating position was good because I had good visibility all the way round. The side mirrors were just right for that kind of vehicle. The stereo controls were on the steering wheel and I found that to be a nice feature. The a/c did a good job of keeping us cool and the dials were the rotary type which was OK for me. It had a tilt steering so I had a good driving position.

firm ride

Now driving this little 'Suzuki' was all right and reached 80km/h quite easily on Highway 2000, and I settled her down at the 110km/h. It was quite steady at that speed, no rush, no fuss. But one has to be careful when driving at certain speeds when in a vehicle with a higher centre of gravity. It was a bit unnerving going around a few bends and the little undulations on the toll road; I was a bit more comfortable in my 'Mitsy' (a 1994 Mitsubishi Galant).

But all in all, it is a good little jeep to drive for my duration. The ride was firm and it felt solid. With a name like Suzuki which has been around for some time now, you can be assured that buying one of these jeeps is not a bad thing after all. Living in Jamaica and driving on our roads we definitely need some form of assurance, especially with the natural disasters, heavy rains, potholes, hurricane, road blocks and God knows what else to expect on our roads.

It is good to know good things do come in small packages, so if and when I do need to step up from 'Mitsy' the Suzuki Vitara will definitely be on my mind for my next buy.