![]() Short, low gearing for maximum flexibility on dirt may run out of revs and start screeching at highway speeds.Įrgo, success in the science of manufacturing sport-utility vehicles rests with finding the marketable middle ground between roles. Steering and a suspension that cushions against moonscapes tend to be spongy and encourage wallow on simple asphalt, especially when threading through traffic. Unfortunately, horsepower that is ideal for the sod is soon exhausted on interstates. In first gear, that 80 horsepower, delivering 94 pounds of torque, was more than enough for full traction with a broad margin against wheel-spin. Steering and wheels tracked true despite some almighty wallops against rocks and ruts. The front strut and rear coil suspension (most sport-utes remain locked to leaf springs in the rear) soaked up extremes of movement around all axes and tamed any sense of tipping. That sweaty cliffhanger was enormous proof of the Sidekick as a stable, manageable off-road system. Their hand signaling, it turned out, had been a frantic attempt to wave off passage along the previously impassable track. These little Suzuki 4x4s are getting to be hot sellers, have any of you owned one?ġ988 was when everybody was tired of under powered vehicles, I lived it & even then kids like me hunted muscle cars in earnest! The problem was I was not making the dough then to buy the 20 grand Superbird at the local gas station it was a terrible time back then & tired of Chevy citations & I should have been issued a citation for driving it & it was my girlfriends ! This was when people started getting mustangs ( hello foxbody) muscle was just coming back I remember my boss showing me his SVO & snickering (bad move)but I craved a V8 & had a 1977 trans am that I did every possible modification that i could afford & do myself drilled the shaker, headers, pull the heads put a mild cam in it & was pretty happy until the kid who had a nice chevelle LS6 rained on my parade! the chase for horsepower never died.So the Sidekick was spurred forward, grinding and lurching in 4WD, butting rocks aside, bucking against gravity until it rejoined a relieved official party. This looks like a good deal to me, even with 154,000 miles and being over three decades old. It has no rust and has always been garaged when not in use. This is a two-owner vehicle and it has had a lot of work done to keep it maintained. It has no leaks anywhere and it’s running great. Sadly, the seller didn’t include an engine photo, which is hopefully a 2022 thing and will totally change in 2023 with every seller including engine photos! (crickets) This one should have Suzuki’s 1.6-liter SOHC inline-four cylinder with 80 horsepower. This one has a new clutch, as well as a new top, a new timing belt, and new carpet. For a 33-year-old vehicle, what’dya want, perfection for $4,800? It has a five-speed manual transmission ahead of the transfer case selector. You probably noticed some fading or wear on the graphics on the exterior, and the interior looks nice but also not perfect. The interior looks as nice as the exterior does. It makes no sense, people buy Honda cars and trucks, so why not Suzuki? Maybe Carnac the Magnificent would know (enough with the obscure Johnny Carson/Ed McMahon references!). They make great vehicles, is it the name? People couldn’t take a “motorcycle company” seriously when it came time to spend money on a car or SUV. We all know about their motorcycles and they even made great snowmobiles at one time, but they kept trying to be a player in this huge market and could never pull it off. as far as their four-wheel vehicles went. I find it hard to believe that Suzuki could never make it in the U.S. At under 12 feet in length, they’re almost small enough to sit on a couch (obscure Ed McHahon sidekick joke) (tough crowd). 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. I’m showing my age by saying that whenever I hear the word sidekick, I think of Ed McMahon. ![]()
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