[ o w n e r p o w e r ]
M
ichael Stumpf of Colts Neck, New Jersey, really loves the
Suzuki product. Need proof? In 1994 he bought four
Suzuki Swifts--one for himself, one for his wife, and one
for each of his two daughters. And, this past January he bought four
Suzuki Aerio S sedans--one for himself, one for his wife, and one
for each of his two daughters! That's eight Suzukis in less than 10
years, which definitely proves Michael's confidence in the brand.
"When I bought our Swifts, I knew Suzuki produced the world's
best motorcycles, so I figured it should build a good-quality car too,"
he explains. "I also felt that the quality control of Suzuki's
motorcycle division was most likely mirrored in its automotive
division." Michael's assumptions proved correct and his Swifts more
than lived up to his family's expectations. "At the time we bought our
Aerios, the four Swifts had half a million miles on them and the only
problem I ever had among the four was a broken door handle."
Despite the amazing performance of his Swift mini fleet,
Michael decided it was time to purchase new cars at the beginning of
2003. "We bought the Aerios purely as a result of the past
performances of our Swifts," he explains. "However, I did shop
around and looked at a lot of cars, and Suzuki was the only brand I
looked at that came with a stainless-steel exhaust system. I knew I
wouldn't have to change that system twice during the life of the car."
Indeed, Michael did plenty of research before making his decision,
reading online auto reviews and every industry story he could find
about the Aerio. "Believe me," he says, "I knew exactly what I was
getting myself into when I bought the Aerios!"
When Michael actually saw the Aerio at his local Suzuki
dealership, he was impressed by its look and feel. "I'm a fairly
practical guy. I typically put 40,000 miles a year on my car, so I was
looking for something that was tough, economical, and comfortable.
The Aerio really fit the bill." Michael also wanted something that was
inexpensive to operate. "In addition to the steel exhaust system, I
figure the Aerio's timing chain in place of a timing belt will save me
about $500 during the life of each car, which adds up to $2,000. I
also like the distributorless ignition."
According to Michael, Suzuki's 100,000-mile/7-year
powertrain limited warranty--the best in the industry--sealed the
deal. "It's definitely a great warranty," he says.
So, is the entire Stumpf family satisfied with their super-size
Suzuki purchase? You bet! Michael's wife, Linda, particularly likes
the Aerio's visibility from the driver's seat, the safety release lever in
the trunk, and the ample size of the car in general. Meanwhile,
daughter Ashley commutes to work in her Aerio and daughter
Heather enjoys tooling around the campus of the college she attends
in Colorado. "We all feel the Aerio has actually exceeded our
expectations," concludes Michael. "I think we'll have these cars even
longer than our Swifts because the quality seems better than ever."
7
The Stumpf family proudly
poses with their "mini fleet"
of Suzuki Aerio sedans.
For One Family, Only Four Suzukis Will Do
