Some test cars can grow on me over time. Others, not so much. This little post is an example of the former.

I drove our Suzuki SX4 home from our Connecticut test track after spending a day up there earlier this week. The 120-mile trip involves a variety of road conditions. Most of it is highway, some of it is twisty two lane, some an annoying bunch of traffic lights bordered by strip malls. The last bit, closest to my home, involves about seven miles of stop-and-go traffic on a three lane highway, and then more of it over a nightmarish bridge popular with commuters. On this particular trip, it was a torrential downpour the whole distance.

I must admit I wasn’t especially looking forward to bringing the wee Suzuki home, even though it’s a Recommended model and all. I’ve driven it before and found the driving position somewhat cramped for my 6’2” frame. I’m also not a fan of its new-for-2010 continuously variable transmission, but then I’m not a fan of most CVTs. The Suzuki’s seems even more annoying in the hills than some of the better ones.