Vitara Toad

[Gotyer6]

I'm trying to sell my trailer and tow vehicle. I'm also looking for a cheap work vehicle/future toad. I've heard that the Vitara/Grand Vitara is a good flat toad, but I read that there was a specific transmission I need to get. Does anyone know which one it is?

[D_E_Bishop]

When my 1995 Sidekick needed a new trans, the cost was more than the value of the sidekick so I bought a 2006 GV. Love both of them, haven't been able to sell the Sidekick for much so today we decided to have it repaired and tow it again and keep the GV for a family car.

By the way, those little Suzis will go just about anywhere. I followed some quad roads near Blouse, AZ a week ago, no problem. I did get a lot of funny looks from the quad drivers.

[Janss]

Good luck in your search. I had difficulty finding a late model GV that also had 4WD for flat towing. Of course Suzuki is no longer selling cars in the U.S. so couldn't get a new one. We had already decided to go down to one car and bought a new CRV. Well, because I go a little crazy looking online at things, two months later I found this Suzuki. We couldn't resist, especially since it already had a towing baseplate installed! (We hadn't put one on the CRV yet.)

We love both our cars, for different reasons. If the GV got better gas mileage, we might have given up the CRV. We like to use the CRV for long road trips without the motorhome. The CRV feels a bit more luxurious, while the GV feels strong like a truck and just fun!

[enblethen]

Janss: Thanks! my 05 is getting many miles, both driving and dragging. I have had such good luck with my Suzukis I hate to change to different make.

[Janss]

We have the top of the line "Limited" model, which may be the only trim level of that year with the flat towing abled 4WD. As edmunds.com states:
"On the Limited, the four-wheel-drive system includes low-range gearing."
It has the transfer case dial on the dash to change to neutral, hi and lo 4WD.

[enblethen]

My "05 has electric shift transfer case with neutral position. Switch on dash.
Janss: which style do you have in the 2012?

[Janss]

We had a older Chevy Tracker (same as GV) and now have a newer Grand Vitara. Love them both! I think starting in 2006 they have the larger body design.

Adding to what enblethen wrote, I found that the correct 4-wheel drive model for flat towing has a transfer case stick (older years) or knob on the dash (since 2006). I've seen alot of ads that say it's a 4-wheel drive, but it's not the kind that can be towed four wheels down (i.e. no transfer case knob on dash.)

You might also want to know that some years they only made 4-cyl and some years only 6-cyl.

[enblethen]

All four wheel drive Suzuki Vitara and Grand Vitara four wheel drives with neutral in the transfer case are flat towable.
Manual transmissions: Put transfer case in neutral, put transmission in second gear. Leave key in access. position to unlock steering column. Stop every 200 miles and run transmission in gear for a few minutes.
Automatic transmission:
Put transfer case in neutral, Put transmission in park, key in ignition to accessory position to unlock steering wheel. Stop every 200 miles and run transmission in gear for few minutes.
Some of the 2011 and 2011 had an All-wheel drive transfer case. They are not four down towable. They don not have a neutral in transfer case.