About the Suzuki Hatch 800
Cromulent Commentator purchased this Suzuki Hatch 800 used for $150 (including all on-road costs) in 1999. Cromulent Commentator wouldn’t buy this car again because: “I’ve walked faster whilst queueing for the toilets at the SCG. A Two speed automatic does not mean it is like playing the arcade version of Turbo Outrun. At 800cc it was the big block version, a 550cc version exists.”
How reliable has your car been? Tell us about any issues.
It was reliable, but then again there wasn’t that much on it. Two seats, a rear hatch, which I think was the giveaway behind the name “Suzuki Hatch”, two passenger doors which were able to be locked.
Two headlights, two tail lights, and even some dashboard gauges, all of these things worked except the indicators, which were sometimes on, and sometimes off.
What do you think of the ownership experience with your car?
If you ever wanted a car that you could park almost nose in to street parking, or pick the back of the car up and bounce it into other places, this is the car for you.
However if you also want to do the quarter mile measured with a sundial, you can do that too.
Are you happy with the price and features of your car?
$150 for the car, check. Cheap insurance, but only after arguing with an insurance company – “What is it again, I can’t find it in our system?
Rego and green slip was four times the price of the car itself. It was cheaper at the time than buying a good push bike, not one of those Kmart ones.
Who can go past a beige interior? It was the 1980s, what colour is you car sir/madam? Red? Beige Interior? Blue? Beige Interior. Beige? Beige Interior!
What do you think of the performance and economy of your car?
I’m not sure this car could actually do 100km/h, and the 1/4 mile was truly measured with a sundial. Little old ladies with a walking frame could and regularly did pass this Suzuki Hatch.
I think the closest it got to 100km/h was down hill on the then-F3 freeway from Mt Colah, commonly called the big dipper. Mind you the speedo needle had about 30km/h of slop in it, so it was either doing 70km/h or 130km/h. I think 70km/h is the more realistic figure.
Two-speed autos didn’t work in a 1960s Dodge Phoenix which could have a huge V8, and they don’t work in a car with only 800cc to play with and possibly 29kW when new.
Fuel wasn’t the main thing anyone in the car was worried about, so its economy remains a mystery, people in the single passenger seat were worried about other things such as articulated 18 wheel trucks and pushbikes and tractors and heavy road rollers.
According to the Japanese spec load rating sticker on the rear hatch it was rated for 350kg. This would have doubled the tare weight, and halved the performance if it had any to start with.
Long live the big block! 800cc vs the 550cc option.
What do you think of the technology in your car?
Interior roof lamp! Door locks! Four wheels and a spare!
Two car cargo barrier! Steering wheel with a horn!
This Suzuki 800 Hatch Automatic has all of these things above. A radio? Couldn’t hear it over the noise even if it actually had one.
What do you think of the ride comfort and handling of your car?
It was very comfortable, it wasn’t ever going fast enough anywhere to take any really big hits from those Sydney potholes so common.
If you did find one, you drove down into it, and then back up out of it again, nice ‘n’ comfy.
Handling? It would have been hard to rotate the tyres over fast enough at any point to make it sound remotely sporty. Parking it on oil with bald tyres fitted still wouldn’t have resulted in wheel spin.
Do you have any additional comments about your car?
Along my long and sometimes poor car purchasing journey, this particular little car was found in a wrecking yard when I was there for another reason (aren’t we all)
It gave a stoic ownership experience for the time I owned it, and it never broke down or needed anything beyond an oil change all jokes aside.
It did teach you to drive properly, as you needed to plan how to drive. Excessive brake application would then result in needing to accelerate which as discussed it didn’t.
I’m hoping to review most of the cars I’ve owned over time, especially if I can find any photos I’ve taken of them.
*The photos attached here are not of my 800, but are the correct colour for the one I did own.
I also thought about rating the Suzuki 800 Hatch Auto at least a 9.2 to fit in with other reviews, but for my first review I’ve reviewed my review prior to posting it and believe 4.2 to be an accurate one.