As soon as I took my 1998 Suzuki Alto Works home, I went through it to make sure all the basic maintenance was good and went about cleaning the interior. To their credit, Meteor Cars did a great job of cleaning out the worst of the dirt and cigarette ash, since the layer of window grease was gone, but there was still much more detailing to be done. I first chucked the stained ashtray in the trash. Armed with two types of disposable cleaning cloths, one specifically meant for cigarette stains, ammonia-free window cleaner, Febreeze, and a vacuum, I spent several hours cleaning every single square centimeter and crevice I could easily reach. Afterwards, the smell was mostly gone with only a whiff of cigarette smell when the car got hot.

Over the next two years of ownership, I took the car around various parts of Japan, sometimes driving 8+ hours at a time, through windy mountain passes, gravel dirt roads, and high-speed toll roads. (High-speed = 80 km/hr = 50 mph = not really fast) I put 30,000 km on the odometer, which is pretty good considering travel speed is much slower and Japan is a relatively small country. That little Suzuki, with regular maintenance, was supremely reliable in that time. It never once stranded me, though there were a few minor niggles with the car. The starter would occasionally not immediately turn over if the car was “cold,” and the interior fan blower would not move position (from window to foot, for example) by pushing the button. I would need to physically reach behind the dashboard and turn the blower position manually since the motor controlling the movement wore out.

Over those kilometers and two years’ time, I discovered quite a few things about the car that made me absolutely adore it, faults and all.

Engine & Drivetrain
The best thing about the Alto Works was that it was absolutely fun to drive. The small kei car dimensions amplified the sensation of speed, even if I was driving only 40km/hr. With its short wheel base and decently sharp steering, the car had a great feel in the corners and I always had full confidence in the chassis, even if the grip was lacking. The brakes were more than adequate and never faded, despite the drum rears. The boost came on around 2500 RPM and with the relatively low body weight, the 59-HP-powered to the front wheels felt adequate in most driving situations. The tiny 3-cylinder, 660cc engine was more than happy to reliably scream near it’s 7000 RPM redline for hours at a time.

...and it had to. Japan has a mountainous terrain and that means a lot of steep hills where all the fun, windy roads are. I had to voraciously use 2nd gear, even driving at 4/10ths and especially if I had a passenger or two. Coming from a Miata and a lightly-modded Evo, the power was really lacking. The soft, stock suspension made the body roll quite a bit in turns so I often wished for something that could translate road feel better. Probably my only other complaint about the drivetrain was the decently long shifter throws and the somewhat vague slots. Of course, as the car’s manual transmission (to my knowledge) is exactly the same as the non-Works version, it is to be expected of a pedestrian, econobox kei car.

Interior
When new, this model Works sold for 944,000￥ (about $8500 USD). This is decently more expensive than the 648,000￥ ($6800 USD) base Alto the car is based on, but sadly this means all the cheap, late 90s, hard, smoothly-textured plastics are everywhere. Nowhere is this more obvious than sitting in the tiny rear seats, surrounded by huge swaths of plastic. Given its age, there were also numerous plastic rattles that I spent hours chasing and trying to alleviate. Road and engine noise filled the cabin anywhere above 4000 RPM so it was difficult to carry on conversation at regular speaking volume.

I did appreciate the fact that the car had some decent, functional storage cubbies and cup holders which for some reason the previous Alto lacked. The front cabin was quite spacious and offered plenty of headroom, even for me, standing at just shy of 6 feet (181 cm). The front sporty bucket-style seats were also quite decent, providing a semi-snug fit and nice style with the red trim.

Exterior
The car is absolutely ugly. This is likely one of the contributing factors why this series of Alto was only sold for 2 years, in relatively low numbers, effectively killing the Alto Works nameplate for 16 years until just recently when it was reintroduced. The strange oblong headlight assembly is probably the worst offender, though the rest of the car could just be considered an evolution of the previous Alto. (I would later learn much of the underpinnings of the car are carryovers.) This means plain, slab-sides with only a single side crease, a huge, flat front bumper, and a noticeable, dual-rear spoiler arrangement. The large hood intake is a nice touch, giving the car more sporting intentions. Sadly, the top-mount intercooler is just as tiny as the previous generation.

Modifications
Shortly after buying the car, I had to pick up a set of winter wheels and tires, as it is a legal requirement in my area. A set of winter tires on stock 13x4 Wagon R wheels for less than 20,000￥ ($180 USD) served me well over the following two winters. In terms of other modifications, I only made a few other changes to the car over the 2 years of ownership.

By the next summer after a season-and-a-half of use I needed a new set of all-season tires. The tires the car came with had low tread to begin with, so it was more out of necessity than desire. I knew that was the time to find some nicer wheels more fitting of the era and sporty nature. I came across a set of white 14x5.5 +42 Advan Rally Wheels wrapped in Yokohama BluEarth Rubber for 31900￥ ($300 USD). They were lightly curbed, but offered plenty of tread. While it wasn’t the sportiest or lightest set of wheels I could buy, they were priced right and were appropriate to the era of the car. Moreover, I think the blocky spokes really went well with the squared nature of the car to begin with!

A few months after that, the radio stopped working properly, so I picked up a Pioneer Carrozzeria USB / radio DIN unit which I still have today for about 6000￥.

In late 2015, I bought a set of generic-branded lowering springs in hopes of lowering the car to achieve an even sportier look and ride. I was reluctant to install it over the next few months, as the whole car felt sorted and damped just good enough where it didn’t bother me. The upsized 14” wheels and tires also helped fill the wheel wells.

By early 2016, I thought about replacing my car. My neighbor’s Toyota Altezza (Lexus IS200) with six-speed manual was quite a looker. Moreover, the two year shaken renewal was coming due by October. I started looking around the classifieds myself, trying to find something faster, more expensive, and sportier. The car bug had bit me again. I was back to looking for the ABCs of kei cars or even a fancy white plate. If I could sell my car, even for 100,000￥, I could afford something much cooler.

On one lovely August evening, I was driving home from Osaka through the windy northern mountain forest roads of Kyoto, it felt perfect. The car drove smoothly, shifted well, and I felt connected to the car. Everything seemed so perfect and at that moment, I decided I would not sell the car.