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I also was advised by the dealer to pay a few $$ extra to have the "brand new car" treated with this paint sealant they sold to protect it from chipping. The car is also white, so chips are not as obvious. So far no bad chipping.
So far so good with the car in performance as well.
Two complaints however
1 The fabric wears fast in the back seats (the kids drag car seats in and out)
2 The S base model tires were crappy and had to be tossed at 2k miles.
The Sandman :confuse: :sick: :shades:
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2015 Golf TSI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
The Sandman :sick: :shades:
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2015 Golf TSI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
2011 Suzuki Kizashi
All controls were intuitive and easy to use. The car just flattened bumps like they weren't there. Perhaps that section of Henderson, NV, was pretty flat but I did try and look for bumps just to check and the car did wonderfully.
Steering was precise without being "sticky" and prone to understeer wrought on with the resulting encumbent body throw. I loved the test drive and really didn't want to give the car back to them!
Like I say, I may very well buy one of these one day. Great midsize...oh and by the way-this is a true midsize car-one does feel like they're getting in to a larger car than a compact.
Suzuki should feel proud of theirselves with this car, it is truly the best midsize car. I would call the Ford Fusion a pretty close #2 and if one of those came along that was possessing a price/option package I liked it wouldn't take much to make me bite on one of those, carnuts.
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
The Sandman :sick: :shades:
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2015 Golf TSI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
I compared the new Hyundai Sonata, (or i45 over here), the Honda Accord Euro, the VW Passat, the new European Ford Mondeo among others. My criteria was it had to be comfortable for my broken back, being new it had to be the latest technology, and it had to match the fuel economy of our Nissan Pulsar SLX which was a 1600cc auto sedan.
I sum up the Kizashi thus... It looks fantastic in our Prussian Blue and is the envy of everyone I know, especially the neighbours. It has all the bells and whistles you can think of and some you didn't, it goes like a V6, drinks like a small four and if you need more performance you need a V8!
It handles more like our Miata than a sedan has a right to and while the ride is more sporty than luxo it remains controlled and accurate at any speed on any road, something the others can only dream about!
The engine may not be quite as refined as a Honda but it is smooth and powerful, extremely quiet at cruising speed, rorty under hard acceleration and I can achieve over 30mpgUS on a trip with ease.
It took a wee while to get used to the CVT transmission but now I find it odd to drive an automatic and hear and feel it changing gears, I'm used to, and prefer, the absolute smoothness of the CVT. It is tuned for economy and quickly rises to the highest ratio which means the revs drop to 1200rpm which is disconcerting at first until you realise you are still accelerating! It has so much torque you just don't need to rev it and 60mph is only about 1800rpm!
The manual mode is fun and the paddle-shifters easy to use and for maximum acceleration locking it in the ratio's mimimises the slippage of the CVT. However if you modulate the throttle, you can get very satisfying acceleration in drive. I have no doubt it will easily attain its stated top speed of 125mph, as 100mph is a piece of cake and it could easily cruise all day at 80-90mph should you have the conditions to do so.
Wind noise is the best of all and teh only gripe I have is that teh Yokohama 235 x 18's it comes with are a bit noisy on New Zealands coarse chip seal. When they eventually wear out, I'll look for a tyre more suited. On the smoother tarmac they are silent.
One would have to spend at least double the NZ$40k, ($32kUSD), it cost me to get anything to match or possibly better it. We both love it and love driving it!
Your report only further confirms what I learned during my test drive in April 2010. This is one awesome smallish midsize car from Suzuki! Feel free to pop in with frequent updates on your Kizashi.
2011 Suzuki Kizashi in "that" red
I still may own one of these cars one day. Chances are actually pretty good!
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
It keeps showing just how good a job Suzuki did on the chassis and suspension, getting it right from the outset.
Being leather the seats in our model may be more durable than the fabric, but Suzuki NZ offers seat covers in hard-wearing Ngauyahide as an optional extra.
Now that I am very familiar with the car, the CVT is fine and though it may lose out a bit to the manual, I never find myself wishing for more power, it really hauls when you ask it to!
2 Parts availabilty and price, I don't want to be buying all my parts thru the dealer with huge markups
3 Limited dealer network
4 Unknown reliability, and generic warrantee (no Hundai/Kia 100K confidence builder).
Suzuki has been in the US market for decades, makes good products across the board but hasn't developed an image/reputation and their sales (and mitsu) have tanked as much as GMs (-75%) so there is a risk that these could be "orphans" with dismal resale vals.
I'm going to take a rest drive today and the dealer will have to offer me a VERY good price to take on a share of the risks of ownership. (It's yearend and optimum buyer neg time). It offers a decent mix of performance and MPG (for AWD) and it sounds like it handles nice (nothing local to test drive).The only real comp is sub which has underpowered the new Impreza to boost the MPG and it sounds like there are waits for Imprezas.
Also waiting to hear back from a Kia dealer about a stripped Optima turbo. The Optima turbo sounds like the perfect combo of power and fuel economy but the dealers pack options on a low 20s car until it is high 20s and I ain't gonna play that game (3K pinstripe pkg, kiss my [non-permissible content removed]!)
Marketers are already bringing in slow and med speed versions of these vehicles and people are licensing golf carts for local streets.
They can be made every bit as safe as those Fiat 500s that are languihing on the lots here
I test drove a 2010 Suzuki Kizashi and loved it. It's when I went into negotiations to buy a 6-speed manual one in red that things didn't work out. I pushed a little too hard to get a great deal...I thought that Suzuki's bad sales state would help me, but it didn't. So I walked out.
And just kept the 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS, which I love...probably more than the Kizashi, but I may one day buy a Suzuki Kizashi. Love it!
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
It has just had its 10,000m service which was pleasantly cheap, I was expecting a bigger bill!
I have had no issues at all apart from the fact that if one is not too careful getting out the front passenger door, you can pull the rubber out of it's plugs. Easy to pop back in of course but really if that's my only gripe, what more can I say?
It goes like a V6, drinks like a small four, handles like a sports car with the best suspension and brakes you can get under $80,000! If you can't get comfortable in this car you won't be comfortable in any car!
I have grown to love the CVT transmission and there is plenty of performance whenever you want it. The engine may be down a couple of horsepower compared to the others, but it has so much torque you can accelerate up any hill, or easily pass slower trafiic without being on the wrong side of the road for very long at all! It's only turning over at 2000rpm at 60mph and it is torque, not HP that counts on the road.
Having said that, if you really need or want more power than this car puts out you need a V8! It is a fast car when you want it to be and I have no doubt it will easily attain its stated top speed of 125mph in CVT form or more as a manual. 90mph is a breeze and relaxed cruising if you have the roads to do it.
It does well as a station wagon with the large trunk and split-folding back seat, you'd be amazed at what you can fit into it when necessary!
It really is in a class of its own in the medium segment as Suzuki first got the chassis right then added all the fruit to it. The competition simply took their existing cars and added more fruit and it is in the suspension and brakes that Suzuki really show them up. Even Hyundai, which was my second choice, along with its Kia stablemate, loses out to the Suzuki in chasis performance although a wee big bigger in the back seat area and softer to ride in around town. Once out on the open road and off the smooth highways, they lose suspension damping control and get uncomfortable and floaty in the back, whereas it doesn't matter what the road or conditions, the Kizashi remains well damped and controlled and very comfortable to drive, (especially for back seat passengers), with very low wind noise, lower than most others in any class.
I researched for six weeks before choosing the Kizashi and included Japanese, Korean and European cars in my comparisons. Now I am convinced I made the right choice and it even looks great!
Given the sales levels they slimmed down the transmission offerings, the FWD version was lost in a sea of competition, the AWD sedan has some relative advantages against Subaru and much more expensive AWD choices.
This low snow winter in the northeast and midwest has to be impacting AWD sales
I loved my loaded SX4, but am just as glad to be rid of it. This company is in deep trouble with its US arm. And now the Kizashi is already in its third year. No powertrain changes, no significant updates of any sort. Kizashi was a decent entry in 2010. Today, it is not keeping up with the competition. Where are they going to get the funds to renew this model in the next two years?
Total US sales of all autos is about 25K only one quarter of what they were selling a few years ago (mostly rebranded thru GM). Amazing they didn't sign up a lot of GM dealers who lost GM dead brand franchises.
I think their products are fine, esp Kizahi, but they can't continue with this dealer network.
But wow, I loved that Kizashi and would not hesitate later to buy one. You're right, smooth driving experience, quiet in the cabin and solid build quality. I figured I needed to buy the red Kizashi, this car is amazing.
So there ya go, kizashiowner, ya done good! If you don't mind please come on back here and week-ta-week or month-ta-month give us your Kizashi update as far as the driving exerience goes, fuel economy, dealership experience, etc. That way us Kizashi droolers can get our fill about what we're missing, OK? :P
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
I think the Impreza is underpowered but with $4 gas approaching a slightly underpowered Subaru that gets 10MPG more than the Kizashi might be the better deal. Feb Suzuki sales will be out in a week. Stay tuned, I think they are going to do an Isuzu unless they get GM to rebadge some of their vehicles.
There isn't any car company that will will continue to float their U.S. operations selling that many cars.
That's why I did not buy one.