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Loved it!
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
It is very windy in Oklahoma, and I find the car getting blown around on the road a lot. I love the car, but I may need something heavier than 1.5 - 2 tons next time. :0)
I have not seen another Kizashi in OKC or the surrounding area, but I'm sure there are a few since we do have a dealership here. I get a lot of looks and compliments on the car, I've even been pulled over by a Kansas State Trooper and an Oklahoma State Trooper just to answer questions about it. No tickets given. :0)
Anyway, I'm still happy with the car and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a small/midsized sedan with an aggressive look to it.
I would prefer a 6-speed but would settle for an automatic CVT Kizzy. Rock on to some tasty Foghat in your Kizashi's.
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
Yeah, nothing wrong with black for color (yeah, I know, black isn't really a color...ha-ha) and white would be an awesome choice, too, but for me it would be either red or silver, and you're right, we have a '08 Rally Red Mitsubishi Lancer GTS with the automatic CVT and it's a ball to drive. You only think you need a manual tranny. Actually, I would get a new Kizashi with the automatic CVT like the Lancer's. I've come to love it.
2012 Suzuki Kizashi in...that silver
It looks to have the same tire size (18") as the Lancer does. Awesome. I want one!
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
When the Kizashi was introduced, the engine was remarkably powerful for its class. Now, every competitor has a 4 cylinder with as much or more power. Suzuki has lagged not just on issuing other models and preserving dealerships, but existing models like the Kizashi are basically the same as when they were introduced. Equipment choice has fallen way behind the competition. I liked the Kizashi, especially its size, but it is outclassed by most everything in its price range now. It's too bad. I don't know what happened to Suzuki.
I haven't even checked lately ta see if I am near a Suzuki dealer. I'm in Coeur d' Alene, ID, about 30 miles east of Spokane. I know there isn't a Suzuki dealer in Coeur d' Alene but there may be one in Spokane. I'll check it out. I'd love ta have a Kizashi.
And you're right, one could be had for a fire sale price, now, too. Or could one?
This car was incredibly easy ta drive and held track on the road like a bead.
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
"American Suzuki Motor Corporation (ASMC) today reported August 2012 sales
of 1,968 units. SX4 continues to lead sales with a 2% year to date sales increase ...
This is all their car lines for the month of August. Seriously, they are hanging on by a thread. U.S. sales cannot be profitable for them or their dealers. For comparison, Toyota sells this many Camrys in about a day or 2.
Any competent American certified mechanic will be able to work on it for you and you will get a really good car from each Japanese automaker, too!
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
Suzuki made a big mistake by closing and consolidating dealerships in an attempt to sell more cars per dealer. All they did was kill more sales. Then they got into a pissing match with VW after VW came along to prop them up.
There is something going on with the leadership of that corporation that has demonstrated no understanding of how to market cars in the US. There motorcycle sales have been nothing to crow about for several years now as well (they didn't even import any 2010 models in order to clear out old inventory). Europe is beginning to dry up for them as well. A third of its profit comes from home country Japan's sales, where interest in cars among young people is on the decline. Maruti Suzuki in India is a bright spot, and nearly half Suzuki's sales occur in India. However, labor unrest there has cut into sales and profits.
I don't know what the answer is, but they need more than what they are fielding. Saturns were decent cars too at the end.
A little "sour grapes"? Perhaps, but some of it rings true if you look at where they are at today.
As for mid-sized rigs, the smallest mid-sized rig offered is the Suzuki Kizashi. I have read everything I could get my hands on about the car and test drove one and I can tell you that you would not even be close to getting ripped off buying a 2013 Suzuki Kizashi. Solid, great ride, great handling, stellar looks and fair price.
What more could you ask for? Warranty? How does 10 years and 100,000 miles sound to you guys?
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
I used to sell cars years ago and its amazing how many people buy what vehicles other people like or what the automotive press likes. Consumer and press feedback has its place but you're the one driving the rig and putting the money into it. If you love it, what else matters? Someone will always come out with the latest, greatest, fastest, best rated etc. down the road.
Almost all modern vehicles will get you well over 100k without much issue. All are far safer than vehicles of just ten years ago. All will have far more technology as well. For me the Kizashi just spoke to me. I took it for a short test drive, loved it, almost pulled the trigger but walked. Later I tried more cars and was convinced I wouldn't make a move after driving a Legacy that on paper looks as identical a car as possible and I just didn't care for it.
I drove the Kizashi again and remembered why I liked it so much. Handsome looks, well appointed cabin, sporty handling and steering that make it fun to drive, helpful tech like blue tooth integration without being overwhelming (the focus was like driving a flight simulator and my wife drives an 05 that we love). AWD which for a Mainer who drives 20k miles a year is great along with all the additional corrosion prevention on the vehicle. I can't come up with a better package, for me.
This is my long winded way of saying stop doubting yourself. Drive what you like. I'm the proud owner of a new 2012 Kizashi Sport SLS in Azure Gray Metallic. Others might prefer the Optima, Sonata, Legacy, Fusion et all but you're not buying a car for them, it's for you.
Bingo! You hit the nail on the head. I am a car guy and I find out about new releases way before they hit the sales lots. That's why I was only happy ta drive the 208 miles NW of Willcox, AZ, to buy our 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS. The fact that I own a 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS in Rally Red is probably the only reason I don't own a 2010 Suzuki Kizashi. In silver.
I may one day buy a silver Kizashi but won't until we get more thousands and thousands of miles out of our '08 Lancer GTS. The Lancer GTS has about 95,700 miles on it and is running like an absolute champ, and I plan on keeping it running that way, so I won't be pulling the trigger anytime soon on a Kizashi.
As to Suzuki leaving, who knows? They might. But Mitsubishi won't leave the U.S. market. Mark my words. You read it here first, Mitsubishi won't be leaving the U.S. marketplace.
Ever. Oops. Don't ever say ever. Never. I don't even think Suzuki's gonna be leaving the U.S. market either. You see, Suzuki is just pulling your chain by even doing poorly here. As I was told by an Avondale, AZ, Suzuki salesman, Suzuki doesn't need ta be here. Their parent company, like Mitsubishi's parent company, funds their automotive "branch", if you will. Get it?
They're not hanging on U.S. profits like some junked-up U.S. daytrader. :shades:
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
It's a risk to buy any auto manufactured by this company. You could have an "orphan" at any time.
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
The bottom line was suzuki didnt want to replace the transmission even though they heard the noise and now , not only did they have to replace that and more, but now they have to pay his lawyer and give him all his money back.. and the really sad thing is.... ever since he got all those parts replaced, his car jumped up 5 mpg more! even better than when it was brand new with less than 1000 miles on it.. and NOW he loves the car, but the lemon law is already in motion.... on a personal note.. i talked to a suzuki dealership and i was told suzuki is really trying to cut down on their costs by not approving everything warranty for a item that is not offically "broken/failed"
http://www.autoblog.com/2012/11/05/american-suzuki-motors-files-chapter-11-will-- no-longer-sell-car/#continued
What little resale value they had....just became non-existent.
The Suzuki main web site doesn't even mention they are in BK and going out of business - talk about sleazy
Part of me wishes I had waited three weeks and I could have gotten the same car for a steal but my sensible side knows I never would have pulled the trigger knowing this. I love the car and if I had reliability concerns I wouldn't have purchased it. This is certainly not the news you want but i'm hopeful it will cause minimal impact.
We also test drove a Legacy. We seriously considered the Kazashi however I told my wife things were not looking good for Suzuki in the U.S. Since we are now retired we will be keeping this car for many years. I sent emails back to the two Suzuki dealers and told them we would be buying the Legacy because I felt Suzuki's long term USA prospects were bleak. They both responding saying my concerns were unfounded. We bought the Legacy and the rest is history.
But Suzuki dumped it here and did almost nothing to update it or expand its powertrain, even as compacts and subcompacts not to mention mid-sizers were adding cross-traffic indicators, blind spot monitors, adaptive cruise control, more power, better mileage...I could go on.
I have no idea what Suzuki's inept executives were thinking, but it was probably as off-base as the plans Ford had for Lincoln, from 2001 to 2011. Actually, to be honest, Suzuki's management was leagues worse, geometrically worse than what Lincoln management did or didn't do for awhile.
And I doubt that effective management could have saved Suzuki, due to its sparse and mostly dismal lineup. There wasn't a single model that was ranked anywhere near the top of its class, and for most classes of vehicles, Suzukis were completely missing in action. The dumb-[non-permissible content removed] management sent in since 2008 (and frequently changed) just made everything so much worse. There's a book here on how not to do things.
This train crash was even worse than the Cerebrus/Chrysler debacle.
They have sold only 50,000 units, again about double the 24,000 units Suzuki sold. Not enough to be profitable.
I say gone within 24 months.....
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2012/11/suzuki-death-watch-8-a-eulogy-due-to-in- competence/#more-466103
Having been in an industry that relied heavily in foreign equipment, it is these same cultures who sit in a skyscraper 10,000 miles away that have an attitude of "their way or the highway".
You know what they say about payback.....it's a b**** sometimes!
Do you notice how quiet it's been from iluvmysephia1? First he says go ahead and buy a Suzuki, everything will be fine, then in another post tells us that Mitsubishi is apparently running their North America Operations for the fun of it, since they too will never leave the market.
Yea, right!
Suzuki is continuing in Canada, I guess US models will migrate north
You are right, if they are discounting Suzukis new 5k to 6k, what is a USED ONE WORTH?
They have a good rep with their other products and produce reliable engines and drivetrains but didn't parlay that into market favs. Kizashi is a nice car with a horrible name, the SX4 is co-developed with Chrysler, if Suzukis were rebadged and sold thru the Chrysler network they'd steal sales from Chrysler and Fiat models. Somebody with a decent network should be able to sell renamed Kizashis in decent numbers.
Once burned, twice shy.
And as far as Mitsubishi leaving the U.S. market, read my lips...no new taxes...umm...I mean Mitsubishi won't be leaving the U.S. market. This year. Or next year.
Or the year after that. Or that. Truth be this.
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
They will probably continue to have a sub-standard dealer network and just let their dealers fall where they may. It would look bad to have a domestic manufacturing plant with no dealer network, as pitiful as it may be.
Their goal of selling 100K in units is a pipe dream.
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1080335_should-i-buy-a-new-suzuki-now-that-i- ts-leaving-the-u-s