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Boeing does the same when building world-class jetliners, I worked there for 20 years. It is a class of engineering that is very, very important and on the check off list when preparing a jet for usage. So is filling it's fuel tanks. BTW-the TWA Flight 800 mystery remains an unsolved mystery to me. Off topic, I know, but a lot of people saw tracer lines heading up to that jetliner that early evening several years ago. The Coast Guard did practice drills with hand held mobile missiles often at that site.
If it doesn't sound suspicious enough already, think about this, gentlemen. The Coast Guard suspended that missile testing the day after TWA-800 blew up on takeoff over the water there in NYC. Humm...mmmm.
Incidentally, Suzuki provides a plethera of benefits regarding roadside breakdowns. If you do breakdown the tow is free to a Suzuki store and you get a free loaner for up to 5 days to cover your loss while you wait for your Suzuki Baby to get fixed. Very, very shagadelic.
This only adds to the goodness of trying out kernick's idea about jettisoning "stuff" you don't really need on local trips.
Remember, this crossover has it's very own standard equipment mpg-for-ghastly-usage trip-otta-meter! Won't it be fun to use and compare each other's mileage? Pant-pant-pant.
Oooh..my Seattle Seahawks take their 3-0 W-L record to Chicago today to face the Chicago Bears and their tough-tough-tough defense. It will truly be a tough test for Matt Hasselback and his Seahawk teammates. The University of Washington Huskies did do away with the University of Arizona Wildcat football team 21-10. The UW is now 4-1 and 2-0 in Pac-10 play. Yeeee--hhh---aaaaawwwww!
Better get my pool table set down and leveled today-I'm feeling like shooting pool. And test driving a 2007 Suzuki SX4 in 5-speed, Techno Metallic Blue form!
kernick-what SX4 color is grabbing you by the...ummm...throat?
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
Hey, Alexander's on my fantasy-football team. When's he getting back? Will he start putting up numbers like last year, or do you think I trade him?
Da Bears! and Da SX4!
I was surprised that SX4 has AWD but no armrests. :surprise:
the suzuki reno has 2 BTW, front and back
(and so does the AVEO 2007 :P - driver side only )
if anyone is interested in knowing, the brochures are available at the dealerships now, i got mine in the mail friday. nice pictures! and all the specs are in it.
I have to wait until tomorrow to take delivery of my baby because in California, the car needs to be smog-checked before I can take it onto public roads. In fact I only got to drive the car around the parking lot. (I had already test-driven the automatic one at a different dealership.) The dealer also has to do its own test drive by law (the car was just dropped off hours before).
I paid exacty MSRP for it. According to KBB, it's just $600 above invoice, which translates to 4.1% above invoice. Not bad for a car so hot (as far as supply vs. demand) that they have trouble keeping any in the lot! I expected them to insist on a dealer markup, just like any car in demand, but this really laid-back salesguy wrote down MSRP, enumerated the fees, and asked if it were OK. I demanded that they give me a free cargo net and an extra set of floor mats, but they told me I could only choose one. I chose the floor mats, worth $120.
I took advantage of the Suzuki's financing promotion for the month of September (9/1 - 10/2). I made it just under the wire! The rates were according to the credit score you have. I got into the best rates category, 1.9% over 36 months. The rest of the promotion was 0% for 24 months, and 2.9% for 48 months, etc. I didn't keep track of the longer terms' rates. I think they offered up to 72 months. Anyhow, this financing just ended today, but they have something every month, so you should ask.
I can't wait to pick it up! I will report back details soon.
The hard part is done-meaning I already know what car I want to get next-one of these babies!
I looked at the link above from Canadian Driver, it's very well written with some really good information on the SX4's powertrain. He is really complimentary about it, BTW.
I also took the picture of the Red SX4 and made it the background on my computer's Window log on page. That is a real deep Red-after seeing that picture I have added Red as my 2nd choice to the Techno Blue Metallic.
This new crossover is too legit to quit-it's going to help in foul weather situations and be a nice cruiser on the highway as well. Like I've stated before the SX4's gas mileage is fine with me. I mean, if it was around 22mpg highway it might concern me-but it's not.
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
A "+" for me buying one of these vehicles is that I qualify for the Graduate rebate. I got a degree at night, a little over a year ago, so I should get a $500 rebate.
Hey, $500 clams is $500 clams. Makes the deal even sweeter and it's a smart thing for manufacturers to offer because it does make a difference while searching. If I see that I can get a College Grad rebate I click on it on their website and learn all that I can about the program.
Is that Red on the picture we put as Windows background the color you will select, kernick? That red SX4 in that picture is the only red one I've seen anywhere so it does make an impression. Looks really nice. I'm gonna stick with the Techno Blue Metallic.
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
Anyways, they are not flying off the shelf here in Canada. I see local Suzuki dealer having plenty and doesnt seem to moving them well.
What interests me is that its made in Japan and is that still significant in this day and age?
As a Chinese-Canadian-American from Hong Kong, it's in my subculture's nature to distrust electronics made in China. The Chinese, of the mainland variety, are reputed to cut corners and turn a blind eye to quality. We like and trust Japanese things. I own a Sony TV (and I made sure it was made in Japan), my ricecooker is made in Japan, and now my car is made in Japan. My Apple Powerbook is made in China and I'm sorta waiting for it to break down. I know it sounds horrible. I don't have facts to back up my bias. What I do know is that nothing made in Japan has disappointed me before, so why risk experimenting with somewhere else's manufacturing? My family also likes devices made in Germany. Also, don't ever buy a piano that's made in China (I come from a family of piano tuners who politely refer to Pearl River pianos as "P.S.O.s" or "piano-shaped objects.")
All that being said, the fact that the car is made in Japan was just icing on the cake. I suppose I would have bought it even if it were made in Mexico.
This SX4 has Bridgestone tires. Inside, it has a good armrest that even includes a bit of storage. The driver's seat is excellent. By that, I mean it's very comfortable. And the dead pedal is right where it should be, full-sized and at a perfect angle.
The engine is extremely quiet at idle, and there appears to be quite a bit of open space around it. By that, I mean that access to engine components seems to be better than it is in many other small cars.
On the bottom of the car, one surprise was the exhaust system. They've got not just the exhaust pipe, but the entire muffler all the way at the back. I couldn't even see where the gas tank was. I will say that the bottom of the car was clean enough to eat off of. (No, I didn't, but I could have...)
Overall, I was very impressed with the SX4. In fact, I would consider trading in my month-old Honda Element EX with its torturous seat/seating position and insanely designed non-dead pedal area for a copper SX4 Sport model. By that, I mean that I would consider taking a financial hit in order to move from a very uncomfortable tank of a car to something comfortable and fun to drive.
me: Now what did you just get done saying about salespeople over in "the Prices Paid" forum?
Yes, iluv that be the Red! I like the combo of Red, Black and White (a winner combo like Air Jordan!). Maybe some subtle white pinstripes or interior accessories would go very nice.
I hated my honda civic and traded it in one year. This was several years ago. Hondas are noisy and severely underpowered. Its good in a way that they have less weight and give you good gas mileage but kinda gets tiring after a while. I remember Corollas were more peppier (1.8 vs 1.6) back then and were more fun to own and drive. There was also something very pedestrian about Honda's plastics. Toyota pulls off better interiors than Hondas do or did rather.. I dont know how they are today.
Word of advice.. dont dump your honda. It gives good gas mileage. That was the only regret I had in giving it up. That and the depreciation ofcourse but Hondas hold their values well.
Anyways, whats the opinion on Suzuki's interiors? How do they stack up against HonYotissan's? do people just like Suzukis here or they genuinely believe that this underdog is better than Toyondassans out there?
I drove it at 3600 RPM in third, to see what it sounds like, and this aspect may push me right back to the RAV4. For thousands more, I might add. Sad.
Anyone out there got a new one have any opinions as to the cruising capabilities? Is it noisy at 75 mph with a stick? How about an automatic?
You might try the automatic. They frequently have a taller high gear than the manual tranny. The difference can be huge, e.g. in the Fit there is a big difference in rpms between the auto and stick.
The Kia's ran up a high rpm and made some noise but never made me feel that the engine was overworking or winding out or even starting to wind out.
Today's small engines are built to work hard. The SX4 is best bought with a manual tranny-at least for me it is. It's built to maximize it's possibilities with the shifting of the gears.
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
sx4--------------------- 4door tracker (V-6)
headroom 39.6fr 37.5r------- 39.9fr 39.9rear
legroom 41.4fr 35.9r--------41.4fr 35.9rear
shoulder 53.3fr 52.8r--------52.8fr 52.6rear
hip room 51.0fr 47.0r--------50.7fr 46.8rear
wheelbase 98.4---------------97.6
length 162.8--------------162.8
width 69.1---------------67.3 with mirrors 77.1
height 63.1---------------66.3
weigth (manual 2789/auto 2866--------2986 lbs (v-6)
fual tank 11gal----------------------16.9
hp/ftlbs 143hp 136ftlbs-------------165hp 162ftlbs
i only did this to show how in some ways the two are very close. and since the tracker was made by suzuki in the first place i thought it was interesting how slight the differences are. i only noticed this from sitting in both with in minutes apart. I would rather get the sx4 as it is NEW and has the 100k mile warranty! The tracker they are letting go cheap as it was a lease. I will admit that 2.5V6 throws your head back with power. but i bet it doent get 28mpg highway!
link title
It would be far easier to just order an SX4 with the armrest already in it than order one on the net to install later.
Very nice. And only $129.95, too. That is not unreasonable, IMHO.
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
Also the SX4 has a very well-built interior. The doors close with a hefty Thunk!, which I didn't notice in my sister-in-law's Scion xA.
I have been reading this thread since the beginning and the fuel consumption is a bit of a concern to me like some others here. Since a few of you seem to have bought the car in the last weeks, could you please share your real MPG? The EPA estimates for MPG don't mean much nowadays, since some cars like the Fit meet the estimates, while others like the Versa are consistenty under. Who know, this SX4 could meet and even exceed its projected MPG, which would be great! On another hand, if it can't get close to 28mpg highway, I would really reconsider...Thanks!
Regarding mileage, as a rule of thumb, you'll usually do better than the highway EPA numbers, and worse for the city... unless you drive gently. I got 30+ in my Subaru Legacy Outback, and a little under EPA estimates around town.
I am holding out for the convenience package which the salesman thinks may be out this month. I'd prefer the sports package which almost sounds like a bargain for the money. In any case I'm convinced this is a really decent car for the money any way you look at it and am alittle concerned that by holding out that the MRSP may go up if it takes off. BTW the dealer was willing to sell me the basic model at approx. $500 off list cause it has been slow to move in this configuration.
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
So for $1100, the Sport offers over the Base+Convenience - heated mirrors, fog lamps, auto climate control, Smartpass keyless entry and Start, 8 speaker + subwoofer stereo, and stability control. If you drive in inclement weather the stability control can be priceless (may save your life or injury)!
I probably would be keeping it no more than 2 years.
I'm a novice stick driver, so in the 100 miles I've commuted so far, I have not needed any armrest at all!