Comparison: Honda Civic Si vs Kizashi Sport GTS vs Jetta GLI

Tue Jan 28, 2014 3:01 am

I second the Mazda 6. Great looking car and the interior has come a long way

sx4rocious · Thu Jan 30, 2014 5:07 am

I love the new Mazda line up. I'm just a bit thrown off by the strange audio control pod. I don't quite "get it" and is looks like an afterthought to me... Other than that, I love the 3 and 6!

I also have to say that my views on domestics aside, the new Malibu is a good looking car. The new Impala however has too many silly lines in the body for me. I like the views from the front and back, but those wind tunnel wrinkle thingys are too much. The interior is nice tho!!

Thu Jan 30, 2014 6:04 am

sx4rocious wrote:I love the new Mazda line up. I'm just a bit thrown off by the strange audio control pod. I don't quite "get it" and is looks like an afterthought to me... Other than that, I love the 3 and 6!

I also have to say that my views on domestics aside, the new Malibu is a good looking car. The new Impala however has too many silly lines in the body for me. I like the views from the front and back, but those wind tunnel wrinkle thingys are too much. The interior is nice tho!!

Don't forget the Fusion. I rented one when my Kizashi was in the shop and wrote up a comparo-report. The Fusion is very smooth, quiet, and comfortable. It's a looker too!
http://www.kizashiclub.com/forum/viewto ... f=8&t=2697

sx4rocious · Thu Jan 30, 2014 7:47 am

KuroNekko wrote:Don't forget the Fusion. I rented one when my Kizashi was in the shop and wrote up a comparo-report. The Fusion is very smooth, quiet, and comfortable. It's a looker too!
http://www.kizashiclub.com/forum/viewto ... f=8&t=2697

Ah yes!! I like the Fusion as well. I have heard however, that the longevity of the drivetrain is in question. I have a couple friends that complain about the poor quality of it and have stated they have replaced parts already that they feel should have a lot more life in them. I guess that could happen with any car if not properly maintained though.

Thu Jan 30, 2014 5:39 pm

sx4rocious wrote:
KuroNekko wrote:Don't forget the Fusion. I rented one when my Kizashi was in the shop and wrote up a comparo-report. The Fusion is very smooth, quiet, and comfortable. It's a looker too!
http://www.kizashiclub.com/forum/viewto ... f=8&t=2697
Ah yes!! I like the Fusion as well. I have heard however, that the longevity of the drivetrain is in question. I have a couple friends that complain about the poor quality of it and have stated they have replaced parts already that they feel should have a lot more life in them. I guess that could happen with any car if not properly maintained though.

Ford is seeing problems with their EcoBoost engines. They are problematic across the board from Focuses to the Edge. However, the Duratec in some Fusions is normally aspirated and was designed by Mazda. It's a solid engine.

That being said, I'd take a new Mazda6 over it.

WIKizashi · Thu Jan 30, 2014 7:55 pm

I test drove a Cruze about 20 minutes after driving a Kizashi. The Cruze didn't stand a chance

SamirD · Sat Feb 01, 2014 4:38 am

KuroNekko wrote:Suzuki even ventured to do the following at auto shows to prove it:

Why would anyone want to taste all the interior components?

Sat Feb 01, 2014 4:39 pm

I sat in a VW Jetta GLI yesterday at the auto show (yes, I went again). The Kizashi's build quality and material quality is noticeably superior. In fact, the GLI was hecho en Mexico to my surprise.

What's sad is that you can even feel the difference in quality between the German-made and Mexican or American-made VWs. There was a Golf there that was made in Germany and the fit and finish and material quality of that little hatch was superior to even the Passats they had there. Very noticeable on the doors and the trim in the cabin.

VW is merely cutting costs in quality and materials to try be the #1 global sales brand by lowering prices.
Truth be told, the #1 brand looks to be doing the same: the Toyota Camry and the Corolla were among the worst in their respective classes in fit and finish and material quality. I can notice a difference even between a Camry and an Accord in the quality of materials. I used to consider Toyota and Honda neck to neck, but now, I'd take a Honda over a Toyota rival.

The big difference however between VW and Toyota is that Toyota actually makes reliable if not recall-prone vehicles. VW just makes mostly crap now.

SamirD · Thu Feb 06, 2014 6:29 pm

Honda has been manufacturing here in the US for a long time, and even the coveted JDM-only Accord SiR (with the Prelude H22) was made here in the USA and shipped to Japan. They've had a lot time to master the quality control process.

I know Toyota has been here for a long time too, but not as long as Honda. Nissan has been here for a good bit now. My 1993 Altima SE's quality was on par with the Lexus of the time that it was comparing itself too--and I was proud to see it made in Smyrna, TN just 100mi away from HSV. But the 1995 Altima SEs I own have a distinct drop in quality, mainly due to the materials not being as nice. I don't think the labor changed a bit, just the parts became cheaper. I'm sure this was just because it was the US market.

LG Electronics does this too. US products are typically made in Mexico or seem like they are 'second tier' products from Korea. Because in Korea, you'd swear that the LG stuff was Japanese. They keep the highest quality products domestic since the market demands it. I still remember hearing about Mary J Blige calling in to have her Plasma replaced.

FrankoLaMoya · Wed Mar 26, 2014 6:49 pm

Seriously?? Wow...what can I say... The Civic is just ugly/disgusting. Yes probably reliable, but who wants to drive in the ugliest car of 2013/2014 that everbody has? lol The Jetta looks pretty nice, but anybody that ever owned a VW knows it's a box of bad suprise (just like Audi, I used to own one). VW is not a reliable brand. The Kizashi looks pretty good, it's Suzuki so it's reliable (check the reliability ratings) and it's a unique car not a lot of person is driving! I probably had like 35 cars passing me in the last year just to look at the front logo (I debadged the back). I had around 10-15 people asking me what kind of car it was when I was washing it (they thought it was an Audi or Lexus). To finish... you have the look of a luxury car and the options of a luxury car (if you buy Sport model) with a price of a normal car! I did a lot of research before buying mine in October 2012... no complain so far besides the CVT transmission (I wanted a manual one, but they are not seeling them in Canada)!