I got about 35K miles from the original Dunlop Sport SP7000 on my SE AWD, but those were just awful tires! they rode terribly and were horrible in the wet. I changed over to a set of Toyo Versado LX II tires, and have seen a considerable improvement in ride quality and wet-weather driving. They are ...

While thew Kizashi is adequate from a standing start, it is a mini-rocket once it is revved. I suspect that the transmission-engine combination has been torque-limited during a standing start to protect the CVT, but make no mistake about it, this little sucker sling-shots and highway speeds. I use t...

Remember that the head unit provides the power to the speakers: speakers do not power the head unit. The Head unit is said to deliver 20 watts per channel to each of 4 discrete channels. My experience is that the speakers in the SE are not the weak link, the head-end is. The head unit is made by Pan...

The Kizashi is really in a class of one: it is bigger than cars like the Civic and Impreza, but smaller than the Accord or Legacy. It has very reasonable fuel economy with the AWD system, and offers some of the best seating comfort and roadholding that you'll find in a similar-sized car. I have 37,0...

Roughly 1700 RPM at 100KPH, 1900 at 110KPH

98 degrees on Thursday here in Springfield with dew point around 70 degrees, and the car cooled off completely in just about a mile and a half after sitting in the sun for several hours. My car is dark blue with the ivory interior, and the A/C did a fine job as long as you make sure that the system ...

If you are attempting to cool the car down while the system is in the 'fresh air' mode, you are not going to get very much cold air, and the system will take forever to get cold: I had the same issue with my 2005 Dodge Magnum. Both cars allowed a full-fresh-air setting, with the same result. I stron...

An update on the wet-weather capability of the Toyos. Three straight days of rain have fallen on Western MA. and I have been driving through puddles at ridiculous speeds, trying to get these tires to hydroplane. The result: they stuck like glue! Wet braking was excellent, with several 70-0 mph stops...

My 2010 Kizashi SE AWD had wiped out all 4 tires at 35,000 miles. I was never very happy with the Dunlop tires installed from the factory, but, having never driven a Kizashi shod with any other tire, I just assumed that I had to accept rough ride on broken pavement, copious road noise on certain hig...

Frankly, I am always surprised by how quickly the cabin cools down in my Kizashi SE after I start the car. I don't try to 'game' the automatic temperature control, either, I just leave the system on automatic at 68 degrees, and the car cools off quickly and comfortably. I do make sure that ALL the v...