I flew in to Denver many years ago, in the dark, for a start-up at a Coors refrigerated storage facility and was also disappointed when I arrived at the site in the morning...no mountains at Coors. I could see them off to the West. As usual, typical, one site looks like the next no matter where in the country I end up. Only notable differences are usually the weather and traffic.
Great sunset pic!
DC to OC, The Kizashi Way
Day Three
When the morning came for Day Three, I got up and walked around before getting the complimentary breakfast to get a layout of the land. Now visible in the morning light, there was no mistake I was in the Rockies. Mountains surrounded the town of Georgetown which had the I-70 running through it and pine trees were in abundance. The air was brisk and for the first time in months, I reached for a jacket. The mountain terrain also brought different types of travelers and parked in front of the motel were several Jeep Wranglers probably on a Moab/Rockies offroad excursion.
After breakfast, I checked out and went to the gas station located conveniently next to the motel. There again, the Regular gas was 85 octane. Given the elevation of Georgetown at 8,500 feet, it wasn't surprising to see lower octane gas much like back in Flagler. When I calculated the fuel economy, I was pleased to see it increase to the highest yet of the trip at exactly 28 MPG. I believe the combination of the slower driving into and through Denver and then the steep downhill grades bumped up the MPG figure. After topping off with Regular, I headed out to get back on the I-70 West. As I made my way towards the on-ramp, I came across a convoy of Porsches. It looked like a Porsche club was taking a break from the road as over 30 were lined up and on their way into Georgetown. The vast majority were 911's of various model years but the convoy also included Caymans, Boxsters, and Cayennes.
Merging onto the freeway traffic presented a challenge as the Kizashi struggled to get up to speed. The combination of the incline and the weight of the cargo greatly bogged down the Kizashi. While the weight didn't seem to affect the car much on flat roads in lower elevations, the Kizashi was truly lethargic in the Rockies at certain times. I had to downshift to keep the car from losing speed on some inclines and at one point, had to downshift from 6th to 3rd to keep pace. While I pondered if the lower octane gas had something to do with the gutless effect, I reminded myself I was in the mountains in a fully-loaded car with a naturally-aspirated 4 cylinder engine. However, what the engine did lack in performance up there, the brakes certainly made up for. Much of heading west on the I-70 from Georgetown was actually descending the Rockies and the brakes were heavily relied upon. There were many gravel-filled run-away ramps for semis given the many miles of steep grades. My Kizashi has aftermarket brakes consisting of Power Stop Z23 Evolution Sport brake pads with StopTech Sport slotted rotors. This combo has long served me well, but certainly proved their superiority in descending the Rockies. Not once did the brakes seem overwhelmed or exhibit brake fade. Despite the steep grades and the extra cargo load, the brakes did their job admirably. When these wear out, I'll likely be replacing them with the same pads and rotors.
The drive through the Rockies was very scenic and there were many tempting turn-outs to stop and take pictures. I drove past a town called Frisco (mentioned by LPSISRL) that had a beautiful lake surrounded by pines, some of which grew on little islands in the lake. As tempting as it was, I kept driving as this day would be the longest and final day of the trip. I counted on the dash camera to record the interesting sights that I could review later. However, the dash cam started to act up and would stop recording and turn itself off. It would give an error message regarding the memory card when I restarted it. I began to suspect the card was full and the constant overwriting from the hours of continuous driving was causing issues. A little while later, I drove through a very scenic segment that had the I-70 run alongside a river while snaking between peaks. I decided to turn off to take a break and back-up some of the dash cam footage onto my laptop to clear out some space. The rest stop turned out to be at a riverfront and provided wonderful views of the area. A train track was on the opposite side and occasionally, rafters came down the river.
After a rather long break to save some of the clips onto the laptop, I continued on until stopping at Grand Junction, Colorado for lunch. After lunch, I continued on further and watched the alpine terrain turn into one of high desert. As the miles went on, the terrain changed further and it was clear I was in the desert. After a while, there was a sign letting motorists know they were leaving Colorado and it was followed by a "Welcome to Utah" sign. I kept going until ominous road signs warned of how remote the region was; some places had over 100 miles between service areas. Seeing such a sign, I stopped for gas to minimize the risk of running out with triple digit temperatures outside.
Many people also had the same idea as the gas stations were quite busy. When I calculated gas mileage, I was pleasantly surprised to see the figure read 31.6 MPG. I wasn't expecting to break over 30 MPGs given the roof box and heavily loaded car, but descending the Rockies proved to be easy on the engine. After topping off, I continued on until some of the scenic stops were too irresistible. I stopped at a rest stop for a view of the Black Dragon Canyon. It was an amazing place with the parking lot directly located over the San Rafael Reef.
After taking some photos, I was back on the road and reminded myself that I would be driving all night at this rate. After passing up other tempting scenic rest stops, I continued on and entered the Fishlake National Forest. Much of the drive was descending the high elevation down into the lower desert. As I exited the Fishlake National Forest, a major part of the trip was coming to an end; the Interstate 70. I had probably been on it for close to 2000 miles on this journey, but it was ending as it merged into the Interstate 15. After getting on the I-15, I knew I was on the home stretch. Living in CA ten years ago, I'd often take the I-15 to get around Southern California. That being said, it would be 500 miles and through four states on the I-15 to get to my destination.
Night began to fall as I made my way down the I-15 in Utah and I noticed that many didn't turn on their headlights as dusk turned into night. At one point, a grey Dodge Ram came up behind me with no lights on and then passed me. I flashed my high beams several times as a reminder for them to turn on their headlights as it was rather startling and dangerous to see a truck suddenly appear from the darkness. Even after several flashes, no lights came on but the truck did slow down significantly and get into the right lane. When I passed it, I saw the woman driving it look at me with a bewildered and terrified face as if I was dressed like a clown and holding a hatchet. I tried my best to signal with my hand to turn on her headlights but she took the next off ramp. Oh well.
The I-15 then entered Arizona for a brief segment as it cut through a small northwestern portion of the state. Though the time in Arizona was short, the drive was exhilarating as it snaked through a canyon alongside the Virgin River. While it was too dark to see much of the scenery, my LED high beams lit up the road and the Kizashi took to the curves very well. A car followed me closely for most of the canyon's roads and when the I-15 was finally back straight through the desert, I saw that it was a late model Camaro when it passed me. The Kizashi can certainly keep pace in the curves.
Shortly after, I was yet again entering another state; Nevada. I've been to Nevada a few times before and the state always lets you know when you've arrived with a blast of lights and signs for their casinos. I kept going until I stopped in a tiny place for some gas and a short break which was to be the very last of the trip. Fuel economy dipped back down to 26.7 which was expected for the long drives through the desert at 80 MPH.
I checked the oil again which looked good but the task had become increasingly disgusting as the carcasses of the bugs multiplied on the front of the car.
After getting gas, I was back on the road and started calling a few people to kill my boredom. I called one of my closest friends who lives in Tokyo and we talked over the Facebook Messenger voice calling feature. We both marveled at how far technology had come to connect people as I was driving at night through a desert in Nevada, USA in my car with hands-free Bluetooth talking to him as he rode the train and walked in downtown Tokyo, Japan. After the call, I drove until the desert lit up with countless lights like bright stars in a night sky. There was no mistake I was approaching Las Vegas. I had been to Reno, NV before but Las Vegas was a first time. I entered the city and was one of very few cars in the Express Lane as I did not plan to stop. The city was vibrant with countless hotels, casinos, stores, and attractions. It also happened to be the same night as the McGregor vs. Mayweather fight which took place in Paradise, a city adjacent to Las Vegas. Driving through Vegas, it felt massive but after leaving the city limits, the darkness of the desert took over again. The city certainly felt like an oasis of lights in a desert of darkness.
I continued on and entered the town of Primm, NV which was on the border. While tiny compared to Las Vegas, it had some brightly lit attractions which was a stark contrast to the darkness of the desert beyond it where California lie ahead. It was like the border bisected the lights of the casinos from the darkness of the desert night. As I passed the border into California, it seemed like there was nothing to see but a simple blue "Welcome to California" sign. Nonetheless, I was finally in the destination state. From this point on, it was about endurance to end the journey. It was already close to the time I normally get a motel for the night. I approached an agricultural inspection station but the attendant simply waved me on so I didn't even stop. After all, the only bugs in my Kizashi were the dead ones decorating the grill.
I kept on the I-15 until I reached San Bernardino County which I was familiar with having lived in the mountains there. I then got on the freeways to Orange County, taking a toll road directly into Irvine to simply get there as soon as possible. At approximately 2 AM, I pulled into the parking lot of the apartment complex with the gas needle nearing "E". My journey was complete. Though exhausted, it felt surreal that it was actually over and that I had driven from an Atlantic coastal state to a Pacific coastal state clear across the middle of America. For some reason, I felt a renewed surge of energy and spent the next hour unloading the most valuable cargo from the car into the apartment. It took some time given I had to park my car in a further lot given the lack of available spaces. After my last load, I looked back at the Kizashi and felt a sense of accomplishment but also pride in the car that got me across the country safely and reliably.
Day Three concluded the trip with nearly 1000 miles driven in what took over 17 hours with the stops included. States traversed included Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, and California.
End of journey.
I'll post one more installment as a wrap-up with more vehicle stats and notes.
When the morning came for Day Three, I got up and walked around before getting the complimentary breakfast to get a layout of the land. Now visible in the morning light, there was no mistake I was in the Rockies. Mountains surrounded the town of Georgetown which had the I-70 running through it and pine trees were in abundance. The air was brisk and for the first time in months, I reached for a jacket. The mountain terrain also brought different types of travelers and parked in front of the motel were several Jeep Wranglers probably on a Moab/Rockies offroad excursion.
- KIMG0826.JPG (374.96 KiB) Viewed 11740 times
- KIMG0831.JPG (292.51 KiB) Viewed 11740 times
Merging onto the freeway traffic presented a challenge as the Kizashi struggled to get up to speed. The combination of the incline and the weight of the cargo greatly bogged down the Kizashi. While the weight didn't seem to affect the car much on flat roads in lower elevations, the Kizashi was truly lethargic in the Rockies at certain times. I had to downshift to keep the car from losing speed on some inclines and at one point, had to downshift from 6th to 3rd to keep pace. While I pondered if the lower octane gas had something to do with the gutless effect, I reminded myself I was in the mountains in a fully-loaded car with a naturally-aspirated 4 cylinder engine. However, what the engine did lack in performance up there, the brakes certainly made up for. Much of heading west on the I-70 from Georgetown was actually descending the Rockies and the brakes were heavily relied upon. There were many gravel-filled run-away ramps for semis given the many miles of steep grades. My Kizashi has aftermarket brakes consisting of Power Stop Z23 Evolution Sport brake pads with StopTech Sport slotted rotors. This combo has long served me well, but certainly proved their superiority in descending the Rockies. Not once did the brakes seem overwhelmed or exhibit brake fade. Despite the steep grades and the extra cargo load, the brakes did their job admirably. When these wear out, I'll likely be replacing them with the same pads and rotors.
The drive through the Rockies was very scenic and there were many tempting turn-outs to stop and take pictures. I drove past a town called Frisco (mentioned by LPSISRL) that had a beautiful lake surrounded by pines, some of which grew on little islands in the lake. As tempting as it was, I kept driving as this day would be the longest and final day of the trip. I counted on the dash camera to record the interesting sights that I could review later. However, the dash cam started to act up and would stop recording and turn itself off. It would give an error message regarding the memory card when I restarted it. I began to suspect the card was full and the constant overwriting from the hours of continuous driving was causing issues. A little while later, I drove through a very scenic segment that had the I-70 run alongside a river while snaking between peaks. I decided to turn off to take a break and back-up some of the dash cam footage onto my laptop to clear out some space. The rest stop turned out to be at a riverfront and provided wonderful views of the area. A train track was on the opposite side and occasionally, rafters came down the river.
- KIMG0838.JPG (262.08 KiB) Viewed 11740 times
- KIMG0844.JPG (306.45 KiB) Viewed 11740 times
- KIMG0847.JPG (315.96 KiB) Viewed 11740 times
- KIMG0846.JPG (413.31 KiB) Viewed 11740 times
- road sign utah.png (171.21 KiB) Viewed 11740 times
- KIMG0854.JPG (386.87 KiB) Viewed 11740 times
- in UT front.jpg (204.94 KiB) Viewed 11740 times
- KIMG0849.JPG (454.03 KiB) Viewed 11740 times
- in UT rear.jpg (296.11 KiB) Viewed 11740 times
Night began to fall as I made my way down the I-15 in Utah and I noticed that many didn't turn on their headlights as dusk turned into night. At one point, a grey Dodge Ram came up behind me with no lights on and then passed me. I flashed my high beams several times as a reminder for them to turn on their headlights as it was rather startling and dangerous to see a truck suddenly appear from the darkness. Even after several flashes, no lights came on but the truck did slow down significantly and get into the right lane. When I passed it, I saw the woman driving it look at me with a bewildered and terrified face as if I was dressed like a clown and holding a hatchet. I tried my best to signal with my hand to turn on her headlights but she took the next off ramp. Oh well.
The I-15 then entered Arizona for a brief segment as it cut through a small northwestern portion of the state. Though the time in Arizona was short, the drive was exhilarating as it snaked through a canyon alongside the Virgin River. While it was too dark to see much of the scenery, my LED high beams lit up the road and the Kizashi took to the curves very well. A car followed me closely for most of the canyon's roads and when the I-15 was finally back straight through the desert, I saw that it was a late model Camaro when it passed me. The Kizashi can certainly keep pace in the curves.
Shortly after, I was yet again entering another state; Nevada. I've been to Nevada a few times before and the state always lets you know when you've arrived with a blast of lights and signs for their casinos. I kept going until I stopped in a tiny place for some gas and a short break which was to be the very last of the trip. Fuel economy dipped back down to 26.7 which was expected for the long drives through the desert at 80 MPH.
I checked the oil again which looked good but the task had become increasingly disgusting as the carcasses of the bugs multiplied on the front of the car.
After getting gas, I was back on the road and started calling a few people to kill my boredom. I called one of my closest friends who lives in Tokyo and we talked over the Facebook Messenger voice calling feature. We both marveled at how far technology had come to connect people as I was driving at night through a desert in Nevada, USA in my car with hands-free Bluetooth talking to him as he rode the train and walked in downtown Tokyo, Japan. After the call, I drove until the desert lit up with countless lights like bright stars in a night sky. There was no mistake I was approaching Las Vegas. I had been to Reno, NV before but Las Vegas was a first time. I entered the city and was one of very few cars in the Express Lane as I did not plan to stop. The city was vibrant with countless hotels, casinos, stores, and attractions. It also happened to be the same night as the McGregor vs. Mayweather fight which took place in Paradise, a city adjacent to Las Vegas. Driving through Vegas, it felt massive but after leaving the city limits, the darkness of the desert took over again. The city certainly felt like an oasis of lights in a desert of darkness.
- approaching las vegas.png (99.26 KiB) Viewed 11740 times
- Las Vegas.png (150.87 KiB) Viewed 11740 times
- CA inspection.png (155.21 KiB) Viewed 11740 times
Day Three concluded the trip with nearly 1000 miles driven in what took over 17 hours with the stops included. States traversed included Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, and California.
End of journey.
- Day Three map.JPG (218.82 KiB) Viewed 11740 times
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Black)
-
chazyouwin
- Posts: 402
- Joined: Thu Dec 09, 2010 9:57 pm
- Location: Northern New Jersey USA
Awesome! Great scenery - wonderful experience. Looking forward to the final installment. Charles
2010 Kizashi SLS FWD Gray; 2013 Grand Vitara 4wd red; 2012 SX4 blue; 2021 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV black
Previous: 2002 XL-7 Limited (2); 1992 Accord; '91 Volvo; '85 Toyota; '84 Celica; '73 Mercedes.
Previous: 2002 XL-7 Limited (2); 1992 Accord; '91 Volvo; '85 Toyota; '84 Celica; '73 Mercedes.
Wrap-up
The morning after ending the journey, I went back to the car to continue unloading it. In the sunlight, I could see the adornments collected throughout the journey on the car. Hundreds of bug splats covered the front from the fog lights up to the Thule roof box. A coating of desert dust was also present, dulling the shine of the finish which was polished and waxed shortly before the trip. However, one part that was largely spared from bug stains was the windshield. I later realized a treatment for one thing inadvertently aided in repelling bug stains. While preparing for the trip back in Maryland, I had coated the exterior of the windshield with some RainX I had for years. Having driven through a fierce rain storm with the Mazda3 during the first trip, I wanted to use up the RainX and reap the water repellent benefits. Ironically, I came across no rain at all during the Kizashi's journey and mostly watched the RainX bead up the windshield wash I often used. However, the combination of the hood deflector, RainX, and the windshield wash greatly reduced the number of bugs that hit and stained the windshield. The few bugs that did splatter on the windshield were easily cleaned with just the windshield wiper fluid and the wiper blades. Due to this, not once did I have to clean the windshield manually at any stops. The picture below shows the contrast of the windshield's cleanliness compared to the rest of the car at the end of the journey. I believe the RainX significantly aided in the repelling and quick removal of the bug stains.
For easier unloading to the apartment, I opted to move the car to a closer parking spot. As I maneuvered from the tight spot at the end of a back lot, I heard a horrible scraping noise. With the weight of the fully loaded trunk, the rear of the car sagged and didn't clear a curb. &%#! I quickly got out to inspect my damage and saw that the bottom portion of the bumper had new scratches, including the area below the exhaust with a scratch on the exhaust finisher itself. The Kizashi features a low bumper by design but when the trunk is fully loaded, it will catch on most curbs. It greatly irritated me that I damaged my Kizashi within minutes of first driving it after the journey. However, it wasn't like the Kizashi made it through the journey completely unscathed so it was just another thing to fix.
I spent the next couple days unloading the car, unpacking, and making IKEA and Costco runs for the apartment. I also indulged in my tradition of visiting an In-N-Out Burger shortly after returning to California. (In full disclosure though, as a vegetarian, I just get their grilled cheese sandwiches and fries.) Nonetheless, a meal there is part of the California experience. And so are the higher gas prices. Regular is averaging about $3.00 in my area, a good 70 cents per gallon more than back in Maryland when I left.
When I got gas at Costco, I calculated the mileage given most of that tank was for the last Nevada to California segment of the journey. The Fuelly app calculated it to 26.5 MPG. The few short trips since arriving probably brought the figure down a bit, but it was in range of the average for the cross-country trip. The fuel economy logs on Fuelly showed that the Kizashi averaged roughly 27 MPG for the entire trip. The Kizashi's fuel economy read-out figure was 29.5 MPG but it has always been 2 MPG high of actual figures. 27 MPG looked to be the real average for the entire trip which was on the higher end of what I expected given the cargo weight and the roof box. The Kizashi also displayed an average speed of 68 MPH for the entire trip which made sense given the thousands of miles of 70 to 80 MPH speed limit roads. I thankfully also never hit any traffic, even driving through major cities. Construction zones were also never clogged to bring the flow of traffic down to significant slow-downs. The average MPG and MPH reflect the rather smooth journey through the I-70 and I-15. The route also had few tolls and the only one I took from a lack of a decent alternative was the toll segment on the I-70 in Kansas between Kansas City and Topeka. The toll cost was $3.00.
Throughout the thousands of miles, the Kizashi reaffirmed everything I already knew about the car; it is one solid and reliable car capable of just about any journey. The Kizashi is also comfortable for driving hundreds of miles in a day and didn't fatigue me like other cars did on long journeys. Also, the various components of the car, both original and aftermarket, worked well for the most part.
The Kizashi's engine proved as always to be a well-suited powerplant for the vehicle. While nothing fancy, it's predictable in its reliability, performance, and fuel efficiency. Very few people on this forum have had problems with the Suzuki J24B engine. While the performance isn't sometime to get all excited about, it's adequate for the vehicle and was actually top of its segment for base engines when the Kizashi debuted. The problem was it was the only engine for the Kizashi. While the now-dated multiport fuel injection engine doesn't return class-leading fuel efficiency, I find it rather predictable and consistent. As proof, I was able to accurately predict the fuel economy range the car would yield on the trip in my very first post I wrote days before the trip. The engine also did not burn any of the Mobil 1 5W-30 motor oil.
One of the weaknesses of the Kizashi is the JATCO CVT found on most models. Some units are known to get problematic when overheated. However, this factor was completely irrelevant for my 6 speed manual model. It was nice to not worry at all about the transmission regardless of terrain. Given the long interstate freeways, I rowed it into 6th and didn't worry about shifting for hours at a time. Perhaps if I had a CVT model, I may have encountered some trouble in the Rockies with a fully loaded car running for hours at a time.
I discussed the brakes in an earlier post but these aftermarket components certainly proved their superiority. I replaced the OE brake pads and rotors rather prematurely when the rotors warped following brake fade on a mountain drive years ago. I wanted to upgrade the components to something that was more robust against brake fade and warping on a spirited drive, especially in demanding alpine environments. The Z23 brake pads and slotted rotors certainly did their job in keeping the speeds in check throughout the trip, especially in the Rockies.
This trip was the first time I used the Kizashi's cruise control significantly. It was a welcomed feature on the long drives so I could relax and occasionally massage my legs. It maintained the speed reliably in most terrains but would sometimes overcompensate on mild climbs. It was at these times I would turn it off or cancel it. Regardless, the cruise control is an excellent feature in getting optimal fuel economy for any given speed and works well to keep one's speed in check to avoid trouble with the law.
Speaking of trouble with the law, a long distance drive on the same interstate offers one to see the same cars and trucks multiple times as you pass them or they pass you. The same with speeders and those who drive erratically. I recall an occasion in Missouri when I was passed by a first-gen Jeep Compass at a very high rate of speed. A while later, I was pleased to see the same Jeep pulled over by a State Trooper. The same thing happened again in Las Vegas. A hideous yellow-painted Toyota Prius weaved through traffic at a dangerous speed. Once I got past the city limits and in the desert, I noticed that a Highway Patrol car pulled over the Prius. It was pleasing to see these drivers pay the consequences.
On the trip, my tires showed their quality though they are not new. After the dismal OE Dunlops, I splurged and got some of the very best All Seasons I could get. The Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 tires on my Kizashi have been impressive since day one and continue to deliver excellent traction, even with over 30,000 miles on them now. Even at this mileage, they provide confident traction in every regard while in comparison, the OE Dunlops had sidewall cracks and the tread was nearing the end of their usability by 30,000 miles. Much like the brakes, I will seriously consider the same tires when time comes to replace them.
I have long and repeatedly posted about upgrading the Kizashi's headlight bulbs to HIDs and LEDs. The journey proved that these components are upgrades that put down a superior amount of light on the road. The HID low beams lit up the road well and wasn't likely to blow out to leave me with an inconvenient and complicated bulb replacement the Kizashi is notorious for while on the road. The LEDs for the DRLs gave me a sense of improved safety as I was more visible to other motorists during the day. At night, the LEDs as high beams lit up the roads so I could better see deer, debris, or curves up ahead. From avoiding shredded tires on the road to slowing down optimally for a curve on a dark canyon road, the HID and LED systems in my headlights proved their worth. I was looking forward to using my yellow HID fog lights in the Rockies but having the lens for one damaged earlier in the trip, I couldn't. After duct taping the broken one, I didn't want to risk the bulb's heat damaging the tape while using the other one.
For navigation, I used Google Maps on my newly-acquired Kyocera DuraForce Pro. I was initially set on reluctantly plunking out the dough for an overpriced iPhone7, but when I saw the Kyocera in the T-Mobile store, I was instantly attracted to its features that were so un-iPhone-like; fully waterproof to IP68 ratings including drop damage resistance with a shatter-resistant screen and Mil-spec ratings for heat, humidity, vibration, drop, and dust resistance. It was also significantly cheaper than an iPhone7. During the road trip, it proved its superiority to an iPhone with its heat resistance. In the past, my iPhones would overheat in the sun when used as navigation in holders against the windshield. The iPhone has an overheat protection feature that would seize the functionality of the phone if not turn itself off completely. A coworker once asked me to revive his iPhone after it overheated and refused to turn on for hours. In contrast, the Kyocera worked reliably even in the heat and the most it would do was discontinue battery charging when temperatures got too hot. However, it never stopped working unlike an iPhone. I also found that directing the AC to defroster mode rushed cold air up against the windshield and cooled the phone, allowing it to charge if needed.
The dash camera started to act up after a while and gave me error messages related to the memory card. I figured it was from the constant overwriting. After clearing out some space, it worked fine again for a while. Due to these issues, I lost some footage I wanted to preserve such as the welcome signs for every state, but managed to save every state's sign except for Pennsylvania and West Virginia which were the first two states out of Maryland. Since ending the trip, I downloaded all the footage off of the camera and cleared the memory card. The dash camera has been recording reliably since.
The Thule Force Alpine proved to be a solid choice for a roof box. It presented no issues throughout the journey and did not reduce fuel economy significantly. It was also very stable even at higher speeds exceeding 85 MPH. For the trip, it allowed me to carry about 50 lbs of extra cargo. While the roof racks and cargo box did add some noise at freeway speeds, it wasn't loud enough to be bothersome. Closing the moonroof's headliner cover sealed out a lot of the noise. The roof box dimensions is also one that allows cars like the Kizashi to still clear most garages with the roof box on.
The journey in the Kizashi concluded with 2733.7 miles driven during 3 full days through 13 states across the middle of the United States. The route had me drive my Kizashi through a variety of regions ranging from the Appalachian Mountains, the Great Plains, the Rocky Mountains, to the Mojave Desert. Despite the demands of driving nearly a thousand miles a day through various environments, the Kizashi performed well and delivered me with no malfunctions on the part of the vehicle. It proved itself early on in Motor Trend's "Tokyo to LA: The Hard Way" and it did again for me personally in my own "DC to OC: The Kizashi Way".
Signing Out.
-KuroNekko
The morning after ending the journey, I went back to the car to continue unloading it. In the sunlight, I could see the adornments collected throughout the journey on the car. Hundreds of bug splats covered the front from the fog lights up to the Thule roof box. A coating of desert dust was also present, dulling the shine of the finish which was polished and waxed shortly before the trip. However, one part that was largely spared from bug stains was the windshield. I later realized a treatment for one thing inadvertently aided in repelling bug stains. While preparing for the trip back in Maryland, I had coated the exterior of the windshield with some RainX I had for years. Having driven through a fierce rain storm with the Mazda3 during the first trip, I wanted to use up the RainX and reap the water repellent benefits. Ironically, I came across no rain at all during the Kizashi's journey and mostly watched the RainX bead up the windshield wash I often used. However, the combination of the hood deflector, RainX, and the windshield wash greatly reduced the number of bugs that hit and stained the windshield. The few bugs that did splatter on the windshield were easily cleaned with just the windshield wiper fluid and the wiper blades. Due to this, not once did I have to clean the windshield manually at any stops. The picture below shows the contrast of the windshield's cleanliness compared to the rest of the car at the end of the journey. I believe the RainX significantly aided in the repelling and quick removal of the bug stains.
- I LUV BUGS.jpg (403.96 KiB) Viewed 11636 times
- KIMG0877.JPG (313.72 KiB) Viewed 11636 times
- windshield.jpg (275.03 KiB) Viewed 11636 times
- KIMG0894.JPG (271.03 KiB) Viewed 11636 times
- KIMG0923.JPG (276.09 KiB) Viewed 11636 times
Throughout the thousands of miles, the Kizashi reaffirmed everything I already knew about the car; it is one solid and reliable car capable of just about any journey. The Kizashi is also comfortable for driving hundreds of miles in a day and didn't fatigue me like other cars did on long journeys. Also, the various components of the car, both original and aftermarket, worked well for the most part.
The Kizashi's engine proved as always to be a well-suited powerplant for the vehicle. While nothing fancy, it's predictable in its reliability, performance, and fuel efficiency. Very few people on this forum have had problems with the Suzuki J24B engine. While the performance isn't sometime to get all excited about, it's adequate for the vehicle and was actually top of its segment for base engines when the Kizashi debuted. The problem was it was the only engine for the Kizashi. While the now-dated multiport fuel injection engine doesn't return class-leading fuel efficiency, I find it rather predictable and consistent. As proof, I was able to accurately predict the fuel economy range the car would yield on the trip in my very first post I wrote days before the trip. The engine also did not burn any of the Mobil 1 5W-30 motor oil.
One of the weaknesses of the Kizashi is the JATCO CVT found on most models. Some units are known to get problematic when overheated. However, this factor was completely irrelevant for my 6 speed manual model. It was nice to not worry at all about the transmission regardless of terrain. Given the long interstate freeways, I rowed it into 6th and didn't worry about shifting for hours at a time. Perhaps if I had a CVT model, I may have encountered some trouble in the Rockies with a fully loaded car running for hours at a time.
I discussed the brakes in an earlier post but these aftermarket components certainly proved their superiority. I replaced the OE brake pads and rotors rather prematurely when the rotors warped following brake fade on a mountain drive years ago. I wanted to upgrade the components to something that was more robust against brake fade and warping on a spirited drive, especially in demanding alpine environments. The Z23 brake pads and slotted rotors certainly did their job in keeping the speeds in check throughout the trip, especially in the Rockies.
This trip was the first time I used the Kizashi's cruise control significantly. It was a welcomed feature on the long drives so I could relax and occasionally massage my legs. It maintained the speed reliably in most terrains but would sometimes overcompensate on mild climbs. It was at these times I would turn it off or cancel it. Regardless, the cruise control is an excellent feature in getting optimal fuel economy for any given speed and works well to keep one's speed in check to avoid trouble with the law.
Speaking of trouble with the law, a long distance drive on the same interstate offers one to see the same cars and trucks multiple times as you pass them or they pass you. The same with speeders and those who drive erratically. I recall an occasion in Missouri when I was passed by a first-gen Jeep Compass at a very high rate of speed. A while later, I was pleased to see the same Jeep pulled over by a State Trooper. The same thing happened again in Las Vegas. A hideous yellow-painted Toyota Prius weaved through traffic at a dangerous speed. Once I got past the city limits and in the desert, I noticed that a Highway Patrol car pulled over the Prius. It was pleasing to see these drivers pay the consequences.
On the trip, my tires showed their quality though they are not new. After the dismal OE Dunlops, I splurged and got some of the very best All Seasons I could get. The Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 tires on my Kizashi have been impressive since day one and continue to deliver excellent traction, even with over 30,000 miles on them now. Even at this mileage, they provide confident traction in every regard while in comparison, the OE Dunlops had sidewall cracks and the tread was nearing the end of their usability by 30,000 miles. Much like the brakes, I will seriously consider the same tires when time comes to replace them.
- Tire.jpg (237.46 KiB) Viewed 11636 times
For navigation, I used Google Maps on my newly-acquired Kyocera DuraForce Pro. I was initially set on reluctantly plunking out the dough for an overpriced iPhone7, but when I saw the Kyocera in the T-Mobile store, I was instantly attracted to its features that were so un-iPhone-like; fully waterproof to IP68 ratings including drop damage resistance with a shatter-resistant screen and Mil-spec ratings for heat, humidity, vibration, drop, and dust resistance. It was also significantly cheaper than an iPhone7. During the road trip, it proved its superiority to an iPhone with its heat resistance. In the past, my iPhones would overheat in the sun when used as navigation in holders against the windshield. The iPhone has an overheat protection feature that would seize the functionality of the phone if not turn itself off completely. A coworker once asked me to revive his iPhone after it overheated and refused to turn on for hours. In contrast, the Kyocera worked reliably even in the heat and the most it would do was discontinue battery charging when temperatures got too hot. However, it never stopped working unlike an iPhone. I also found that directing the AC to defroster mode rushed cold air up against the windshield and cooled the phone, allowing it to charge if needed.
The dash camera started to act up after a while and gave me error messages related to the memory card. I figured it was from the constant overwriting. After clearing out some space, it worked fine again for a while. Due to these issues, I lost some footage I wanted to preserve such as the welcome signs for every state, but managed to save every state's sign except for Pennsylvania and West Virginia which were the first two states out of Maryland. Since ending the trip, I downloaded all the footage off of the camera and cleared the memory card. The dash camera has been recording reliably since.
The Thule Force Alpine proved to be a solid choice for a roof box. It presented no issues throughout the journey and did not reduce fuel economy significantly. It was also very stable even at higher speeds exceeding 85 MPH. For the trip, it allowed me to carry about 50 lbs of extra cargo. While the roof racks and cargo box did add some noise at freeway speeds, it wasn't loud enough to be bothersome. Closing the moonroof's headliner cover sealed out a lot of the noise. The roof box dimensions is also one that allows cars like the Kizashi to still clear most garages with the roof box on.
The journey in the Kizashi concluded with 2733.7 miles driven during 3 full days through 13 states across the middle of the United States. The route had me drive my Kizashi through a variety of regions ranging from the Appalachian Mountains, the Great Plains, the Rocky Mountains, to the Mojave Desert. Despite the demands of driving nearly a thousand miles a day through various environments, the Kizashi performed well and delivered me with no malfunctions on the part of the vehicle. It proved itself early on in Motor Trend's "Tokyo to LA: The Hard Way" and it did again for me personally in my own "DC to OC: The Kizashi Way".
Signing Out.
-KuroNekko
- KIMG0873.JPG (202.68 KiB) Viewed 11636 times
- Journey map.JPG (197.85 KiB) Viewed 11636 times
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Black)
Thank you KuroNekko for the trip details! I love the open road, especially through the desert areas. That lower bumper cover can be fixed easily, I bet some Meguires Ultimate Compound and a RA will get 95% of the scratches out. Best of luck in CA...color me envious of your new residence!
2019 Kia Optima EX Premium
Instagram: golftango
Instagram: golftango
What a great trip and report! I am trying to convince the wife to a journey to Colorado next year for a mild off-road excursion and scenic tour as you've done. Perhaps your report will help, or possibly hamper, my efforts to convince her!
Thanks very much for all of the detail. Glad you made it to CA safely.
Thanks very much for all of the detail. Glad you made it to CA safely.
Ron
2010 Kizashi GTS, CVT, iAWD (3/10 build date)
2011 SX4 Premium Hatch, CVT, iAWD (12/10 build date)
2018 Mazda CX-5 iAWD Touring
2014 Wrangler JKUW (GONE, traded
)
1991 Samurai, 5-Speed, EFI, Soft-Top (
sold)
2010 Kizashi GTS, CVT, iAWD (3/10 build date)
2011 SX4 Premium Hatch, CVT, iAWD (12/10 build date)
2018 Mazda CX-5 iAWD Touring
2014 Wrangler JKUW (GONE, traded
) 1991 Samurai, 5-Speed, EFI, Soft-Top (
sold)I must say that if you're traveling all the way from Pennsylvania to Colorado (assuming to see the Rockies), you'll really want to descend the Rockies to the west and see Utah. Utah's landscape is very scenic and the offroading there is world-famous. Moab is only 45 minutes off of the I-70.Ronzuki wrote:What a great trip and report! I am trying to convince the wife to a journey to Colorado next year for a mild off-road excursion and scenic tour as you've done. Perhaps your report will help, or possibly hamper, my efforts to convince her!
Thanks very much for all of the detail. Glad you made it to CA safely.
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Black)
Great trip report!
I just spent the afternoon polishing my Kiz and a hour of it was spent getting the bugs off the front. Seeing that picture of the bugs after your trip makes me feel for the job ahead of you. Unless you know of a easy way to get those pesky things off.
I just spent the afternoon polishing my Kiz and a hour of it was spent getting the bugs off the front. Seeing that picture of the bugs after your trip makes me feel for the job ahead of you. Unless you know of a easy way to get those pesky things off.
64 Galaxie 68 Olds 442 65 Impala 70 VW Bug
74 Nissan B210 66 Chevelle 73 Olds 98 71 C20
75 Monza 82 Escort 75 E150 75 Civic 76 Accord
86 Escort 87 Taurus 83 Chevy G20 85 Ranger 4x4
93 F250 4x4 95 Silhouette 95 LHS 03 Corolla 10 Kizashi S MT
17 Sienna
74 Nissan B210 66 Chevelle 73 Olds 98 71 C20
75 Monza 82 Escort 75 E150 75 Civic 76 Accord
86 Escort 87 Taurus 83 Chevy G20 85 Ranger 4x4
93 F250 4x4 95 Silhouette 95 LHS 03 Corolla 10 Kizashi S MT
17 Sienna