After Kizashi - What New Vehicle?

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NickL
Posts: 134
Joined: Wed Aug 05, 2020 8:46 pm

It is hard to imagine when someone really likes Kizashi and drive it for years to buy a SUV or CUV as a next car. The funniest thing ist that the most important driving attribute on Kizashi is its superb handling and cornering skills which none of these SUVs don't have due to big ground clearence and big swinging on twisty roads.

However when someone really enjoys outdoor activities I do understand why choosing an SUV is a logical choice.

My wife and I want to have 3 kids and if it happens I will most probably buy Mitsubishi Outlander with 2.2 liter diesel engine. Big car with loads of space, 7 seats and with 150hp it is not quick, but has a lot of torque and can run 0-60 in 10 seconds which is really good for a car of its size. I think that the non turbo petrol engine combined with automatic transmition in Outlander is a waste, wih low torque that makes the car lazy and ineffective. But the diesel is much more punchy and has amazing fuel efficiency. But if I end up with an SUV I am pretty sure that its everything but unfortunatelly not as nearly fun to drive as Kizashi. :(
"The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing". H. Ford
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KuroNekko
Posts: 5170
Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2012 5:08 pm
Location: California, USA

NickL wrote:It is hard to imagine when someone really likes Kizashi and drive it for years to buy a SUV or CUV as a next car. The funniest thing ist that the most important driving attribute on Kizashi is its superb handling and cornering skills which none of these SUVs don't have due to big ground clearence and big swinging on twisty roads.

However when someone really enjoys outdoor activities I do understand why choosing an SUV is a logical choice.

My wife and I want to have 3 kids and if it happens I will most probably buy Mitsubishi Outlander with 2.2 liter diesel engine. Big car with loads of space, 7 seats and with 150hp it is not quick, but has a lot of torque and can run 0-60 in 10 seconds which is really good for a car of its size. I think that the non turbo petrol engine combined with automatic transmition in Outlander is a waste, wih low torque that makes the car lazy and ineffective. But the diesel is much more punchy and has amazing fuel efficiency. But if I end up with an SUV I am pretty sure that its everything but unfortunatelly not as nearly fun to drive as Kizashi. :(
Yeah, I'll miss the handling and refinement of the Kizashi on smooth roads but I want the next vehicle to handle the rough stuff a bit more. I took my Kizashi on a dirt road this past summer to check out a campsite in Big Bear, CA. The road had ruts formed by snow melting and washing out over time. The ruts pounded the Kizashi and really put a strain on my suspension. After that, the shocks didn't feel the same and I got creaking noises from the bushings. I've since replaced the shocks as it was time anyway, but a sports sedan-esque vehicle really doesn't like the rough. While I love my Kizashi, my first car was another Suzuki of a different character: the Sidekick. That thing drove like a piece of tin on stilts compared to the Kizashi on road but was really competent and a lot of fun offroad. It easily shamed Subarus (I've owned two of those too) with its proper offroad bits like a solid rear axle and 4x4 Low range on offroad trails where things got rough.

I used to like the Outlander but the current one is so dated. Mitsubishi is just a horribly managed car company though their engineering is good if the suits let it be. The US doesn't get the diesel variant of the vehicle; only the gasoline versions that consist of a 2.4 liter with a CVT or an ancient V6 with a 6 speed auto. The PHEV version that sells well in Europe arrived here only about 2 or so years ago. I tried to like the Outlander but it's dated and needs an all new model ASAP (supposedly coming very soon). I tried to rent one this past Sept but it was in rough shape and you could tell the interior was just old, even when new. I actually went back to the rental car counter and asked for the 2020 Toyota Highlander instead (same rental price). That thing was like a luxury car in comparison and for the nearly 1000 miles I then drove it, I can say I'm glad I made the switch.

I wish Mitsubishi would just get their act together. They keep giving America CUVs that aren't great. They don't offer a real SUV anymore despite claiming to be an SUV-focused brand. The new Pajero Sport in other countries looks great but we don't get that despite Americans gobbling up the ancient Toyota 4Runner and Jeep Wranglers. The all-new Ford Bronco is about to go on sale. With low gas prices, the popularity of SUVs, offroading, camping, and overlanding booming due to the pandemic, you'd think a company that once made reputable SUVs would scramble to get back in the scene but nope. Even Subaru now is considered an off-road, overlanding brand soaring in popularity while Mitsu pushes an Eclipse Cross as their latest and greatest. :roll:
Nissan is also a slow-moving giant with stagnant products but their new Frontier will be here this year. Hopefully with that, they can bring an all-new Xterra. Their new Rogue (X-Trail) looks great but again, the CVT-only powertrain keeps me away unless it's electrified.

I sometimes toy with the idea of a used Suzuki GV but most on sale are old and trashed here.
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Black)
WESHOOT2
Posts: 1976
Joined: Tue Jan 11, 2011 5:37 pm
Location: Vermont

I confess my Kizashis have been on terrain best suited for big-tired Jeeps; never got stuck but under-panels were often donated to the trail.
First one got treated like an off-roader, second one not much (its only undercarriage distress was from my own road during mud season).
Third one got hammered; hammered, because by then I'd already driven them enough to be comfortable doing so (wildly).

Pretty rugged.....wonder how the next one will hold up :o
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Ronzuki
Posts: 2382
Joined: Wed Nov 17, 2010 5:33 pm
Location: Lancaster County, PA

WESHOOT2 wrote:Pretty rugged.....wonder how the next one will hold up :o
google "Tokyo to LA the Hard Way"
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 :D :D )
1991 Samurai, 5-Speed, EFI, Soft-Top ( :| sold)
KlutzNinja
Posts: 286
Joined: Wed Dec 04, 2019 6:58 am

Speed_Racer wrote:If I had been looking for another sporty sedan, the Forte GT would be very high on my list.
Turbo, 6MT, luxury goodies, cheap with incentives!

Image
And it looks so much better than its Hyundai cousin :lol:
One thing I’d be wary of when looking into Korean cars is that the dealer experiences at Hyundai and Kia dealerships are notoriously poor. I don’t know why exactly this is, but if you’ve watched Savagegeese reviews of Korean cars, they mention it every time, including on their Genesis reviews. Mark almost bought a G80 years back, but ultimately didn’t because the buying process was so awful. Anyone here have similar experiences? It’s a shame because the Korean brands are churning out good products.

Also, apparently Hyundai and Kia set their safety tech like stability control to be hypersensitive. So if you’re trying to accelerate while turning, the stability kicks in and cuts the power pretty badly. It’s just something else I’ve seen in a lot of Savagegeese reviews that other car reviewers don’t seem to mention, and should be considered.
Current: Blue 2018 Mazda 3 GT 5-Door
Previous: Blue 2010 Ford Focus SES,
Black 2013 Kizashi Sport GTS-L (CVT; FWD)(RIP)
KlutzNinja
Posts: 286
Joined: Wed Dec 04, 2019 6:58 am

My first car was almost a Mitsu Lancer; I really liked how it looked lol. And the fact that it was an uncommon underdog in its class, not unlike the Kizashi. I’m glad I didn’t go with it, though. I kept a soft spot for Mitsu for a while because I like underdog brands. But Mitsu has been making so many wrong moves that it’s hard to support them anymore. They had a cool design language and now they look like mutant Lexuses with their “shield” grille. Oddly enough the face on the Chevy Silverado kind of looks like a recent Mitsu concept in its blacked out trim. I had a comparison picture but I think I deleted it.
The Mirage is so cringeworthy and yet it sells okay. I’d avoid it at all costs as it’s dangerously slow and it doesn’t have great crash safety ratings. Plus you have to use the accelerator pedal so much you negate any fuel economy benefits its tiny three-pot engine otherwise brings.
My favorite car review is of the sedan version, where the reviewer hated it to no end, but expressed his contempt creatively:
https://youtu.be/DD_Mk1dvLSo
Current: Blue 2018 Mazda 3 GT 5-Door
Previous: Blue 2010 Ford Focus SES,
Black 2013 Kizashi Sport GTS-L (CVT; FWD)(RIP)
WESHOOT2
Posts: 1976
Joined: Tue Jan 11, 2011 5:37 pm
Location: Vermont

"Tokyo to LA the Hard Way"



Read it back then, still have the magazine.
KlutzNinja
Posts: 286
Joined: Wed Dec 04, 2019 6:58 am

WESHOOT2 wrote:
"Tokyo to LA the Hard Way"



Read it back then, still have the magazine.
I watched the videos on YouTube. Lots of tire changes lol. Wouldn’t want to drive in those places.
Current: Blue 2018 Mazda 3 GT 5-Door
Previous: Blue 2010 Ford Focus SES,
Black 2013 Kizashi Sport GTS-L (CVT; FWD)(RIP)
WESHOOT2
Posts: 1976
Joined: Tue Jan 11, 2011 5:37 pm
Location: Vermont

I reread the article, and the terrain described mirrors much of where I drive!
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KuroNekko
Posts: 5170
Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2012 5:08 pm
Location: California, USA

I loved that article too and it got me excited about my Kizashi back then. I remember reading at the time that there was a Suzuki motorcycle in the convoy but forgot about it since. Now looking back at the article, it happens to be the very same motorcycle I now own: Suzuki V-Strom 650. Uncanny. I now need to add a Suzuki Equator pick-up truck to my personal fleet and then go from LA to Tokyo the hard way.
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Black)
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