IIHS PICKS THE KIZASHI FOR TEENAGERS

[KuroNekko]

You mean everything I read on the internet isn't TRUE !

Nope, but the IIHS isn't just anybody on the internet. They are considered the leading organization that rates vehicle safety in the US. This affects things like sales, insurance rates, and reputation.
Much like other private, but powerful consumer research entities like J.D. Power, Consumer Reports, etc., they have the ability to sway consumer favoritism.
Now keep in mind that unlike Australia, Suzuki is no longer selling cars in North America. If you've followed these publications on Suzukis and the Kizashi like I have, you can clearly see a favoritism that these private "authorities" have towards certain brands and flat out bias against others like Suzuki. This bias had a lot to do with Suzuki's demise in terms of consumer impressions of the brand.

Consumer Reports had just about everything to do with the demise of the Suzuki Samurai and why the Jimny never made it to the US. They claimed that a 1988 Samurai "easily rolled over" even though it was proved that one had to drive it recklessly to get it to roll over in most instances. The exaggerations were so blatant that Suzuki even sued them and later settled.
Regardless, it resulted in the demise of the Samurai and the US never getting the improved Jimny which is still popular around the world.

Yet, despite the mass recalls for unintended acceleration and literally "Poor" crash test ratings, the Toyota Camry is still raved about by these publications and is the #1 selling sedan in America.

As I've already stated, there is little excuse in the IIHS favoring less safe cars in a list called "Top Choices for Teenage Drivers" especially when they trumpet themselves as a crash test authority.
All the crash test data out there, including from the IIHS themselves, proves that the Kizashi is a significantly better car to be in during a crash over the Camry or Jetta.

See for yourself:
(Oh, and these photos are from IIHS in their "small overlap" crash test. You think the Camry still deserves to be called a better choice than the Kizashi?)


This is the Kizashi:





This is the Camry:

[murcod]

I don't recall anyone saying the Camry deserved a higher rating than the Kizashi.

There are articles like that all over the internet- even from supposedly reputable companies.

PS: If you've ever driven an older Samurai/ Sierra (as it was called here) you'd realise they are dangerous.

[KuroNekko]

I don't recall anyone saying the Camry deserved a higher rating than the Kizashi.

There are articles like that all over the internet- even from supposedly reputable companies.

PS: If you've ever driven an older Samurai/ Sierra (as it was called here) you'd realise they are dangerous.

Not anyone here, but IIHS sure makes it look that way with this list.

Also, while I've never actually driven one, I spent a good amount of my high school years in a Samurai as my good friend owned one. In fact, we offroaded it all the time. This was also on a mountain with many cliff-edged roads. Still alive to tell about it. Nope, it's not dangerous. It's all about how you drive it.
Much like a low COG sports car is trash offroad, a high COG SUV is trash handling corners at high speeds. If you simply understand that a SUV that is taller than wide shouldn't be driven in corners quickly, you'll be fine.
After all, these are SUVs intended for offroading more than anything.

[murcod]

Yep, they weren't designed with on road use being any sort of priority....

[paininthenuts]

Sorry, but I have to say this. Who in their right mind would let a teenager drive a car with a 2.4 engine and 180 BHP engine. I know things may be different in the UK, but a teenager trying to get insurance on a car with a bigger engine than a 1200cc would fine it almost impossible.

[Woodie]

That's quite low powered here. Especially when you consider the weight of the car. If teenagers were limited to under 1200 cc, they'd have about three cars to choose from.

[KuroNekko]

Yep, they weren't designed with on road use being any sort of priority....

Obviously, they aren't the best vehicles on-road, but they aren't absolutely terrible either. I've spent a lot of time in a Samurai, on and off the road.
Also, keep in mind that they were designed to be used at relatively low speeds around Japan while offering true 4x4 capabilities. While they have many shortcomings as an on-road vehicle (as with many traditional SUVs), they outperform most vehicles offroad short of other dedicated true 4x4s like the Jeep Wrangler, Toyota 4Runner, etc.
What's great about them is that they are cheap and fuel efficient. The JDM Jimny with the 660cc engine is rated at 35 MPG. Not bad for something that can also get you through the unpaved world.
I'd personally love to have something like a Jimny as a 2nd car for offroad adventures.

Sorry, but I have to say this. Who in their right mind would let a teenager drive a car with a 2.4 engine and 180 BHP engine. I know things may be different in the UK, but a teenager trying to get insurance on a car with a bigger engine than a 1200cc would fine it almost impossible.

I guess the UK and the US is very different when it comes to vehicles. The Kizashi's powerplant is nothing exceptional and is totally in the range of a car suited for a teenage driver here. Keep in mind many teenagers drive hand-me-downs from family members and many of those are vehicles like the Camry, Accord, Malibu, etc. in the US. They all have base engines comparable to the Kizashi's. In fact, most offer a more powerful V6 option or more recently, a turbo engine.

Some rich kids even get sports cars/muscle cars. This is where one can get into trouble from the lack of experience and bad judgment.
I knew of a guy who had a Mustang GT in high school and did 150 MPH runs on public roads at night. He himself said he couldn't believe he lived through that phase. He's now much more mature and attends a top law school.
It was a bad car for a teenager because teens often make bad judgment calls.

So, in the US, something like a 2.4 liter engine in a midsize is totally normal for a first car. Something like a V8 muscle car or a turbocharged hot hatch is a bad choice for the most part and high insurance rates reflect that.

[paininthenuts]

That's quite low powered here. Especially when you consider the weight of the car. If teenagers were limited to under 1200 cc, they'd have about three cars to choose from.

It's almost a different world here. There would be few insurance companies that would touch a teenager who had a car with 180 bhp. Insurance companies are now starting to fit devices in teenagers cars , and charge more if they drive at night. In most cases a years insurance for a teenager costs a lot more than the car they are driving. I can only presume your teenagers are more sensible than ours, or your insurance companies more forgiving.

[KuroNekko]

I can only presume your teenagers are more sensible than ours, or your insurance companies more forgiving.

Sensible teens? Nope. The leading cause of death among American teenagers and those in their early twenties is automobile accidents. Young males have the highest insurance rates because they are the highest risk drivers for causing accidents.
It's said that 30 is when you can see insurance rates drop considerably for American males.

However, I think the driving culture is very different between the UK and the US because for many Americans, you need to drive. That was the case for me and I got my license even before my own mother. I had to drive her around as we lived in a rural alpine area at the time and public transportation was very limited. It even required reservations in advance. Driving was simply a necessity.

So while new drivers have the high insurance rates, it cannot be prohibitively high in the US because many teens simply need to drive.
The reason why cars aren't categorized like the UK by engine displacement is because the driving conditions are so different. A 1200 CC car would be damn-near a road hazard in all except the inner city in the US. You simply need the power to even keep up to the flow of traffic. Some states like Texas even have 85 MPH speed limits so you can imagine the speed of the traffic flow.

In the US, any engine under a 1.8 liter is considered miserably slow. 1.8 to 2.0 displacements are for economy cars unless they are turbocharged. Any 4 cylinder vehicle that is not turbo is considered rather docile in the US and suited for a teen driver. Something like the 2.4 liter engine in the Kizashi is really run-of-the-mill for an American driver, therefore suited for a teenager's car.

[bootymac]

I can only presume your teenagers are more sensible than ours, or your insurance companies more forgiving.

Actually, it's the UK system that is far more sensible. Driving is perceived more as a "right" rather than a privilege in NA.