Kizashi Club

I'm in the market for a new car and am considering the Kizashi but the car's relative lack of power and performance of the CVT may make me dismiss it. More than a year ago I briefly drove a Kizashi using the paddle shifters and was somewhat impressed with the performance but on reflection I largely attribute my positive impression to the novelty of the experience(new car smell, etc...) and the brevity of the drive(I never ventured on the highway and the drive was over in approximately 10 min.) I did use the paddle shifters and thought they imparted a sporty dimension to operating the car but i wonder how I will feel when I become more familiar with the engines' limitations and i find myself using the paddles simply to extract acceptable performance from the 4-cyl. after the new car "glow" has faded. I have owned mostly American cars with
V6 engines that I usually modified in some way to extract more performance from them, my objective being strong performance from the line. From what I have read on this forum and others that is the one area in which the Kizashi is most lacking when equipped with the CVT. However the car was otherwise very engaging to drive (I was particularly impressed with the cabin and handling) and i wonder if someone reading this might try to convince me that the paddle shifters, If skillfully used, might make me forget all the V6's I have driven. I don't race nor do I make jackrabbit starts from stoplights but I do appreciate power to accelerate a car confidently into swiftly moving traffic. I have driven the 2.5L Nissan Altima which is also equipped with a CVT and found the car very smooth and quiet but I felt it was not the driver's car that the Kizashi is. Obviously I need to take another longer test drive of the Suzuki but I would just like to know how satisfied are the owners of CVT equipped Kizashi's with the car's performance speaking from an enthusiasts perspective.

First question i have. If max acceleration is important, why not look at the 6 speed?
The CVT is a dog off the line. All cvt's are, it's the nature of the beast. The computer will limit the torque under 20MOH(approx). In terms of midrange, the Kizashi is fairly quick, deceptively so. When you are used to rising/faling RPM's and shifts snapping off, the CVT can "feel" sluggish, but it actually isn't. Look at the speedo and you may be surprised.
Off the line punch is not a big deal to me as much as handling, midrange, and comfort, which the Kizzy has a good bit of. SUre, it isn't the fastest car in it's class, but it's no slouch and can return MPG well over 30.

I never learned how to operate a manual, Blackbelt. I recall the Altima as being rather good off the line and very smooth also. I was surprised at its performance and I'm pretty sure(hope) the Kizashi returns similar numbers but the Suzuki certainly has the edge as a driver's car. I drive a 2008 Impala LTZ producing approx. 250 hp whose weakest link is definitely the 4 spd. transmission which because of its tall gearing makes the car sluggish from the line. The kizashi may be somewhat underpowered but I think I can compensate for that deficiency with skillful use of the shift paddles. I suppose
I can always buy the piggyback ecm from RRM but I was hoping to avoid the modding game this time around.

The lag is much much much much better once you get past 5000 miles. The car is much quicker now. Flat out GETS DOWN in highway acceleration like 45-70

~tc~ wrote:The lag is much much much much better once you get past 5000 miles. The car is much quicker now. Flat out GETS DOWN in highway acceleration like 45-70

What else have you driven/owned "tc" and why did you buy the Kizashi? Have you done any modifications?

The paddle shifters don't make all that much difference.
Being a much more engaging experience to drive than Altimas, Optimas I 've driven is what convinced me.

I stopped by the only Suzuki dealership in my area and enquired at the receptionist desk about scheduling a test drive of a Kizashi, she replied that "we don't allow test drives unless you're going to buy the car." "Isn't
that the purpose of a test drive?" I asked. She didn't reply and mindlessly referred me to a salesperson who appeared to have no interest in helping me. I have been in bad dealerships but the apathy on display at this
place was disgraceful. Maybe I didn't look like a good prospect but I don't think Suzuki can afford to turn anyone away these days. It saddens me that such a good product is allowed to languish in places like this. Onto the next dealership which couldn't possibly be worse than Bronx Suzuki.

fusion66 wrote:

~tc~ wrote:The lag is much much much much better once you get past 5000 miles. The car is much quicker now. Flat out GETS DOWN in highway acceleration like 45-70

What else have you driven/owned "tc" and why did you buy the Kizashi? Have you done any modifications?

1996 Chevy Impala SS with some intake/exhaust mods

No mods on Kizashi. Bought because of the good handling, nice trim level, gas mileage, size, and rarity.

~tc~ wrote:

fusion66 wrote:

~tc~ wrote:The lag is much much much much better once you get past 5000 miles. The car is much quicker now. Flat out GETS DOWN in highway acceleration like 45-70

What else have you driven/owned "tc" and why did you buy the Kizashi? Have you done any modifications?

1996 Chevy Impala SS with some intake/exhaust mods

No mods on Kizashi. Bought because of the good handling, nice trim level, gas mileage, size, and rarity.

That is quite a dichotomy ~tc~, from rwd V8 to fwd I4. Don't you miss the torque of the LT1 or is the Kizashi really that good on its own terms? How often do you use the paddle shifters?
It is so odd how some cars just "feel" faster in all situations even though the hard facts belie the notion. I once owned a 2001 Saturn L300 that, for me, remains the standard by which I have judged all the cars that have proceeded it. Although it was fitted with a GM 4 spd. transmission and a 3.0L V6 that produced only 182 hp
it seemed this European transplant accelerated from 0 to 60 without breaking a sweat, it just revved so sweetly as it went about its business. Consumer Reports clocked it at 8.1 sec. which was quite respectable
for a family sedan a decade ago but I still pine for that car even when I'm driving my 2008 Impala, which is probably quicker but simply doesn't "feel" as such. Unlike so many of my cars I never felt the Saturn needed any modifications of any kind because the powertrain never felt flatfooted in demanding situations. I'm sure the gearing of the transmission played a role but that engine later found itself powering the 1st. generation Cadillac CTS, so it had the pedigree.
My brief drive of the Kizashi last year left me with the same feeling I experienced with the Saturn but which I seldom get with my modded Impala. I know it seems completely insane that I'm even considering my next car purchase only 10 months after buying the Chevy (God, I hope I don't go through with it) but I doubt I will ever be satisfied with it the way I was with the Saturn and could be with the Kizashi.

The Kizashi M6 has been tested and averages around 7.5 seconds 0-60
The CVT is about a second slower, so figure 8.5. Not a screamer but not a slug either.
Plus, as tc said, it does get better as the engine breaks in.
I traded in a car i bought new and owned for 6 months on my Kizzy