Kizashi Club

I'll repost a quick drive review I posted elsewhere.

I've been curious about the Kizashi for a while. The reviews all generally highlight the Kizashi's road manners so I had to find out. I drove a used 2011 S, which I don't think had the AWD, at least there wasn't a button to turn it off like on the 2012. Before I begin, let me point out that I drive a Ford Five Hundred so the bar starts pretty low!

All I can say is, wow. I really enjoyed driving it. I did a mix of city driving with a short stretch on the highway. The car had the CVT transmission, which I don't mind, though I know most people hate it. The transmission was smooth around town, well suited to stop start traffic though you have to drive it differently if you need hard acceleration. Joining the highway caused no problems, the hit 105 and the engine noise wasnt too trashy.

Sure the engine could use an extra 20hp and torque but I think it has enough power and speed for most people. I doubt people would cross shop the Kizashi with a sport car anyway, and yes I know Suzuki advertise it as a Sports Sedan.

I reset the readout before I set off and my average at the end was 8.1 l/100km, which was pretty good. I only pushed it getting onto the highway and mostly I was cruising.

The car didn't have paddle shifters but it did have manual mode. I didn't use it much but it was cool having the option to control the transmission.

The brakes were solid although I had to depress the pedal more than I would expect before they really bit.

I confess I like the interior styling; the centre console was logical and well laid out. The controls felt solid and easy to use. Dual climate control was standard and it was damn cold!! I think the coldest temperature was 15C! Wonderful when it was almost 40C outside.

The seats were comfortable although I think I would prefer the 10 way auto seat in the higher model. Adjustments were easy and there was enough bolstering but not too much.

The steering wheel had a nice feel, much more pleasant than the one I felt in the Optima. The control stalks were naturally positioned and logically organized.

Oh yes, I had already driven for 5 minutes before I realized that I had no idea where the key was! I love the keyless entry and start/stop.

The suspension was a nice surprise. It dampened the crappy roads quite well, although one large bump caused a thud. The ride was comfortable but not soft or harsh. Cornering was really nice (remember I'm used to driving a boat!). I hit the gas as I came down the off ramp from the highway and ignored the 50km/h sign, and stuck at 80km/h. I know, daring eh! The car felt stable and although I didn't really push it, it never felt troubled by anything I did. I can really agree with the other reviewers that the handling is a pleasant surprise. This is a Suzuki??

There was absolutely minimal body roll throughout my drive. Swoopingf through the curves at speed made me smile, the first time I have smiled during all of my recent test drives.

Now the negative. I'll get it out in the open that it's a Suzuki, so resale will likely be low, dealers are few and far between and I'm not sure what long term reliability will be.

The rear seat is tight, though not so much when the driver isn't that tall. The car really is a slightly larger compact and not a real midsize. I think it would be perfect for one or two people without kids.

The price is perhaps a touch high, although you do get sometime features as standard, AWD and dual climate control.

I give the car two thumbs up, I really enjoyed it and it did honestly make me smile. I didn't want to return it to the dealer!

One thing to note - I couldn't work out how to set the radio to only use the rear speakers. I assume this model had rear speakers.

I'm not trying to discourage the Kizashi but if you're driving the Ford 500 you should try a new Ford Taurus. It's amazing how 'the same car' is a different feeling car. The newer 3.5L w/ 30% more HP, a better torque band, and using Ford's 6spd auto versus their CVT makes a world of difference. I believe Ford has reworked the suspension. I drove both a Platinum and an SHO.

Though having said that.. The litter Kizashi won me over. (Though I tend to favor more unique rides.)

Thanks-we want to downsize both physically and economically. I was looking at vehicles around 190 inches but the little Kizashi caught my eye and I was intrigued, having read so many good reviews, why the car isn't more popular.

I drove LOTS of cars before I picked the Kizashi. It was a combination of fun and not so fun. Dealers, of course, want you to buy now. It was interesting to see the different sales techniques used at different dealers. And, of course the different cars.

The Kizashi is unique and good. If I had to name the Kizzy's parents it's kinda like Audi A4 had a love child with a Nissan Altima.

Haha love tha A4/Altima reference. I assume you mean the Altima for the CVT?

I've driven a number of vehicles but a rare few are still of interest, which surprised me. I have lots of choices but I've pretty much discounted most of them,mimdrocemthe a sonata turbo today and that's off my list.

Drove a new Kia Optima non-tubo, which is the Sonata twin. Not the turbo either. The non-turbo felt about the same 0-60 performance as the Kizashi. The Kizashi handled better and felt more solid. I think the Kia has more similar equipment to the Kizashi such as push button start and heated seats. Compared to the Kizashi I see why you'd take the Hyundai off the list.

A couple new cars that weren't available yet when I was looking and I would have liked to try out is the new Dodge Dart and the totally redesigned Ford Escape. Definitely different markets. But, I was trying to fit a growing family into a vehicle with good MPG.

Being a Subaru fan I really wished the Subaru Legacy worked. It had nice space inside. It was fairly standard for the market and had more floaty handling as one might see in American cars. GM wasn't particularily good for Subaru and I don't know if Toyota (to date) is all that better. I hope the BRZ predicts good things to come for them.

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Is it me or have cars become an appliance? Seems the fun factor is dialed out of most things out there. Honda/Toyota what the heck? Sure reliable as all get out but boring and then some to drive. It's one reason I choose the Kizashi even with the CVT. I would have preferred a stick but the equipment the wife voted for wasn't available with a stick when I was looking. I've heard of SLS sticks but I've not seen one yet.

It's all about supporting the american market who want big, slow cars that cruise the highway but dont corner.

Usually car reflects personality. If you worry about resale value, then you end up in the toyota or honda and will be one of many. When I look for a car, I want to stand out in a croud. I also not really worry about resale because I usually drive them for many years, until they stop and their resale value at that point is same - nothing, regardless of brand. Reliability is important and Suzuki has very good reputation, Kizashi is my second Suzuki. Value is important, and I think Suzuki has great value. If you put all the features on the list (I have the top SLS with eeverything except NAVI) and ask people how much the car with these features should cost, the answer is always "over $30k". That is even before people drive it. In my book the fun factor has big value.

I drove a 2011 S and a 2012 SX yesterday and really struggled to get comfortable in the drivers seat, which s odd, as I thought the seat was ok in my original review. I thought the AWD felt more sluggish than the pure FWD, even in FWD mode. I have a bad back so I have to take extra care when picking a car. I think the Kizashi has to come off list after my drives yesterday. Shame as they had a 2011 S for $10k off the last price.

*sigh*.