if not the kizashi than what?

[kizashicar]

If you didn't buy the kizashi awd what would u be shopping for and purchasing?

I looked at an awd lancer today. The car looks good until you look inside, the interior is horrible IMO.

I'm shopping for an awd 4 door sedan that will get similar mileage to the kiz and hopefully in the same price range. Of course I would like to find a kizashi but there are no more lots local.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Cody

[KuroNekko]

You cannot beat a Subaru with AWD. For anything close to the Kizashi's price range, Subaru is king.
Subarus are very reliable and have the highest resale value of ANY brand as of last year. They are also very safe (one of only a few companies in which EVERY one of their models has top pick safety ratings.)
As you may know, all Subarus except for the BR-Z has AWD regardless of the transmission type.
I have owned two Subarus before and can say that they are awesome cars. Overall, Subaru is probably my favorite brand.

If you want a car that has good MPG with AWD and are considering an automatic, seriously look at an Impreza. The new Imprezas have a hwy rating of 36 mpg even with AWD. It's the highest of any car with AWD.

If you want something that is more refined and closer to the Kizashi, then check out the Legacy or Outback. Both are good cars, but not as fuel efficient as the Impreza. These cars actually get fuel economy figures closer to the Kizashi.


The other brand I would recommend is Mazda. They don't have AWD on all their models, but their cars are pretty solid and fun to drive. If you don't mind a small SUV, then check out the Mazda CX-5 AWD. It's got great reviews for both value and fun driving dynamics.
If you don't absolutely need AWD, then the new Mazda6 would be a great choice too.

In fact, as of right now, the car I would love to own is a Mazda6 diesel with a 6 speed manual. Finally headed to the US.

[11zukizashi]

check ut the 2014 kia forte

[Stodge]

I don't think the Legacy has the driving dynamics of the Kizashi or anywhere near the looks. I personally don't think the interior compares to the Kizashi. The Mazda6 probably matches the Kizashi on dynamics but its down on power, the interior is cheaper and I don't know if it has the same build quality. Mind you can get some screaming deals on the last gen Mazda6s these days with the release of the new model. Oh and I think the Mazda isn't as quiet inside as the Kizashi.

[KuroNekko]

I don't think the Legacy has the driving dynamics of the Kizashi or anywhere near the looks. I personally don't think the interior compares to the Kizashi. The Mazda6 probably matches the Kizashi on dynamics but its down on power, the interior is cheaper and I don't know if it has the same build quality. Mind you can get some screaming deals on the last gen Mazda6s these days with the release of the new model. Oh and I think the Mazda isn't as quiet inside as the Kizashi.

Yeah, but the Subaru has a much better reputation and hands down a better AWD system. High resale and safety are Subaru's strong points. They are also very reliable.

Mazda has much better engine and transmission technologies than Suzuki. Their reliability has also gone up ever since they cut ties with Ford and built all their cars in Japan with no Ford-sourced parts.

The build quality should be quite similar for all these cars.
Both the Mazda6 and Legacy offer more rear leg room. Both companies most likely offer a better manual transmission (no doubt for Mazda).
The Mazda auto is probably a lot better as they purposely avoided CVTs. Subaru uses CVTs.

I would say that the Kizashi outhandles both, but I am not certain about the new Mazda6. Before the Kizashi came around, the Mazda6 was the handling king of the midsize sedans. The Kizashi is like what the 1st gen Mazda6 was back in 2004. Smaller, but sharper in the corners.

Each car has its advantages and weaknesses compared to the Kizashi.

[Pyramid1]

I've thought about this as well and concluded that nothing out there will give you everything the Kizashi has for the same price.

As far as handling for a small/mid-size four door...you would have to go to a BMW 3 series or Jetta GLI. However you'll either pay more for those or get one that is at least 4-5 model years old and has some mileage on it.

Surprisingly, the 2011-XXXX Buick Regal seems to be pretty close to the Kizashi as far as specs, (2.4L 6 speed manual) seems to be a good handler and also shares some similarities in both the interior and body. Of course you will have to pony up some extra money vs a comparably equipped Kizashi....and the turbo version is quite a bit more.

If four doors aren't any big deal then the Altima coupe/Accord coupe are considerations, although I'm not sure the Altima has a MT as an option. Both should be reasonably fun to drive, but I would expect either to handle as well as the Kizashi.

If the AWD is your main reason to look at the Kizashi, then you basically have the Subaru's that Kuro mentioned, and that's pretty much all I can think of in the same mid-sized/4cyl class.

Basically the Kizashi gives us German sports sedan handling/quality interior along with Japanese quality control and reliability. I don't see anything else on the market quite like this,and it's a shame that we'll never see how good this platform could become with improvements through the years.

Btw, I'm still not an owner yet but I'm working on it.

[Stodge]

I don't think the Regal is a match. It's much heavier (from memory), down on power and i dont think it handles as well. All from memory so I could be wrong.

[KuroNekko]

I've thought about this as well and concluded that nothing out there will give you everything the Kizashi has for the same price.

As far as handling for a small/mid-size four door...you would have to go to a BMW 3 series or Jetta GLI. However you'll either pay more for those or get one that is at least 4-5 model years old and has some mileage on it.

Surprisingly, the 2011-XXXX Buick Regal seems to be pretty close to the Kizashi as far as specs, (2.4L 6 speed manual) seems to be a good handler and also shares some similarities in both the interior and body. Of course you will have to pony up some extra money vs a comparably equipped Kizashi....and the turbo version is quite a bit more.

If four doors aren't any big deal then the Altima coupe/Accord coupe are considerations, although I'm not sure the Altima has a MT as an option. Both should be reasonably fun to drive, but I would expect either to handle as well as the Kizashi.

If the AWD is your main reason to look at the Kizashi, then you basically have the Subaru's that Kuro mentioned, and that's pretty much all I can think of in the same mid-sized/4cyl class.

Basically the Kizashi gives us German sports sedan handling/quality interior along with Japanese quality control and reliability. I don't see anything else on the market quite like this,and it's a shame that we'll never see how good this platform could become with improvements through the years.

Btw, I'm still not an owner yet but I'm working on it.

The Regal is a sharp looking car with an available 2.0 turbo, but I have read that the handling is not up to par with its competition. In fact, the Kizashi may be a better handling car. The car GM really took seriously in the sports sedan segment is the Cadillac ATS.

The 3 Series and GLI are nice cars, but both suffer from pretty poor reliability. Both are known to be not too great cars to own used because of problems. German cars don't quite have the reliability of Japanese cars or even the newer domestics. Their higher cost to repair is also a setback. I call them lease-mobiles.

The Altima and Altima Coupe are decent choices, but for the new redesign, Nissan eliminated the manual transmission. You can ONLY get the Altima sedan in CVT. I also doubt it outhandles the Kizashi.

In my opinion, you can't beat a Subaru if you need affordable AWD. It may not be as fancy as other cars, but its rock solid reliability and permanent AWD system are top in its class.

[kizashicar]

Thanks everyone, I'm going to keep looking for a kizashi but start looking at some Subaru legacy's also.
I think the impreza may be to small but we will see when we get to a dealership. I have to have something big enough for a rear facing car seat or two. And awd is something we are looking for since my wife is about to start long commutes.

Thanks again!

[Ronzuki]

I don't think I'd go the 'car' route again. Hate to say it, but, a Jeep Rubicon JKU w/ the Pentastar and new auto trans suits my style best. Prefer the 2-door, but the Unlimited version has enough capacity to tow my Samurai. I can then unload the suburban which mostly just sits. One less vehicle in the stable. But that ain't happening any time soon. Suzuki was the best value imho and nothing else out there strikes my fancy for the kind of coin they're asking for an equal to the Kiz unibody vehicle. AWD or 4WD is a must have for me.