So I let my wife take the car on some errands last night. It was the first time she was in it. I bought it about a week ago. She said it is the nicest car she has ever driven. Who would have thought. A Suzuki? She commented on how nice it handled and turned, and she typically isn't someone to pay much attention to a vehicle's handling.
Anyway, I did notice the average MPG display dropped about 1.5 miles when I got in it this morning. She must have been heavy on the right foot because she killed my good fuel mileage for the tank. I was at 28 or so, but it dropped into the 26s. It could be better for a 4 cylinder with mostly highway commuting, but I can live with that.
My wife's first impression driving the "new to us" Kizashi
None of your post is a surprise to the majority of people on this forum. Unfortunately, the vast majority of Americans will never experience the bargain that we know as Suzuki. The flagship Kizashi is an inspirational vehicle that is a driver's car. And if you're not a driver, you soon will be. Sounds as though your wife is well on her way.
I used to fret about my fuel economy and was able to achieve nearly 30+mpg (summer) and 27-28mpg in winter with my old daily commute of many years. Now I have a longer, more congested, commute with much more 'aggressive' driving required and an additional 20 highway miles per day at speeds/rpms that are out of the band of 'good' fuel economy for the Kizashi. Far more sitting and idling involved in the commute now as well. Quicker starts to get moving is a big mpg-killer culprit. The car responds and performs wonderfully though and, unfortunately, I'm not as concerned about what my right foot is doing. My average for the last year has fallen to 24-26mpg during colder weather on winter gas and 28, at best, for the summer months. As you say, I can live with that.
I used to fret about my fuel economy and was able to achieve nearly 30+mpg (summer) and 27-28mpg in winter with my old daily commute of many years. Now I have a longer, more congested, commute with much more 'aggressive' driving required and an additional 20 highway miles per day at speeds/rpms that are out of the band of 'good' fuel economy for the Kizashi. Far more sitting and idling involved in the commute now as well. Quicker starts to get moving is a big mpg-killer culprit. The car responds and performs wonderfully though and, unfortunately, I'm not as concerned about what my right foot is doing. My average for the last year has fallen to 24-26mpg during colder weather on winter gas and 28, at best, for the summer months. As you say, I can live with that.
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
)
1991 Samurai, 5-Speed, EFI, Soft-Top (
sold)
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
) 1991 Samurai, 5-Speed, EFI, Soft-Top (
sold)-
Triggerhappy
- Posts: 130
- Joined: Sun Nov 14, 2010 4:39 pm
The mpg gauge is 2-3 mpg optimistic. My actual mpg is about 30 mpg mostly highway commuting in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. I reset my mpg and avg mph at every fill up. You can check my fuelly below and compare.suzuki wrote: Anyway, I did notice the average MPG display dropped about 1.5 miles when I got in it this morning. She must have been heavy on the right foot because she killed my good fuel mileage for the tank. I was at 28 or so, but it dropped into the 26s. It could be better for a 4 cylinder with mostly highway commuting, but I can live with that.
152k miles - niece drives it now
2017 Prius Prime - about 65 mpg factoring in electricity cost
2018 Pacifica Hybrid - wife's
Yes, I noticed my MPG is a bit high on the computer by a few MPG also. I am definitely a car guy. I bought this after reading a ton of positive reviews about them. I am a bit of a Suzuki fan. I had a few GSXR streetbike. Right now I have a 2015 GSXR 100 and also a RMZ250 dirt bike. The Kizashi doesn't disappoint.
The Kizashi's MPG readout has always been 2 MPG optimistic for me. It's consistently been this way since the first time I've noted the difference when I got the car. I used to calculate MPG manually, but recently downloaded the free Fuelly GasTracker+ app to track fuel efficiency. I input the odometer mileage and gallons put in at every fill-up. If you input the cost of gasoline, it will also show you your cost per mile. It's great for noting long term averages and keeping all the data together.
I recently started to ride a motorcycle and got myself a 2003 Suzuki SV650S. I like the motorcycle a lot and only regret that the colder temperatures are starting to show that the riding season is nearing an end for the year. I wish I had more time to ride it around.
I can relate. My first vehicle was a 1998 Suzuki Sidekick SUV that was under-powered but tough in the rough stuff. I used to regularly offroad that vehicle and drive it through alpine winter conditions when I lived on a mountain. When I learned about the Kizashi many years later, I also did my research and found that nearly all the reviews were positive. Given my prior experience with Suzuki's reliability, durability, and value, it looked like the Kizashi was a winner. I then started to casually browse for used Kizashis and when I found the deal on mine, I had to jump on it. So glad I did as the Kizashi is a stellar car for the value.suzuki wrote:Yes, I noticed my MPG is a bit high on the computer by a few MPG also. I am definitely a car guy. I bought this after reading a ton of positive reviews about them. I am a bit of a Suzuki fan. I had a few GSXR streetbike. Right now I have a 2015 GSXR 100 and also a RMZ250 dirt bike. The Kizashi doesn't disappoint.
I recently started to ride a motorcycle and got myself a 2003 Suzuki SV650S. I like the motorcycle a lot and only regret that the colder temperatures are starting to show that the riding season is nearing an end for the year. I wish I had more time to ride it around.
2025 Mazda CX-50 Preferred Hybrid
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Sold)
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Sold)
I rode my GSXR a lot last winter, mostly because my commuter car was a ford focus and I didn't enjoy driving it. I have a 30 mile commute one way to work. I only rode once in the past few weeks since getting the Kizashi. The heated seats are hard to pass up when its been in the 20s at 530am. I rode in 6 degrees last year. I have a Carhart type one piece suit that is pretty warm. It doesn't look cool but gets the job done. Gloves are the most important in the cold though!