Traded in the Kizashi

Anything related to the Kizashi can go here, but please look at the other headings first. Your topic may fit better under something else.
z06jeff
Posts: 18
Joined: Wed Dec 09, 2015 3:52 pm

After 7 years of trouble-free ownership, I finally traded in our 2013 Kizashi SLS awd. It was mainly my wife's car, but we both really liked it. In all that time and 100k miles, the only repair I had to make was when the rear shock leaked around the 80k mile mark. Considering the mileage, I just replaced everything with new KYB shocks, shock mounts, and KYB struts. Other than that, it was just regular oil changes, a few brake jobs, a set of rotors, and a few sets of tires. Possibly the most reliable car we've owned to date. The 100k mile drivetrain warranty expired in March of this year, and I started worrying about the inevitable CVT failure that was surely going to happen if I kept it long enough. I didn't want to go through that headache, so I decided to let it go. The next hard decision was trying to figure out what is on the market today that compares to the Kizashi? In the past 7 years, the little crossover suv's have really taken off, and it seems awd sports sedans aren't as popular or common as they once were. My daily driver is an 03 4 door Tracker (aka Grand Vitara), so we weren't interested in another suv. We looked at the Subaru WRX, and I wanted to like it, but it's just not that attractive to me as it lacked some of the class the Kizzy offered. Plus we're in our mid-forties, not mid-twenties. We looked at Acura TLX a-apec, but it was a bit too big and not really that nice inside for the price point. I researched Audi A3 RS, but was afraid of sketchy German reliability.
I ended up wanting a Lexus IS-F. The IS line checked all the boxes for us. Sporty, classy, awd, reliable, and it is within an inch in overall length compared to the Kizashi. The next hard part was locating one in my price range in the middle of a pandemic. So the F-Sport option gives you 2 different interior options....Roja Red, (which I think is kinda cool, but my wife hates) or black. In my searching, it seemed like only roughly 30% of the IS 300/350's on the market had the F-Sport package (which was a requirement of mine.) Of that 30%, over half had the roja red interior. Doing a 250 mile radius search would show me maybe 4 cars worth looking at. All of them were 3-4 hours away. (And we're still in a pandemic.) I reached out to some dealerships and had them send me some high res pics and a video walkaround of the cars. Just about all of them were beat. I'm talking low mileage cars in the 2017-2019 model year range with bad paint damage, and stained/ripped interiors going for over 30k. Who's buying that crap?
A few months ago, we went to our time share in VA Beach. A week before we left, I searched cars.com for Lexus IS 300/350 F-Sports in the VA Beach area. There were only 2, but one of them was the one. A 2017 IS350 F-Sport awd that just came off of a 3 yr lease with 26k miles for $30k. So when we headed south to VA Beach, I made sure to throw the Kizashi title in the glove box. (just in case.) It would end up being a one-way trip for the Kizashi as we bought the ISF and drove it back home to PA.
Here are some comparisons between a 2013 Kizashi SLS awd, and a 2017 IS350 F-Sport awd:
Obviously the IS is newer, so it has some new tech that the Kiz never had, lIke the self adaptive cruise control, and the lane departure warning system. I like to think if Suzuki were still around, a new Kizashi could be had with some of those features as well.
The first con I noticed was when we were leaving the hotel. All of the luggage that came down in the Kizashi's trunk would not fit in the Lexus's trunk.
The next con is gas milage, but this was expected considering the bigger engine. I got 30 mpg driving down in the Kizashi, and barely hit 25 going home in the Lexus. This is partly because the Lexus is full time awd, unlike the Kizashi which has the ability to just run as a fwd. It's also a little heavier, and that 306hp 3.5 V6 is no J24. Oh, it also requires high octane, so no more fill ups with 87.
No memory seats? I still don't understand this one, but apparently Lexus didn't offer memory seats with the F-Sport package. Kizashi has 3 memory settings.
No rain sensing wipers. I never really loved that feature though as I prefer regular old fashioned delay settings. I guess Lexus agrees.
Very little interior storage. My wife constantly reminds me of this one. The little drop-down sunglasses holder in the Kizashi is very much missed in the Lexus as there is also no cubby storage under the radio above the center console. Just a small storage space under the arm rest, and that's it.
Performance? That's not entirely fair to the Kizzy since the Lexus makes almost double the HP, and having a actual 6-speed transmission is heavenly compared to the Jatco CVT. I will say the Lexus doesn't feel as light on it's feet as the Kizashi did in the handling department. It feels like a sporty luxury car, where the Kizashi felt like a luxurious sports sedan.
For Lexus pros: The LED headlights are awesome.
That engine is magnificent. (Although a bit too quiet for my taste.)
Modern styling and cool gadgets. Lots of LFA has been incorporated into the ISF.
The seats are supportive enough to head straight to the track with. High bolsters make it bit difficult to get in and out of, but once you're in...oh man.
Overall fit and finish for exterior and interior quality is the best I've seen. This is what Lexus/Toyota does best. Sitting in this car makes you feel more special than you really are.

So overall, what this experience has taught me is how far ahead of its time the Kizashi really was. If Suzuki were still around, I would've just went to my local dealership and traded up for a new 2020 Kizashi. I'm not sad about my new purchase, but I am sad there is no more Kizashi.
Attachments
Kizashi.jpg
Kizashi.jpg (316.78 KiB) Viewed 5761 times
is350.jpg
is350.jpg (285.2 KiB) Viewed 5761 times
2017 Lexus IS350 F-Sport awd
2003 Tracker 4dr 2.0
2002 Corvette Z06 :drive:
1968 Corvette 327
User avatar
Ronzuki
Posts: 2382
Joined: Wed Nov 17, 2010 5:33 pm
Location: Lancaster County, PA

The older Kizashi's styling is still better. Haven't been a fan of the Toyota/Lexus Darth-Vader front ends.
I'm fairly certain Suzuki left the states in part due to their KISS roots. More tech was never in Suzuki's DNA and the masses here can't get enough of it.
Your observation regarding handling is thee single biggest factor in why it is so difficult to find a suitable, affordable, Kizashi replacement IMHO. The other notable comment is the size...the K is a right size car. It's interesting the Lexus is very comparable in size and yet the trunk disappointed. More back seat room than the Kiz?
I've been sad for decades there are no more new Samurais (and no Jimnys). I've been sad that not only are there no more new Samurais or Kizashis, there's no new Suzukis period.

Thank you for the great comp write-up. I find it to be spot-on. I'm sure the Lexus will last a very long time and provide great service. Many mechanics will steer their loyal repeat customers towards purchasing used Lexus and Toyota vehicles when asked for recommendations. R&RR...Reliable and Reasonably Repairable. Enjoy it.
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 :D :D )
1991 Samurai, 5-Speed, EFI, Soft-Top ( :| sold)
KlutzNinja
Posts: 286
Joined: Wed Dec 04, 2019 6:58 am

I’ve only had my Kizashi for not quite 2.5 years and I’d imagine I’d be very sad to trade it off. But I’m glad you’re satisfied with your new car. Did you ever consider a a Genesis G70? Not sure if it’s in your price range but it’s a solid machine, and the current iteration can be had with a manual on the base engine.
I think I would have also considered a Mazda6 turbo. The top trim is very nice, luxury-wise.

I wonder how much time is left on your Kizashi’s transmission before it goes kaput...
Current: Blue 2018 Mazda 3 GT 5-Door
Previous: Blue 2010 Ford Focus SES,
Black 2013 Kizashi Sport GTS-L (CVT; FWD)(RIP)
User avatar
johnhenrydale
Posts: 100
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 6:08 am
Location: Miami Beach, FL

@zo6jeff: Curious if you considered the Hyundai G70? Of all the current Asian sedans around the 30k price point that is the one car that I keep seeing on the street that jumps out at me.
https://www.genesis.com/us/en/2021/genesis-g70.html
2011 Kizashi Sport "GLS" 2WD
(GTS Upgrade project)
6sp MT
Azure Gray Metallic
Anthracite Gray Vossen CVT 19" / 5 x 114.3 +32
User avatar
Woodie
Posts: 1167
Joined: Sun Apr 28, 2013 10:09 am
Location: Laurel, MD

Congratulations, very nice car.

But oh my god, that grill! Pontiac Aztek laughs at that grill.
Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms
Should be a convenience store, not a government agency
WESHOOT2
Posts: 1976
Joined: Tue Jan 11, 2011 5:37 pm
Location: Vermont

Nice choice, nice car!
z06jeff
Posts: 18
Joined: Wed Dec 09, 2015 3:52 pm

I'll admit, the Lexus styling is a very polarizing design. You either love it or hate it. When that generation first debuted I didn't like it at all, but it has grown on me over the years, and now I think it's badass.
The G70 is an interesting suggestion. It is attractive. I actually hadn't considered any Korean cars at all. I researched a Kia Stinger GT briefly, but prices were a little high for the ones I wanted, and I just don't know if I'm ready to buy Korean yet.
After getting taken to the cleaners on the Kizashi trade-in, I really wanted something with a solid resale value. Lexus is an industry leader in that category. The Korean stuff is getting better every year, but not quite there yet.

Lexus rear seat leg room? I haven't spent much time trying to figure out that difference, but it's probably a bit less. Suzuki has always had this magical way of making their cars bigger on the inside than they appear on the outside. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that no car that shares the same physical size as the Kizashi is going to have comparable rear seat legroom.
The IS trunk was maybe 2-3 inches more narrow than the Kizashi's. When we traveled down to VA, I had both mine and my wife's suitcases side-by-side in the trunk. Those same two suitcases would not fit side-by-side in the Lexus. One suitcase had to be kicked up at a weird angle that wasted a lot of space, and forced us to put smaller things in the backseat.

The items on my checklist for a Kizashi replacement were:
Reliability
Strong Resale Value
AWD
Automatic (wife can't/won't drive manual)
Roughly same size as Kizashi
Be available with some kind of functional Sport package so it doesn't look like an invisible appliance, and drive like a rental car.
Be in the $30k range

So that's why I ended up with an IS-F.
2017 Lexus IS350 F-Sport awd
2003 Tracker 4dr 2.0
2002 Corvette Z06 :drive:
1968 Corvette 327
KlutzNinja
Posts: 286
Joined: Wed Dec 04, 2019 6:58 am

RWD-based cars like the IS have interior packaging issues by nature, compared to FWD-based cars. I’m not entirely sure why this is, but it’s what I’ve read/heard several times from journalists and publications. For one thing, RWD cars have the driveshaft bump through the backseat area that compromises middle seat legroom, and the amount of backseat space is also somehow adversely affected.

I’d have also suggested a last-gen Volvo S60, as it’s the same size as the Kizashi, but I don’t know if they looked sporty enough lol. And reliability would be a potential issue. But at least the safety would be on point. Not sure about resale value. They drove better than you’d think, though.

Also, the IS-F is a model from the last generation that had the 5.0 liter V8 and (faux) quadruple exhausts. There wasn’t an IS-F made for this generation but the RC coupe got the engine instead (RC-F). F-Sport is mostly an appearance package but it does bring with it some driveability changes to make it drive more “sporty” than the average Lexus.

Pretty sure the “F” means Fuji because Lexus does a lot of performance testing/development on Fuji Speedway. That’s just what I heard somewhere, at least.
Current: Blue 2018 Mazda 3 GT 5-Door
Previous: Blue 2010 Ford Focus SES,
Black 2013 Kizashi Sport GTS-L (CVT; FWD)(RIP)
NickL
Posts: 134
Joined: Wed Aug 05, 2020 8:46 pm

I really like your new Lexus. It may not have same driving characteristics or "the soul" like Kizashi, but it surely is a quality, fast, good looking and atractive car. And I think that the best from this model comes from the interiour, where the Lexus has shown how good designed and unique this car is.

If I were You, I would have considered buying an Accord with 2.0 turbo engine. 260 hp is more than enough and the car is very roomy as well. Plus I really like the design of a new Accord inside outside even though there are probably too many Accords on Americans streets, just like to mant VWs on Europeans...
"The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing". H. Ford
User avatar
Woodie
Posts: 1167
Joined: Sun Apr 28, 2013 10:09 am
Location: Laurel, MD

And the Accord 2.0 Turbo can be had with a manual transmission.
Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms
Should be a convenience store, not a government agency
Post Reply