2011 Vs 2010 SLS

[msr]

I am considering buying an SLS model. Got a few questions hopefully you guys can answer

1. Are there any major differences between 2010 and 2011 SLS models. There are left overs from last year and if the changes are only minor then I will probably get 2010. Edmunds says changes are minimal while I read in some other reviews that that Sport (SLS sports) models have some substantial changes.
2. What kind of resale value this can might have compared to Accord/Camrys. KBB projects the car to lose 62% of its value in 1 year!! (http://www.kbb.com/new-cars/suzuki/kiza ... sale-value)
3. I have been reading about turbo and/or hybrid versions? Are these completely baseless rumours/wishes at this point or can we expect anything next year. I would love to have a turbo version.
4. I this forum, I saw a owner ask that his 2010 SLS CVT takes 13 seconds for 0 - 60. Thats really atrocious. All the reviews point to 8-9 seconds. What kind of timings are you guys seeing? I drive mostly highway and I dont really care much about 0 - 60. I am more concerened about passing on highway say 60 - 90 accelaration.

Thanks,
MSR

[EnfinityX]

1. dont know the difference between 2010 and 2011.
2. if you buy the car for resale value, ur better off with a camry or an accord. those have proven reliability, brand recognition and overall very high resale value. the kizashi wont match it at this stage. given 10 years maybe to build a reputation?
3. again i dont know if there will be a turbo or hybrid, but if i were to guess it would be no. the car doesnt sell well enough as it is to start offering a huge variety of trims and levels.
4. 60-90 has great acceleration. the cvt is very sluggish off the line, almost feels the the power is reined in. the 8-9 seconds is probably in the manual. the cvt on the other hand will be slow from 0-15 ish. but after that the acceleration is pretty good. however if speed is a concern, go for the manual. the cvt is geared primarily for efficiency (3000 rpm at 90 mph, very lazy very high gearing, as opposed to manual 3000 rpm at 70 mph)

Overall i have really enjoyed the car, its very sporty, very fun and very cost efficient. however there are drawbacks as with any car. do yourself a favor and go for a test drive, see how you like it. key things to note would be pro: quiet, well built, well equipped cabin, good suspension, communicative but not overly harsh. cons: see if you can handle the cvt. its pretty slow and sluggish, 0-15 like i said and theres not much to get around that.

[msr]

Thanks Enfinity.
I dont buy car for resale but I do beleive it must be considered especially since I dont plan to keep the car for more than 4 years.
I do like to buy the manual (I currently own a manual Mustang GT) but my wife can't drive one and I would like to have the flexibility in case she ever needs to. So CVT is my only option.
I am planning on taking a test drive this weekend and see how manual and CVT perform. Glad you are loving the car. That makes me more comfortable.

[Riddler]

Based on only my test drives, I found the 2010 steering wheel to be way too firm. I felt the 2011 was so much better.

[EnfinityX]

the kizashi is a very... "interesting" car. for lack of a better word. those who buy the car only buy it after much much consideration (because of the branding, non-car ppl wouldnt consider a suzuki and would probably default to a camry, accord or altima). but that means that they understand all the advantages and drawbacks of the car and buy it anyways. after all the research and finally coming up with a car that fits YOU means that we have one of the highest customer satisfaction ratings. at least thats how reason our high customer satisfaction (besides it being a really well built car). its a very rare and unique buy, those who buy it, love it. those who care about branding wont even look at it.

[chazyouwin]

Keep in mind that resale value depreciation percentages estimated by outsiders measure depreciation not from actual purchase price, because they don't have that data, but rather from list price. So if you get a good deal on the initial purchase, you're already getting better depreciation value than reported.

Also, if you are going to have a lease, does the depreciation matter? The real depreciation factor is incorporated into the lease. If you want a new car after 3-4 years, look at a lease. Right?

[msr]

Good point on depreciation chazyouwin. Unfortunately lease is not an option for me. I drive a lot. 100miles everyday. ~25000/year.
Thanks Riddler. I will try to test drive both 2010 and 2011 models and see if there is any noticable difference and ofcourse price difference. I am hoping that dealers will give a great deal on 2010 models and that would offset some of the depreciation. Thanks

[NJKizashi]

My 2010 SLS has Been perfect...Not one Gremlin or Gizmo gone wrong....Had it a year in Jan 10th 26,500 miles...All good so far >>>>>>>>>>>>

[Blackbelt]

Losing 62% on ONE YEAR????? Somehow, i doubt that is true.

[AlexRuiz]

I am considering buying an SLS model. Got a few questions hopefully you guys can answer

1. Are there any major differences between 2010 and 2011 SLS models. There are left overs from last year and if the changes are only minor then I will probably get 2010. Edmunds says changes are minimal while I read in some other reviews that that Sport (SLS sports) models have some substantial changes.
2. What kind of resale value this can might have compared to Accord/Camrys. KBB projects the car to lose 62% of its value in 1 year!! (http://www.kbb.com/new-cars/suzuki/kiza ... sale-value)
3. I have been reading about turbo and/or hybrid versions? Are these completely baseless rumours/wishes at this point or can we expect anything next year. I would love to have a turbo version.
4. I this forum, I saw a owner ask that his 2010 SLS CVT takes 13 seconds for 0 - 60. Thats really atrocious. All the reviews point to 8-9 seconds. What kind of timings are you guys seeing? I drive mostly highway and I dont really care much about 0 - 60. I am more concerened about passing on highway say 60 - 90 accelaration.

Thanks,
MSR

1) The 2011 sports SLS has a lower ride height and revised suspension. Given that the 2010 is already very strong in the handling department, I expect the 2011 to be even better, but if the savings are substantial, get the 2010.

2) I want something of what KBB is smoking. Very few, if any, used Kizashis have been sold. The ones I have seen have been listed at close to MSRP of a new car... I am personally expecting the resale value of the car to be high given on how good it is. Just give it time. Yes, the camry might be proven, but you would have to pay me to drive that thing.

3) The hybrid, as far as I know, was/is very advanced as far as development/validation. Personally, I think what the car needs is the turbo. Take out the only complaint the reviewers have.

4) I drive the manual S, probably the fastest of the bunch (lighter than the GTS) and I find the car a joy to drive. The engine is a very strong I-4, perfectly fine, very smooth, responsive and willing to rev. I had the chance to drive a CVT, and to be honest, they are 2 different cars. The CVT does a very good job at moving the car, but because of the calibration towards fuel economy, any sudden gas smash will be a non smooth spike in revs, not to mention that the car feels more sedated at the normal operating points.

In a sport sedan, a good manual transmission forgives a lot of sins, and the Kizashi is not exception. The MT is very smooth, precise and intuitive. Throws could be shorter, but the trans qualifies as sports car trans easily. With the engine as willing as it is, you enjoy shifting as needed. Add the superb chassis that lets you take corners and turns much faster that what you would in a different car, and the on ramp merge to the highway for me is more about taking care of not smashing to the vehicle in front. With the exception of the truly much higher powered machines, I have no trouble at letting the rest of the cars take a good look at my shiny dual tailpipes. I haven't done a 0-60 run, but if car and driver got 7.3 secs, we can surely get a mid 7s.

Something I noticed, and probably some of you have noticed also, is that I don't get raced a lot . In my previous car, the SUVs and midsizes felt they could race me, so I had to show them that is wasn't true. In the Kizashi, most of the cars maintain a distance. Looks surely help I am sure.