Kizashi Club

I'm new to the site, never really thought about owning a Suzuki before (never thought of them as much of a contender or anything). My decisions for a new car have been a 2012 VW Passat SE, 2012 Honda Accord SE, or a 2011 or 2012 Suzuki Kizashi. I don't want the Accord (don't really care for it much even though its a nice car), I was thinking about the VW but then I started doing some research on the Kizashi. I'm actually pleasantly surprised by what I am finding. I never would have considered a Kizashi, or even a Suzuki for that matter. I would like to hear from current owners about what they like or don't like about the Kizashi, any problems they have or recommendations. The more I read, the more I'm starting to want this car to be my decision. It seems like a fun, safe, reliable, sporty car. I live in the Chicagoland area so unfortunately theres not many cars from what I can find around. But if I find one I like, maybe I'll get it. I would just like to hear what you all have to say about the Kizashi.

I came from a Honda, and I love my Kiz a lot. Plenty of bang for the buck, and just smart design features. Very comfortable ride and seats ( I commute 90 miles a day). Very stable on wet and snowy roads, brakes are great. Fun to drive in manual mode with the cvt. AWD that can be turned off is a neat feature as well. Good gas mileage and good warranty. Plus not many on the road so you'll stand out from the crowd. VW makes a okay product, but I've heard reliability issues, and cost of parts is steep. I have almost 12k on mine and no problems so far! Only thing that bugs me is the wheels get curb rash easily, and no aux jack, but I can live with that. Happy hunting!

Good move deciding not to get the Accord. Those things are hideous looking.
The Passat is a nice car. Here are the reasons i think the Kizzy would be a better choice.
1-It will be less expensive to purchase. Comparing cars feature to feature, the Kizashi will be 5-10% less expensive.
2-Suzuki has a better warranty.
3-Suzuki is more reliable. This point may be arguable, but VW does not have a stellar reputation for reliability. I am actually a longtime VW fan, but i know they tend to be less than reliable long term.
4- You can get AWD in the Kizzy. To me, that is a HUGE advantage. Being from Chicago, it should be HUGE for you also.
5-The Kizzy is more distinctive. You don't see your car going by several times a day.

As to my dislikes, i would prefer a 6 or 7 speed automatic over the CVT. I detest the tire pressure monitoring setup in the Kizashi, and i think the base model only being available in 3 colors(used to be 2 which was even worse) is a chicken shit thing to do.
Otherwise, i love the car.

Pros:
good handling
AWD
high quality interior
lots of standard equipments

Cons
lots of vibration and noises here and there
CVT doesn't provide enough performance
engine quite loud and quite some vibration
poor paint quality
road noise


all of the above are compared to my 04 Camry

Some of the above Cons are debateable IMHO (no offense). And comparing to a Toyota puts you at an entirely different price point. Again, no offense intended here. Road noise is tires, they aren't the greatest after a few thousand miles. I experience none of the above Cons w/ the exception of the a 'vibration' from lugging when I'm not in to the throttle.

My Cons:
Rims and rash issue
Wiper washer spray pattern sucks

Pros: all of the above as stated plus long track record of reliability from the brand. 10yr/100k fully tranferrabl no-deductable powertrain warranty. Suzukis have timing chains, not a belt (long term ownership thing) not sure about the VW or Honda. Best bang for the buck in AWD.

None taken, this is what a forum is for~~discussion. Well, my 04 Camry is actually cheaper than the Kizashi so i think they are in the same price bracket.

As for the road noise, i am not only talking about noise from tires, I am also talking about the noise created from other cars drive by you and the noise when rocks and other stuff hit the bottom of the car or wheel wells. Noise insulation isn't really Kizashi's strength imo.

I can't say anything about reliability since i have never own a suzuki before this one. But after driven Kizashi for a bit over 1 year, it has more problems than my Toyota Camry. So far I have replaced the left front anti-rattling pin for the brake, repainted the rear quarter panels due to rock chips, and there is still the issue of squeaking noise coming from the rear suspension when the temp drops below 0 degrees celcius.

Dealer said the squeaking is normal and refuses to fix it under warranty. But there are members on the forum who has the same problem and it is fixed by replacing the suspension.

The warranty in Canada sucks.....we only get 3yrs/50k

Most of you know this, but I run sites for several cars and the kizashi is always my favorite. For climates that have snow it is probably one of the best daily drivers out there. My normal ride has been a Mazda P5, and the kizashi is just better all around. If you start comparing it to US products it is just a joke. (modern US cars have gotten better)

The Kizashi had a little trouble when it was launched, but that is partly because it was launched in North America at about the same time it was launched everywhere else. Suzuki did not do the same long shakedown period in other countries like most auto manufactures do. Overall I have been impressed with the quality of the kizashi since the end of 2010. I am always looking for a good deal on one, but have yet to find anything worth buying. I will probably be out of the market for awhile as I am about to buy a Saab 9-2 aero which I will probably drive for a year or two and then stuff in the back of my garage forever. Only about 4K ever saw the light of day and Subaru parts fit so I should be able to keep it running forever.

When I look for new cars I look for kizashis. Hopefully Suzuki will adopt direct injection next year and boost the mileage a little, but other than that it is a very good car, and it still gets fairly good mileage.

have fun with the Saab! the turbo and the handling is extremely good!!