Wife thought the guy would think I was just being a jerk but he rolled down the window and gave the thumbs up back and a big smile. Not too many of us Kizashi owners around.New Member from Maine
Hi Everyone! New member here. I just took delivery one week ago on a 2012 Sport SLS in Azure Grey. Went back and forth on trading in my 04 BMW 330XI since June and finally pulled the trigger. I'm glad I did. Kept an interest in the car for months after I walked away from it, including visiting this site. Just something about it that speaks to me I guess. Saw a Prussian Blue model in town today and speeded up to catch up and gave two honks and a thumbs up Wife thought the guy would think I was just being a jerk but he rolled down the window and gave the thumbs up back and a big smile. Not too many of us Kizashi owners around.
Wife thought the guy would think I was just being a jerk but he rolled down the window and gave the thumbs up back and a big smile. Not too many of us Kizashi owners around.
I'll post some pics soon. Headed to MDI today so maybe something majestic by Acadia National park
In terms of the BMW, I loved it. It was the nicest 3 series they made that year that wasn't the M3. AWD that defaulted to rear wheel unless traction was needed so it kept that sports car feel. 3.0 straight six that just launched it from a stand still (still miss that) and still tight as the day it rolled off dealership lot. The problem with that car is it was like a bad girlfriend that was really good in bed! Just as hard to let go of too. I was dumping $400/mo average into the car on maintenance and repairs and every time I picked her up from the last go round there was a list of more to be done.
I had made the decision to keep her for another 100k or so but changed my mind as another $2500 in repairs/maintenance were coming up. It was either trade her now while she's still worth something or drive her into the ground. I decided to let her be someone else's problem.
The Kizashi was the only car out there that was as fun to drive, good to look at, had AWD and a host of other things all for under 30k that made me feel like I wasn't stepping down. Hopefully I don't regret my decision. As of today I'm feeling really good about it.
In terms of the BMW, I loved it. It was the nicest 3 series they made that year that wasn't the M3. AWD that defaulted to rear wheel unless traction was needed so it kept that sports car feel. 3.0 straight six that just launched it from a stand still (still miss that) and still tight as the day it rolled off dealership lot. The problem with that car is it was like a bad girlfriend that was really good in bed! Just as hard to let go of too. I was dumping $400/mo average into the car on maintenance and repairs and every time I picked her up from the last go round there was a list of more to be done.
I had made the decision to keep her for another 100k or so but changed my mind as another $2500 in repairs/maintenance were coming up. It was either trade her now while she's still worth something or drive her into the ground. I decided to let her be someone else's problem.
The Kizashi was the only car out there that was as fun to drive, good to look at, had AWD and a host of other things all for under 30k that made me feel like I wasn't stepping down. Hopefully I don't regret my decision. As of today I'm feeling really good about it.
Great pictures.
Your experience with the BMW is exactly what I thought you would say. It appears to be a common experience with BMW owners and German cars in general. Nice to drive, but constantly expensive. BMW = Broke My Wallet.
Though the Kizashi has nowhere the status appeal of a bimmer, the car will most likely be far more reliable than the BMW and the cost of ownership will be a relief.
Unlike some of Suzuki past offerings, the Kizashi is a Made in Japan model that is 100% Suzuki. No GM engines, no Korean-made rebadging.
Real Made in Japan Suzukis are actually solid cars with good reliability and longevity. They are excellent values. About the only bad thing is the poor resale value and the fact that Suzuki's future in the US is very shaky. They are doing very poorly and some expect Suzuki's exodus from the American market soon. Let's hope not.
Your experience with the BMW is exactly what I thought you would say. It appears to be a common experience with BMW owners and German cars in general. Nice to drive, but constantly expensive. BMW = Broke My Wallet.
Though the Kizashi has nowhere the status appeal of a bimmer, the car will most likely be far more reliable than the BMW and the cost of ownership will be a relief.
Unlike some of Suzuki past offerings, the Kizashi is a Made in Japan model that is 100% Suzuki. No GM engines, no Korean-made rebadging.
Real Made in Japan Suzukis are actually solid cars with good reliability and longevity. They are excellent values. About the only bad thing is the poor resale value and the fact that Suzuki's future in the US is very shaky. They are doing very poorly and some expect Suzuki's exodus from the American market soon. Let's hope not.
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Black)
It may sound odd but the lack of status appeal from the Suzuki is actually a plus. I drove the bmw because I love cars and love to drive and it was tons of fun and just a beautiful car and I could argue it was practical because of the AWD. I used to live in DC and Baltimore and an 8 year old bmw would not warrant a second look there but back home in Maine it gets a lot of "well aren't you fancy" kind of comments, often from people driving 4x4 pickups that cost 3X what I paid for mine.
I'm also really happy about the maintenance costs of the car. I saw one of the long term test drives where the comment was made that it was the least expensive vehicle to maintain in their long term fleet. I also had a subaru dealer try to poo poo the Suzuki by mentioning that it would loosen up quite a bit as it aged and I had to educate him on the difference between rebadged Daewos and real made in Japan Suzukis.
I used to sell cars for Enterprise years ago and I always loved the suzukis. The XL-7 was one of my favorites and I enjoyed asking people to do the research on the true off road capabilities of it and the Grand Vitara. I even thought the Aero was a fun little car.
I did so much damn research and back and forth on this car. I even mapped the location of the factory vs. fukishima to make sure I wasn't getting a radioactive car! It also helped to get me a free alignment from the dealership since I know they're notorious for being out of alignment due to how they're shipped. Hopefully that will keep me from dealing with the early tire wear some have experienced.
I notice you're in Maryland, what part? How has your Kizashi held up over the time you've had it? Have you had any of the issues some point to like excessive paint chipping or strange CVT behavior?
I'm also really happy about the maintenance costs of the car. I saw one of the long term test drives where the comment was made that it was the least expensive vehicle to maintain in their long term fleet. I also had a subaru dealer try to poo poo the Suzuki by mentioning that it would loosen up quite a bit as it aged and I had to educate him on the difference between rebadged Daewos and real made in Japan Suzukis.
I used to sell cars for Enterprise years ago and I always loved the suzukis. The XL-7 was one of my favorites and I enjoyed asking people to do the research on the true off road capabilities of it and the Grand Vitara. I even thought the Aero was a fun little car.
I did so much damn research and back and forth on this car. I even mapped the location of the factory vs. fukishima to make sure I wasn't getting a radioactive car! It also helped to get me a free alignment from the dealership since I know they're notorious for being out of alignment due to how they're shipped. Hopefully that will keep me from dealing with the early tire wear some have experienced.
I notice you're in Maryland, what part? How has your Kizashi held up over the time you've had it? Have you had any of the issues some point to like excessive paint chipping or strange CVT behavior?
Interesting that you used to live in DC. I work there. I live in College Park, MD and commute.
You are right about the BMWs not getting second looks in DC, but I used to live in Orange County, California where a 3 Series was like a Corolla. I used to see a Lambo or Ferrari every time I was on the freeway or went on the Pacific Coast Hwy. I have even see a Veyron drive past me and a Porsche Carrera GT parked outside a Starbucks. Insane over there.
Sounds like you did extensive research on the Kizashi like I did. LOL, about the radiation. Hamamatsu, where Suzuki is from and made, is not near Fukushima. I was in Japan a few months after the tsunami (I was born there, grew up there and my family is there) and radiation was of no concern to many in the Kansai (west Japan) region. The radiation issue was really overblown by western media.
No issues with my car, but I have only owned it for about 2 months. I have a 2011 and it appears Suzuki remedied the paint chipping issue for 2011 that was occurring on some 2010 models. I also got a hood deflector just in case, but more for bugs.
I also have a 6 speed manual so I can't comment on the CVT. The CVT was made by Jatco, which is the provider for Nissan's CVTs (Jatco used to be a part of Nissan). It is one of the main transmission builders in Japan.
And I am well aware of the true off-road capabilities of Suzuki SUVs. My first car was a Sidekick 4x4. I offroaded the bleep out of it in the California mountains where I lived. I would sometimes have the entire car covered in mud and the red paint wasn't noticeable.
Despite that, it never broke or even hiccuped and it would let me offroad all day and still keep half a tank of gas left. When it came time to sell it, a friend I often went offroading with wanted it. Go figure.
That reminds me, have you seen the video "Tokyo to LA; the Hard Way"? Motor Trend took a Suzuki Kizashi (along with 2 Suzuki Equators, another Kizashi, and a Suzuki motorcycle) from Hamamatsu, Japan and drove it through Japan and then shipped it to Russia, drove north, shipped it to Alaska and then drove all the way down to LA. It's very interesting and a testament to the Kizashi's durability.
Lastly, funny about the Subaru dealers. Subarus are great cars and I've owned two in the past. That being said, the Suzuki's I've owned held their own against the Subaru's well. I really think the Kizashi is no lesser of a car than the now bloated and unsightly Legacy.
You are right about the BMWs not getting second looks in DC, but I used to live in Orange County, California where a 3 Series was like a Corolla. I used to see a Lambo or Ferrari every time I was on the freeway or went on the Pacific Coast Hwy. I have even see a Veyron drive past me and a Porsche Carrera GT parked outside a Starbucks. Insane over there.
Sounds like you did extensive research on the Kizashi like I did. LOL, about the radiation. Hamamatsu, where Suzuki is from and made, is not near Fukushima. I was in Japan a few months after the tsunami (I was born there, grew up there and my family is there) and radiation was of no concern to many in the Kansai (west Japan) region. The radiation issue was really overblown by western media.
No issues with my car, but I have only owned it for about 2 months. I have a 2011 and it appears Suzuki remedied the paint chipping issue for 2011 that was occurring on some 2010 models. I also got a hood deflector just in case, but more for bugs.
I also have a 6 speed manual so I can't comment on the CVT. The CVT was made by Jatco, which is the provider for Nissan's CVTs (Jatco used to be a part of Nissan). It is one of the main transmission builders in Japan.
And I am well aware of the true off-road capabilities of Suzuki SUVs. My first car was a Sidekick 4x4. I offroaded the bleep out of it in the California mountains where I lived. I would sometimes have the entire car covered in mud and the red paint wasn't noticeable.
Despite that, it never broke or even hiccuped and it would let me offroad all day and still keep half a tank of gas left. When it came time to sell it, a friend I often went offroading with wanted it. Go figure.
That reminds me, have you seen the video "Tokyo to LA; the Hard Way"? Motor Trend took a Suzuki Kizashi (along with 2 Suzuki Equators, another Kizashi, and a Suzuki motorcycle) from Hamamatsu, Japan and drove it through Japan and then shipped it to Russia, drove north, shipped it to Alaska and then drove all the way down to LA. It's very interesting and a testament to the Kizashi's durability.
Lastly, funny about the Subaru dealers. Subarus are great cars and I've owned two in the past. That being said, the Suzuki's I've owned held their own against the Subaru's well. I really think the Kizashi is no lesser of a car than the now bloated and unsightly Legacy.
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Black)
That's a bit of relief to hear about the nuclear fall out. Everything I could see looked like it was in fact far outside the fall out area and the trade winds would blow the radioactive particles away from the Suzuki facility. I've wanted to visit Japan but have never made it. A good buddy of mine traveled all over Asia but I don't think he got there either.
I bet you saw some real exotic vehicles out in OC. Maine has a decent community of classic auto collections, just saw a really nice SS Chevette in blue outside my bank yesterday. Exotic newer stuff is slim to none, especially in the part of the state I live in. A small but seemingly growing amount of Benz/Audi/BMW due to the AWD. Tons and tons of Subarus obviously. Good cars but I'm with you, I test drove a 2012 holdover Legacy, didn't do anything for me. Nice car, well appointed, but drove like a big car with no engine to back it up.
Good to hear you're not having paint chip issues. I've been over every inch of my ride and I've found two but they're in places you would expect and I haven't seemed to pick up any additional. I know the car was driven between Suzuki dealerships and had almost 500 miles on the odometer before I bought it so I'm cautiously optimistic.
I'm very familiar with college park. My wife went to UMD for a couple of years while we were dating and I lived in Silver Spring when I first got to the area. Had a blast living down there in my early 20's but it's so transient. I think all my friends from those days have all moved away. I do miss the weather and everyone I know in Baltimore is still there. My wife and I still miss the Rio Grande Cafe
I bet you saw some real exotic vehicles out in OC. Maine has a decent community of classic auto collections, just saw a really nice SS Chevette in blue outside my bank yesterday. Exotic newer stuff is slim to none, especially in the part of the state I live in. A small but seemingly growing amount of Benz/Audi/BMW due to the AWD. Tons and tons of Subarus obviously. Good cars but I'm with you, I test drove a 2012 holdover Legacy, didn't do anything for me. Nice car, well appointed, but drove like a big car with no engine to back it up.
Good to hear you're not having paint chip issues. I've been over every inch of my ride and I've found two but they're in places you would expect and I haven't seemed to pick up any additional. I know the car was driven between Suzuki dealerships and had almost 500 miles on the odometer before I bought it so I'm cautiously optimistic.
I'm very familiar with college park. My wife went to UMD for a couple of years while we were dating and I lived in Silver Spring when I first got to the area. Had a blast living down there in my early 20's but it's so transient. I think all my friends from those days have all moved away. I do miss the weather and everyone I know in Baltimore is still there. My wife and I still miss the Rio Grande Cafe