New Member in MKE

Introduce yourself here, also we will post links to topics we find the most valuable on the forum to help out new members.
Post Reply
APD611
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Dec 01, 2016 9:58 pm
Location: MKE

Bye bye Acura TSX....

Early in 2013 I was looking at buying/leasing a new car when I happened to see a Suzuki dealer advertising significant discounts on all Suzuki's in their inventory. Having recalled reading a generally positive review on the Kizashi a year or so earlier, I decided to check it out and take one for a test drive. That test drive made an impression on me. I really liked the car! And the price appeared to be unbeatable (more than 25% off MSRP). But then I learned the reason why the Kizashi was on sale....Suzuki USA was ceasing selling cars. Despite the mouthwatering attraction of the car and the price, I just couldn't justify buying a new car guaranteed to suffer a huge drop in value right off the lot.

Needless to say, I didn't buy the K-car. Instead I leased an Acura TSX - a fun, sexy, option packed car in it's own right.

Fast forward to early 2016 when my Acura lease expired. I was confronted with either buying the TSX ($19,700) or searching for a new car. That's when I remembered my experience with the Kizashi three years earlier.

A quick online search revealed a red 2013 Kizashi GTS AWD for sale at an Acura dealer in Scottsdale AZ. The car only had 15K miles on it. I made the phone call. Trusting the photos, Acura's reputation and the verbal assurances made by the dealer, I bought the car over the phone without ever sitting in it. This transaction has turned out to be one of the best car purchases I have ever made.

The GTS AWD is not only an attractive car, it also has; similar performance, and more bells, whistles, options and features than my former Acura TSX Special Edition. And considering my Kizashi was $7,000 LESS than what it would have cost me to buy out my Acura lease, I got a tremendous bargain.

I've owned this car for about eight months now and I have only seen one other Kizashi on the road (it was also a red GTS on the tollway coming north out of Chicago).

IMHO this car is an under appreciated, best-kept-secret, Japanese cars on the road. And I'm glad I own it.
User avatar
KuroNekko
Posts: 5170
Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2012 5:08 pm
Location: California, USA

Welcome.
I share many of your sentiments about the Kizashi's tremendous value and appealing characteristics.
Interesting that you compared the Kizashi to the former TSX. I have often thought to myself that my Kizashi most resembles an Acura TSX with the 2.4 liter. The size is similar, they are both FWD-based entry-level sport sedan-esque cars, both offered in 6 speed manual, both offer better driving dynamics than your typical family sedan, and both have reputable Japanese build quality and reliability. I've never driven a TSX, but it always seemed to me that the upper spec 6 speed manual Kizashis (Sport GTS and Sport SLS) were designed with the 4 cyl Acura TSX in its sights.

The nice thing about the Kizashi is that the CVT versions offer AWD, making it a rather unique car. Most rivals in the price range with AWD are rather ordinary sedans like the Subaru Legacy. The Legacy is a great car, but not particularly fun to drive (a car I actually have a lot of experience with). The Kizashi AWD offers more for the driver than many other AWD sedans in the price range, I think.
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Black)
Post Reply