Hey all. Thinking about coming back to the club.

[Firefly]

Regarding the Nav unit - you could do better with an aftermarket one. The Kenwood isn't all that.

[murcod]

Regarding the Nav unit - you could do better with an aftermarket one. The Kenwood isn't all that.

My Aussie factory Kenwood appears to be a higher spec than the USA equivalent fit and it's certainly nothing to write home about! The audio quailty is certainly impressive (with upgraded speakers) but the navigation interface isn't the most user friendly and the unit itself can be so slooooooowwww to respond to touch screen inputs at times! I wouldn't be too happy if I'd paid full price for it.

PS: They're only as good as the maps in them too. If they've never been updated then it will cost you $$$ to update them (legally update them, there are other ways).

[sx4rocious]

I found mine through Autotrader and had to drive 350+ miles to get it. Why you ask? Because I wanted a GTS 6MT, it HAD to be red (my wife's car...) and it had to be pretty loaded minus leather (we both hate leather..) I actually got the financing done though my bank and brought a cahier's check with me for $13,500 out the door (it was a 2010 with 22,000 miles) If I were in you're shoes, I would low-ball the crap out of them to the tune of like a $9,000 as/is first offer and then employ a reputable detail shop to tackle the stench. They just might settle for low 10's just to keep from having to deal with the proble themselves. Even if it costs you $1500 to de-stink the car, you're money ahead. I once almost bought an nearly new Dodge carivan for $5000 off the asking price because there were a great deal of coffee grounds spilled into the carpet. (BTW, those of us in law enforcement know what coffee grounds signify in larger cargo vehicles )

[Ehibb034]

they have recently lowered the car to 12,600 on their website now. My advantage here is that they haven't listed the car on any major websites that I can find. It was on auto trader but they took it down the day after I left and they never reposted the ad to AT or an equivalent. I am most likely the only consumer who knows the car exists at this point. They did say that they got the smell out of the car. I will be back soon to "re-sniff" the vehicle. I am going to show up un-announced so they don't have a chance to whore bath it and hide the smell. I am going to offer 11,900 and see where that goes. I won't pay over 12.

[Ehibb034]

anything i should be worried about with a 33k mileage used manual Kizashi?

[KuroNekko]

anything i should be worried about with a 33k mileage used manual Kizashi?

Rear shocks. I took mine in this morning and the dealership verified that they were both goners. Getting replaced tomorrow under warranty.
There is a TSB on them. If you get a Kizashi (regardless of trans or AWD) keep a keen ear on the rear suspension noise and watch for rear shock oil leaks. It looks like the rear shock mounts have a faulty design that causes premature failure. My car is just at 21,000 miles.
At 33K, you are close to the warranty expiration for things like shocks.

Other than that, the manual trans Kizashi is solid. I love mine. If you can drive a stick and don't need to worry about snow, get the manual.

[Ehibb034]

So after my last post about the awd vs fwd I have narrowed this car aearch to the kiz or the mitsu lancer ralliart. Both have thire pros and cons. For comparisons the mpg may be fairly similar. The ralliart has a huge power advantage and awd advantage over the kiz, but no manual option and it ia significantly more expensive. 21500 fully loaded used. The styling is very nice but it doesn't quite pop like the kiz. The kiz is cheaper but only gets like 2 mpg better and is some 3 seconds slower. But I can get a manual however the fiance can't drive it. I would save over 11k with the kiz but the mitsubishi woild have nav and leather as well as only 9k miles vs 33k miles. I fell like I may be bored with the kiz performance compared to the ralliart, but for my economy minded self 11k in savings would easily put that in the rearview mirror. Surely I'm not the only person to cross shop these. What does the club think? I know the mitsu is popular with the aussies...any input from that contingency?

[KuroNekko]

Get the Mitsu if you want performance and an auto with AWD. After all, it's a mild turbo and has a real auto with gears, not a power-sucking CVT.

However, the car will not nearly be as refined or as comfortable as a Kizashi. I think it will wear on you after a while. The Lancer is chintzy compared to the Kizashi in both ride and build quality. I was in one just yesterday (I'm helping my co-worker who is shopping for a Mitsu Outlander Sport so I've been riding in a few Mitsubishi's lately).

While the Ralliart will be better in engine performance because of the turbo, you're going to have to use premium fuel for it unlike the Kizashi. Not only is the car more expensive to purchase, it will be costlier to operate, maintain, and insure all thanks to the glorious turbo.
Basically, I see it like this:

Lancer Ralliart:
Pros:
- Turbo power
- AWD
- Automatic that does not suck

Cons:
- Chintzy car compared to Kizashi; Less refined, less comfortable, noisier than Kizashi.
- More expensive in every way; price, fuel, maintenance, and insurance
- No manual offered at all for Ralliart


Kizashi:
Pros:
- Comfort and refinement while handling well
- Runs on regular fuel and overall lower cost.
- Manual offered

Cons:
- Lack of power compared to turbo cars
- AWD only with CVT
- Suzuki no longer in North America while Mitsubishi is (for now at least).


Personally, I would go with a Subaru WRX any day over a Ralliart. Only when it comes to an Evo does Mitsubishi have a chance against Subaru in any product to compare; SUV to compacts.

[sx4rocious]

Think of it this way.....

What can you get for the $11K difference?
Here's a few suggestions:
RRM turbo kit $4,500 est. and you'll have the Rallyart power (not to mention the only turbo Kizzy in the club that I know of...)
Newer 20" wheels and tires $3,000 est. for a good 3pc racing and sticky rubber
BBK $2,500 (at least for the SX4, I'm assuming it'll fit the Kizzy too)
Coil-overs $1,100 (again for the Tien set made for the SX4)

It will have at least AS MUCH power as the Rallyart, if not more, and asside form the AWD, will most likely out perfome the Mistu in every way. Another plus would be the simple rarity of the Suzuki against the Mitsu, the HUGE size difference, the reliability ( I have yet to hear anything good about a rallyart honestly) and the general appeal of the Kizzy. I have always liked the Lancer's looks, but there is just something elegant and beautiful about a Kizashi.....

In the end, it is your car. Although flattering, the club's oppinion shouldn't matter. Plus, ten years ago, I taught my Fiance to drive a stick on an old VW Corrado. Now, she won't have anything else..... The Kizzy is actually hers and I drove a SX4..

[Ehibb034]

In terms of the Ralliart reliability VS the Kizashi reliability; if I were to strap a turbo on a non turbo car, I would imagine the reliability would go way down on the Kiz! I have been on a few mitsu forums and I have read quite a few praises for the Ralliarts reliability. That said, you both are absolutely right, the Ralliart will cost way more to run. Between gas and just more expensive oil changes to the SST transmission fluid, the car is downright more expensive.

This is the first manual KIZ I have seen available in my area in the last year and a half. Even when I bought my first auto KIZ before the dealer crashed it, there were no manuals available. The differences here are that the deal on the Ralliart is quite impressive and the mileage is very low compared to the Kiz. The Kiz is 33k miles while the ralliart has 7,000 miles. I would consider this a new car almost. The ralliart can be sold at 22,000 and new it stickered for about 31 when it was sold last year.

No question on the interior of the kizashi being nicer. The ralliart I am looking at has the upgraded interior which includes heated leather, sunroof, and the Rockford fosgate system. This does make the ralliart much more liveable. It also adds better lighting and rain sensing wipers which amenities wise put it on par with the SLS minus power seats and why the hell does a 31k car not have a telescoping wheel???
It's a pretty tough decision I have to say. This would be the first auto car I've owned not counting the week I had my KIZ. Driving auto in the ralliart was amazing with that trans so I didn't mind. However, I just love me some stick shifting. 11,000 dollars is a huge number but its hard to say which is better bc the ralliart is almost new and the kiz is not. Plus the resale value of the Kiz is dismal at best. The resale on the Rally's is fairly decent despite this one being heavily discounted for some reason. Similar cars are selling for about 27k used. I need to investigate that.