Good idea, especially when considering the corner of the headlights. They caught me off guard and I was lucky there was no damage to the Kizashi's tofu paintmurcod wrote:When doing stuff like that I put some vinyl duct tape (50mm wide) over the fender edges where the bar might rub/ scratch. It helps protect the paint from getting damaged.
What Did You Do With Your Kizashi Today?
I'd be more worried about scratching the headlight. It's what happened in my case when I was not watching the fender corner. Using masking tape is a good idea, but make sure to use it in a way so it can be all removed once the headlight is installed.
2025 Mazda CX-50 Preferred Hybrid
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Sold)
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Sold)
I'd say vinyl duct tape would be good for covering the area if you were machining around it like polishing the headlights with a drill. For something like merely covering the corner of the fender while installing the headlight, masking tape will do. In fact, if you're careful, you don't need anything.murcod wrote:Not masking tape - vinyl duct tape. It's a lot thicker and stronger than masking tape.
2025 Mazda CX-50 Preferred Hybrid
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Sold)
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Sold)
KuroNekko wrote: In fact, if you're careful, you don't need anything.
So you'd be someone who should be using it?!KuroNekko wrote:I'd be more worried about scratching the headlight. It's what happened in my case when I was not watching the fender corner.
David
murcod wrote:KuroNekko wrote: In fact, if you're careful, you don't need anything.So you'd someone who should be using it?!KuroNekko wrote:I'd be more worried about scratching the headlight. It's what happened in my case when I was not watching the fender corner.
This is how it happens. I was watching the inside of the headlight and not the outside corner. If you are careful about all sides, you can easily fit the headlight without scratching anything. I think some kind of tape is a good measure as long as you can take it off easily.LPSISRL wrote: One other tip: When putting the headlight assembly back in, make sure that you slide it under the fender. It was easy to not notice that I had slid it over the top of the fender while paying attention to making other parts fit correctly.
Given that I've probably removed and re-installed the headlights more times than anyone here for my LED and HID installations, I learned how to do it carefully now. I accidentally scratched a bit of the outside corner of the headlights one of the first times I was fitting it back on. I'm now more careful.
2025 Mazda CX-50 Preferred Hybrid
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Sold)
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Sold)
I recently completed a 700 mile trip to Ithaca, New York and back by way of State College, Pennsylvania. It was for work and I had the opportunity to take a rental car, but opted to drive my own for this reason: Kizashi.
The Drive Up:
It was off to a shaky start, literally. Before the trip, I had the OE Dunlops rotated and the wheels balanced at a local National Tire and Battery, but by the time I had got to York, PA, I could barely stand the vibrations. The balance/rotation had made it much worse than before. I stopped over at a NTB in Harrisburg, PA and was told that my OE Dunlops were goners and their wear was the cause of the vibration. They were actually shocked that my local store even bothered to rotate them instead of advising new tires. Given that the Harrisburg store did not have any tires in stock, I continued north on the Dunlops but drove cautiously and kept it under 68 MPH which was the speed at which the vibrations got rather annoying. It wasn't all bad though as it saved me from cops hiding in speed traps and kept my fuel economy rather good.
"Ithaca is Gorges":
I got to Ithaca, NY on schedule. I didn't know what to expect given it was my first time to New York State other than to NYC and the surrounding area. Ithaca has a "boring" reputation among young people in the DC area however, I was pleasantly surprised. The place is beautiful and surrounded by great roads for a driving enthusiast or motorcyclist. Hills and country roads surround this little city. Ithaca is also home to gorges and one happens to run right next to Cornell University's campus. While beautiful, it was surrounded by warning signs basically asking people not to kill themselves. Sadly, Ithaca's college students are notorious for a high suicide rate.
On the topic of cars, Ithaca was full of Subarus which I've heard about for Upstate New York. I also saw the worst rust damage I've ever seen on cars in my life. As a Californian, I just wasn't used to it. Some Dodge trucks had their entire fenders eaten away by rust. I guess the harsh winters up there, and the salt needed for them, just destroys these cars. I imagine the new aluminum Ford F-150 must be somewhat of a welcomed vehicle in these parts.
As expected, the trip up to Ithaca was the last journey for the old OE Dunlops. Once up there, I got a new set of tires from a local tire store. I chose the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3.
I also managed to make it up to Ithaca on the tank of gas I got when I started the trip back in Maryland. I was actually able to get around Ithaca for two days on the same tank. By the time I had to refill, my range was over 430 miles on that tank and my fuel economy was an average of 31 MPG (hand calculation). Not bad as it included city driving around Ithaca for two days.
Pennsylvania... home of the Kizashi:
With a fresh tank of gas and four new grippy tires, I set off down to Pennsylvania. My next stop after Ithaca was State College, PA which is basically a city in the middle of nowhere for the sake of a massive public university; Penn State.
I have written before on this forum that an East Coast, USA Kizashi meet should occur somewhere in Pennsylvania and this trip confirmed it. While I spotted 0 in New York, I saw 3 in about 12 hours in Pennsylvania. In fact, while driving by Penn State, there was a silver one parking along a curb, my black one in the middle lane, and a white one in the outer lane. Yup, there was a Kizashi in each lane of traffic, side by side by side. After parking, I protected the clip on my dash cam that I thought captured this moment, but later found out I saved the wrong clip. Blast!
After my business at Penn State, it was time for the last leg of the journey to head home. It was also arguably the most enjoyable. The route home included scenic drives along rivers and also a steep mountain descent. The new Michelins also allowed me to enjoy the roads. At some points, I hit nearly triple-digit speeds but the Kizashi remained stable and confident. The Michelins restored a great amount of fun with the Kizashi that the worn Dunlops had deprived it of over time.
I also made it home back to Maryland on the same tank of gas that I got back in Ithaca. In fact, I had enough left over to get to work and back in DC the next day. By the time I had to refill, I had traveled over 420 miles on the tank. However, my average MPG came to 28; it was the price I paid for enjoying my new Michelins.
Overall, I must say the Kizashi is an excellent cruiser while keeping the fun-factor high in the curves. The car did not fatigue me which is not something I can say with my former cars after driving them a long time. The front of the Kizashi is now plastered in what looks to be the carcasses of 1000 gnats. Hence, I'll be washing it this weekend.
Here's a photo I took of the Kizashi while up in Ithaca, NY. The Dunlops are still on the car at this point.
The Drive Up:
It was off to a shaky start, literally. Before the trip, I had the OE Dunlops rotated and the wheels balanced at a local National Tire and Battery, but by the time I had got to York, PA, I could barely stand the vibrations. The balance/rotation had made it much worse than before. I stopped over at a NTB in Harrisburg, PA and was told that my OE Dunlops were goners and their wear was the cause of the vibration. They were actually shocked that my local store even bothered to rotate them instead of advising new tires. Given that the Harrisburg store did not have any tires in stock, I continued north on the Dunlops but drove cautiously and kept it under 68 MPH which was the speed at which the vibrations got rather annoying. It wasn't all bad though as it saved me from cops hiding in speed traps and kept my fuel economy rather good.
"Ithaca is Gorges":
I got to Ithaca, NY on schedule. I didn't know what to expect given it was my first time to New York State other than to NYC and the surrounding area. Ithaca has a "boring" reputation among young people in the DC area however, I was pleasantly surprised. The place is beautiful and surrounded by great roads for a driving enthusiast or motorcyclist. Hills and country roads surround this little city. Ithaca is also home to gorges and one happens to run right next to Cornell University's campus. While beautiful, it was surrounded by warning signs basically asking people not to kill themselves. Sadly, Ithaca's college students are notorious for a high suicide rate.
On the topic of cars, Ithaca was full of Subarus which I've heard about for Upstate New York. I also saw the worst rust damage I've ever seen on cars in my life. As a Californian, I just wasn't used to it. Some Dodge trucks had their entire fenders eaten away by rust. I guess the harsh winters up there, and the salt needed for them, just destroys these cars. I imagine the new aluminum Ford F-150 must be somewhat of a welcomed vehicle in these parts.
As expected, the trip up to Ithaca was the last journey for the old OE Dunlops. Once up there, I got a new set of tires from a local tire store. I chose the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3.
I also managed to make it up to Ithaca on the tank of gas I got when I started the trip back in Maryland. I was actually able to get around Ithaca for two days on the same tank. By the time I had to refill, my range was over 430 miles on that tank and my fuel economy was an average of 31 MPG (hand calculation). Not bad as it included city driving around Ithaca for two days.
Pennsylvania... home of the Kizashi:
With a fresh tank of gas and four new grippy tires, I set off down to Pennsylvania. My next stop after Ithaca was State College, PA which is basically a city in the middle of nowhere for the sake of a massive public university; Penn State.
I have written before on this forum that an East Coast, USA Kizashi meet should occur somewhere in Pennsylvania and this trip confirmed it. While I spotted 0 in New York, I saw 3 in about 12 hours in Pennsylvania. In fact, while driving by Penn State, there was a silver one parking along a curb, my black one in the middle lane, and a white one in the outer lane. Yup, there was a Kizashi in each lane of traffic, side by side by side. After parking, I protected the clip on my dash cam that I thought captured this moment, but later found out I saved the wrong clip. Blast!
After my business at Penn State, it was time for the last leg of the journey to head home. It was also arguably the most enjoyable. The route home included scenic drives along rivers and also a steep mountain descent. The new Michelins also allowed me to enjoy the roads. At some points, I hit nearly triple-digit speeds but the Kizashi remained stable and confident. The Michelins restored a great amount of fun with the Kizashi that the worn Dunlops had deprived it of over time.
I also made it home back to Maryland on the same tank of gas that I got back in Ithaca. In fact, I had enough left over to get to work and back in DC the next day. By the time I had to refill, I had traveled over 420 miles on the tank. However, my average MPG came to 28; it was the price I paid for enjoying my new Michelins.
Overall, I must say the Kizashi is an excellent cruiser while keeping the fun-factor high in the curves. The car did not fatigue me which is not something I can say with my former cars after driving them a long time. The front of the Kizashi is now plastered in what looks to be the carcasses of 1000 gnats. Hence, I'll be washing it this weekend.
Here's a photo I took of the Kizashi while up in Ithaca, NY. The Dunlops are still on the car at this point.
- 030.JPG (369.1 KiB) Viewed 5386 times
2025 Mazda CX-50 Preferred Hybrid
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Sold)
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Sold)
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sx4rocious
- Posts: 485
- Joined: Mon Jul 22, 2013 8:31 pm
sounds like a great trip! Our first 2 weeks of Kizashi ownership involved a 2000 mile half-cross-country trip from home in Indiana to my daughter's high school graduation in Ardmore, Oklahoma. I must say, I came to the same conclusion as you. The Kizashi is one heluva good cruiser. Glad you enjoyed the trip!
I'll let Pennsylvanians like Ronzuki answer that, but my guess is that PA had great Suzuki dealers while other states did not. The available AWD may have been a selling point too as they get some snow in the winter. I still find it odd that Kizashis aren't that rare in PA while they are hardly seen in bordering states like New York and Maryland.bootymac wrote:Good read, thanks for sharing. The Kizashi is perfect for road trips. Perfect balance of comfort and sporty.
Why is the Kizashi so popular in PA?
I totally agree that the Kizashi is a great road trip car. While its exterior dimensions are a bit small, it doesn't feel cramped inside like a compact car. Unless you are a very tall person, there is space in the rear without having to move up the front seats much at all.
I also want to add that the Rockford Fosgate stereo really kept things rocking while connected with my iPod with nearly 25 GB of music. Whether blasting Mexican Aggrotech while I was pounding down energy drinks or listening to some soothing Antoine Dufour while sipping tea, the stereo is just an excellent companion to a road trip, especially when you're alone.
The combination of the comfortable ride, the great handling, and the great stereo makes it an awesome road trip car.
Lastly, I want to add that the Kizashi's stellar safety is also reassurance while on the road. The Kizashi is really a driver's car.
2025 Mazda CX-50 Preferred Hybrid
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Sold)
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Sold)