Saying goodbye to Kiza

Anything related to the Kizashi can go here, but please look at the other headings first. Your topic may fit better under something else.
User avatar
KuroNekko
Posts: 5170
Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2012 5:08 pm
Location: California, USA

motosonic wrote:My apologies, I should have been more clear. I didn't mean to hate on the Mazda. It's an ok car, but the times I drove it, I just wasn't impressed at all. Just my opinion. I was merely trying to say that in a comparison between the mentioned vehicles, I don't really feel it stacks up.. Sometimes my Jarhead mouth takes over and leaves tact behind, lol. I get the point about how the WRX isn't really an Impreza anymore.. but, We'll just have to agree to disagree on that one. LOL If I'm going to drop that kinda cash on a vehicle, I feel like I'd want something either more capable, like a Wrangler or something more luxurious. Because to me, that's a lot of money to drop on a car and frankly it doesn't 'feel' like a car that's demanding that kind of money. But, I've been told I have unusual taste.
If you think the WRX is a bad value but the Jeep Wrangler is worth its prices, then we might as well be on different planets. To me, the WRX is a performance bargain and that's largely stemming from what you complain about: it's not rooted in an expensive vehicle design. If the complaint is that it has roots in an economy car, then I get the argument given vehicles like the WRX and Evo were born as heavily modified version of economy compact sedans. However their actual performance quickly disintegrates any sort of valid sentiments they are just Imprezas or Lancers. If anything, these are high performance vehicles that aren't packaged and priced like pretentious brand tokens.

As for the Wrangler, it's an overpriced one-trick pony to me. It's fantastic at offroading (and maintaining a strong resale value) and that's about it. It's among the worst vehicles for anything else ranging from reliability, crash safety, handling, fuel efficiency, etc. It's amazing how many people who don't even drive off pavement admire the vehicle given the reality of it. It's a vehicle that relies greatly on emotional, not rational, appeal to sell. While it has its legions of dedicated offroading fans (and earned it), the reality is that those around to world who actually offroad out of necessity and duty seldom seek it. People who need to traverse the most remote and hostile terrains on the planet safely and reliably don't count on Jeep very much.

Going back to the Kizashi, I share the sentiment many have here that the Kizashi will be hard to replace with full satisfaction. To me, it was simply an astonishing package for the price one could attain it for, especially used. To this day, I have a hard time thinking about any car worth letting go of the Kizashi for that would check off all the boxes. While the WRX is one that is appealing, it simply doesn't have the same reliability or refinement that I need given I often drive my personal vehicle not only to and from work but for work. Hence, I'll likely hang on to my Kizashi for a very long time and then replace it with a totally different kind of vehicle like an electrified SUV. Given I recently moved, I was reminded by my brother's KIA Sorrento how much more utility and space there is to a vehicle like that over a sedan.
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Black)
Post Reply