Kizi Vs Vauxhall Cascada
Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2015 2:13 pm
As you may be aware, I just traded in my Kizi along with my wife's car and bought a large convertible, the Cascada. This will also be available in the U.S. under the Buick brand I believe. Of course, your engine and gearbox range will probably be different. The C.E.O. of Vauxhall wants to turn the brand around in the UK, and this is his first step. He has said that the cars aren't the problem, it's the badge. You see, Vauxhall are not known as bad car in the UK, they are just seen as a bid boring. The Cascada certainly isn't. It's a large soft top, that is a little larger than the Audi A5, and indeed the BMW 4 series. It is a stunning looking car, and can be mistaken for a Merc quite easily. I have lived with the Cascada for a day now, and have done a variety of different types of driving. My car is the elite 2 ltr manual diesel (165 bhp and 238 lb torque), with the upgraded 20" inch wheels and sat nav. The list price is £30,600 ($45,000) against the Kizi which had a list price of £23,000 ($34,000). Needless to say, I didn't pay either of these prices, although the Cascada cost me a lot more. You may be mistaken for thinking that they are not a close comparison, but you would be wrong. The Cascada is NOT a sports car, it is a large luxury saloon/sedan, only has a soft top.
PERFORMANCE
On paper the Kizi is about half a second faster. I would say that is about right, albeit in 3rd and 4th gear the Cascada is particularly gutsy. Where the Kizi is particularly quick is from 50 to 100, and the Cascada would not be able to cope with this in an outright race. As expected, I would give the 2.4 petrol engine of the Kizi this round, but believe me, the Cascada is no slouch.
ECONOMY
Taking the initial purchase price out of the equation, the Cascada wins this one hands down. I had a really horrible drive back last night, and was either doing 2 mph or 80 mph, but still achieved 53 mpg. It would not be hard at all to get over 60 mpg on a good run. The UK road tax is also half the price on the Cascada, although the insurance is about the same. UK road tax is based on emissions.
REFINEMENT & EQUIPMENT
This is a close one to call. The Cascada does not have front parking sensors, electric seats, folding mirrors, or 4 wheel drive, however it does have a sat nav, a seat belt presenter, a dab radio, retractable roof, and can be personalised to a far greater degree using the on board computer. To be honest, I would call this one a draw.
GENERAL DRIVING EXPERIENCE
This is a hard one. The Kizi had a CVT box with a petrol engine, and the Cascada is a 6 speed manual with a diesel engine. I believe there is very little difference between the overall enjoyment obtained from the power units. Of course, they are quite different though. Both cars are head turners, and both are rarely seen, in fact I still haven't seen another Cascada on the road yet. The ride is excellent in both, because both cars have an excellent suspension set up, and both corner beautifully. Where the Cascada edges it is the quality of the interior. The leather is certainly superior, and the dash looks a lot better with it's leather top and chunky stitching. The ambient lighting also makes the car feel quite classy. Of course, the Kizi being an out and out saloon/sedan has more space in the boot and the cabin.
It's to early for me to tell you which one I prefer, but after one day of owning a Cascada I thought I would share my initial thoughts.
Can I please remind any UK members that I still have K15ASY on retention, and it is for sale. [email protected]
PERFORMANCE
On paper the Kizi is about half a second faster. I would say that is about right, albeit in 3rd and 4th gear the Cascada is particularly gutsy. Where the Kizi is particularly quick is from 50 to 100, and the Cascada would not be able to cope with this in an outright race. As expected, I would give the 2.4 petrol engine of the Kizi this round, but believe me, the Cascada is no slouch.
ECONOMY
Taking the initial purchase price out of the equation, the Cascada wins this one hands down. I had a really horrible drive back last night, and was either doing 2 mph or 80 mph, but still achieved 53 mpg. It would not be hard at all to get over 60 mpg on a good run. The UK road tax is also half the price on the Cascada, although the insurance is about the same. UK road tax is based on emissions.
REFINEMENT & EQUIPMENT
This is a close one to call. The Cascada does not have front parking sensors, electric seats, folding mirrors, or 4 wheel drive, however it does have a sat nav, a seat belt presenter, a dab radio, retractable roof, and can be personalised to a far greater degree using the on board computer. To be honest, I would call this one a draw.
GENERAL DRIVING EXPERIENCE
This is a hard one. The Kizi had a CVT box with a petrol engine, and the Cascada is a 6 speed manual with a diesel engine. I believe there is very little difference between the overall enjoyment obtained from the power units. Of course, they are quite different though. Both cars are head turners, and both are rarely seen, in fact I still haven't seen another Cascada on the road yet. The ride is excellent in both, because both cars have an excellent suspension set up, and both corner beautifully. Where the Cascada edges it is the quality of the interior. The leather is certainly superior, and the dash looks a lot better with it's leather top and chunky stitching. The ambient lighting also makes the car feel quite classy. Of course, the Kizi being an out and out saloon/sedan has more space in the boot and the cabin.
It's to early for me to tell you which one I prefer, but after one day of owning a Cascada I thought I would share my initial thoughts.
Can I please remind any UK members that I still have K15ASY on retention, and it is for sale. [email protected]