Kizashi a Hipster Car???

Anything related to the Kizashi can go here, but please look at the other headings first. Your topic may fit better under something else.
Sluggo
Posts: 134
Joined: Fri Nov 30, 2012 11:47 pm

Merkur= one car two spoilers. I thought they looked kinda good at the time, especially the interior.
______________________________________________________
pakizzie2015
Posts: 73
Joined: Tue Nov 24, 2015 8:52 pm

KuroNekko wrote:
Sluggo wrote:
Yeah, I'm sure you are right the hipsters will be gone and I don't even know what a emos are. I thought it was a big bird.
I think it would be hard to pick a car that has lost as must value as the Kizashi. As much as I like mine I regret buying it.
As dependable as it has been I'm concerned when I take it on a trip. No matter how reliable a car is it can always break down.

What happens if that break down is in a state that had very few Suzuki dealers and no real service now.
I'm afraid the Kizashi is a car with the draw backs of an exotic but the prestige of an economy car.
To start, these are emos. I am sure you saw them around several years ago. I think a lot of them became hipsters as the pop culture evolved.
Image

Now, in regards to the Kizashi:
I personally don't have the worries about the Kizashi like you do. I think it's a solid car with good reliability and I don't really worry about it. It hasn't given me reason to. As people have discussed here, the Kizashi's technological age is also its strength. The engine technology is a bit old but it's proven. Without direct injection, turbocharging, or other newer technologies, the Kizashi is simpler and most will make it into high mileage on regular maintenance. As for the transmissions, the manual is very reliable so unless one really doesn't know how to drive, the only things that wear out is the clutch and related components at high mileage. As for the CVT, it's a newer technology that many people have doubts about. However, the Kizashi's CVT unit is one of the more reliable ones and problems aren't too common. The unit is also shared with Mitsubishi vehicles like the Outlander and Outlander Sport which have above-average reliability according to Consumer Reports and others. So while there is always a possibility of a breakdown, the Kizashi isn't a vehicle prone to it. In fact, it's technically a rather good car with few issues. There are many bigger name manufacturers who have far more serious issues with their new models.

Another thing is that the Kizashi is really that not special as in technically unique. Exotics tend to be rare, expensive, and require special service only from authorized service dealers. One cannot even change the oil themselves in a McLaren as it requires special tools to even access it. The Kizashi is rare, but the serviceability is quite universal. Unless a specific part breaks and needs replacement, I don't think we're necessarily at the mercy of Suzuki service locations. I literally visited my local Suzuki service center only twice in the 3.5 years I've owned my car. I've used online Suzuki parts dealers to buy Kizashi accessories more than anything.

In essence, I think the Kizashi makes for an excellent vehicle to own and drive into high mileage without really worrying. It's reliable, refined, comfortable, and very affordable. It doesn't use complicated or bespoke technology so one isn't very dependent on a service dealer. It's rare like an exotic, but isn't a high-maintenance and costly machine like one. Mine gets by very well on just routine maintenance I do myself. Yeah, resale value is dismal but think about what most people paid for theirs. I bought mine practically new (1 year old, 7,500 miles) for 9 grand off MSRP. I paid base model Yaris money for a Kizashi Sport GTS. F*ck yeah! With many cars, its intrinsic value can't often be reflected to a fair cash value given the rather arbitrary depreciation rates. The Kizashi's resale value is very low because of low demand and not because of technical aspects. I like to value cars in terms of how much it means to me; what I get vs. what I paid. In that regard, I think the Kizashi is among the best. It's a lot of solid car for not much money.

Again thank you for boosting my thoughts about my 2011 kizzie gts awd.. I have constant doubts but your words bring comfort to me.. I to as before fear the break down driving the car on vacation this summer.. from NE PA to Wildwood NJ in the Dead HEAT of JULY.. I have the car since the beginning of October and to be honest don't drive it as much as I though I would have because we didn't have the winter I was expecting. So I drove my tried and true Pontiac G5. that to be honest I never drive in the winter. however since there was no snow or salt for the most part, I drove it instead.. So I will think about taking the kizashi to NJ this summer and just enjoy the nice ride.. I hope the car will go on for over 100,000 miles with out any issue.. except normal oil changes and tires.. but who knows.. I bet it is better than most amerian cars that seem to fall apart long before they need to.. from what you have said before this is a Pure Japanese car. and well built... thanks again
User avatar
KuroNekko
Posts: 5170
Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2012 5:08 pm
Location: California, USA

pakizzie2015 wrote:
Again thank you for boosting my thoughts about my 2011 kizzie gts awd.. I have constant doubts but your words bring comfort to me.. I to as before fear the break down driving the car on vacation this summer.. from NE PA to Wildwood NJ in the Dead HEAT of JULY.. I have the car since the beginning of October and to be honest don't drive it as much as I though I would have because we didn't have the winter I was expecting. So I drove my tried and true Pontiac G5. that to be honest I never drive in the winter. however since there was no snow or salt for the most part, I drove it instead.. So I will think about taking the kizashi to NJ this summer and just enjoy the nice ride.. I hope the car will go on for over 100,000 miles with out any issue.. except normal oil changes and tires.. but who knows.. I bet it is better than most amerian cars that seem to fall apart long before they need to.. from what you have said before this is a Pure Japanese car. and well built... thanks again
No problem. I am happy to supply pro-Kizashi propaganda, but I truly believe the Kizashi is a solid car and have no reservations about its durability. I drive it long distances every time I get a chance and occasionally take out-of-state business trips with it. I drove it from Jersey City, NJ to DC the day I took it home from the dealership. Since, I've taken a number of trips including trips from DC to Ithaca, NY and DC to Durham, NC via longer scenic routes (The Blue Ridge Parkway is amazing). The Kizashi is great because it's not only a comfortable highway cruiser, but also a nimble car that's rewarding to drive in the curves. Well-built Japanese cars like the Kizashi soak up the odometer mileage well so I'm not very concerned about long term durability. Real Suzukis are well-built, durable cars. Many Americans often associate Japanese quality with Toyotas and Hondas, but having owned a number of the smaller Japanese brands like Suzuki, Mitsubishi, Mazda, and Subaru, I think they are far more similar in quality than most Americans think. Suzuki vehicles are all over the place in their home country of Japan and are a trusted name there, especially with ultra-compacts which Suzuki specializes in. My advice is to just enjoy the car and not to worry so much. Its lack of popularity doesn't equate to a lack of quality. Just keep up with the maintenance and I expect the Kizashi to serve you well without costing very much.
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Black)
krell
Posts: 235
Joined: Mon Jul 15, 2013 9:14 am
Location: New York

Been to Tampa two times in my Kizashi will be back on the road this June or July to Tampa, next weekend will be in Lancaster PA for the make a wish Mother's Day Truck Convoy , don't let my Kizashi sit there on weekends and get lazy.
Open your eyes, look within. Are you satisfied with the life you're living?
User avatar
FrankoLaMoya
Posts: 329
Joined: Mon Dec 03, 2012 10:27 pm
Location: Moncton

Took a few 4-5 hours drive with mine...never had any issue. I am currently at 61 000 km (2-3 wear and tear repairs that's it).

Japanese built...I am pretty sure you won't be having any major issue before 100 000 km like a lot of other car manufacturers (Audi, Jeep, Dodge, Chevrolet, Mercedes-Benz, Ford, BMW). I hear a lot of ''horror stories/failure'' before 100 000 km from those brands, but not Suzuki...
2012 Suzuki Kizashi Sport iAWD CVT ''Kaijū'' (Black pearl metallic)

Priors:
2004 Audi A4 Quattro 1.8T 6MT ''Audini'' (Black)
1999 Audi A4 Quattro 2.8 AT (Dark green)
1984 Chevrolet Malibu 3MT with a 327 engine lol (Blue)
1996 Acura Integra 5MT (Black)
Fritz2
Posts: 153
Joined: Sun Mar 29, 2015 3:53 am

When I was in college, I used to troll the Lincoln-Mercury lot looking at the Mercurs. Did you know the manual version had 20-25 more stated hp than the automatic? I wanted one badly. Guess that's why I got a Celica Gt when I graduated! Anyway, took care of those repressed Mercur desires when I bought the Kizashi!
Post Reply