Kizashi Club

How did I end up with a Kizashi?

I tend to keep cars for a long time. I had a 1996 Maxima GV which served me well. Initially I had only a few requirements for a new car, ….. 4 cylinder, “above average” acceleration, ULP, leather seats and a manual. I was not too keen on a “common” looking car and I would take note of the country of origin.

As I had plenty of time, I looked at many cars, Hyundais, Renaults, Subarus, Fords, Hondas, Mazdas, Toyotas, Nissans, Holden (GM) and even had a look at the Audi (A3 and A4). I heard about the Kizashi which came out in Australia in May. The more I looked at it the better it seemed to be. I read all the blogs, paying particular attention to what the actual owners said, taking only a passing interest on what the professionals wrote (as they can come with a lot of baggage). The owners feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with the exception of a few that unfortunately had a problem with the paint work chipping. Mine (and the overwhelming majority of owners) show no such problems. The car is eye catching and absolutely loaded with features. I chose an XLS CVT demo and saved over $5 000.

What factors brought me to decide on a Kizashi??

Firstly, this is Japanese designed and made, with the full weight of Suzuki’s racing pedigree brought to bear, in what is a white hot and widely contested market segment. VW owns part of Suzuki. That is good breeding to start with. Suzuki are world leaders in motorcycle and outboard technology. They have come on in leaps and bounds in the small car segment. When they turned their attention to the mid sized market, they simply couldn’t afford to go in with a dud. All the indications, in my opinion, are that they haven’t.

Secondly (and most importantly), there is a lot that is not obvious and showy about the car. Tell me any other car in the class that has a forged crankshaft, a timing chain (not a belt), aluminium pistons with low tensile force rings, forged connecting rods, balance shafts, hydraulic valve lifters and coil-over ignition. Add to that, a multi-link fully independent suspension. No semi-trailing arms or torsion beams to be seen. You wont one any car. It doesn’t have world beating acceleration not helped by its weight, but it is certainly “above average” and more than adequate in my books.

Thirdly the features ticked all the boxes for me. Keyless entry, sunroof, fantastic sound system, CVT with paddles, heated seats, efficient dual zone aircon, economy, airbags everywhere, stability-traction-cruise control, electric seats, rain sensing wipers etc etc. I initially preferred manual as I wanted to keep my double declutching skills current, but I was won over, in short time, by the CVT and paddles.

Finally the driving experience. So so good on the road. It corners well, makes little noise, is peppy and is eye catching (with the lines being just a little bit on the edgy side).

Bottom line?, I am of the opinion that this car is a good performer, a pleasure to drive and is better engineered than anything in its category and price level. Being not so young, I can clearly recall the contempt with which the first Japanese cars were regarded as they first encroached on the Australasian market in the 60’s (which consisted of Fords, Holdens, Austins, Morris etc). For years, most people wouldn’t acknowledge the value that these early Japanese cars presented, even though with the benefit of hindsight, it was as obvious as the nose on your face. It took probably ten years for most people to reluctantly concede they may have been wrong but they would counter with words along the lines of “Yeah OK, but they cant make trucks!”.. How stupid did that rejoinder turn out to be?

I have a sense that the Kizashi is in a similar situation as it attempts to muscle in on the mid size market. It is a quality product, but faces widespread suspicion and scepticism.

Of course, any “newcomer on the block” faces a mountain to simply gain a toehold in the midsize market. While the longest journey begins with a single step, I feel the Kizashi is well up the mountain already.

I do however remain somewhat luke warm about the effectiveness of the (current) marketing of the vehicle, but I do understand the complexities involved and acknowledge I am not a marketing expert.

My advice to anyone in the market for a well engineered, midsize car, would be to check all the blogs of current Kizashi owners, and then go and test drive it with an open mind. You might be pleasantly surprised.

The Kizashi is not for everyone (no car ever is) but I am very happy my choice. I would be interested in how others arrived at their decision.

I agree with most of what you have written except for the CVT. I've driven several of them and I just don't care for them.

I would add only two things. The first, a positive, is the three-year ownership of a 5 spd Reno, a good car. The second, a negative, is that when I went to my Kia dealer (wife drives a 10 Forte Koup) and told them what I wanted in a Manual, they said "No, we don't have any, they don't sell...". Would they be getting any? No.

So, I went on-line and found a base "S" model, 6 spd manual, about 50 miles south of here in Bradenton (Boast Suzuki). This car just felt right from the first minute I sat in it. The test-drive went well, and I bought the car. The only problem with it is that the rattle discussed in another thread here is present in mine too. After an attempt at getting it fixed, I'm pretty sure it never will be fixed. Other than this one thing, the car is perfect.

no rattles in mine. tight as a drum. and pretty much agree with everything op said. quality product. hopefully it'll last till the end of time =D

OP has it right in my book. Personally I really wasn't into buying a new vehicle, but my Jeep had been problematic and would continue to be. It would never have earned my trust as a replacement trail rig for the Samurai. I will miss having that type of vehicle as a DD, but the stars lined up perfectly for me to end up w/ the Kizashi this year. Price , value, year end incentives on the 2010s and the $$ shown for my trade all did it for me. The fact that it is AWD is a given, wouldn't have even considered it if it wasn't. The wife's SX4 is a great little car, and I figured I would go for something that my family of 5 would fit into a little better when needed. Vitara doesn't do anything for me and espeacially for the $$. This is my fifth zuk, so the brand is not a problem for me as long as they're Japenese built. The only other car I would have considered was a Ford Fusion, which is a solid, very nice car. However, it couldn't hold a candle to the zuk's value. Long term, who knows, but I've had terrific luck since 1986 with Suzukis.

In short, the Jeep's lack of integrity was the real underlying motive for the change, and I just happen to like the Kizashi's looks and features.

As for me, I've owned some nice cars in my time, but I just got to the point where I was just after my needs and not my wants when it came to a vehicle. The type of car I was looking for was an AWD sedan that got decent gas mileage or maybe even a small cheap suv like a tribute or a Rav4. I was considering the subaru legacy as well. Anyhow, I came across the Kizashi, and not only did it meet my expectations, but it exceeded. I was impressed with the amount of thought and engineering behind the car for such a great price, and I love the look of the car as well. Once I made up my mind, I was after an SE Kizashi, but ended spending a little more and getting the GTS. I love the fact that it has AWD and can't wait for it to snow. I use to dread snow, but now I can wait to drive this little tank in the snow. Other than that, when I'm inside it, I feel like I'm driving an Acura or a small mercedes or BMW. I think the quality is that good. I can most certainly afford to drive a Mercedes or BMW, but I am not a brand oriented person and I can careless what people think because of what I am driving isn't of the brand that is related to higher status. I appreciate fine engineering and good products and that's exactly what the Kizashi is. Ya just can't find an AWD sedan, with good gas mileage, all the equipment ya find in a luxury car, and a ride quality that is a mix between sport and luxury, dual exhaust, 18 inch wheels, good warranty, etc. It's simply a great car for the price.

2010 AWD Kizashi GTS

I was kind of hooked the minute I saw the first ad in Car and Driver. They put a small postcard with a picture of a Silver SLS and I loved it. A month or 2 later they had a full page ad, same picture and that was about the time we were think about another car (the convertible gets stored for the winter months). SO, seeing as it was her turn for the new car I asked my wife if she wanted to get an AWD car and she was instantly on board. Just to be fair we looked around at a few SUVs (Hyundai, KIA, Ford etc ), then we looked as Subaru and finally the Susuki as the last stop and after a test drive the decision was made.
Given all the extras this car has, it seemed like a no brainer. And the car has class to boot.
So far we are very very happy with this car, and driving thru the 16-20 inches of snow already down this year only helps to reinforce that feeling.

I had decided that my smart convertible was going to get traded for something a little larger for my long daily commute. I had originally had set my sights on a Corolla. I drove and liked the corolla, although it was a touch 'cheaper' inside than i had thought it would be. Not bad, bit not outstanding.
In doing some more research, i decided to check out the Kia Forte. I am no stranger to Suzuki, since i have a 2009 SX4 touring 5 speed AWD, which is my wifes winter ride. I like that car so much i decided to look at an automatic version for my commute(lots of stop and go, stick is a PITA).
So, i went to the dealer that i got her SX4 from, and told them what i was looking for. The salesman asked "What about a Kizashi"? Now, i had been following the Kizashi, and although i really thought it a nice car, I also thought it to be too far above the price i was looking to spend(between 16-17K). Then he showed me an ad they were running for a Kizashi AWD for $18,999. He suggested i drive one to see what i thought, so i decided to drive one.
Well, that's pretty much all it took to convince me. The Kiazashi was so much MORE car than anything i was considering, PLUS it was AWD, PLUS i got another $1,000 off in owner loyalty money, making my price $17,999. They only had one car, and it was white. I told him i really didn't want white, so he agreed to get a platinum one from another dealer. We agreed on a number for my smart, and i did the deal.

I came from a VW to the Kizashi. I test drove a number of other cars, but eliminated them for various reasons. I looked at the sonata (great acceleration and mileage), but didn't like all the stuff I was reading about QC issues. I looked at Subaru (great reliability IMO), but did not care for the styling - looked kinda ugly inside and out, and the seats were on the soft side.

In the end, my only reservation on the kizashi was the dealer network. I decided to take a chance though, since I think it will be a reliable car. IMO, the interior ergonomics and handling are far superior to anything in its class. I had driven a ford fusion on the same day I purchased the Kizashi, and there was a world of difference, especially in handling and braking.

I loved my VW, but the $$$ for even minor repairs was totally unreasonable. I thought the kizashi offered a VW-like feel, in terms of interior ergonomics and quality, while hopefully being cheaper to operate. I know that it was extremely cheap to buy

Years ago, my ex and I owned a Samurai. It was crude, slow, painful to drive, and the bumpers were like tissue paper. But, it could really take abuse otherwise, and was easy to fix. So even with all that, I am pleasantly disposed to the brand.

Bob '10 Kizashi SE

Thanks for the topic. I started looking at the Accord and Camry and just thought they were too big. I tried the mazda 6 and the Suburu Legacy. The Legacy fit most of what I was looking for but the ride was a bit loose and the styling a bit bland. I liked the idea of AWD on the Legacy because I live in upstate NY. I had a Jeep Liberty and used the 4 wheel drive often. At one of the dealers they had a Kizashi out front. I thought wow nice looking car. Not many Suzukis around so I did not have them on my radar. Went home and looked it up online. Great reviews and like said before owners loved it. I really wanted a sportier midsize car with AWD that was smaller than the Camry and the Kasashi hit all buttons. I went back and test drove the Kasashi. The ride was awesome. It held the road and just felt right. This car is very fun to drive. I bought a CVT SE to get the AWD. I agree with all of the upscale features for such a good price this was a great deal. I have 4500 miles on it now and can't wait to drive it every day. It handles better than my Jeep in the snow!

NY Kiz - I agree about the size of the vehicle. One of the things that turned me off about the Sonata was that it felt quite large to me (seats felt bigger too). I'm 5'10", 170, and I felt a bit like I was swimming in the Sonata.

Gotta give another plug to the ergonomics. When I test drove the car, everything seemed very self evident to me. No manual needed for almost everything (one exception was how to browse by artisit on my ipod). Suzuki deserves kudos for this.

Bob