The Kizzy makes top list for Teens (Again)

[SamirD]

The benefits to a teen would definitely be the very high ranked safety scores (Top Safety Pick +) and available electronic aids.

And benefits to the parents would be the very limited modification capability.

[Trailboss]

The downside to making it a car for a teen is the inevitable body damage from a newbie driver...I can imagine that with the pull out from the USA, it would be an expensive choice in a market with scarce parts...but then a teen could drive a Franken-Zuki.

[SamirD]

The downside to making it a car for a teen is the inevitable body damage from a newbie driver...I can imagine that with the pull out from the USA, it would be an expensive choice in a market with scarce parts...but then a teen could drive a Franken-Zuki.

If I was a parent, I'd have a 'you broke it, you buy it policy' on repairs.

[Trailboss]

The downside to making it a car for a teen is the inevitable body damage from a newbie driver...I can imagine that with the pull out from the USA, it would be an expensive choice in a market with scarce parts...but then a teen could drive a Franken-Zuki.

If I was a parent, I'd have a 'you broke it, you buy it policy' on repairs.

Right there with you, Hoss...but I think we are in the minority on that.

[bmw&kizzyownr]

Even with 180hp, the Kizashi still weighs in the neighborhood of 3300lbs. It's hardly a dangerous race-car.

With the CVT and AWD, it does 0-60 in over 9 seconds which these days is somewhere between "barely getting out of its own way" and grass growing. By comparison, the 2012 V6 Camry could do 0-60 in about 5.8 seconds.

The benefits to a teen would definitely be the very high ranked safety scores (Top Safety Pick +) and available electronic aids.

Agree with you "almost" 100%. However, I'm somewhat mixed on the "available electronic aids". You can get a Kizzy with a self dimming rear view mirror, rear view camera, and rear sonar, etc. which weren't available on most ""reasonably"" priced vehicles during the time the Kizzy was manufactured. However, electronic/safety systems/aids like cross traffic alert system, blind spot monitoring, pre collision system, radar cruise control, lane departure alert, automatic high beams, and a host of others are not available on our cars but are available in the new car market. True, everyone has their opinions on the relative worth of each system and you would need to pay more (or much more) for a vehicle with their availability. Still...

Don't get me wrong. I love my Kizzy & agree with you that it would be a good car for teens (safety, available options, electronic aids, etc) but the competition also offers vehicles with many features that would be attractive to teens... just not at the price you can get the Kizzy for. I think that's my main point. A used Kizzy offers the buyer, whether teens or anyone else, a lot of vehicle (which also handles superbly) at a price point well below the competition. IMHO, "price point' is the key to it's relative worth in comparison to other choices.

[SamirD]

The downside to making it a car for a teen is the inevitable body damage from a newbie driver...I can imagine that with the pull out from the USA, it would be an expensive choice in a market with scarce parts...but then a teen could drive a Franken-Zuki.

If I was a parent, I'd have a 'you broke it, you buy it policy' on repairs.

Right there with you, Hoss...but I think we are in the minority on that.

Probably not when it comes to the Kizashi!

Agree with you "almost" 100%. However, I'm somewhat mixed on the "available electronic aids". You can get a Kizzy with a self dimming rear view mirror, rear view camera, and rear sonar, etc. which weren't available on most ""reasonably"" priced vehicles during the time the Kizzy was manufactured. However, electronic/safety systems/aids like cross traffic alert system, blind spot monitoring, pre collision system, radar cruise control, lane departure alert, automatic high beams, and a host of others are not available on our cars but are available in the new car market. True, everyone has their opinions on the relative worth of each system and you would need to pay more (or much more) for a vehicle with their availability. Still...

Don't get me wrong. I love my Kizzy & agree with you that it would be a good car for teens (safety, available options, electronic aids, etc) but the competition also offers vehicles with many features that would be attractive to teens... just not at the price you can get the Kizzy for. I think that's my main point. A used Kizzy offers the buyer, whether teens or anyone else, a lot of vehicle (which also handles superbly) at a price point well below the competition. IMHO, "price point' is the key to it's relative worth in comparison to other choices.

I think teens are too lazy and spoiled as it is. If it was up to me, they'd drive a car from the 70s with manual window cranks and mirrors they had to adjust from outside the car as well as no power steering or power brakes. Then they'd appreciate what they get on a modern car. Otherwise they complain about everything not being automatic enough--"like, why can't I just sit in it and look pretty and I can do my make up and it just makes sure I don't hit anything and I turn the wheel enough to get there, he he"

[bmw&kizzyownr]

Good point!

[Speed_Racer]

Agree with you "almost" 100%. However, I'm somewhat mixed on the "available electronic aids". You can get a Kizzy with a self dimming rear view mirror, rear view camera, and rear sonar, etc. which weren't available on most ""reasonably"" priced vehicles during the time the Kizzy was manufactured. However, electronic/safety systems/aids like cross traffic alert system, blind spot monitoring, pre collision system, radar cruise control, lane departure alert, automatic high beams, and a host of others are not available on our cars but are available in the new car market. True, everyone has their opinions on the relative worth of each system and you would need to pay more (or much more) for a vehicle with their availability. Still...

Don't get me wrong. I love my Kizzy & agree with you that it would be a good car for teens (safety, available options, electronic aids, etc) but the competition also offers vehicles with many features that would be attractive to teens... just not at the price you can get the Kizzy for. I think that's my main point. A used Kizzy offers the buyer, whether teens or anyone else, a lot of vehicle (which also handles superbly) at a price point well below the competition. IMHO, "price point' is the key to it's relative worth in comparison to other choices.

Great points, though I should have clarified that by electronic aids, I was thinking ABS, ESC, and T/C. None of which I had in the cars I drove as a teenager - and would have come in handy when driving through the long, snowy New England winters.

Actually, the Kizashi is the first car I've owned that has any of those, or even airbags and power windows.

[Woodie]

The downside to making it a car for a teen is the inevitable body damage from a newbie driver...I can imagine that with the pull out from the USA, it would be an expensive choice in a market with scarce parts...but then a teen could drive a Franken-Zuki.

If I was a parent, I'd have a 'you broke it, you buy it policy' on repairs.

Wouldn't even be an issue for me. No way in hell I would buy a kid a car, so it would be obvious that they were going to fix the car that they had to buy themselves. Far less likely that they would wreck it in that case, too.

[Ronzuki]

Great points, though I should have clarified that by electronic aids, I was thinking ABS, ESC, and T/C. None of which I had in the cars I drove as a teenager - and would have come in handy when driving through the long, snowy New England winters.

Actually, the Kizashi is the first car I've owned that has any of those, or even airbags and power windows.

Yes, however, an extremely beneficial thing happened with the lack of all that techno-crap...it sure taught you how to properly operate and control the machine in varying conditions. Your brain and motor skills actually learned the physics behind something that was going on. Hand-Eye-Seat of the Pants coordination. You know when to use caution, when you can push a little harder. Life lessons in Cause and Effect, Action/Reaction...priceless.

I just read a disturbing article this week in the local paper stating that kids entering school severely lack the fine motor skills to pick up a crayon and control it with the tips of their fingers. You know, the precursor to writing properly as well as many other things. "How did this happen!" the experts ask. Well gee, let me think.... Sound trivial? Not when a single school district is throwing tens of thousands of additional tax payer dollars (according to the article) at what I believe is a techno induced man-made developmental "problem". Go watch that Pixar movie Wall-E. It's the vision I had of the not so distant future after reading that article.