Kizashi Club

Yeah, but his wife hates MT like most of the women do.

Anyway, I've heard that the new CVT in Accord is much improved when beeing compared with older ones. It has now virtual speeds and it seems like the car is shifting gears (8 total) which most probably makes it more fun to drive especially having in mind that the car has these big F1 Paddle shifters.

He wanted a car that was around the size of the Kizashi, and the Accord is much larger. Or at least it’s considerably longer

Woodie wrote:And the Accord 2.0 Turbo can be had with a manual transmission.

Sadly, 2020 is the last model year. There are literally no manual trans midsize sedans going to be offered for MY 2021. The Accord, Mazda6, and Genesis all called quits on 3 pedals now. I hate to admit it but it makes sense. No one really buys them and manuals make more sense on smaller and cheaper models with target consumers who are more likely to buy a manual model. I like the Accord a lot but the MT is better suited in a Civic Si and Type R.

Mazda offers the Mazda3 in a manual but only in a specific trim without AWD now that you can get the auto Mazda3 with AWD.

The Genesis G70 was an oddball for a manual and I think most consumers didn't even know about it. It was axed for next year.

The time has come for consumers who want a manual to drive a compact or a budget sports car out of a lack of choice. I was bummed out about it myself with Suzuki gone and nicer manuals disappearing but now that I have a Suzuki motorcycle again in the stable, I feel like I can just accept it. It's amazing how much cars change yet how little MCs do over the years.

In terms of the OP's new Lexus IS-F: I think you got the perfect car for your needs. I personally thought the Lexus grill was fine if it wasn't too big. Just look at the new BMW 7 Series for a grill that went overboard.

This gril on BMW is just pure example how bigger doesn't means always better. Definitelly not mine piece of cake...

That's also horrific.

I also considered the IS as a next-step from the Kizashi, but besides the fuel economy and the high-octane requirement, rear seat passenger space seemed tight. I often carpooled and the Kiz provided good rear space and ingress/egress.

I think the dimensions of the Kizashi contributed to how it felt on the road. The closest I have experienced was my 2006 BMW 330xi (non turbo 6cyl). That car was light and well balanced, roughly the size of the Kizashi.

I'm looking forward to trying out the Mazda3 AWD Turbos when they are available. I know they are Automatic only, but I was fine with the CVT in the Kizashi.