Hi. New owner here.

[KuroNekko]

Hello,

I am a new owner of a black 2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS with a manual trans. Purchased the car this weekend. I live in the Washington, DC/Maryland area.
I've been doing A LOT of research on this car ever since I heard of it last year. I finally found an awesome deal on one so I bought it lightly used. Got a very good deal though I drove 4 hours to get it.

I've belonged to a number of automotive forums before so it was only natural to join this one. I think owning a rare car like the Kizashi makes this fan forum even more worthwhile.
I am giving up a 2005 Mazda Mazda3 S Sport with manual trans for the Kizashi. I like the Mazda, but I wanted something more comfortable and convenient for my work commute (I also drive my personal car for/during work). The Kizashi fit the bill being considerably more comfortable, yet handling much better than cars in its class and price range. I needed good handling as I was used to it in the Mazda.
In the past, I've owned a Subaru Impreza and a Subaru Legacy which are comparable to the Kizashi.

I am not new to Suzuki. My first car was a 1998 Suzuki Sidekick JX 4x4. I offroaded the bleep out of that thing with very few issues. It was very spartan, yet rock solid.
I also grew up in Japan and Suzuki is a much bigger brand over there than in the US. Their specialty is sub-compact cars.
I also appreciate the Kizashi name. About time a Japanese car has a Japanese name. It means an omen (not bad omen) or a sign of things to come.

Anyhow, one of the main reasons I wanted to join is because I am certain a Kizashi enthusiast used to own my car. It was a trade-in at a Subaru/Hyundai dealer in Jersey City, NJ. My guess is that it was traded in for a Subaru BRZ given the timing of things. This Kizashi has aftermarket low beam HIDs (prob 6000k), fog light HIDs (prob 3000K), and dark tints all around. It was very well kept. I believe the previous owner may have been a member here. Only thing bad about the car was that it did not come with an owner's manual.

I am a car enthusiast and also a DIY guy who will be doing a lot of the maintenance myself. I am looking forward to this forum.
Thanks.

KuroNekko

[11zukizashi]

Welcome! You should post some pictures of the new ride it sounds pretty sweet. I was thinking about doing the yellow fog light look but i havent seen a kizashi with it yet

[KuroNekko]

Yeah, I was thrilled to learn that it had HIDs when I checked it out. I have an aftermarket HID kit on my low beams on my Mazda so I was spoiled by it. I really think it's one of those things you need once you tried it. Haha.
The Kizashi has probably a 6000K low beam. I have 4300K on my Mazda which I prefer. The lower the color temp, the more lumens it actually puts out. 6000K looks crisper and even whiter, but it's actually not as bright on the road as 4300K. I need to raise my fog lamp aim as they are aimed really low on the road. The fog light 3000K HID kit really helps to illuminate the side of the road with the added brightness. Glad I have it.

Anyhow, here are some pictures I just took.

[Moto]

Looks good though I may curse you when I meet you at night.

[KuroNekko]

I am pretty keen on having an optimal highlight level. I want to illuminate the road, but not get into people's eyes. I probably wont be using the fog lights too much. I don't live in a foggy or rural area. The high beam bulbs are normal bulbs, but the blue kind. I don't like them so much because the blue coating makes it less bright although whiter. I will leave them for now, I guess.
In retrospect, maybe my low beam HIDs are 8000K...

Also, anyone recommend a specific brand of synthetic oil for the 2.4L engine?

[Nikki Minads]

welcome to the club mate. nice ride out there!