2011 SUZUKI Kizashi

Hot Little Car

Performance: 5 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

I have to say I have owned several nice cars in my day and I love to try out new and different models, especially if they have great curb appeal. This one caught my eye as soon as I saw it on the road and I had to find out what it was and where to test drive one at. I was driving a Mustang GT at the time which is an awesome car in itself. This one didn't quite have the GT pep but this old lady needed to chill a bit and this car was perfect. I also owned a Lexus IS 250 and this reminded me of it almost to a tee. Very well made, excellent interior quality and accessories and the exterior is just awesome (I own a Black metallic one). I have had this car 2 yrs now and love it.

Terrible paint and warranty

Performance: 4 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 4 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 3 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

I bought a 2011 around this time last year. From a mechanical and fun to drive standpoint, its great, but the painted metal surfaces are rusting and Suzuki is denying it as a defect, claiming instead that its an environmental. I haven't owned many cars that rusted, let alone with only 6000 miles on them. Needless to say, my good will towards the company is lost and now it will become a legal matter. Its ashame really, as I did whole lot of research before picking this car.....so I really wanted it. Now I'm not so sure.....and who really know's the extent of the rust....it could be encompass the entirely of the unibody. Beware as this isn't an isolated issue, just the responses vary.

Beware of TPMS fees to re-set

Performance: 4 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 4 Fun To Drive: 4 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 4 Reliability: 4 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 4

I have owned this car for 5 months. I nice ride love the paddle shifters just to have fun. I travel in heavy traffic to work with light driving on the week ends I average a disappointing 22MPG. I have had studded tires on the car for most of that time. When I put my studs on the console lit up and locked me out of my features. The tire pressure monitoring system was locking the dash up. I had to pay $300.00 for computerized valve stems. I also found that each time I change my tires out I must pay the dealer $30.00 to re-set the TPMS in the on-board computer. Other servicers (Les Schwab) could not do the re-set.

Love it, but growing a little weary.

Performance: 5 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 4 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 4 Reliability: 4 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 4

I bought this car because I fell in love with the body style, it had every feature I wanted, and I was offered a fantastic deal. After a year of driving it, though, the little annoyances are pushing me toward trading it. Little things like a radio with an already limited range losing the station a lot. The low tire pressure warning takes over the dashboard but doesn't indicate which tire. The rounded shape of the dash and hood make it difficult for someone of my height (5'5") to judge how close the front end of the car is to something. Because it's so low to the ground, it's either get out and look or risk damaging the car because it won't clear most curbs.

Best Kept Secret

Performance: 5 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 4 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 5

I have owned this vehicle for three months now and can say it is probably the best kept secret in the car industry. Safer than a Volvo, as or more responsive and sporty than a BMW or Audi and much less expensive than any of those. For being the best selling car in Japan I am surprised no one in America has ever heard of it, likely do to a non-existent ad campaign. Great Warranty, Fun to drive, turns heads everywhere I go. The quality of the build, fit, finish and all the little details and gadgets Suzuki included are impressive. This car is defiantly worth a test drive even if your looking at its more expensive European cousins exclusively.

Lots of Fun .... BUT

Performance: 4 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 4 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 3 Reliability: 3 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 3

Bought my Kizashi 6 months ago and have 14,000 miles on it. Fun to drive, sleek appearance and great gas mileage. However, the longer you live with it, the more it shows its weak design points. Two major complaints. 1. the paint is paper thin-chips if you look at it the wrong way. 2.windshield washers are useless for winter driving. they freeze after 1 squirt and that first squirt doesn't even hit the windshield. The car could be considered unsafe to drive in messy winter roads ... zero visibility.

SMOOTH!

Performance: 5 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

This car is great! The people at Suzuki of Manchster walked me through everything and answered all of my questions, even the ones that I didn't know I had! I really like the way that the car feels while I'm inside of it on the city streets plus it looks like luxury...with me inside it! ;)

Opinion Changer

Performance: 5 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

This car totally changes my opinion against Suzuki vehicles. I used to own a Suzuki XL-7 4WD Limited. It left much to be desired in many ways and as a result I traded it in with a Nissan after owning it for just a short time while it was still in a pretty good condition. I thought I would never buy a Suzuki again. Lo and behold I came across this beautiful car by chance. Both my wife and I love this car. Its look - both the interior and exterior - is quite pleasing to the eyes. The ride is smooth and comfortable. The performance is surprisingly exciting. Not to mention that you get possibly the best bang for your buck. The bottom line is, this is really a great car and worth looking into.

Completly suprised

Performance: 4 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

Always been a Honda guy but the more we use this little Kizashi the more we like it. Smooth and quiet and gets better with miles. Reminds me of what Honda used to be when they beat everybody else with the little details. Never dreamed i would ever buy a Suzuki but i did and it sure works great for us.

Is this the best value car you can buy?

Performance: 4 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

We recently purchased our second new car, (we’ve had many second hand cars over the years), having had to sell our 12 year-old Nissan Pulsar SLX due to me breaking my back in a car accident last year. The seating position of the Pulsar was no longer tenable for me and I had to get a vehicle with a higher, more ergonomically correct seat. We bought the Pulsar new in 1999 and it had been a pleasure to own and was well specced for the time with ABS, driver's air-bag, four-wheel disc brakes, air-conditioning, factory alloys and the engine was chain-drive DOHC with VVT. It was the cheapest car to own we'd ever had and I was sad to see it go. After briefly considering second hand cars, I was conscious that had I been driving a vehicle with traction control, I would not have crashed, spinning out on oil, so when looking at later models with this feature I decided to go with another new car. My requirements centered around my physical needs, but I wanted several other things. The car had to have the latest in technology as I felt it was a waste of time buying older technology that was already outdated and due to be replaced. I wanted fuel economy that was at least as good as the 1600cc Nissan Pulsar auto we'd just sold and the car had to be value for money. We wanted an automatic so manual cars were not considered. This ruled out the otherwise excellent Ford Fiesta Econetic as it was only available in manual form. So too, the Toyota Rav4 diesel, the petrol being too thirsty. It became apparent early on that the small cars of today are excellent vehicles and all were superior in power and economy, ride and handling and of course features by comparison to our 12 year old Pulsar, with the Honda City the best over all, but the Swift being cheaper equalled the ride and comfort factor emphasising to me just why it is NZ's best selling small car. Also in the early running was the Honda Insight hybrid, which I liked but the passenger seat was uncomfortable and my wife didn't like the rear view through the mirror, the split window was disconcerting to her. So despite the lowest running costs, even over the Fiesta once RUC's, were counted, (Road User Charges - New Zealand has a separate charge for mileage on diesel vehicles on a $ per Kilometer basis, and Diesel fuel is not taxed at the pump. Depending on size and type of vehicle you pay a particular charge per Kilometer), the Insight dropped off the list. I looked at SUV's but despite the great performance and economy of the new generation diesel's, with the Hyundai ix35 being the best of them, I didn't need the size and expense. On a $ per km figure including RUC's they were going to cost the same as the medium sized petrol cars to run. So that left me to look at the medium car market as an alternative to buying a small car. The Suzuki SX4i AWD is unique and a great wee SUV with comfort, features and power, but let itself down on wind and engine noise. A shame because otherwise I'd have bought it! It was amazing to realise that the new cars with 2.4lt engines could equal the Pulsar for fuel economy while being a lot bigger and a lot more powerful! I compared the Ford Mondeo Titanium Hatch diesel, the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord Euro, Hyundai i45, VW Passat and the Suzuki Kizashi Ltd. and Sport. The Camry was the first to go as it was dearer and less economical and while the ride and seating were comfortable it was very plain-Jane. It was also a run-out model, due to be replaced with an all new one. The VW was too dear as was the Honda Accord. The Hyundai was my early favourite for technology, style, economy, features and seemed good value. It was perfect in driving position and nearly took the prize. Until I tried the Kizashi... What can I say? I run out of superlatives to describe this car! All the neighbours are jealous, all our friends love it, especially the colour and my wife doesn't want to get out of it. The heated seats and dual-zone climate air were the clincher for her, as was the colour and tints which set the car off beautifully! My back is happy and we look forward to many years of service from what has to be the best mid-sized car on the road today!

Gps/Bluetooth system

Performance: 5 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 3 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 4 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 5

My daughter just bought this vehicle and frequently leaves it with me while she is on business trips. I was very impressed with the quality and value and would have purchased one until I tried out the GPS/navigation/bluetooth system. I had trouble setting up the bluetooth phone connection and finally went back to the dealer to get some instructions. There they told me I could not make a phone call using the voice system or the manual dial keypad unless the car was parked and had the emergency brake on. This makes the system useless. I have two other cars, a Prius and a Mercedes both of which let me push a button on the steering wheel and make a call using only my voice while driving.

Great Car

Performance: 4 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

This is a great little car. I waited to write a review until i had the car for a while, about 5 months now. Each day i bond with it a little more. It handles & rides great. It really feels like a european auto. I can see where a V6 would take it to a whole other level but am amazed at the effortless power when passing on the highway. When i think i'm doing 60 Im usually doing 80. They really covered their bases with every comfort detail no matter how small. To sum it up i would say i feel "smart" in buying this car. So much car for so little money. I have to chuckle when i think people are buying in droves Camarys, Accords, Jettas in droves - BORING.

2nd review after 4 months with car

Performance: 4 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

There is no way you'll find a better car for this price. It feels 10k more when you get inside. Nice materials inside. I just wish the GTS manual had leather available as an option. The cloth seats are good material too though. To this day, car is turning heads and people seem to look for which car it is. If I take away the Suzuki badges from the car exterior, people will think I'm filthy rich. The guy at the car wash literally sat in it for a good 2 minutes checking the car out. Candidly speaking, I am glad the car is not selling very well. Otherwise it'll just become another Sonata, people are already bored with its looks.

kizashi experience

Performance: 5 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

Just purchased a 2011 Kizashi SE, I have to say that for the money there is absolutely nothing that comes close to this car, I test drove the KIA Optima, Buick Regal, Volvo C30, Mini Clubman, even the Mazda CX7 and I thought the value offered by the Kizashi couldn't be matched. I encourage anyone looking for a midsized or sport sedan to do yourself a favor and test drive the Kizashi, due to poor marketing efforts by Suzuki the Kizashi is not known and is not selling very well which gives the buyer good leverage when negotiating a deal, I got mine for $3600 less than the sticker price and I also got 0% financing for 60 months.

Best bang for your buck!

Performance: 5 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

I tested a Sonata, Camry, Accord and Optima. After uears of buying just Honda and Kia I decided to take a chance on one of Japans top selling manufacturers. It paid off! I LOVE this car! Fun ride, great comfort for someone like me (6'4). Very peppy engine. Sweet in and out!

Kizashi vs Jetta

Performance: 4 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

I have an 06 jetta and just got my Kizashi. Its only natural for me to compare the two. I have fallen in love with the Kizashi so I only want to mention the things I didn't like or am not used to. Car is extremely beautiful but too low, I'd be scared to drive on serious bumps/snow. Doors don't lock automatically when you start driving. All four windows are not on one touch auto like jetta (I am spoiled by this jetta feature). Center armrest doesn't extend forward like jetta. Floor Mats are too black, can see dirt. Harsh ride in the GTS sport trim that we got. Has bump steer because of strong suspension. Front passenger seat can't be moved up and down like the Jetta.

Love this car

Performance: 4 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 5

The Kizashi was on my short list to test drive, along with the new Optima. I drove the Optima first. Then I got in the Kizashi and the Optima quickly became a fuzzy memory. This car is fun to drive, the design and quality of the interior is top-notch, and its looks get compliments everywhere. Power is adequate for my needs. It is larger than it looks in pictures. Rear seat room is a bit less than most competitors, but four adults fit comfortably. The seats are well shaped and supportive, even in back, unlike the rear seat in the Optima which felt low, flat and dark.

Excellent Car

Performance: 4 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

I bought a white Kizashi 2 months ago and I could not be happier. This car has the most fluid steering I have ever felt in a regular mid sized sedan. It has a very expensive feel to it in how it drives and the interior quality is excellent. Very quiet. I average 27 MPG around town and I've got 32 MPG on the highway. No problems as of yet, but of course the car is still brand new so I don't expect any. I love how few people own these and I get inquires all the time about it. Fantastic car.

2011 GTS impulse buy / AWD w. navigation

Performance: 4 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 4 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

We took our 2008 SX4 to the local dealership (Ellis Suzuki) for the 15,000 mile checkup. While we were waiting we saw the silver GTS and fell in love. Took it for a drive and came home with it. I hate impulse buys, but I've not had any regrets with this purchase. I always wanted navigation, and this GTS had it installed. Stereo is wonderful, although I was surprised it only held one cd. Used the IPOD connection, and it sounded wonderful. Bluetooth worked with Iphone just great. I could go on and on. Oh, I could have gotten a 2010 for a lot less, but I really liked the changes in body styling on the 2011.