2011 Suzuki Kizashi consumer reviews

It is truly unfortunate (and inexplicable) that this car did not do better in the marketplace. The automotive press loved it and they were not wrong. My 2011 has all the features of a much more expensive vehicle, is a blast to drive and has given me great service, all while getting nearly 30 mpg. I have not had any problems getting service (including minor warranty work) even after Suzuki pulled out of the US market. This car blows away any Toyota or Nissan, is more fun than an Accord and is on par with the current version of the Mazda6. Three years after buying it, I still look forward to driving.

I formely drove a Suzuki Forenza(a rebadged Dawoo) after my Nissan sentra got totaled and was in need of an afforadble car. One month later I ended up reading about the Suzuki Kizashi in a College Times paper and it got a really good review. I traded the Suzuki Forenza to a Suzuki Kizashi. I felt as though this car had soemthing special about it. This car was the only car in 2013 along with The Honda Accord to get a good rating From The Isurance safety instutute in a more thourough safety test called overlap crash test. This car is an underdog that is still making news even though it will no longer be sold in The United States after 2013. Moreover, this car is already ahead of it's time in upcoming crash test. The Kizashi was built as Suzuki USA Automotive Department to try to step up their game after the 2008 recsession. One year earlier in 2007 Suzuki USA Automotive had a 100,000 peak in sales. The Suzuki Kizashi has been praised by critics acrossed the board and even scored a respectable score of 82 with Consumer reports Unfortunaltely this car didn't rejuvinate Suzuki Usa Autiomotive. However this Car is alraedy a small part of vehicle history and may perhaps become vehicle icon due to it's quality and rareity. The Kizashi enede up becoming Suzuki best reviewed car. The car is like having a bunch of cars rolled into one. Imagine having family sedan(smooth reving CVT engine) that had a touch of luxury(upsacle interior), a hint of sportiness(suspension and handeling),bigger than a compact but smaller than a Midsize, smaller on the ouside but bigger on the inside, unique and statley without being pretentious. Better than average Horsepower 180 . If you can appreciate the uniquness of this car and realize that it's a hard to classify and a bit out the box car. The quality and style are there, you just have to become your own trendsetter with this car because none has one so it get's more attention than a Toyota Camry or Whatever.

This car has features and options that are great. But, it does not the high price like an upscale Toyota or Honda mid-sized sedan. The style, the quality of material, and the engineering are excellent. The CVT transmission is great. And it has the "no-key" remote system for the doors and ignition.

The Kizashi is a beautifully made Japanese car with a European flair. We have the 2011 SLS model with navigation - this car has been wonderful and it's so fun to drive! We have hit a little over 19k miles and the car still looks, sounds and feels as if it's brand new. The cabin is quiet and though the 2011 SLS model has Sport Suspension the ride is super smooth but the Sport Suspension is felt when going over hills, bumps and rough roads (which SS is what I was looking for in a car anyway). Once you sit in any Kizashi (I test drove all models even a 2010 SLS model) you'll feel the quality. Once on the road, the car feels as if grips the road; the car also handles nicely in curves - I have never felt safer in a car! To be a 4 cyl. engine, the car has "pick up and go" like a V6 and out does our other car which is a V6. When we first test drove the car, it felt like we were going about 50 MPH when entering the highway, but in reality we were already at 73 MPH. The brakes are great with a fast response. The interior is beautiful; the leather seats are soft and comfortable- even for longer road trips. The navigation (ours is made by Kenwood) is a plus and the Rockford Fosgate subwoofer sounds great! We like our music loud but for "standard equipment" this car sounds better than any other car we test drove. The exterior is unique, stylish and we get so many compliments on the car! The chrome strip down both sides of the car really "pops". Pictures of the Kizashi do it no justice- you have to see and TEST DRIVE one for yourself if you haven't already, I'm sure you'll fall in love with the car. We test drove the Kizashi first (which ended up being the best decision) because no other car we test drove could compare in "feel", handling, braking or quality. We just knew the Kizashi was for us and we weren't going to stop car hunting until we found the perfect Kizzy for us. Some of the cars that we test drove were the Legacy, Optima and Maxima but none could compare to the Kizashi. The Kizashi is a great, beautiful, reliable car for the price (honestly, it should be priced much higher but you won't find another car with the Kizashi's features, look, quality and feel anywhere near the same price as the Kizashi). We would definitely buy another Kizashi in a heartbeat! It has been worth every penny!!

I have put a few thousand miles on my Kizashi now and can say definitively that it was a great choice. I have the SLS front wheel drive CVT model. We only get a little snow in Oklahoma and it has held up fine in the weather that we have had. The handling of the car is very nimble. I test drove lots of its competitors before buying the car and would say that it is an excellent value. In fact the car had not even made my list of cars to drive, but the dealer I bought it from carried two other lines that were on my list and recommended that I at least test drive the car- very glad he insisted. Towards the end I thought for sure it was going to be between the two other turbos on the market, but after taking a second drive of the Kizashi right after driving two other front runners a second time - the choice was very clear. I have seen that some people feel the CVT is not as performance minded as the Manual, however if you understand how a CVT works my humble opinion is that I would prefer it from a performance perspective to a manual. The biggest advantage performance wise in a CVT is that the RPM of the motor is directly proportional to how far you push on the gas pedal, and there is no shift fade in a CVT. You can go from 5-60 mph at 4500 RPM and keep it right there at 4500 all the way if you want, uphill against the wind, no matter what. You don't experience any horsepower fade from shifting, and that is a GREAT feature for hill climbing. The CVT is used in Hybrids to give more lower end performace which is why I felt the Kizashi at least matched if not out did the Turbos I test drove. The car is very smooth and if you are not looking at the speedometer you will feel that you are going slower than you really are because of how smooth it feels. I have had the car through some very robust curves and there is no fear, in fact the only car that I have had outperform it in that respect is my 911 Targa 4, which is pretty much engineered to drive fast in curves. This model has Bluetooth and the Rockford Fosgate audio which while may seem trivial to some, however it is the best sound system hands down compared to any other standard equipped audio system in ANY car I have driven, even the high dollar European cars. If you are looking to impress someone by showing up with a certain car, a Suzuki may not the best to do that by name alone. The SLS trim level is very attractive and has gotten coments. Someone not impressed by simply looking at it or mentioning it will certainly be when you actually put them into the car and drive it or have them drive it. Then they will rave, especially when you tell them how much you paid. I am 6' with long legs and with a little give on my part I can fit four good sized adults in the car, but it is a mid-sized car. If you want to seat five for dinner, this is not the car you are looking for, grab a large american SUV. I would say that it would seat two for diner though since the front seats move farther back than I need them to. My tongue in cheek remark for this car is, if Porsche would make a car in the 18K-27K range it would be a lot like the Kizashi, however right now they haven't quite come down to that price range. The only thing I feel is missing is a digital read out of the speedometer, there is a great place on the dash for a prominent digital read out. All of my other recent cars have it. A turbo version of this car would be wicked cool to use some Boston lingo. For the ultimate contradiction, a turbo wagon. I would be one of the first in line for it.

Though I've only had the car for about 2000 miles, so far I really like it. The car drives very smoothly and the seats are very comfortable. Overall the car looks and feels like a more expensive car than it is and is far more comfortable than most of the other cars I drove in this price range. The feel of the interior is reminiscent of the older VW Passat (soft touch materials, smooth operation) I LOVE the memory power driver's seat. I've gotten several compliments on the car. Acceleration isn't as quick as I'd like, but I expected that, given the 4-cyl. engine that is standard...so it's not a major complaint. Fuel economy on the highway is good. I can easily get 30-32 mpg..but around town is more like around 23 mpg. The steering feel is quite good compared to many others and the car handles pretty athletically. No mechanical or electrical problems so far...though the car is only 2000 miles old. Personally, I like the sportier GTS version, but my budget could only handle an SE. Overall, no regrets. Good car...and one that is too often overlooked.

I now have a 2011 Suzuki Kizashi SLS AWD sitting in my parking lot and just couldn't be any happier. Overall better performance compared to your well known sedans from VW, Hyundai, Kia, Toyota, Honda etc. (most of which I have driven), identical if not better comfort levels (love the leather sports seats), great and "simply" elegant interior and exterior styling that will get heads turned. After over a month of test driving multiple cars from multiple known brands, ended up buying the Suzuki - a brand I didn't even think of when I started looking until I saw the Kizashi. A test drive was all it took to get me hooked. Give it a shot. At any trim level - It most certainly wont disappoint. Only problem probably is finding a dealer to test drive one.

Best car I ever owned,I hope kizashi will come up with a wagon or hatchback that would be cool!I like handling and AWD also interior is great and exterior.Go Suzuki !!!

I just turned 30K miles on 2010 kizashi,so far can't say anything bad about it.AWD works great,I am from chicago and we do get alot of snow and when i don't need it I can turn it of and my gas milege go from 27mpg to 32-35mpg,my old subaru didn't have it,with the rising prise of gas it is a very god option be able to tern off your AWD.Suspension can take any beatings trust me Chicago got some nesty roads.Engine is quick and powerful and surprisely quiet.Transmission 6 speed CVT is very smooth and react fast on acceleration.Trunk is bigger then it looks,spesially when you cnock rear seats down.I just recently bought an elliptical exersize machine for my wife and I did fit it in a trunk,pretty cool ha!If kizashi ever come up with a wagon or hatchback I'll be first in line to buy it.

I am a subaru fan but after i purchased my kizashi awd i newer going back to subaru,the only thin I recommend to suzuki they need to make kizashi in hatchback version.I would be the first one to buy it.