What was I expecting when the 2010 Suzuki Kizashi arrived for my two-week-long test drive? Well, not much, I'm embarrassed to say. I lecture my kids all the time on the importance of staying open-minded and forming your own opinions, so I'm ashamed to admit that I was harboring a lackluster view about Suzuki as a brand in general. With the introduction of the Kizashi, my hope is that my mind won't be the only one changed about the brand.
The Kizashi is a surprise indeed and has the ability to fill a niche of affordable-without-feeling-cheap smaller midsize sedans. The base Kizashi starts at $18,999. My test car, the SE trim level, cost $21,780.
This might be the only car I've driven with a continuously variable automatic transmission that didn't drive me crazy. It had plenty of zippy power, and the CVT didn't rev up too much and cause obnoxious interior noise. As a matter of fact, an average driver getting into this car wouldn't even notice anything different about the transmission, and I consider that to be a success of great measure. Add to that optional all-wheel drive and you've got yourself a great car for small families.
The Inside
There are aspects of the interior that I like, including the overall design.
The materials in my test Grand Vitara XSport were pretty good quality, which
couldn't be said of Suzukis just five year ...
Safety
In Insurance Institute for Highway Safety crash tests, the Kizashi achieved
the top score of Good in frontal, side and rear impacts, and was rated
Acceptable for roof strength. In this crowded cla ...
Information Display
Information Display
(1) Clock
(2) Thermometer
(3) Instantaneous fuel consumption/Average fuel consumption/Driving range
(4) “H” button
(5) “M” button
(6) “DISP” button
(7) Freezin ...