Shortcomings
The Kizashi does have its shortcomings, one of which is backseat roominess: As mentioned in the 2010 review, legroom in particular is a couple of inches below the norm. It also has a couple of quirks that showed up both in our 2010 and 2011 test cars, one of which I'm ready to call a defect: In both cars, the windshield washers froze and clogged when it wasn't particularly cold outside — right around freezing or just below. Also, I didn't mention it last time, but the 2011 reminded me how susceptible the Kizashi is to outside odors. I know it's a weird issue, but diesel fumes and even stuff like cigarette smoke from nearby cars readily found their way into the ventilation system. Perhaps this means there's a greater than normal supply of fresh air, which could be good, but sometimes the air isn't very fresh. With me, the Kizashi's recirculation button gets a workout.
See also:
Cargo & Towing
As noted, the Grand Vitara's maximum trailer weight is 3,000 pounds — twice
that of the CR-V and four-cylinder Escape, but less than the Escape V6, which
has car-based construction and better mi ...
Heating and Air Conditioning System
There are three types of heating and air
conditioning systems as follows:
• Heating System.
• Manual Heating and Air Conditioning System.
• Automatic Heating and Air Conditioning System (Cli ...
Cigarette Lighter and Ashtray (if equipped)
Cigarette Lighter (if equipped)
The cigarette lighter will work when the
ignition switch is in the “ACC” or “ON” position.
To use the cigarette lighter, push it all the
way into the rece ...