Ride & Handling

Even with its 18-inch sport wheels and low-profile tires, my Kizashi rode quite comfortably. I felt more pavement disruptions when I had three passengers on board. In some cars it's the opposite. The car handled competently, and I can imagine it being sportier and more entertaining with the manual and front-wheel drive, but it didn't come across in this version — or at least in this weather. In general I liked the electric power steering, mainly because it snaps back to center definitively after a turn; many electric systems don't. There was also no detectable torque steer. The downside is it could use more power assist. The wheel feels too heavy. Again, this is a sporty approach, but it just didn't match the character of my heavier test car.