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.
Parking Brake Lever
Parking Brake Lever
(1) To set
(2) To release
(3) To release
The parking brake lever is located between
the seats. To set the parking brake, hold
the brake pedal down and pull the parking
bra ...
Interior Light Switch
The interior light switch has three positions,
which functions as described below.
(1) The light comes on and stays on
regardless of whether the door is
open or closed.
(2) The light comes on w ...
Identification Numbers
Vehicle Identification Number
Vehicle Identification Number
The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
may be found in the location shown in the
above illustrations. This number is used to
regis ...