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:
Safety, Reliability & Pricing
In crash tests by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the SX4 earned
the top rating, Good, for front and side impacts. Rear crash protection —
arguably less significant than front or sid ...
The Inside
Perhaps the biggest downer about the five-seat Grand Vitara is its outdated
cabin, which looks like it's about 10 years behind the times. The biggest
offender is the center control panel, which in ...
Under the Hood
All SX4 models use the same engine and transmissions, though the Crossover
has standard all-wheel drive and the others come with front-wheel drive.
Mechanical features include:
150-horsepower, 2 ...