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.
If You Can Not Shift Automatic Transaxle Gearshift Lever Out of “P” (PARK)
Vehicles with an automatic transaxle have
an electrically operated park-lock feature.
If the vehicle’s battery is discharged, or
there is some other electrical failure, the
automatic transaxle ...
Electronic Stability Program (ESP®)
ESP® is a registered trademark of
DaimlerChrysler AG.
The Electronic Stability Program (ESP®)
helps to control the vehicle during cornering
if the vehicle is understeering or oversteering.
It a ...
Instrument Light Brightness Control
Instrument Light Brightness Control
Your vehicle has a system to automatically
dim the instrument panel lights when the
ignition switch is in the “ON” position and
the lighting switch is tur ...