2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport SLS Review - An Oddly Good Sedan!

[@ShootingCars]

This is a 6 speed, not a 5. I must have mixed up my notes. Thanks!

[@Dankcatvacs]

😮woah

[@akshaypersad]

Also this has a base model front bumper on it! I presume the owner had to replace the original,, but the Sport bumpers it came with do look tons better. I love these cars

[@ZGTAIV]

​@@akshaypersadI had to replace the front bumper, I hit a deer unfortunately and pieced the front end back together with junkyard parts. I'll have the correct bumper one day when finances allow

[@akshaypersad]

@@ZGTAIV no worries man, these things happen. Props for keeping this thing on the road

[@damilolaakanni]

There's no shift pattern on the shifter...I guess it's aftermarket, or the shift pattern has faded into oblivion with age.

[@mattmroz4905]

This has aged so well. Look at the interior quality. So sad this type of vehicle (or Suzuki in general) isn’t available any longer (in the U.S.).

[@acbvisuals6621]

They still make good cars in the Mexican market! Doug Demuro has covered one before.

[@markhealey9409]

Suzuki cars are still sold here in Europe!

[@dafordkidfilms2264]

They’re still available. Just not in the USA anymore. I’m in Ecuador and they’re still selling them new.

[@faheemabbas3965]

They just aren’t sold in America anymore. Suzuki is thriving internationally.

[@zhila5958]

Americans would rather buy piles of dogshit, such as the Malibu which detonate engines left and right in addition to fusions which have transmission problems. or the dodge avenger which isn't good at literally anything.

[@wigletron2846]

I love how Zack says he's sad that Suzuki left America then goes straight into a Super Mario laugh when talking about it lol

[@LaytonKnightt]

I remember this car getting a lot of praise by car magazines when it came out. I remember several reviewers saying that it was supposed to compete with the MkV Jetta, hence the front end styling.

[@Where2bub]

Yeah it really looks like a Jetta, but a little nicer.

[@carsonac4163]

I highly doubt thats true. The VW mk5 was discontinued well before these cars were first sold

[@Tom_pr]

they compared it because of outsize styling and size (kizashi slightly bigger). For all other things its comared to higher priced cars from mercedes audi bmw

[@LaytonKnightt]

@@carsonac4163 not quite. The Kisashi went on sale in 2009. The Mk6 Jetta came out in 2011. There was some overlap, especially with development.

[@carsonac4163]

@@LaytonKnightt In November 2009 we had mk6 bodystyle here in the United States. They are not at all an equal comparison.

[@robertgruver9613]

I had the AWD CVT version. It drove great (despite the CVT), got good fuel economy, and was a tank in the snow. I used the car for my hour long commute and didn't find the seats uncomfortable. The CVT started acting wonky at about 120,000 mi, but hung on until the car was totaled in an accident with 175,000 mi. I would have gone for the manual if I could have gotten it with the AWD. Overall, it was a great car. Too bad Suzuki couldn't figure out how to market their cars in the US.

[@gerarduspoppel2831]

This car is made for a manual indeed. But here it is a 6 speed manual. In the Netherlands.

[@gerryroberson1978]

I had a 2010 GTS AWD. Absolute tank in snow. I had to give it up at about 120k before the trans went out.

[@MrJsv650]

Still have my 13 AWD and love it does great in the snow 🌨️

[@Aaron.Crow512]

​@@gerryroberson1978 During your ownership did you at all change the CVT fluid?

[@damilolaakanni]

I heard that the CVT was a JATCO (Nissan) unit. Early JATCO CVTs were quite problematic, even with regular maintenance. Nissan updated the CVT quite a number of times over the years to make it more reliable. Then again, there was the whole "lifetime fluid" BS that also caused many transmission failures.

[@cyrilmatthew2995]

Much better than a civic and the world wasnt ready for this

[@2007NissanAltima]

Hell nah but it was a very good car thats aged well

[@cyrilmatthew2995]

@@2007NissanAltima aged well better than a overrated civic yes

[@pipoms]

always great to watch a suzuki review

[@user-ss3ud7pp7f]

I’ve had several Suzuki automobiles over the years I’m 68 so I was buying them back in the 80’s and they were awesome. Loved my 1988 Samurai. Suzuki got burned by crappy General Motors like so many other makers that ever hooked up with them to make small cars for them.. Suzuki made some awesome cars and and awesome four-wheel-drive vehicles. And really affordable and now look what General Motors is putting out..

[@dhillaz]

The sizing of this car is interesting. It's classed as mid-size but sits about midway between the Civic and the Accord. It's the same length as a modern Lexus IS.

[@CACar_Nation]

That’s a good point. I always thought that

[@chepesantacruz777]

Such an underrated manufacturer along with mitsubishi. Their cars from the late 90s to the 2010s were peak no nonsense japanese reliability

[@bwofficial1776]

I still see these rarely, just about the only Suzukis I still see on the road. The styling's a bit odd but Suzuki made the Kizashi good where it counted. Unfortunately, it was a bit too late to save their bargain-basement reputation. It's surprising Suzuki hasn't tried to make a comeback with the Jimny. It probably doesn't meet US crash safety standards or emissions regulations.

[@Slow.S55]

Right before I moved from my previous apartment, my parking spot neighbor also had a kizashi only down side is he/she added ridiculous 22 inch rims.

[@TheoPhilpot]

I love the kizashi. So many in rural PA. XL7. Sx4 sedan and hatch. Everywhere

[@naveentiwari4214]

I am the 1st viewer of this video and I am also the owner of 2012 Kizashi CVT in India 😌

[@AshikTs-cq4ko]

Do you still own it ?

[@naveentiwari4214]

@@AshikTs-cq4ko Yes

[@disciplinedwarrior]

Hello bro

[@CalebOrvik]

I remember seeing the magazine ads when this came out…thought it was the coolest car. Would love to drive one sometime and maybe buy one!

[@michaelgoldberg8038]

Honestly could not wait for this review.

[@thecutlemon8101]

i absolutely love your channel and seeing it grow. i remember when it was well under 50k subs. happy to see how your channel breaks away from typical boring car reviewing channels. keep it up!

[@FTRVDenny]

One of these came to my shop on a tow truck with an All Keys Lost situation. That was the only time I got to sit in one. I had a heck of a time programming the fob. I tried 4 different programmers and watched videos for 2 days. I got it working on the third day. My supplier sent a faulty fob so the new one worked.

[@davinp]

Wow, that had push-to-start and center info screen and phone buttons on the steering wheel in the dash in 2011. The Corolla didn't have that until 2014

[@Jakobe7770]

My 09 rav4 limited has all those except an infotainment screen.

[@doug6191]

The Corolla wasn't its competition. It just wasn't. Corolla was competing with the Forenza. Kizashi wanted that Camry/Accord/Altima market.

[@DMETS519]

Zack, where do you find the time to do all of these video? Bravo, keep up the good work.

[@MauiWauiPineappleExpress]

Kizashi has a 6 speed!

[@Karmy.]

I was behind one of these in traffic one day last year and was like wtf is that

[@donaldsalkovick396]

You stay busy man! Ive seen these in the wild a couple times. It looks kinda like fancied up cobalt

[@lambirging]

used to see few of them when I was in Brunei back in 2011-2012 and I thought what a beautiful and huge car from Suzuki considering Suzuki don't really make big cars

[@samuelsabo9493]

I saw one of these at a best buy last week, same color and it was in pristine condition

[@kiraleaf]

A modern Suzuki full-size car! So rare :o

[@bwofficial1776]

In the US it's a midsize car.

[@kiraleaf]

heh, I mean this is about as large as a Suzuki car gets without being a small truck

[@Jack_Stafford]

Barely even midsize.... far smaller than a Taurus, Lacrosse, Chrysler 200, etc.

[@jacobyo99]

@@bwofficial1776in the US it’s between compact and midsize

[@drawesome821]

I own one, it's roughly the size of a modern Corolla

[@MrJsv650]

I own vin low 40s of 2013 sls every option . Really a great vehicle, high quality. Mine is the cvt AWD, plenty quick for my needs. I will probably keep it for 20 years don't drive it much. Couple of things mine has, pass through to trunk, lit doors for entry on the ground. The awd is push button as well so you can manually engage and disengage it.

[@zaremol2779]

4:05 That apple watch notification hehe

[@desreviews]

I have a 2012 GTS version, also a 6sp like Zach's. I'm wondering if the cloth seats are a bit more comfortable because I haven't had any discomfort on longer trips (6-7 hour drives). These also came with a Rockford Fosgate stereo option from factory that sounds great. Very reliable car, no issues at all. Have just had regular maintenance performed (and a couple recall work orders done). Very nice review, glad someone has done a recent check-in on them!

[@juwansimmons7612]

How many miles does yours have mines is a 2011 SLS Sport

[@desreviews]

@@juwansimmons7612 I just hit 152k miles a few days ago.

[@juwansimmons7612]

@@desreviews That's good! is yours a manual or automatic?

[@desreviews]

@juwansimmons7612 It's a manual. I love how forgiving the clutch pedal is. Very easy to learn on.

[@MrJsv650]

I have a 13 sls with AWD every option cvt with 119k great car

[@mark_u]

The Suzuki Kizashi still looks fresh today. This, along with the 4th gen Subaru Legacy, really seemed more premium than their peers at that time.

[@iankerrphotographs]

We got these in Australia back in the day. Never sold terribly well even though it undercut nearly everything else in its segment - Accord Euro, Camry, Mazda 6. As Zack pointed out it’s also a works burger with the lot feature wise. Suzuki has a long and very loyal fan base down under but it’s mainly centered around their excellent 4WDs. Jimny Sierra and Grand Vitara. The company went out on a limb with the Kizashi and the public didn’t quite know what to make of it in my view. Subsequently it was approached with caution.

[@rickjames6867]

Cool car. Have seen these around, and wondered if they are as nice as they look. Good review. 💙❄️✌️

[@seanmcgivney7631]

It has a beefy look to it I like.

[@Vex-zz7br]

These and the XL7s are the only suzukis I ever see, and I RARELY see them.

[@bazilwreckerloughead]

That's a nice looking car, with the right number of pedals. Zack (with an H) is a lucky guy!

[@VintageRKO]

One of the nicer looking economy cars. Nicer to look at back in the day than the Corolla and Civics

[@chimaeraSPK]

Before I bought my 2014 Mazda 3 S GT, I wanted to buy this car. It was slightly roomier than the 3 and and a little quieter. I would've chosen the 6MT, but I particularly loved the 10-speakers Rockford Fosgate sound system.

[@dave11686]

So underrated

[@My_Old_YT_Account]

It's honestly just Suzuki US being severely mismanaged, Suzuki Canada almost had enough money to buy back the factory to continue production. If your Canadian equivalent is pulling better profits than you as a US company, you might as well say it straight up that you're incompetent. Suzuki Canada also fulfilled all Canadian warranties despite Suzuki US' bankruptcy without any issues and still exists today, even if they no longer sell cars.

[@davinp]

Most compact cars do not have rear vents, so this interesting the Suzuki has it

[@MauiWauiPineappleExpress]

Suzuki Kizashi is a family sedan sized between compact and mid-size models.

[@Jack_Stafford]

​@@MauiWauiPineappleExpressclearly on the small size though

[@TassieLorenzo]

It's meant to be a mid-sized car and was priced like one. I think that was much of the Kizashi's problem. For a mid-sized car, it's quite small, it doesn't look or feel like a mid-sized car!

[@Toretto16]

I own this car for rhe last 3 and half years. In Europe there is only one trim, the fully loaded. Mine is manual transmission and it has bin very reliable, comfortable, and fun car to drive. Unfortunately I will eventually have to sell it cause I am concerned about the availability of spare parts in the future...

[@sheldonlamey7010]

Did anyone else see the little Audi in the cubby?😊

[@celsovera91]

If you got the navigation for the kizashi. It actually would’ve came with an aftermarket Kenwood unit from the factory

[@Crispychicken4u]

Didn’t know they came in manual transmission 😊. Wonder what the production numbers were especially in manual. And Parts availability

[@bldontmatter5319]

Parts availability? Use the internet. Only cars that don't have high part counts are very rare and old cars

[@Calculatedevil]

This was the first vehicle I bought after getting out of the military... Of course my ex wife had to wreck it, as she did with every vehicle I let her drive... Vehicles last so much longer, without horrible things in your life. I'm glad you were a fan of this vehicle... I highly agree.

[@Foxonian]

I find it interesting how closely this car resembles the same year Subaru Legacy. Guess that shows who Suzuki aimed this car at and it wasn't Toyota.

[@highbrass7563]

These are rare in Canada

[@RaVAndres]

I Have one of the last one sold brand new on my country (2016). Currently only have 43.000km cause I only use it on weekends , I really love the car, it onle needs fuel and regular oil changes and nothin more. In my case is a 2wd 6spd manual gearbox which in my opinion is far better than de cvt one in terms of performance and reliability. Its a good well balanced saloon to enjoy driving every day. . Thanks for the video!. (the front bumper on the car that you are doing this video is not the one that comes with the sls model, the sls model comes with chrome foglight trim and a bit agresive shape.)

[@eatonuter7113]

One of my favorite cars from the Suzuki brand. I thought it would've saved the company from leaving the U.S. market. Just imagine what a Jimny would've been like here.

[@Josh-kx1vv]

you should do a honorable mention on some of your bottle test when it comes to some after market cup holders.

[@trash_miner]

Great review! Glad i could hook you two up!

[@davidp2888]

0:30 From this angle it looks like what would happen if a 2019 Ford Taurus and a Honda Civic got together.

[@juwansimmons7612]

I did kinda see that 🤔

[@michaelhoskins832]

So ironic that you and the owner of this car have the same name. (spelled differently).

[@paulnadratowski3942]

A surprisingly attractive car

[@mikeypv6]

I'm so happy to know this does come with a manual gearbox... in the UK these were very very rare and only auto/cvt which was such a waste for such an appealing car

[@davidbressler5783]

Phenomenal car. I've owned that exact car for 13 years.

[@damilolaakanni]

4:25 the Camry always had a manual transmission until the end of the 6th generation in 2011. It's just that the automatics were much more common. Finding a Camry with a manual transmission is almost impossible. Also, 7:48 that's maybe because you drove the manual transmission. It might have gotten the automatic lock feature on the automatics, either when you shift into reverse (Toyota) or at 8-10 MPH (Volkswagen).

[@milemilitinovic3724]

The most beautiful Suzuki I have ever seen !!!

[@philbranagan3137]

Owner of a 2012 Sport model here, with the CVT transmission. There is not a car in the price range I would swap it for. I prefer my Kizzy to the E46 BMW my wife used to have; the Suzuki is heavier and not as quick but more solid and much nicer to drive

[@TheRealCatof]

These are rewlly good looking cars

[@julioangel1839]

I like this car

[@jesp999]

Suzuki's are great

[@blue_lancer_es]

In 2010 I was torn between a 2010 lancer DE or this. I went with the lancer.

[@MauiWauiPineappleExpress]

That's a shame, good luck with the Lancer!

[@blue_lancer_es]

@@MauiWauiPineappleExpress dont have the 2010 anymore. Have a 2005. But dont fret. I also have a 2006 aerio.

[@MallocFree90]

I don't get the part 'it's a suzuki'. My Suzuky swift has smart key, heated seats, BT and even more... so, what?

[@foxy126pl6]

Suzuki in the united states is seen as a VERY cheap brand, lowering their prices to stay in the us market. They failed and pulled out of it. So their cars are rare and undesirable at the same time

[@bwofficial1776]

Suzuki was like Mitsubishi, sending cheap crappy cars to the US so for a US Suzuki to have those nice features was rare. Suzuki stopped selling cars in the US in 2013 because no one was buying them when they could buy a nicer car instead.

[@MallocFree90]

​@@foxy126pl6it tells me a lot about the US market...

[@jeremyb456]

I need this Suzuki in my life because I need some great is coming

[@Niro.C]

In 2011 the big thing that was coming was the earthquake and tsunami (that lead to the Fokoshima nuclear disaster) ... The Kizashi is a very cool car, didn't have an ootion for HID headlamps ? 🙄🤔

[@michaelcoffey7362]

Cool 😎

[@joshaugustine8808]

Im about to buy me one of those and from what i understand they are very reliable as well!

[@christianbattestin9747]

Kizashi translates to " great things are coming."

[@BK-uw2uk]

Where is the front NYS tag? And… do you have any cars you’ve reviewed but DIDN’T like ?

[@ZGTAIV]

If you look at the shot of the vents in the backseat you'll see it's in the pocket behind the driver seat

[@BK-uw2uk]

I’ve been schooled 😅

[@ZGTAIV]

@@BK-uw2uk don't worry, I only know it because I'm the one that put it there lol

[@Low760]

I cross shopped this with a mazda3 for my wife. She was set on the sp25 though.

[@minipandora22]

Looks cool

[@STEVE33437]

Where in NY is this?

[@doug6191]

I thought these cars looked great, and the model looked (in my eyes) very similar to the '08 Regal. Heluva bargain for the car, but only appealing with the manual. If it had a normal automatic...maybe. CVTs can just go to h_ll.

[@American_Voyager101]

for some reason the rear of it reminds me of the rear of first gen Chrysler 200

[@WildWildWeasel]

To me the Kizashi looks like a mini Ford Taurus xD

[@jacobyo99]

These look so good

[@ameraboukoura6091]

Faster and more powerful than the swift sport

[@jimmyjimjims7483]

A friend of mine traded in his 95 Suzuki Swift for one of these in like 2013 and he loved it but his other Suzuki (I think a Forenza) was an absolute pile of💩 but he still has his Kizashi to this day

[@markhealey9409]

The Suzuki Forenza was actually a Daewoo Lacetti...rebadged as a Suzuki.

[@jimmyjimjims7483]

@@markhealey9409 I'm not surprised that thing was junk, snapped a timing belt at 60K miles and blew the motor

[@Aaron.Crow512]

​@@jimmyjimjims7483 😂😂😂😂

[@GForceVRX]

I’ve always liked them too

[@kotarojujo2737]

This is actually the flagship car of Suzuki, lol. I think there are no Suzuki cars that are more expensive or drive as comfortable as this.

[@filumiaCH]

we have this one!!!😄🤩

[@lesklower7281]

Unfortunately these were a flop coming from somebody in Australia who drives a Suzuki Baleno and likes it the main reason they were to expensive a rare car in Australia and l know if a Kazachi for sale in a car yard in my local area and infact we almost bought one but to unforeseen we didn't get it bought another Baleno instead they were back in 2011 aud$40000 to $50000

[@Where2bub]

I luv this car, but I think what brought it down was the price.. it’s got luxury car features because it was priced like one.. this was a little bit too much for any American to consider when suzuki never had a luxury entry before this car. So there wasn’t a precedent before this to judge if they had a reliable entry into the luxury car market

[@jacoricooper6252]

Has anyone even see these around lately? I know about these I just barely see these around.

[@L-A-C-IV]

for some reason here in Pittsburgh they are everywhere. When I first moved here one of the first things I thought was "why are there so many Suzuki's around here??"

[@ejstreasurehunting6627]

For some reason one of the employees at my local Taco Bell has two of them lol, but those are the only ones I see around

[@Banom7a]

iirc it was actually a 6 speed

[@MauiWauiPineappleExpress]

Yup 6 speed.

[@davinp]

No, the Corolla not Camry competes in this segement

[@MauiWauiPineappleExpress]

@Jonathan-mp32x Suzuki Kizashi is a family sedan sized between compact and mid-size models. The Toyota Corolla isn't much smaller!

[@MauiWauiPineappleExpress]

@Jonathan-mp32x And also the Corolla etc.!

[@MauiWauiPineappleExpress]

@Jonathan-mp32x I don’t know why you’re not understanding what I said! The Suzuki Kizashi is a family sedan sized between compact and mid-size models! It's a Compact but also a Midsize!

[@Jack_Stafford]

This car is much closer in size to a Corolla or Golf than it is a Camry or Passat . And nowhere near the size of a true midsize car like a Lacrosse, Chrysler 200 or Taurus etc. It goes by internal volume and this is on the large side of compact but clearly still a compact car.

[@notforeveryone7334]

Kizashi is a 6 speed manual… not 5.

[@WasNiksIsNiksWordtNiks]

Damn that engine bay is rusty 🥲

[@kiraleaf]

Looks-wise, I can't. 2010's-onwards, all cars do the flat flare thing and it always bugs me because every single fucking car adopted that style. They're all the same. Now, if the IONIQ5 wasn't a dumpster fire waiting to happen I'd commend them for at least taking the time to add style to their fender flares so it would actually sell. The shutter lens retro futurism and faulty rear LED lights look nice but don't age well.

[@Dankcatvacs]

Almost looks like a bmw

[@aussielegend8576]

Probably would be better of getting rid of the human skin flakes before recording. But great vid. Good work

[@omarimack194]

Where is his front plate?

[@Jack_Stafford]

Most American states no longer require a front plate and even more states are discontinuing them, since they are almost completely useless.

[@My_Old_YT_Account]

Inside the seat pocket at 5:42

[@rahuldabhi-q7m]

Suzuki is very capable. They make the Hayabusa.

[@jimmbobb]

It's not the most powerful but going downhill you don't need it to be??? #unsub 🙄

[@MyNamith]

Bruh….They got hit w a tsunami. I love your content and this video, but Do your research why they left before making fun of their great escape. Their factories making kizashis were flooded for 8 months. And took months to rebuild. I bought the car in 2010 and didn’t get delivery because they couldn’t make any. That’s why it failed. That’s why suzuki stopped trying. It was recuperating and sticking to markets who accepted them. By the time they could come back to capture the market, all others cars had launched a next generation version of their cars and kizashi never got any clout.

[@MyNamith]

Also, kizashi was launched in 2010 and was the car of the year in America. And thats why its a respected rare car, as it signifies them making a factory again to sell their greatest car they ever made. Suzuki is a giant in other countries with Toyota and honda struggling to keep up with suzukis innovations always. It’s basically a trend setter for other vehicles in markets and America ends up getting basic versions of each car whereas the world gets even econo cars with much more premium features and all. That’s why kizashi as it was launched globally as is , had better features than competitors which copied its suit and put those features in their next generations.

[@MyNamith]

Also. Did you mention it had awd in the CVT? Which basically no one offered in a sedan at that price point at that point.

[@MyNamith]

And also. Most of their engineers died. It was the deadliest tsunami known to have hit such a concentrated population. Swells higher than most houses.

[@MyNamith]

Suzuki has never been the same again.