It's hard to find something bad to say about our Kizashi. I know some readers are skeptical of our Suzuki Lovefest, but the car is just good. Its four-cylinder winds out with a pleasant growl. Even when you push it, it doesn't really screech or buzz. The six-speed manual slices through its gates smoothly, and the clutch action is almost too light. I wouldn't mind more resistance, but certainly ain't complaining. Even the steering wheel and shift knob feel properly thick and purposeful.
The Kizashi's not trying to fool you with pretensions. It just has the right feel for a car with some surprisingly wide limits. I bet many of my colleagues would vote it the fleet's Most Underrated. But I did find this annoyance, none too minor, after being away from the car for awhile.
From my ideal seat position, my right knee knocks into and rests on the side of the center stack (sorry, the black trousers make for a monochromatic image). And that's not a pliable surface. That's hard, unforgiving plastic. This isn't unusual, as most drivers probably deal with this to some degree. But the Kizashi's center stack does seem to intrude into the driver's legroom more than other cars in the fleet, at least in the way that I position the seat.
After 15 minutes or so, I had to reach down, between my legs, ease the seat back...wait a minute, scratch that. I had to reach down, to the left-hand side of the driver's seat cushion, ease the seat back...(lacks a certain Diamond Dave lilt, I think).
Moving back frees up the knee, but also makes the clutch pedal more of a reach. Workable, just not ideal. And not a deal-breaker. If I owned Suzy, I'd slap a small patch of 3 or 4mm neoprene on the stack and sit upright, watching the bewildered traps of motorists in the rearview, mouthing the vowels: "Key-zah...huh?"
Dan Frio, Automotive Editor
orangutan says:
09:28 AM, 02/ 2/11
How tall are you, Dan?
bankerdanny says:
10:01 AM, 02/ 2/11
I'm 6-4 and this is pretty much my life in every car.
ldl20 says:
10:32 AM, 02/ 2/11
A trend I've noticed in the past decade or so (besides gun-slit windows and reduced visibility, and massive wheel sizes, to name a few), is how large and wide center stacks have become. I'm 6'3" with a 34" inseam, and it's a major PIA when it comes time to shop for a car, and you're not into SUVs, Vans, full-size sedans, or pick-ups. Case in point: Back in 2005, I purchased a new Accord, but I had to get a model with leather, as those seats tilted up just behind my knees, and also tilted down and back. I couldn't even drive the regular EX with cloth seats, as my knee was hard up against the stack. I get I won't fit in a Miata, but in a common Accord?
So what do I drive now? An '09 GLI with the plaid seats. I just barely make it, but of course, the seat is all the way back and down (at least it's real easy to move the seats after my 5'1" wife uses it!), and my head is practically in the backseat (though, it's good for stealth moves, as people generally can't see me from the side unless I move up a bit). And, for those of you who lamented the Outback growing too large, our '11 Outback fits me very nicely (could not fit in the 05-09 version).
Best cars ever: My 95 Neon (I know, but I was 21) was very comfortable for such a small car, and my 02 Protege5 (again, no huge console).
Dan, I feel your pain
viss1 says:
10:39 AM, 02/ 2/11
I have no response to this article other than to say the world needs more Van Halen references.
questionlp says:
10:49 AM, 02/ 2/11
I had the same type of issue with the the piece that stretches from the center stack to the console in my 2004 A4. I've whacked my knee against it enough for it to develop cracks on the backside of the piece.
I don't have as much of a problem with my knee hitting the center console in the B8 Audi's, so all the better in my S5.
super_ongoy says:
11:14 AM, 02/ 2/11
6-4? You should carefully watch what NBA players are drivin' and go for those sans tacky wheels.
seppoboy says:
11:54 AM, 02/ 2/11
I agree about the intrusive center stacks. Almost every car I have driven over the last ten or fifteen years has had an intruding center stack, so my knee has grown used to it. Unfortunately, more auto makers are designing interiors with that layout. While most such cars create a bit of discomfort, none that I have driven have been bad enough to be deal breakers, impossible to imagine driving on a day long trip. Although I am sure there must be some out there that are bad enough to be deal breakers, I just haven't driven them.
bodyblue says:
12:45 PM, 02/ 2/11
But according to certain posters if a car does not sell more than any other car in its class, it has no value whatsoever. Such a shame.
hacefrio says:
12:48 PM, 02/ 2/11
@orangutan: that would've been useful information, in retrospect. Answer: 5'7.
@viss1: you may have seen this, but if not, a brilliant time-waster:
http://geaky.com/262-David-Lee-Roth-SoundBoard.html
aquaticko says:
01:00 PM, 02/ 2/11
At 6' 5", I've pretty much accepted that my knees are going to touch any part of a car's dash that isn't scalloped or in some other way intentionally pushed back. What annoys me much, much more is a windshield header that's too far forward. That makes an interior both claustrophobic and harder to see out of. Opel made a version of the previous generation of the Astra with a windshield that essentially extended way back past the front row seats.
On a side note, why do people have trouble with Romanizations of Japanese names/words? It's almost completely phoenetic. It's not like Chinese or Korean, which are much more difficult.
tigerbangs54 says:
04:05 PM, 02/ 2/11
I'm 6'5" and over 300 lbs...AHEM...and i have yet to sit in ANY car that has a center stack that doesn't make contact with my knee somewhere. If it's a big enough problem, then the Crown Vic and the Town Car don't have center stacks, but then you are stuck driving a Crown Vic or a Town Car...
litewerk says:
04:44 PM, 02/ 2/11
I wish to echo the sentiments of viss1 who stated that the world needs more Van Halen references. As a real VH fan, I don't care if it's Diamond Dave era or Red Rocker Sammy era. Or even Gary Cherone. All I can add is Where Have All The Good Times Gone? Everybody Wants Some, and I want some too. And, since I dislike compromise, I Want The Best of Both Worlds.
And to keep this relevant to the Kizashi, my impresssion is It Feels So Good. And, I can't wait till I can say that a Kizashi is Mine All Mine. In the meantime, one is in my Dreams.
zoomzoomn says:
02:45 PM, 02/ 3/11
Bad, but not the worst I've seen. Think: Chevy Berretta. Flat forward console that dropped off under the dash and a center stack that your knee ended up right under...awkwardly.