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At least that is what those who know me think.
I bought my 2009 smart cabriolet in may for all the right reasons. Although i found it a ball to drive, i began to find it tiresome to drive after a few months. My commute does not lend itself to driving a car like the smart. The length, type of road, and condition of the roads make for a pretty rough drive in a short wheelbase car like the fortwo. I am keeping the couple, but the convertible, with it's rather large blind spot, is gone.
I looked at number of vehicles to replace the smart. I seriously considered the corolla, the kia Forte, the Honda Fit, and the Suzuki SX4. I drove a corolla and liked it. Good resale, good mileage and reliability made it a solid choice. $16K buy price on an $18K sticker was not bad.
The fit had even better resale. Little smaller than the corolla, with similar ratings. Price about the same, with a little less equipment. Cooler styling though, another solid choice.
The Forte was a surprise. Nice car, seemed well made and priced around $16K with rebates. Resale was a question mark though.
The SX4 is a known quantity to me, since i already own one. A solid, well made and fun to drive car. I have been getting mid 30's out my 5 speed, and that has been running the air. 7/100 powertrain warranty and good resale are strong points, plus this car has AWD.

Soooooo, which one did i decide on?

None of them:)

When i went to the Suzuki dealer to see about an SX4, the salesman showed me their current ad. It had an SX4 AWD base with CVT for 15,999. Plus, since i own a Suzuki, i get an additional $500 loyalty bonus :cool:. But then, he showed me the ad for a Kizashi AWD. $18,999, and it has a $1,000 loyalty bonus. Sticker of $22,764. i can get it for $17,999
2.4 180HP 4 with CVT. FWD switchable to AWD. Dual zone auto climate control, dual exhaust, decent stereo, and a whole bunch of other stuff standard.
I drove it, loved it, and bought it. EPA is 22/30, and i am confident i can get it over 40. I wish i could have gotten the 6 speed manual, but that is not available with AWD.
Once i get some time behind the wheel, i will offer a full review. Here is what she looks like
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v103/davepenn/100_1689-Copy-Copy.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v103/davepenn/100_1688-Copy-Copy.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v103/davepenn/100_1690-Copy-Copy.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v103/davepenn/100_1691.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v103/davepenn/100_1692.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v103/davepenn/100_1694.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v103/davepenn/100_1693.jpg

Beautiful car! Boy is it well appointed for what you put out.:Banane49: H

Do car dealers have Black Friday specials?

The Kizashi has been getting some rave reviews for its ride/handling/steering setup. Being smaller than the modern "midsize" car, powered by a 2.4L engine, and offering all the toys without tying them to a larger engine option, it seems that Suzuki has done a fine job in offering a sport sedan driving experience without the dismal EPA numbers of the competition. The CVT will respond well to a gentle right foot and you shouldn't have any problem getting over 40mpg. Congrats!

Thanks. If i can trust the Average MPG readout, i am sitting at 33.6 After 120 miles of combined city/highway 50/50 driving. I am still in learning mode, but this car is responding well to basic hypermiling techniques. I do like the gearing, as it was under 2K RPM at 60 MPH. Once it's broken in and i learn what works with it, i think that 40 should not be a problem.