Kizashi Goes Sledding in Suzuki's Super Bowl Ad

Remember Suzuki's all-wheel-drive midsize sedan? Looking at Kizashi's sales numbers, not too many people do. Though Suzuki's 2011 U.S. sales were up 11 percent, it sold only 6,942 Kizashi sedans last year. The automaker is spending big bucks on a Super Bowl ad to jog our memories. Kizashi is the star of its 2012 spot, the second consecutive year Suzuki has made a Super Bowl ad.

What's the Most Affordable Midsize Sedan?

The midsize sedan is by far the most popular car segment in the U.S., with more than 2 million sold so far this year. So it’s no surprise that some of the best-selling vehicles in the country are midsize family sedans, such as the Toyota Camry, Nissan Altima and Ford Fusion. It’s also one of the most competitive markets, with over 20 moderately priced models on sale today.

Over the past few months, the market has heated up even more. Toyota is launching the all-new 2012 Camry this month, and it will boast more features, improved gas mileage and more-affordable pricing for midlevel trims. The redesigned 2012 Volkswagen Passat is now a legitimate player in the moderately priced family sedan category, moving away from the premium category. Its starting price of $19,995 offers novel features, such as dual-zone automatic climate control, standard.

So which sedan is the best-equipped — and also the most affordable — car for the money? For this latest affordability study, we decided to pit the redesigned 2012 Camry and 2012 Passat against the 2012 Hyundai Sonata and the 2012 Fusion. All four have attractive pricing with lots of features.

Cars.com Podcast: 2011 Ford Explorer, 2011 Suzuki Kizashi and 2011 Chrysler Town & Country

Are you still hungry for more info on the all-new Ford Explorer before you think about going to buy one? Then this is the podcast for you. Editors Mike Hanley, David Thomas and Joe Wiesenfelder discuss three recently reviewed vehicles on Cars.com, including the new Explorer.

Why did Dave think it wasn’t perfect for families? Why is it more SUV than crossover? Download the podcast to get your questions answered.

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Cars.com Reviews the 2011 Suzuki Kizashi

The Kizashi received rave reviews from Cars.com’s editors back in 2010, and the car placed third in our $25,000 Family Sedan Shootout. Its reader reviews are mostly good, too. After nearly a year out of our hands, we revisited the Kizashi SLS trim with a manual transmission and front-wheel drive. With a stick, there’s even more to like, according to Cars.com senior editor Joe Wiesenfelder. Should you take the risk of purchasing a lesser-known nameplate such as this? Continue reading to find out:

2011 Suzuki Kizashi Review

Saw it during the Super Bowl? Read the Car Review

Super Bowl XLV had more car commercials than recent Super Bowls. That’s partly due to GM getting back into the big game; the automaker hasn’t aired a Super Bowl ad since 2008.

With commercials highlighting the best that Chrysler, GM, Hyundai, Kia, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen and Suzuki have to offer, you may have seen cars and car names that are new to you, but they’re not to us. In fact, we’ve tested and reviewed many of the featured cars.

Below are links to our reviews of some of the cars that automakers thought were worth $100,000 per second of airtime.

The Best Pre-Super Bowl Car Commercials

It’s that time of year again: The Super Bowl is almost here, along with Cars.com’s newest commercials that will air during the big game. In honor of this ad-tastic season, we thought we’d give our take on some of the best car commercials airing now, before the year’s most-watched television event creates a whole new bumper crop for us to critique.

Ch-Ch-Changes: 2011 Suzuki Lineup

For the 2011 model year, Suzuki adds a few trims and safety features to the lineup, particularly with its important Kizashi and SX4 models. We break down the changes below.

Reader Review of the Week: 2010 Suzuki Kizashi

Perfectionist of Centennial, Colo., seems like a pretty tough cookie to win over if you’re an automaker in the midsize car segment. This reader tested nearly everything in the midsize marketplace – the Subaru Legacy, Hyundai Sonata, Ford Fusion and Chevy Malibu – but ended up going with the 2010 Suzuki Kizashi. After putting more than 1,000 miles on the odometer Perfectionist says “nothing compares” to his new Kizashi. Continue reading below to find out why, and then write your own review here.

Suzuki Gives You $250 If You Don't Buy a Kizashi

Incentives are an interesting game. Automakers use them to entice buyers into a showroom with the hope that a little extra money off the MSRP will get you to sign the paperwork and drive off the lot. They usually don’t pay you to buy another automaker’s car. But that’s what Suzuki is doing with a new offer on its Kizashi sedan.
 
Suzuki will give $250 to anyone who test-drives a Kizashi and then buys a competing sedan within three days. You have to show proof that you bought a 2010 Honda Accord, Nissan Altima, Chevrolet Malibu, Mazda6, Ford Fusion or Toyota Camry, all with four-cylinders.
 
These models were also competitors the Kizashi faced in the Cars.com/USA Today/ MotorWeek $25,000 Family Sedan Shootout earlier this year. However, the winner of the Shootout, the 2011 Hyundai Sonata, is not included in the promotion. The Kizashi came in third and was widely praised by all of the editors on hand and the real-world family who participated.
 
Suzuki also offers $100 for shoppers who buy an Audi A4 or Acura TSX after test-driving the Kizashi. However, those entry-level luxury cars are nowhere near as popular as the sedans mentioned above, which include many of the best-selling cars in the country.
 
The $250 prepaid debit card offer runs through July 31. What happens if the Kizashi actually wins you over and you want to buy one? Suzuki is offering 0% financing for 48 months until Aug. 2. The company is also offering a free-gas promotion for all its models. Kizashi buyers will get a $290 prepaid gas card. That deal ends Aug. 31.

Editor's Note: Cars.com has no involvement with Suzuki’s Test Drive Challenge promotion. We learned of it via a news release sent by the company to all media outlets Tuesday.

2010|Suzuki|Kizashi

Recall Alert: 2010 Suzuki Kizashi

Suzuki has issued a recall for 5,107 Kizashi sedans from the 2010 model year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The recall affects models built between Oct. 13, 2009, and May 31, 2010, due to a problem with a door. The hinged door of the center lower box on the dashboard doesn’t meet federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 201, “Occupant Protection in Interior Impact.” In the event of an accident, the door may swing open, which could injure a vehicle occupant. You can find out when your car was manufactured by checking the label on the driver’s doorjamb.

Dealers will inspect and replace the instrument panel center lower box with a new part for free. Owners may contact Suzuki at 714-996-7040 or NHTSA’s hot line at 888-327-4236.