Overview & Reviews

For now, Isuzu SUVs and trucks are all that you'll see at your local Isuzu dealer; it's been quite a few years since there's been an Isuzu car. The company's specialized lineup is more a function of circumstance than choice. In recent years, Isuzu has seen its share of hard times; a lack of funding for both new product investment and marketing has forced the company to rely heavily on its partnership with GM. Both of the models in its line are derived from existing GM products.

Isuzu, which means "50 bells," is the name of a river that flows through a province dotted with ancient Shinto shrines in Japan. The company's roots date back to 1916, when Tokyo Ishikawajima Shipbuilding and Engineering Company first decided to broaden its business to include automobile manufacturing. The company forged a technical union with the U.K.-based Wolseley Motor Company in 1918. Its debut licensed offering, the A9 car, soon followed, as did its first truck, the CP. By 1949, the company's name had been changed to the more succinct Isuzu.

In the postwar years, production of Isuzu trucks boomed. The company's vehicles played a significant role in Japan's reconstruction effort, and were used to ferry clothes, food and other essentials. In 1953, Isuzu rolled out the Hillman Minx passenger car, the product of a technical union with Rootes, a U.K. outfit.

The 1960s saw the launch of passenger cars like the Florian, the Bellett and the 117 Coupe, as well as trucks like the WASP. In 1971, Isuzu entered into a partnership with General Motors. The Gemini, released a couple of years later, was the first Isuzu vehicle to be produced from the pairing.

By the 1980s, Isuzu had landed on American shores. The Pup was the first Isuzu sold in the U.S. market. The Trooper, an SUV available in two- or four-door form, was introduced in 1983 and quickly became popular in that new market segment. The company entered into a joint venture with Subaru in 1987, a union that spawned the Isuzu Rodeo and the Isuzu Pickup. Less popular than the trucks were the cars, such as the dated I-Mark sedan and the handsome, Italian-designed Impulse sport coupe.

The company's sales were relatively strong in the 1990s, thanks in part to the increasing success of the Trooper, which by that time had grown in size and luxury. The Trooper was one of the models responsible for the massive popularity of the SUV vehicle category during that decade. In 1999, GM upped its stake in Isuzu to assume the role of majority shareholder.

The new millennium brought bad news, however. Previous bestsellers like the Rodeo and the Trooper were outclassed by newer, fresher competition, and sales plummeted. The Rodeo and the Axiom (a crossover SUV) were dropped from the lineup in 2004. Currently, Isuzu's lineup comprises just two vehicles — a truck and an SUV, both of which are based on GM products.

User Reviews:

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  2001 Isuzu Rodeo LS 2WD OUTSTANDING SUV! - 2001 Isuzu Rodeo
  By gunner4life - March 14 - 10:42 am

  I have owned my 01 rodeo half of its life. its been as reliable as a honda should be! it does lack horsepower no doubt. but the v6 does the job! the paint has held up and still looks great. as well as the leather seats! the only thing I can point out is the steel wheels. not a big fan of them! and as far as the recall/ rusted frame, mine has held up! always garaged kept! and hasnt seen salty roads for 6years now so I am sure that helps. mine has 168,000 miles and still running and going strong! I will never sell this SUV! Ive been making improvements as of lately with the new decals and wheel replacement.... I would purchase another rodeo down the road if need be! a 2004 model NEXT TIME....

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  Oil User after 60K - 1999 Isuzu Trooper
  By Trooper Terry - March 8 - 4:06 am

  I love this vehicle except for one thing and that is it uses 1 quart of oil per 500 miles. Isuzu knows there is a problem with their 3.5 liter engines, but wont recall them. After the warranty ends at 60K, they start using a lot of oil. The only solution is to replace the small block, which costs about 2 grand. I figured if I just keep adding oil, it would only cost me about 30 bucks a year. I know there are a lot of posts online about this, but Isuzu will never admit it. I love the vehicle other than the oil usage. I had two Isuzu vehicles in the past with few or any problems, this is the first one, I guess they just tried to catch up with the big U.S. SUV too quickly

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  Great SUV - 2001 Isuzu Trooper
  By Hazel - February 27 - 5:26 am

  Quality and reliability all in one great package. This is the 3rd Isuzu Trooper I have owned. Put over 240,000 miles on each of the first two without any problems. This car is wonderfully well designed and thoughtfully engineered. Truly built with all necessary comfort features and designed for off road traveling as well. I know I wont have to worry about unexpected mechanical problems for a long, long time.

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  2001 Trooper - 2001 Isuzu Trooper
  By Rich1--1--1 - February 14 - 10:00 am

  The trooper has yet to let me down. To bad I cant say that about Isuzu Customer Service and Getting Warranty Work Done. The local dealership, I live in Northeastern Pa, cancelled my appointment for warranty work twice but failed to call me to let me know, I needed a tie rod end.If you call the number for customer support in your vehicle manual they cant and wont help, and there isnt a another dealership within an hours drive.

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  2000 Isuzu Rodeo LS 4WD - Ironman - 2000 Isuzu Rodeo
  By twistlock - January 26 - 10:00 am

  I checked-out the Nissan X-Terra, Jeep Cherokee and Isuzu Rodeo. Surprisingly the Rodeo was the best blend of off- road and asphalt performance. No problems in almost 3 yrs of ownership. I believe only 2 safety advisories (not 100% recalls) for the 2000 model yr. Great value and low-maintenance (so far)!

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  Isuzu Acender...poor mans enovy - 2004 Isuzu Ascender
  By Othello - December 21 - 2:00 am

  Outstanding Drive! Lots of space!

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  Great look and great ride - 2004 Isuzu Ascender
  By Tarun Ghosh - December 2 - 4:30 pm

  I am still learning about this car. I bought the 5 passenger. I got two kids and so I am still thinking to go to dealership and request for an exchange to a 7 seater. This car is as good as TrailBlazer and Envoy but I got more options in the same price.

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  sporty economic import fun - 2002 Isuzu Rodeo
  By Jeff Samples - December 2 - 2:00 am

  I am very suprised. I have been looking for a mid-size SUV for my wife for some time now and we have had our Isuzu for a week now and our very excited. I sale pre-owned vehicles for a living and have never been in a vehicle that rode as efficient as this one. Its not the biggest and the best. But its the best value for the $.

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  Losing Some Paint - 2007 Isuzu Ascender
  By Tom - November 25 - 10:26 pm

  After almost a year of ownership, overall I really like the vehicle. It handles the snow well and the ride is very good for an SUV. There is a problem of the paint getting blasted off on the flairs in front of the rear wheels.

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  Great Suv - 2002 Isuzu Trooper
  By tyler - November 12 - 2:00 am

  My dad gave me this as my first truck, like any other kid yeah i drove the heck out of it. Nothing major has ever went wrong with this car and i do run the heck out of it. Isuzu however did swap the engine for us because right at 70 thousand miles, it would consume a lot of oil and we would have to add it every 500. Known problem i have read about that problem a lot. Does great off roading ( doesnt mean you can go threw a mud pit ) but it will get you back to the trails. excellent in snow this truck goes threw a lot you wouldnt think it. Tows great, Ive pulled a big f150 right out of the mud before. aftermarket stereo installed, cold air intake, magna flow exhaust, tint , hid lights,