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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  very happy - 1998 Isuzu Rodeo
  By happy169 - July 12 - 6:16 am

  I am very happy with my isuzu I have 200600 k on vehicle I am second owner I new ist owner he took very good care of vehicle replaced clutch at 150k only use syn oil runs great

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  Surprise - 2004 Isuzu Rodeo
  By randallgray - July 9 - 5:23 am

  The vehicle has been a surprise. The ride and reliability have been excellent. The car has a lot of equipment at a significantly lower sticker price than the competition.

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  My 2002 Rodeo S 4X2 - 2002 Isuzu Rodeo
  By Brian355 - July 4 - 2:00 am

  I like the car. I find it to be fun and igile to drive. Great handling on wet/snowy roads for a 2WD. It is a roomy family vehicle with plenty of cargo space. The MPG is about what I expected. I do disagree with reports of a noisy/busy ride. The ride is smooth and pretty quiet in my opinion. The light steering and tight turning radius allows easy manuvering in parking lots.

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  Axiom - 2004 Isuzu Axiom
  By Ryan Wells - July 2 - 6:03 pm

  This vehicle is a good bargain. It does everything well. Power is great and gas mileage has shocked me. Hope we have no mechanical problems!!!

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  A pleasure to drive - 2002 Isuzu Axiom
  By TRB - June 28 - 10:00 am

  The more I drive it, the more I like it. Extremely responsive in traffic.

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  Whats that noise? - 2001 Isuzu Rodeo
  By Assilemmoyers - June 26 - 10:00 am

  I love my Rodeo! It is an absolute dream to drive despite the enormous amount of change that goes into filling it up. It doesnt drive as smooth as I would have hoped but I like the fact that its big and roomy. There is an annoying sound coming from the back and no one seems to be able to figure out what it is. Its loud around turns and little and big bumps. Other than that its a beautiful and fun vehicle to drive. No problems as of yet mechanically except for a cold start problem that was easy to fix. Also do not play burned cds in your six disc changer, it jams pretty easily and is testy about what you put in there.

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  Epitome of Pure SUV - 2002 Isuzu Trooper
  By Dan - June 26 - 6:46 am

  It is hard to describe the ownership experience for me with this vehicle. I guess it can almost be described as happiness and sorrow combined. The vehicle itself is a high quality vehicle( which I will miss when gone) which rides on shocks and rear springs (nice). Plenty of power, big, unique, cool, and comfortable. Problem was with Isuzu disappearing in North America. Was assured by dealer they could continue to service when they dropped Isuzu franchise. My transmission was serviced and failed. Had to wait 18 days to get fixed at authorized Isuzu dealer. Second one failed again. Replaced again at no cost. Still love the vehicle, but Isuzu disappearing and other issues caused anguish.

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  My First Trooper - 2002 Isuzu Trooper
  By mereed55 - June 17 - 2:00 am

  I chose the Trooper after test driving everything else out there and determined that the Trooper was by far the best value for my dollar. The vehicle has a surprisingly smooth ride for an SUV and the controls are very easy to use. The vehicle has more than enough cargo room and the spare tire is located on the rear door for easy reach in case of emergency. The build quality is excellent but the technology is a little dated. I only have 3,000 miles on the vehicle to date and I am a little disappointed with the fuel mileage.

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  02 Axiom - 2003 Isuzu Axiom
  By cericson - June 11 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car because, with the rebate, it was a great value. I have been very surprised at how much fun it is to drive. It is exactly the right size and completely trouble free.

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  1998 Trooper - 2001 Isuzu Trooper
  By garbagebill - June 5 - 10:00 am

  I wasnt goin out looking to buy a Trooper but after my test drive I was hooked. Simply put this is the most reliable vehicle Ive owned, and Ive owed alot of cars. VERY comfortable to drive especially on long trips and Troopers are a very nice looking vehicle. Im at over 80,000 miles and Ive NEVER had a problem. Until Isuzu does me wrong Ill always own one.