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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  abs sensor - 1999 Isuzu Rodeo
  By H0ckypuck - March 30 - 10:00 am

  Make sure the dealership replaces a wiring harness when you take your Rodeo in for the "abs" sensor fix. Replacing the sensor will not fix the problem. I have an LS with a 5speed. Pretty quick for small suv. My biggest complaint is loud interior noise. Only reason why I would trade my Rodeo.

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  Review - 2004 Isuzu Ascender
  By Jodie - March 21 - 10:00 am

  Love driving this vehicle.....Have had no problems with it....I would change some features in the interior, such as arm rest in the front seat areas, that is the only negative thing that I have to say about it.

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  Love My Isuzu! - 2004 Isuzu Rodeo
  By Sandra Munn - March 21 - 10:00 am

  I love the perfomance of my Isuzu Rodeo. It drives very smooth. Very comfortable and sporty. My vechicle is very reliable and I wouldnt trade it in except for another Isuzu Rodeo.

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  Frenchs Review - 2004 Isuzu Rodeo
  By John French - March 21 - 10:00 am

  The rear Passenger doors need to open wider. The seats needs more lumbar support and seat inclination needs adjustment. Mine, a 2003 Rodeo, needs a bigger console. My pistol barely fits in the console, let alone any extra mags or ammo. A/C works great! The suspension needs to be stiffer and upgraded before doing any off roading. Overall the Rodeo is an excellent product for the money.

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  rodeo - 2004 Isuzu Rodeo
  By Rebbel - March 21 - 10:00 am

  I have driven many types of cars and truks, Includeing a Jeep cj7 and several ford trucks, this is the first orgen made truck that I have ever oned and I am verry happy and pleased with it A reasonably priced well made 4x4 that is fun to drive and fun to own.

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  I love my Rodeo! - 2001 Isuzu Rodeo
  By Rodeo01 - March 18 - 8:26 pm

  I bought a 2001 Rodeo LSE 4WD in 2006 with 135,000 km on it. I have had no problems whatsoever so far with it and love everything about it. Lots of room, great fun to drive, very stylish exterior, 21 mpg - which isnt really that bad for an SUV.

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  2 Trooper Guy - 2002 Isuzu Trooper
  By gpepper - March 17 - 2:00 am

  I bought my wife a Trooper S. Within 6 months I traded in my 97 3000GT VR4 and bought myself a new Trooper Limited. Its an unpretentious vehicle thats entirely capable of delivering on every promise. Sturdy, dependable, and it really goes in snow. My family and I recently found ourselfs in a horrific snow storm in the Trooper. 18" of dense, wet snow, fallen trees strewn across the mountain roads and literally crashing all around us. I cant tell you how amazed we were at how easily we drove through it. The Tooper didnt even break a sweat, and neither did we.

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  Trooper Fan! - 1999 Isuzu Trooper
  By TBrye - March 17 - 2:00 am

  Great vehicle. Second Trooper weve owned. Sorry to see the model discontinued. No desire to look at Ascender. Might as well go directly to GM if I want a TrailBlazer or Envoy

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  Power and Handling are Great - 2002 Isuzu Axiom
  By MidwesternBill - March 17 - 2:00 am

  Lots of power and great handling. Outperforms the other small/midsize suvs I drove. Youll like this if you want more of a rugged truck feel, yet the handling and cornering are tight. Very stable on turns. Doesnt feel like a sedan. If you want that buy a Buick Rendevous (poor handling and a dog). A tip if you think the styling is a bit unusual: add a roof rack, rear spoiler (wing) and running boards. Looks awesome. Surf the web for the rear wing. Mine is all black--looks great with the chrome trim! Next thing I might add are chrome wheels--wow!

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  The Best SUV Out There - 2003 Isuzu Ascender
  By mesnsbs - March 12 - 10:00 am

  After testing different SUV, me & my husband decided to get the Acura MDX. One day we road past a Isuzu dealership & saw a new SUV. We made a u-turn to go back to see what it was & fell in love with the Ascender. After test driving it we knew we found what we were looking for, especially the price.