Anyone Bought a ISUZU ute

[351LTD]

Given up trying to find something small enough to tow behind my old LTD have decided to give in and get a ute to tow something bigger, went straight to Ranger XLT but whether it was a lifetime of disappointment or fate i found myself on a ISUZU yard and as you do goggle look,can not find much bad stuff at all regarding the Isuzu.Anyone own one and what do you think??

[Mr Brooksy]

My Mum and Dad has an ISUZU DMax, and has been pulling a huge double axle caravan around Australia for the past 3 or 4 years!

He is in love with it.

It gets great economy. Its very reliable, and has power to boot.

He also looked at the older Ranger, but he just loved the ISUZU.

I have driven it many times, and it's fine. I'm not interested in utes and tray backs, but it's fine from my perspective as a work horse.

Not sure if this helps.

[Itsme]

Nothing wrong with buying an Isuzu ute, that was my second choice to my Ranger.

[Paull]

Brought (past tense of to bring), or perhaps you mean Bought (past tense of to buy).

[Dave R]

I believe the D max was jointly developed with the GM/Holden Colorado. The old Holden Rodeos had an Isuzu sibling too. They have a good reputation.

[Ben73]

Originally Posted by Paull

Brought (past tense of to bring), or perhaps you mean Bought (past tense of to buy).

Maybe he was just asking has anyone brought an Isuzu home from the dealer they bought it at.

I have heard many good things about Isuzu's. I don't really like the older ones that look like Rodeos, but the new ones seam pretty good.

[Davehoos]

I have worked for Dealer in the 1980-90's the product was very good with basic repairs. my neighbours own a dealership and its now doing well. People can see its not the same as the cloans.

purchased a 1981 KBD26 C190 new old stock I used it for a few years then it was put to work on the farm. It was recently sold as a stationary engine.
Dad purchased a farmers special 1999 2.8TD 4X4. fell a tree over it a few years ago its now the on farm ute. the 2.8 is a great used vehicle.

I have a D-Max to use in the workshop, It replaced a 3.2 ranger. The ranger was nice to drive if you want a car and need a light truck.

[Adamz Ghia]

They look tough on the outside, but I couldn't sit in the thing. Truely awful interior, one area where all the majors leave it for dead.

[Xauterus]

I was working with a guy that had to have an injector replaced under warranty at 17000km. But they did it with no arguments.

[Hulsty]

My mate has a small fleet of them and one him self, virtually trouble free in 3 years if business use, heavy towing etc. Only issues were when two of the drivers fitted cheap "ebay power chips" once removed issues went away. Autos are Aisins (same/similar) to 200 series Landcruisers and the motors are built to last being a truck based manufacturer.

They are about to start changing them over, planning on walking into the dealer and just swapping them all for the same again.

[351LTD]

Will see how the trade in money comes back(Isuzu and Ford) but starting to lean to Isuzu,My old man used to work at a international dealership years ago and they become the Isuzu dealer and he drove a Isuzu Berlet? Never seen one since but it never missed all the time he had it.

[4VCLEVO]

Have you coincided a BT50. Same as a ranger but much cheaper. I bought mine back in at the start of the year, narrowed my choices down to the BT or Dmax as the ranger was to expensive. Driving the BT50 and the Dmax back it back the BT was a clear winner.

[ras351]

I've got a 2015 D-Max dual cab, auto, 2WD, base model company car and it's just approaching 10,000kms without any issues. I've had a few big loads in the tray (almost 1,000kgs) and it still cruises around great. Without a load in the back I regularly get between 8.0 - 8.5L per 100km economy which gives me a range of about 850kms from a 70L tank.
Only downside is it's pretty bumpy without any weight in the back even with the tyres inflated to 32psi. It also has a really large turning circle and is very long which makes it difficult to park in tight spaces in Sydney.
Apart from that I can't fault it

[CyberWasp]

+1 4CLEVO

Take a BT50 for a drive if cost is the issue with the Ranger, and compare it with the Dmax.
Every part is stamped FoMoCo so it is the Ford you drive when you are not driving a Ford.

[351LTD]

Not so much the cost of the Ford more the reliability and Servicing.Do not like the look of the Mazda BT50 but have always like mazdas(still own one,SP20)

[4VCLEVO]

They all have there problems, and **** can happen to anyone no matter what research you do.
My previous ute I bought had the same engine the current Dmax has (4jj1), and it unfortunately melted a piston at 150,000km. I bought it based on their reliability record but it didn't work out for me. Didn't stop me from looking at the Dmax as I'm well aware I was one of the unlucky few.

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by 4VCLEVO

Have you coincided a BT50. Same as a ranger but much cheaper. I bought mine back in at the start of the year, narrowed my choices down to the BT or Dmax as the ranger was to expensive. Driving the BT50 and the Dmax back it back the BT was a clear winner.

With the latest models the Ranger has moved past the BT now, it barely got anything new with it's upgrade whereas the Ranger got a lot of new stuff.

[bathurst-racer]

I bought a current series D Max 4WD a couple of years ago. It tows a car trailer to Sydney Dragway with a XR6T or a XU-1 on it comfortably. It also tows a horse float with a few alpacas on board even better. It gets used to pick up supplies for the farm or a quick trip from Bathurst to the Central Coast and does it all easily and is great to drive. Once the engine was run in after about 15,000 kms it went really well. I would certainly buy another one if I ever wear this one out.

[XB GS 351 Coupe]

Brought it where??

[nt0351]

Originally Posted by 351LTD

Will see how the trade in money comes back(Isuzu and Ford) but starting to lean to Isuzu,My old man used to work at a international dealership years ago and they become the Isuzu dealer and he drove a Isuzu Berlet? Never seen one since but it never missed all the time he had it.

drive an Amarok first before you do anything, been a Ford Man and loving the new look I got a new Ranger XLT in 2012 , did around 60,000 klms , what a heap of junk ! ,..sold it & got an Amarok, anything else is a distant second in the Dual cab segment.

[mik]

Originally Posted by nt0351

drive an Amarok first before you do anything, been a Ford Man and loving the new look I got a new Ranger XLT in 2012 , did around 60,000 klms , what a heap of junk ! ,..sold it & got an Amarok, anything else is a distant second in the Dual cab segment.

What engine do you have in the amarok ?

[sprintman1]

Originally Posted by ras351

I've got a 2015 D-Max dual cab, auto, 2WD, base model company car and it's just approaching 10,000kms without any issues. I've had a few big loads in the tray (almost 1,000kgs) and it still cruises around great. Without a load in the back I regularly get between 8.0 - 8.5L per 100km economy which gives me a range of about 850kms from a 70L tank.
Only downside is it's pretty bumpy without any weight in the back even with the tyres inflated to 32psi. It also has a really large turning circle and is very long which makes it difficult to park in tight spaces in Sydney.
Apart from that I can't fault it

OEM shocks and springs are cr@p (as they are on all Utes). Easily fixed

[EDManual]

I have one too, but manual. Economy is 7.5 to 8 litres per hundred, pretty amazing! And I floor it around and sit on 120 odd on the hwys! Mines a 2wd dual cab. I did have a warranty issue with the gearbox, syncho in 3rd and gearstick went floppy. They had it for a month to fix it! But lent me a holden colorado (which is the same thing, but has a 2.8 with more power, and you can tell it does have more power).

[XR Martin]

Go look at a Triton if you want a decent pickup that is cheap.

[sprintman1]

Originally Posted by EDManual

I have one too, but manual. Economy is 7.5 to 8 litres per hundred, pretty amazing! And I floor it around and sit on 120 odd on the hwys! Mines a 2wd dual cab. I did have a warranty issue with the gearbox, syncho in 3rd and gearstick went floppy. They had it for a month to fix it! But lent me a holden colorado (which is the same thing, but has a 2.8 with more power, and you can tell it does have more power).

More power maybe but he wants a tow car and that is all about torque

[nt0351]

Originally Posted by mik

What engine do you have in the amarok ?

they are all 2 litre twin turbo,...towed 3 tonne plus plenty of times , no issues ,..they have plenty of torque

[naddis01]

Originally Posted by sprintman1

More power maybe but he wants a tow car and that is all about torque

Cool story...



Colorado 7 in blue. MUX in red.

[Franco Cozzo]

Colorado is where its at, circa 500nm torque for the autos.

[Falcon SXR8]

The funny thing is I know 2 people who drove the dmax and Colorado back to back on the same day and they wonder were the Colorado gets its figures from, both went the dmax. Wouldn't be the first time Holden's figures are a bit optimistic.

I wouldn't go on anything old john codogan "motor expert" says or "dyno sheets" he draws up, as that bloke doesn't even seem to drive the vehicles he talks about.

[sprintman1]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

Colorado is where its at, circa 500nm torque for the autos.

You need to get your head around the difference between peak torque and area under the curve. Another example of how marketing beats reality every time