Isuzu Axiom

revolve360

Actually, after the first week, there was more of a funny metallic squeak coming from the passenger side rear seat mount. Took it to the dealer and it went away. THEN a month ago we noticed it again. It's not too annoying, but we will have it looked at when we get it serviced next.

k2rm - maybe we've seen you driving around, what color Axiom do you drive? Ours is anthracite (metallic grey) and tan leather interior. We actually bought our Axiom from the Oakland dealer.

Did the grey interior come only in cloth or can you now get grey leather?

scoobyax

I had the same squeak coming from the driver side rear seat mount but only when it was in the full upright position. I noticed that out of the 3 slots to lock the seat back in, only that one wasn't greased and was rubbing metal on metal. Just put some grease or Vaseline on it. So far it's been quiet for a month. Unless you constantly move the seats back and forth it should hold up.

paisan

I meant Toyota 4-runner. Long day.

-mike

cmuniz

My 4WD Axiom has 7,600 miles on it and gets 17.6 around town (mountain driving) and around 22 on the highway. I expect those figures to get better after a while like they did on my Trooper. No noise from my seatbelts, but they are adjusted about midway point on the pillar. They do have a habit of twisting on the metal slide that goes across your lap making them hard to reposition after you get out of the car. Other than that I have had zero problems with the Axiom. I do have a lot of confidence in the TOD system on snowy roads - it has never failed me.

paisan

Wow you must have a very light foot! That is awsome milage.

-mike

k2rm

I have a green XS and drive often in Berkeley, El Cerrito and Richmond. The only two Axioms I have seen so far has been a blond grey about a year ago and a white one near the Berkeley campus. The only Anthracite that I have seen was one sitting next to the one I bought right after it was unloaded from the truck. The Anthracite looks great and I would have gotten it if it was an XS model. I searched all over for an Anthracite XS 4WD but couldn't find any last December. Looks like they can be found quite easily now, especially in Sacramento. Green was my second color choice and I really like how the tan interior matches with the green.

Scoobyax: I had the squeak/rattle with my seat back, but I found that in the middle position it doesn't make any noise. I will try greasing the latch, sounds like a good idea. I had put a thin polyurethane tube around the back bar of the U-bold to get rid of the noise. It works fine, but moving the seats to different positions is a little more difficult now. My current noise is definitely temperature sensitive, in the morning when it is cold, I hear it, but in the evening when it is warm, it goes away. I still think it has something to do with the seat belt.

axiomlover

I have had my black Axiom XS 4WD for three days now. I am constantly looking for excuses to take it on the road. I have 114 miles on the odometer so far. I know it is early to say, but right now I do not hear any squeaks or other noises. The car looks and feels like a $50,000 vehicle in and out. I bought it from a volume leader dealership in Chicago area, so my price was incredible. Also, they had 5 black Axioms with grey interior on Saturday and by Tuesday, I bought the last one, so interest is definitely there. I will try to take some pictures of the interior and post it here, so you can all see how the vehicle looks with grey. It is also two-tone, but tan is replaced by fairly light grey color.
I must admit that I am not used to driving an SUV and so it feels heavy when I drive it. It is a truck, afterall. In my opinion, the quality of the interior is top notch. I love the MID unit, it is fun to play with. It is supposed to snow this Sunday in Chicago, so I will try my Axiom and its TOC in the snow. Fuel economy isn't the greatest. I averaged 12.7 mpg (according to the computer), but driving in Chicago is unique and for a comparison, my wife's 2.2 liter 4-cylinder gets only 17 mpg in the same type of driving. Did any of you follow any special break-in schedule? I am not racing the engine and try to limit the speed to 65mph on the highway. I will give you more info on my experience as I put some more miles on it. How much do you think this vehicle will be worth next year?
Also, I noticed that the driver's seat is not the most comfortable. I will try to move the seat backwards (as described by one Axiom owner in one of the previous posts) and see if it helps (I am 6' tall).

paisan

hey guys I want some axiom pics for http://isuzu-suvs.com ! Send em over mike@iace.com

Resale: It will probably be worth about $18k next year, Isuzus drop in re-sale fast.

-mike

axiomlover

I have had my black Axiom XS 4WD for three days now. I am constantly looking for excuses to take it on the road. I have 114 miles on the odometer so far. I know it is early to say, but right now I do not hear any squeaks or other noises. The car looks and feels like a $50,000 vehicle in and out. I bought it from a volume leader dealership in Chicago area, so my price was incredible. Also, they had 5 black Axioms with grey interior on Saturday and by Tuesday, I bought the last one, so interest is definitely there. I will try to take some pictures of the interior and post it here, so you can all see how the vehicle looks with grey. It is also two-tone, but tan is replaced by fairly light grey color.
I must admit that I am not used to driving an SUV and so it feels heavy when I drive it. It is a truck, afterall. In my opinion, the quality of the interior is top notch. I love the MID unit, it is fun to play with. It is supposed to snow this Sunday in Chicago, so I will try my Axiom and its TOC in the snow. Fuel economy isn't the greatest. I averaged 12.7 mpg (according to the computer), but driving in Chicago is unique and for a comparison, my wife's 2.2 liter 4-cylinder gets only 17 mpg in the same type of driving. Did any of you follow any special break-in schedule? I am not racing the engine and try to limit the speed to 65mph on the highway. I will give you more info on my experience as I put some more miles on it. How much do you think this vehicle will be worth next year?
Also, I noticed that the driver's seat is not the most comfortable. I will try to move the seat backwards (as described by one Axiom owner in one of the previous posts) and see if it helps (I am 6' tall).

k2rm

I agree, the interior of the Axiom is terrific. The attention to detail and value is definitely second to none in this price range.

I did follow the break in schedule. It was hard not to test out the 3.5 L in those first 1000 miles. Just check for oil consumption like some people have posted.

It is hard to say about resale on these. I was looking at used Rodeos about 4 year ago, and at the time here in the west coast depreciation didn't seem to bad. Of course with all of the incentives now for new vehicles, the drop in demand for used vehicles is way down. It seems like even the used 4Runners and PFs initial depreciation is much higher than just a few years ago.

Don't worry about developing rattles in your Axiom, it is a very solid vehicle. I only have minor rattles when I go over large potholes and cracks in the roadway. I don't know how the roads are in Chicago, but the SF bay area just got ranked as having the worst (or 2nd worst, I can't remember) roads in the Nation and the roads here in berkeley are especially bad. My old car became a rattle trap after only one year of driving here. So far, the Axiom is holding up extremely well especially if the only notable rattle is from the rear seat belts.

xterrabill

I sold my Xterra recently and am in the market for a new suv. I liked the Xterra but wanted something with more power and I decided on the Axiom. I live in Southern Jersey and am just starting to shop around for the best price. Is the Axiom going for invoice these days and can I apply the $3000 cash back against that invoice price as part of the down payment, making the price actually $3000 less than invoice? It looks like I'll have to change my edmunds tag hopefully. Thanks
Bill

paisan

you can use the $3K on any negotiated price, but you cannot use it in conjunction with the 0% financing deal.

-mike

xterrabill

Thanks for the reply Mike. According to isuzudealers.com It looks like the Isuzu dealer in Freehold is selling them for invoice. I'll probably take a ride there next week.
Bill

sowr

So Isuzu buckled under that many-headed beast known as popular opinion, well if they sell more Axioms and make some money that'll be a good thing.

I'll keep my original 2002 Anthracite with Black and Tan, 15 years from now I'll be leaning against the door pillar of my tried and true Isuzu and say down to my son, "you see that black one over there? That's a second generation Axiom, this one here is the original concept".

dielectric7bb

I think 15 years from now you'll be saying "they never made a 2nd gen my son. GM just didn't like competition" Sorry but I don't think Isuzu will be making trucks very much longer, except for commercial ones that is.

hjerrod

Just a quick note on fuel mileage. I reset the Avg MPG caculator and on the display screen and trip at fill-up. When I filled up the next time(16 gal) the display said 17.2 mpg. based on my trip and fuel used, I calculated 16.4mpg, half city, half highway. I'm not sure exactly how the computer calculates the avg. mpg. It is not a big deal, just an observation. Also, still have not seen another Axiom on the road in all of OK and north TX. how many have been sold in the U.S.? no complaints with mine. some minor rattles on rough pavement, a little oil consumption over the first few K miles, but a solid vehicle.

dielectric7bb

I wouldn't trust the computer (Axiom or other) to be very accurate on the overall MPG calcs. I think these systems work as follows, but I could be wrong:
1) sum up the total amount of fuel pumped into the engine
2) sum up the total number of miles traveled
3) divide #2 by #1

I think the main error of the system is in #1 as measuring fluid flow precisely can be a very tricky science (or witchcraft dependent on your POV).

a little oil consumption is normal with Isuzu's 3.2L V-6 and bigger twin the 3.5L V-6. Just check it every now and then, top off as needed, and you'll be very happy.

sowr

Is the black one an illusion? A figment of my imagination? An underdone potato?*

Any deviation from the original concept is by definition second generation.

*A Christmas Carol

But I do agree with your analysis; GM will smother.

dielectric7bb

'Any deviation from the original concept is by definition second generation'

So if the original concept didn't have air conditioning, but it was an option when brought to market, does that make an A/C option a second gen (since it is a 'deviation from the original concept)?

I (as do most) consider a second gen a large change (new engine/tranny/chassis...). Color doesn't constitute a second gen IMO.

paisan

For me 2nd gen is a change in some major portion of the sheetmetal and/or engine change or other major component.

For the Trooper there are essentially 5 generations or 3 generations depending how you look at it:

1st- Round sealed beam headlights
2nd- square headlights, leaf springs
3rd- '92-'97 Square front, 3.2 DOHC or SOHC engine
4th- '98-'02 curved front, 3.5 DOHC, TOD, Different Dash

or

1st- Round Sealed Beam Headlights
1.5- Square headlights
2nd- '92-'97 Square front 3.2DOHC or SOHC
2.5- '98-'02 Rounded front, 3.5DOHC, TOD, Dash

I prescribe to the latter Generation Convention because in the 1 and 1.5 generation, you can bolt on essentially anything from one to the other (body, suspension, engines, drivetrain, interior) and the same goes for 2nd and 2.5 generations.

Colors and option packages aren't the definition of a generation, just a model year.

-mike

sbcooke

Where does the 4 and 6 cylinder fit in? Earliest models were equipped with a 4 banger, and I believe late 80's they upgraded to a 6 to try to keep up?

paisan

Yep, 4 was std. with optional V6 I'm pretty sure they offered a V6 from the get-go, but not positive. Also there was the whole Trooper v. Trooper II thing. Which was a matter of the rear seat being a Factory option v. Dealer option for import tariff avoidance.

-mike

k2rm

When are other Axiom's fuel lights going on? I took a trip to Yosemite this weekend and on the return trip I decided to see when the fuel light would go on. Usually, the gauge is about 1/8 tank before I refuel after only about 250 miles highway. This time, the fuel light went on at 300 miles and the gauge was below E, so I refueled. The tank took only 15 gallons meaning there was still 4.5 gallons left. I was surprised that the fuel light came on so early, is this similar to what other people are observing?

cmyers300m

Hey to everyone here. I'm normally on the 300M board, but I'm currently looking for an SUV for the wife. After going to the local car show here I'd have to say I like the Axiom the most. We are looking in the 27K-32K price range, and we like our vehicles loaded. My wife says she absolutely has to have heated seats in her next vehicle. My 300M has'em, her Caravan does not. We narrowed our search down to the Liberty, Axiom, Santa Fe, Vue, and Envoy. Obviously, the Envoy, which she does like, is more like 37k with the goodies on it. So I've basically deleted it from the list. The Liberty we decided was too small for our needs (2 kids). The Sante Fe didn't have a compass/outside temp reading, which the wife loves. It didn't have power seats and few other items. The interior isn't the most attractive either. The Saturn Vue was nice, but again NO luxury features to speak of. THEN, we looked at the Axiom. Well, I loved the exterior looks before I saw it in person. In person it is AWESOME. Inside and out it has everything we're looking for. The size is perfect, not too small and NOT too big, and what a great warranty! I really don't think there is another SUV in it's league without spending another 10k. I read some of the posts on here and they sound pretty positive. Anything else anyone can ad???

paisan

You can get a loaded Trooper for around $30K, very similar to the Axiom, but slightly more luxury. The Axiom is great though. Be forewarned Isuzus must be kept for 5-10 years and at least 100K miles re-sale initially is very poor.

-mike

cmyers300m

Well, to be honest, the Trooper I think is out dated in some of its features. The wife doesn't like the looks of it much, and she brings up its past rollover problems. Kinda like talking to a wall there.
The wife really doesn't like vehicles with the spare mounted to the back door either. She likes the rear doors that open like her van, not ones that swing out.

Thanks, Chris

paisan

Gotcha. I know the "she won't listen" very well. The Axiom has most of the good features from the trooper (engine, driveline)

-mike

axiomlover

I refuelled by Axiom for the first time last weekend. It took 15 gallons, but the gauge was just below the quarter mark.

I just showed my new toy (Axiom XS) to a close friend of mine who drives a '99 Grand Cherokee. He was impressed with the amount and quality of amenities for the price. He paid $2,000 more for his Jeep, which doesn't even come close to my Axiom in equipment and quality. Although the resale value may not be the greatest, you get a lot of car for the money.

k2rm

You stated it well when you said the Axiom has all of the luxury for $10,000 less. The axiom is a great value, especially with the included warranty. It does seem like all of the Axiom owners out there are very happy with their purchase. You have probably read the Edmunds bad review of the Axiom, but for each bad review out there on the Axiom, I could probably find 10 positive reviews.

The best thing is that the axiom's ruggedness was not compromised to obtain a comfortable ride like so may other vehicles out there. Probably the only other vehicle on your list like this is the Liberty. The axiom is a very unique vehicle, it is an exiting vehicle in a day that bland styling seems to be ruling. I know this because people are constantly looking at my Axiom as I drive by. All of my passengers have pointed this out to me, they always tell me that as many people drive by their heads are turning to look back at the Axiom. The great thing is that the styling is exciting inside and out. On so many other boards you hear people criticizing vehicles because of their bland styling or cheap use of plastics, I can't remember anyone posting like comments about the Axiom. Isuzu paid great attention to detail and it shows.

cmyers300m

You're right about the reviews. Consumer guide said it was nothing special. Consumer Review raved about it. Motor Trend said a lot of positive things about it. They said they loved the 2-tone interior and the 'concept' looking exterior. In fact, the ONLY thing they didn't like was the center info center, they said it looked outdated compared to the rest on the SUV. My wife and I both like the center display, so again, everyone has their own opinion.
Oh, and what you said about attention to detail. You are right on again. My wife absoultely loved the rubber anti-skid mat that is in the back cargo area. Now things won't slide around, and you don't need a cargo net. Plus I thought it looked really good too. Small thing, but attention to detail shows.

bpajwhite

Hi everyone,
Thanks to all for the information you have allready provided. It has been very helpful. I bought an Axiom about 5 weeks ago and I am very pleased with it. I have a litte over 2000 miles on it. I haven't had any squeaking so far. My chief complaint is the fuel light. Like one of the previous postings, if I refuel as soon as the light comes on the it only takes 14-15 gallons. That combined with the fact that as soon as the light comes on, the miles to empty read-out changes to "Low Fuel". It's quite frustrating because once the light is on your not quite sure when the tank is going to run out even thought you have 4-5 gallons left. Now I just use the trip miles to determine when to refuel. Kinda makes the "Miles to Empty" and the Fuel gage useless. Anyone else have this problem? Thanks,

Jonathan

k2rm

That is exactly what I saw this weekend. I had the miles to empty displayed with 66 miles to go, the fuel light went on and the miles to empty went blank and displayed low fuel. Kind of weird. I guess on long trips we just need to look for a gas station within 60 miles to be safe although we probably could go 80. Has anyone out there ever put more than 16 gallons in their tank yet? I haven't put more than 15.

k2rm

Thanks for the response, it sounds like your fuel gauge is working like I would expect. As I said, my gauge was below empty and it still only took 15 gallons. I wonder if the dealer can make an adjustment.

maynardf1

This still might not bring the vue up to the level you're after, but when we got ours the dealer added aftermarket leather and heated seats without any problem.
Power seats and auto climate control are not available, however.

cmuniz

I have 7,600 miles on our Axiom and it is a GREAT vehicle. My advise is to have your wife drive it. The ride over rough roads is a bit harsh and that might bother her. The seating position is also a bit different. Even though the vehicle sits fairly high making it easy to get into, the driving position is more like a sports car than an SUV. Also the entry into the back seats is a little narrow. If she can get past those few things, the car is awsome. It is solid as a rock and drive great in snow and rain with the TOD engaged. The MID display is great. It has a lot of info where it is visible by both driver & passenger. Once you get used to where everything is displayed it is real handy. We also have a Toyota Highlander which gets great reviews, but the dash and controls are not near as user-friendly as the ones on the Axiom in my opinion. Bottom line - take it for a long ride and if you still like it you won't go wrong buying one. Keep it for a while since resale value is not great. My wife like to drive the Axiom better than other cars we have owned.

axiomlover

So, it snowed today in Chicago! That means I was able to take my Axiom for a ride on slippery surface for the first time. I started in a 2wd mode and noticed how my rear was swinging to the side upon acceleration. Then I put it in TOD and the car went straight ahead as if the road was dry. I was very impressed with the performance when TOD was engaged. I noticed you have to be careful with breaking because even though you can accelerate quite easily, breaking still takes as long as in any passenger car. 268 miles on the odometer and I love the Axiom more and more with each additional mile.
I noticed that at highway speeds when the road is not super flat, it is a good idea to put the suspension in sport mode, it doesn't wobble as much then. Happy Axioming to all!!!

stoneybroke

New York state dealer offered me an Axiom xs, 4wd, for $29330, with the 0% finance and no payments until Sept. Is this price good, bad or indifferent? A couple of questions: Can the TOD be used on dry roads like an AWD system? Also, does the Axiom require Super unleaded? Any and all input would be appreciated. Thanks, Stoney

paisan

That is a decent deal. If you are in the NY City area call Mark J at SI Subaru/Isuzu at 718-979-9595 tell him mike sent you from edmunds and he can probably beat it.

TOD can and should be used on dry pavement, it is AWD system.
Super is not required nor encouraged, the 3.5l engine runs fine on 87.

-mike

axiomlover

Perhaps my dealer wasn't honest with me, but he said that if I take o% financing, he can't sell me the vehicle for much below MSRP. So I ended up getting the $3,000 rebate plus additional large discount and 5.99% financing. I think it was a good deal, but if you take yours with 0% financing, you should be happy, too. Try to push the dealer a little more, I have a feeling there is still quite a bit of room for negotiation.

axiomlover

Hi,

Some of you wanted to see what the gray interior Axiom looks like, so here's a link: http://www.dotphoto.com/go.asp?l=gwojda1&AID=235143

The first picture is when the vehicle was still on the dealer's lot and the rest are taken in front of my garage. Let me know what you think.

k2rm

The grey looks very classy, I am sure that will be the preferred color for most future buyers. Nice looking truck!

arktrooper1

Great looking truck! Although I like the tan/black, I'll admit that I much prefer the grey/black now. Very classy looking truck!

paisan

I think the Axiom will be my next truck! Can I steel some of those shots for http://isuzu-suvs.com?

-mike

hjerrod

In response to the earlier posts about refueling..I have also noticed the fuel gauge being a little weird. My gauge was on empty and I filled up with right around 15 mpg. there must be 5 more gallons somewhere below that empty line. at least it errors on the safe side.

hjerrod

I meant 15 gallons, not mpg.

cmuniz

That's a great looking vehicle. I don't much care for black on cars, but it really looks classy on the Axiom. I, too, like the grey interior better than the tan one I've got. Congratulations

paisan

sent me some Axiom pics for the gallery. Check em out at http://isuzu-suvs.com/gallery

-mike

xterrabill

I just picked up my new Axiom yesterday. I have two questions. A few months ago I bought a 2002 Nissa Sentra for my wife and the owners manual came in a nice leather binder. The Axioms owners manual came in a cardboard folder. Is that how all of them come? Also, Anyone have any opinions of the Isuzu bug and stone deflector. The dealer is charging $125 installed. Is it worth it.
Thanks
Bill

paisan

Lund makes a bug guard (at least for the trooper) that was similar to the OEM one but was $50 and installation was about 15 minutes on a bad day. Also the materialwas better and didn't crack like my OEM one did when waxing.

-mike

axiomlover

I am glad you guys liked the pictures. Paisan, feel free to use these photos for Isuzu-suv.com. I will provide more pics shortly.
Congratulations Xterrabill on your new Axiom(you have to change your user name to Axiombill). Did you get the XS? Don't you just love that new car smell? As far as I know, the newly produced Axioms (mine was manufactured in Feb. '02), have the bug deflector factory installed. The cost is $95.
It is puzzling that the fuel gauge shows no gas and only 15 gallons can be added. I am sure the gauge can be adjusted, talk to your dealer. My feeling is that you will never be able to put in 19.5 gallons, even if your car stalled on the road after the entire tank was consumed. The intake inside the tank is suspended perhaps an inch (maybe less) from the bottom of the tank, so that any dirt and debris could not enter the system. I know that I adjusted the gas meter inside the tank once before on a 1985 vehicle. I remember taking the entire apparatus out of the fuel tank and simply bending a wire. I am sure the system is a bit more complicated 17 years later.
-Greg