Isuzu Ascender

leedavidyoung

It may appear to some readers that the negative views on the Ascender seem harsh or unfair.

Please realize that most Trooper owners are extremely passionate about their trucks. By killing the Trooper with the introduction of the Ascender GM marks the end of a era for Isuzu.

The re-badging of a vehicle limits the available choices for all automotive consumers. The automobile industry thinks that we the public lack the skills or taste necessary to distinguish a Ford from a Mazda, a Suzuki from a Geo, a Dodge from a Mitsubishi, a Buick from a Chevy/Olds/Pontiac whatever. They like to re-package minivans and other uni-body designs under the loose term "sport utility vehicle".
Old owners of Broncos, Jimmy's, Scouts, Cherokees, and Troopers look on this growing trend with disgust and disbelief.

Other trends include neutering a truck by offering AWD vs. true 4WD, lowering ride height for easier entry, and swapping a full size spare for a tricycle tire. We get extra drink holders, fold-out picnic tables and other implied benefits to help ease the pain. But the only ones that truely benefit are the would be station wagon buyers that no longer have to hide their heads in shame. If you mate a station wagon to an SUV, you get an Aztec... not a pretty picture is it?

General Motors fans should be as offended as Isuzu loyalist are with the new Ascender. At least GM had the decency not to call it a Trooper. I guess it's just respect for the dead.

ISUZU TROOPER
1984-2002
Rest In Peace

paisan

AWD vs. true 4WD The Trooper has AWD and true 4wd

-mike

keepontroopin

When does the Assender hit show rooms?

tidester

I thought we all decided to drop the cutesie spelling months ago? :-)

tidester
Host
SUVs; Aftermarket & Accessories

paisan

Tidester doesn't like Ascar either!

-mike

diploid

What's that?

paisan

That is the phonetic spelling of nAscar. No one knows that the "N" is silent!

-mike

tidester

Very fuy! I had't thought of that.

I will thik about that over luch ad ask Edmud's to drop all silet letters from text that gets prited on the message boards.

Have a ice day!

tidester
Host
SUVs; Aftermarket & Accessories

rsholland

I too will mourn the loss of the Trooper. I very much was looking forward to the next-generation Trooper, but alas, that's not to be...

R.I.P.

Bob

savvas_e

You're going to make my cry!

stever

"the Isuzu campaign will emphasize the Ascender."

They need to - this topic died off for lack of interest!

Sinking Isuzu grabs ad lifeline

Steve, Host

dindak

Is the Ascender out yet?

sbcooke

It is in motortrend's SUV of the year comparison. I haven't had a chance to read the whole article yet, but there wasn't much said (none good) about the ascender from what I was able to skim through.

stever

Dindak, I don't know. We show it as a future vehicle due out in "Fall, 2002." Seems like Fall around here to me!

Anyone in the real world seen any on the dealer lots?

Steve, Host

cptsesso

Just found 2003 Isuzu Ascender for sale on EBAY. I guess they are out now.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1872293722

dielectric7bb

- $20,000 (yes twenty thousand) for that pugmire sticker and it has a chance.

mkaye

A warranty change or a typo?

"This vehicle comes with 3 year 50,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty, 7 year 75,000 mile powertrain warranty, and 7 year 75,000 mile Roadside Assistance."

No 10 year/120,000 mile powertrain warranty. So, maybe Isuzu is letting us know that they will be in business for 7 more years in the US?

dindak

Dash looks just like the Envoy and the Exterior isn't much different either.

I have still not seen 1 ad for the Ascender. No wonder Isuzu sales keep falling!

paisan

I see zero reason to buy it when you can go to a GM dealer and get one and with the repair rates on these you'll need the aproximately 1 Million GM dealers out there to repair it!

-mike

dindak

I agree. That said, given the state of Isuzu, you may get a better deal on an Isuzu than on a GMC / Chev. I suspect any GM shop will be able to fix your Ascender if you are stuck.

paisan

But it won't be under warranty though.

-mike

dindak

Ya, I meant after the warranty is done.

Fixing an Isuzu is EZ up here as there is a Saturn Saab Isuzu dealer in almost every city.

paisan

Here there are only 400 Isuzu dealers total compared to a gagillion Chevy/GM dealers.

-mike

redline65

Test drove one today. It is almost identical to the Envoy XL. The only interior difference was a lighter-colored fake wood vs. the Envoy's more red-colored fake wood, and black plastic door handles. It did not have fake wood around the center console. Outside, the only difference I noticed was the front fascia and headlights, and the Isuzu badged wheels. I think the rear end was a little different too, but from the sides you would swear it was an Envoy. Ride quality and handling were a lot better than the Envoy XL SLT that I drove, but I'm not sure if it had ECAS. It had cloth seats, but the quality seemed on par with that of the Envoy. I like it, the longer warranty might be worth it too.

paisan

But there are only ~400 Isuzu dealers, the truck being built by GM means it will require several stops at a dealer per year, so make sure you are close to an Isuzu dealer. GM dealers won't work on em under warranty cause they are badged Isuzu.

-mike

redline65

I did a search and there are two dealerships that are relatively close to me, and 5 total in my area. Of course if I ever moved from the area it might be an issue. Don't know if I'll go the Isuzu route as I can pay employee pricing for a GM vehicle.

dindak

" the truck being built by GM means it will require several stops at a dealer per year"

Oh please get into the 21st century!

mkaye

Dindak;

Have you been to the Edmunds Triplet forum yet? This is just an example of the postings:
"I ran my VIN on that site you posted about the software updates. Mine was 2 pages long. Is that the list of updates already done to my TB or the ones that are available."
Not to mention all the other postings:
Engine fan running at high speed, sapping engine power, no resolution.
Engine stalling, and stalling, and stalling.
Bumpers warping.
Gauges suddenly non-functional.
4WD binding - encoder motor recalibration.
HVAC suddenly non-functional - software update.
Everything is a software update.
Several people have had lemon buy-backs or trade at a loss.
Of course, they sell something like 100X the vehicles that Isuzu does, but still, you bet you'll be going to the dealer.
Not a knock about GM. Have family who own a Trailblazer and have had no problems in the year they've owned it.

dindak

No doubt the triplets have had issues. It was an all new products from the ground up. My point is, GM trucks on a whole are pretty good and I suspect in a year or two, GM will have above average reliability with these SUVs. Every one I know with a GM truck swears by them.

I usually buy vehicles that have been in production for at least 2 years. Seems to generally work as I have never had a bad one.

paisan

Why buy an Ascender? It's not an Isuzu in any size/shape/form. It has nothing at all related to the Isuzu mission of "Go Farther" unless going Farther means to the mall. It has the worst off-road capabilities in class. There are like 400 dealers v. 1000000000000 GMC or Chevy Dealers, Can anyone tell me why one would buy an Ascender over a TB or Envoy?

-mike

dindak

Ascender is for people who prefer foreign name plates or want a better warranty. The dealers may be more willing to bargain so the deals may be better also.

Otherwise, no reason.

paisan

Just checking on that.

-mike

Boris2

I also think that the warranty is pretty much the only reason one might consider it. Don't know about pricing - possibly you can get better deal with Isuzu.

mkaye

Let's all talk up the Ascender, promote the warranty over GM, maybe even start leaving brochures at various locales for people to 'find.' The idea...Get Isuzu some sales so that they stay in business in the US, get some development cash and maybe bring in a new Trooper in a couple of years!!!

stever

MDX territory at a far cheaper base price

Steve, Host

sbcooke

interesting about the 4wd setup. I guess the B&W system isn't the same as the current TOD that is in the trooper...which will let you get the back end sideways but nothing like what the article said. I wonder what type of system it is utilizing? You would think that B&W would be offering the same technology to all manufacturers?

lbuesch

I am considering the Isuzu Ascender. I like it. Has anyone else on this board actually BOUGHT one?

paisan

It's an "auto" 4wd system. Basically Zero power to the front wheels until you are physically slipping the rear wheels, unlike the TOD which puts 15% power to the front at any speed >5mph.

The Warranty has been dropped on the 2003MY vehicles I think it's 7/70PT and 3/50BTB.

-mike

sbcooke

I think 2010 is the end of Isuzu, warranty and all.

paisan

I agree with you on that one SBcooke.



Oh well now we have "classics" hee hee

-mike

dindak

It's too bad as Isuzus seem to be well made trucks. Their niche strategy similar to Subaru should have worked, but I guess the product just wasn't as good as it could have been.

paisan

dindak it was their marketing combined with GM's strangle-hold on their advertising. Had Isuzu had better/less restrictive advertising and a better pricing structure they could have totally kicked butt.

For instance the Kia Sorento Commercial where it has the Excursion get stuck, and the mud flung on the X5 and the other ones following the cash flying out the roof. That was my vision about 5-6 years ago for an Isuzu ad. Not to mention pointing out all the other 1st that Isuzu has had:

Power Retracting Mirrors (1992)
Largest Moonroof Available on ANY SUV (94->Present)
Variable-heated seats (not just hi-low)
AWD before most other SUVs even dreamed of AWD (98)
More Cargo Room in it's class (92->~00)

Also they priced their vehicles with a high MSRP and then offered a ton of rebates. The problem with this strategy was that Magazines and Reviews all said "Great vehicle, reliable, etc, but high MSRP" all of us who know better know that you don't pay anything near MSRP on them, so they got panned by the media as over-priced.

-mike

mkaye

and there were a lot of people looking at the Ascender. So, that's good. There were a few looking at the Axiom, that's OK. There was NO ONE looking at the Rodeos. There was actually a line waiting to get into the 3 Ascenders there. People were commenting on the pricing as favorable as well as content. Those suckers are loooonnnnggg though. The Axiom's were 03's, so they are building them now.

dindak

Looks like the Ascender will never make it up here. Only the Trooper and Rodeo are available for 2003.

http://www.isuzucanada.com

dindak

http://www.thecarconnection.com/index.asp?article=5638&sid=181&n=157

paisan

"good review"?????

Basically it said the Isuzu is deperate to sell cars so they'll be hocking the GM ones at a discount. What pray-tell is so great about that?

-mike

leedavidyoung

Keep in mind that Isuzu will be forced to honor a longer warranty than GM does on the same vehicle. Isuzu has almost no input in quality control for this trailblazer other than the front grill. 3 years/ 36,000 miles is the extent of GM's faith in this product. Isuzu has to pretend that this truck is worthy of a realistic warranty period.

I had 2 isuzu pickups "spacepups" in the 1980's. These trucks took alot of abuse and both were sold with close to 200k hard miles each. GM replaced this truck with a re-badged S-10 known as an hombree (It's hard to remember the name because the truck has never been advertised). This piece of junk has all but eliminated Isuzu from the compact truck market. Search auto trader for used compact trucks with over 150K miles. You will find more 12 year old Isuzus running than 6 year old S-10s.

The elimination of the Trooper (R.I.P.)combined with a re-badged trailblazer will all but dry up the SUV market for Isuzu. Poor Rodeo and Axiom are forced to tread water due to a lack of marketing and sales efforts. At least Ascender will benefit from trailblazer's massive marketing campaign. A GM with a built in extended warranty is a major selling point and a needed requirement.

dindak

I find it odd that Isuzu is not getting a version of the new Colorado pick up that they had so much input on for GM. Ascender would be worth a look if you get an extended warranty/ lower price on an otherwise good truck.

leedavidyoung

This trucks design looks great on paper. I've read good things about the new 5 cylinder powerplant. You know I was so busy complaining about GM that I had not considered a possible Isuzu version of the Colorado. A mid-sized Isuzu influenced truck, I'd buy one. Do you know how much input Isuzu has had in the development of this vehicle?

paisan

It is designed by Isuzu, and sold by Isuzu in Asian markets already (built @ an Isuzu plant in Thailand IIRC)

But alas the ones that will be built here on the GM line don't give me much faith. I find that the GM products aren't bad per-say, just that they can't get the plants (UAW?) to built them worth a darn. Maybe it's the management @ the plants or something but the execution of the designs seems to be a root cause problem.

-mike