Isuzu D-Max review and buyer’s guide
If you have towing, touring and off-road adventures on your horizon, be it with family or mates (or both), here are the definitive, balanced reasons an Isuzu D-Max dual-cab ute is a paradoxically good and potentially regrettable idea…
Buying a serious off-road ute is fraught with carmaker cliché, marketing hype and plenty of colourful pictures telling you to beat the wilderness into submission by buying their notionally indestructible truck.
The Isuzu D-Max is one of those vehicles which has had a reputation built for it by most car reviewers, one that is overwhelmingly positive. But what are its deficiencies and what are the consequences of buying one?
The D-Max is often regarded as the most trustworthy ute on the market, with common perceptions and so-called independent survey results pointing to superb long-term reliability and user-friendliness.
However, it does lack technology and it’s not exactly interesting compared with some rivals. Is it the right ute for you?
The D-Max sits in a fiercely competitive class, with many rivals presenting a variety of options, ranging from nifty premium packs to extensively-modified off-road specials. Isuzu doesn’t really do much in either direction here, but instead goes its own way (pun intended) by remaining relatively straightforward.
And it seems to be working because the Isuzu D-Max is the third best-selling ute in Australia behind the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger, according to VFACTS. That’s against a lineup of 16 hungry contenders, including those humongous American carpark-crushers. During 2022, the D-Max was also the seventh best-selling vehicle model outright in Australia. Mitsubishi Triton has a new model coming in late 2023-24, so watch out for that.
Just for context, the Isuzu MU-X also sells pretty well against Ford Everest, Toyota Fortuner and Mitsubishi Pajero Sport.
Range anxiety
The model lineup is quite lengthy, but that can be a good thing for buyers in the hunt for a trusty workhorse. It means there is probably going to be a body and running gear configuration to suit your needs.
What you mainly need to decide, at least initially, is what body style and tray form you want. Isuzu offers single-cab, space-cab, and crew-cab (otherwise known as dual cab) chassis variants (separate metal try), as well as the standard crew-cab with a panelled tray area.
Then you have a queue of trim levels to select from, with SX, LS-M, LS-U and LS-U+, and X-Terrain. A confusing arrangement of letters it might be, but all provide a slightly different personality.
Do you really need 4x4? Because you can save about $8000 by opting for the LS-U crew-cab ute over the 4x4 version. It’s a pity there are limited options in the 4x2 crew-cab style though, with only SX and LS-U on the cards.
At the pointy end of the show is the auto-only X-Terrain 4x4, available in dual-cab form. The name makes it sound like some kind of cross-country running shoe but in fact it is just a sticker pack; there are no mechanical or fundamental changes over the other models; some black bits for the exterior, a chunkier but less practical sports bar, and a roller tonneau cover.
What’s new for 2023?
Three new SX variants have been added to the list, with a new (actually not new at all) 1.9-litre turbo-diesel engine. This ‘gen2’ 1.9L engine was born in 2018 and meets Euro 5 emissions standards that were first applied back in 2011 (Euro 5 was pretty much responsible for the introduction of DPFs).
This unit develops 110kW and 350Nm, and offers a claimed fuel consumption average of 6.7L/100km. Compared with the 3.0L turbo-diesel in the same trim, the new engine option uses 1L/100km less.
It is worth it? In the fairy land of laboratory tests, yes it looks to be, and it emits fewer emissions. In reality, this engine does need to be pushed more to get the same job achieved. Peak torque is significantly less, from 450Nm in the 3.0L to 350Nm, and it’s accessible in a smaller window, between 1800-2600rpm instead of 1600-2600rpm.
Add some load to the equation and these figures are all compounded. Unless you only drive around on the farm and rarely haul a significant load, the larger-capacity engine is the one to pick because it often has more left in the tank, in terms of driving performance. The 3.0L is stamped with a 3500kg braked towing rating over 3000kg in the 1.9L (comparing the same SX High Rider dual-cab auto).
You don’t need to worry about making engine decisions if you prefer your D-Max badge to start with an ‘LS’, because the 3.0L is the only option. Including on the running shoe, I mean X-Terrain.
Why do caravan enthusiasts want to have sex with the ’4JJ’ 3.0L Isuzu engine?
The obsession with the 4JJ engine is unnatural, unhealthy and needs to stop - it’s okay, not bad, mediocre
Really, towing ratings all come down to the gross combination mass. Being given the maximum 3500kg rating is not the full picture. Let’s take the top-spec X-Terrain as an example, and compare it against the Ford Ranger Wildtrak with the four-cylinder option, just so it’s fair.
The D-Max has a kerb weight of 2175kg and offers a gross combination mass of 6000kg, with a 3500kg max towing rating. Say you hook up a 3500kg trailer – which is not advisable on any vehicle with a 3500kg rating – you’re left with 325kg for passengers and cargo and anything else you want to carry. Not much, in other words.
Over in the Ford, its 6350kg combination mass and 2329kg kerb weight means you’re left with 521kg after hooking up a 3500kg trailer. That’s actually doable in terms of being able to take you and your fat friend, and some gear, down to your favourite fishing spot.
Where the 3.0L engine can come in handy is with engine braking. A smaller capacity engine, such as the 2.0L in the above Ford Ranger, is not able to provide the same level of engine braking because the sum of its compression pressure is lower than something with a larger volume of pressure. Both of these use a similar compression ratio as well; 16.3:1 in the D-Max and 16.1:1 in the Ranger.
So when you’re towing a heavy trailer down a long steep hill, the Isuzu engine is able to provide more engine braking to slow the whole outfit down compared with the Ranger. This is a genuine advantage, especially towards the bottom of the hill. The Isuzu brakes won’t be cooking as hot as the Ranger’s brakes. Provided you’ve actually selected the appropriate gears manually.
Where is the love?
Inside, the D-Max cabin is pretty bare and basic. Sure, you’ve got a 9.0-inch touch-screen but even that is pretty small these days. And its operating system is about as advanced as Victor Frankensteins’.
If you go for the X-Terrain you get some contrast stitching and vanity mirror lights, but overall this cabin doesn’t feel interesting or homely. Lots of the surfaces are made from hard plastics, with an unfriendly plastic bath for your phone to slide around in, and what seems like not enough cabin insulation; it’s a bit echoey and tinny inside
There doesn’t seem to be much love spread towards the driver or passengers. It’s as though it is literally a tool. A cold, hard tool designed for working only.
For some buyers – and probably the brand’s traditional fans – this is exactly what they want. It is a hard-wearing cabin so you tend to feel less sorry for the trim when you scuff your thick, muddy work boots up against the door card as you get in. And it doesn’t matter so much if your workmate spills his coffee all down the seat and into the black hole between the console.
Isuzu has added some creature comforts in recent times, with a leather gear shifter for the LS-U in MY23, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto even on the base SX, twin 2.1A USB ports on all, and heated seats for the LS-U+.
Isuzu makes trucks: Does the D-Max feel like one from behind the wheel?
That 3.0L underwent some revisions in 2021 and as part of those changes the company applied some methods to quieten the engine and improve refinement. And it worked. It is a smoother unit than before and quieter. But, it still clatters and rattles more than some equivalent rivals.
The D-Max 4JJ engine started life in the 1990s under the bonnet of a Holden Jackeroo/Rodeo.
Power and torque delivery is relatively consistent and progressive, aside from a strange lag immediately off the line and then a mild flat spot at around 80km/h, where the engine takes a little nap for a second.
Body control is good for a high-riding vehicle, offering 240mm of clearance. Moving swiftly into bends does not cause you to have cartwheel nightmares that evening. It will turn in respectably and hold its line, while exhibiting minimal body roll.
It does come with big tyres but that doesn’t seem to impact the overall decent level of responsiveness through the steering. I wouldn’t be entering any track days in one, but if you’re considering that in a ute then you should get yourself checked by a medical professional.
Isuzu always likes to bang on about having three-leaf springs at the back of the D-Max. This doesn’t help with ride comfort, as the payload requires thick leaves, and thick leaves usually spell bad back.
Even so, the ride comfort including in the back seat is very good for a ute. Rear passengers bounce around a bit but not as much as in some rivals. And if you’re carrying load, the comfort only improves.
Should you buy one?
The D-Max is a trustworthy package purely because there are no surprises. It is a bit boring in some ways but at least you know where everything is and you know how capable it is, because it’s not much different to the pre-MY23 version.
Isuzu offers a unique six-year/150,000 warranty on its vehicles in Australia. That’s one year more than what most competitors offer. And the starting prices, despite creeping up in recent years, remain fairly attractive when you line up the equivalent competitors.
But to answer this question with integrity (and a straight face) let’s balance out the appeal of D-Max with some of the most sobering factors you need to come to terms with, so that you go into this purchase decision with all the facts laid bare.
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What Isuzu D-Max gets wrong
My primary concern for anybody buying an Isuzu D-Max is having to marry Isuzu Ute the brand, which was reiterated as recently as 2022, as the worst aspect to D-Max ownership.
Isuzu Ute Australia has only two vehicles to sell, D-Max and MU-X, yet head office decided to treat loyal customer Daryl Imray like a second-class citizen when it came to repairs on his D-Max under Australian Consumer Law. What should’ve been a golden opportunity to win over Mr Imray and turning his frown upside down, by replacing a failed diesel injector pump. It could’ve been a cheap part and securing of a long-lasting public relations connection for Daryl and every single person he spoke to about his D-Max henceforth - a lifelong Isuzu brand ambassador.
But IUA decided to deny his claim for technical support on a vehicle with exemplary service history that is only a year or so out of warranty but still covered by Australian Consumer Law’s acceptable quality guarantee.
My biggest concern and the reason I do not explicitly recommend buying a D-Max is because you could end up as the next Daryl Imray. Isuzu Ute Australia too often chooses to see what they can get away with instead of doing the right thing by customers.
IT’S NOT A TRUCK
Isuzu Ute has dialled back the blatant public rhetoric about its D-Max being a quasi-truck that can, metaphorically, tow meteorites and haul cubic metres of unobtanium.
Certainly, as a definitive towing platform and general-purpose workhorse, D-Max is an option, technically. It’s not a lemon, by any means, but it’s not perfect.
It uses an old 4WD driveline which, in High-4 and Low-4, means the wheels on one side of the vehicle travel in different trajectories than the wheels on the opposite side, meaning the whole thing can be damaged if you don’t relieve the binding forces the build up from driving on high traction surfaces.
Unlike several rivals in the 4X4 ute segment, D-Max does not have a centre differential to resolve these stresses in the driveline, unlike Mitsubishi Triton, for example. This alone might be a good reason to wait for the new Triton arriving in 2024 >>
Similar conservatism needs to be applied in relation to towing capacity on a D-Max. Isuzu Ute is happy to plaster that ‘industry benchmark’ 3500kg/3.5 tonnes of braked towing capacity across its website and brochure, but that kind of assignment for a meek 2-tonne D-Max is an inherently dangerous idea. Here’s why towing 3500kg with a ute is bad >>
THESE ARE PROPER 4X4 TRUCKS
If you want a serious truck that is absolutely not fazed by your little dual-axle 3.5-tonne Taj Mahal caravan, or you have a mini excavator that needs towing to-and-from jobsites, or if you have epic 4X4 adventures/misadventures that require doubles of every spare part, with unshakeable durability, reliability and practicality you can barely fathom - get a proper dual-cab off-road Isuzu truck.
Like one of these:
Isuzu Trucks Australia holds a genuine reputation in the trucking industry as one of the best for customer care. You won’t find yourself hammering out frustrated emails to head office complaining about some failed fuel injector pump at less than 200,000 kilometres, because trucks are built for serious work, not the easy-going approach of a passenger-licensed light-duty ute.
Also, proper trucks won’t be hampered by the aftermarket accessory toys you can’t help yourself with, and nor do utes get air suspension seats like trucks do. So there’s that.
You can’t break an Isuzu NPS in the same way you will break a D-Max if you mistreat it. And dealing with the trucking head office and dealerships is not the same as Isuzu Ute Australia. It’s an unspoken rumour that the trucking guys grit their teeth at having to be brand-associated with the passenger ute mob.
BUY THE OTHER D-MAX - A MAZDA BT-50
Even if you’ve are comfortable with the half-arsed customer care, you’ve accepted the risks of towing a trailer 50 per cent heavier than your D-Max, and you’re quite okay scraping, scuffing and prematurely wearing out your D-Max on the Big Lap - the next problem will literally stop every grand plan you might have.
You’re going to be waiting a very long time for your D-Max. We’re talking at least 12 months. But why?
Mazda had Isuzu Ute bent over a barrel, figuratively, when it comes to the contract signed effectively requiring Mazda to be supplied stock before Isuzu. It’s not a concrete fact with a smoking gun for proof, but it’s a fairly educated guess based on the current stock levels. There are an abundance of BT-50s in stock, but D-Max has the website disclaimer telling you to put the kettle on.
You can literally start shopping for your BT-50 now by downloading the official brochure here >>
The best thing about taking this minor course correction is you get to deal with Mazda which has a much better customer support culture, you get the same powertrain as the D-Max for all its off-road, towing, family and load-carrying prowess, with the same reliability and practicality, but with a nicer interior and a more grown-up front-end styling job.
Your wife will happily be seen driving a Mazda BT-50 over an Isuzu D-Max.
Toyota RAV4 is the best-selling medium SUV in Australia, offering good resale value and envious fuel economy. If you need an enormous boot and a simple, functional family vehicle, RAV4 is hard to beat.