2005 Isuzu Ascender Road Test

The switchgear, except for the window controls, is easy to master and the many setting for the windshield wipers was a real plus in the rainy weather we experienced while testing this Isuzu. The height of all SUVs make their high headlight placement a concern when coming up behind someone at a stoplight and also when going through foggy weather. The lower the placement of your lights the better they are for reducing bounce back glare in the fog. That is why foglights are best placed under the bumper. The Isuzu's headlights and foglights were inadequate in the rugged weather we faced.

I thought the seats were marginal, but I like firm support. It would be good to take this model on a long run to see if are comfortable. There is good legroom in back and front, and power adjustable pedals are an option. The second row seat is split and easy to tilt downward to expand the cargo bay. We didn't test the seven-passenger model, but statistics indicate that it does offer well above legroom for even the third row seat. A rarity these days.
 Sometimes you have to spend more time evaluating the little things in such a vehicle to decide if it is really what you need. For example, the Ascender has a full size spare that we always enjoy having, however, it is mounted under the vehicle where it can become problematic should you need to reach it in inclement weather. It has Front independent suspension with double wishbones, coil springs all around, a rear multi-link suspension, and four-wheel disc brakes with front and rear vented discs. All of these are well proven components, but the set-up is neither fish nor fowl as it provides a ride that is too fluffy for roadways, and not lenient enough for stout off-roading. The 4-speed electronic automatic transmission with overdrive has a lock-up feature, oil cooler, and shifts well on level roads, but when challenged when pulling a trailer or with a full load onboard it lets you know it is searching through its limited selection of gears to get the slow revving six-cylinder on boil. The one size fits all 3.42 axle ratio doesn't help much either. The more torque endowed V8 with its impressive 325 horsepower, requires a bit more fuel, but may be worth it if you live in mountainous terrain or travel heavy with this 4500 pound SUV that has a towing capacity of well over two and a half tons. The interior volume is listed at 80.1 cu.ft or 43.7 cu.ft with the seats up. This is above average. Inside there are three 12V DC power outlets, dual zone front air conditioning, and thankfully, no optional DVD monitor so that the children have three good choices when traveling: pay attention, read, or sleep. All of this makes if a much better vehicle than the Trooper it essentially replaces.

A survey of owners of the Ascender captures the rational for buying this Isuzu quite clearly. Over and above the good financial deal offered those who have put their money where their garages are continually reflect on having a different vehicle than others, are repeat Isuzu owners, and wanted something "smaller" than the Suburbans, Expeditions, and Hummer H2s they had purchased before. All of them had three complaints about the Isuzu, which interestingly, was our main ones, poor gas mileage, seats, and road feel.

Family conference: The Ascender is as good as most of the competition and the longer warranty is certainly a consideration. However, there are not that many dealers so if you travel extensively make sure that if something does go wrong you can get it serviced. Since this SUV is so similar to those from GMC and Chevrolet it would behoove the shopper to compare them in every way. To check for resale values go to http://www.nada.com
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