Isuzu D Max

Old Tip · Aug 2, 2015

Anyone got one of the new Isuzu D Max pick ups, just wondered what they would be like of road on rough steep ground, was yours a d max @JP1
Had landrovers for the last 30+ years and the last four have been double cabs and been great but just thinking of the comfort now i am getting on a bit lol.

But will i loose a work horse ?

JP1 · Aug 2, 2015

Old Tip said:
Anyone got one of the new Isuzu D Max pick ups, just wondered what they would be like of road on rough steep ground, was yours a d max @JP1
Had landrovers for the last 30+ years and the last four have been double cabs and been great but just thinking of the comfort now i am getting on a bit lol.

But will i loose a work horse ?

Mine was a DMAX yes. Even with the same knobbly shoes, you wouldn't get up that rock river bed like a Landie that's for sure. I still think they're very comfy and a good work horse now they've solved the oil from sump issue.

Couldn't you hold off for a year to see what LandRover are bringing out?

Old Tip · Aug 2, 2015

Probably get another 2nd hand Landy @JP1 just looking at options, be handy to have the auto though then the co pilot can drive occasionally as well

Ali · Aug 3, 2015

Don't know what they are like once you upgrade to at or mt. But on conventional a friend runs one and we won't go anywhere more than a dry field. It just seems to get stuck at the drop of a hat so we don't risk it now and take the ranger/landy or l200

Old Tip · Aug 3, 2015

Thanks @Ali is it the tyres or the truck ?

Ali · Aug 3, 2015

The tyres will definitely play a part. But the l200 is on the same tyres and runs rings round it.
We just can't make anything with it.

cheggars · Aug 3, 2015

Its not quiet as good as the old Isuzu we had due to not having a limited slip diff(its goes most places i want it to go), its too low for really rough ground, but have seen some on oversize tyres and they look a lot better.

Cowabunga · Aug 3, 2015

It has four wheel drive, traction control, a very nifty idle control system that prevents stalling while pulling at idle speed, and its suspension is very similar to any other. So given the same tyres, it will go where the others go. You can specify more aggressive tyres on the Isuzu at purchase I think.

Where they differ from LR is that they have way less axle articulation, mostly mitigated by traction control systems where fitted. Land Rover is going exactly the same way with its products, partly because handling is far better with a stiffer suspension. If you have ever had a 600kg bag or a full 1000litre IBC in the back of the Land Rover you will know that it is terrible to drive while these pick-ups are built for it and handle very well indeed.

Another couple of drawbacks with the pickup.
The first may be an advantage in the the wheelbase is approximate to a LR 130 not a 110, so while a double cab is far more roomy and the loadbed is adequate, boy is it big in comparison!
The second is a pure drawback. The four wheel drive system. The pickups are, apart from certain Mitsubishi models [which can't pull 3.5 tons] all part-time. Fine on a nice road, but they spin in 2wd like you'd never believe, so you need to engage 4wd more often than you might think. Another two issues with this. Firstly they don't have a centre diff and do have a long wheelbase, so they wind-up like crazy on a more grippy surface like when manoeuvring a trailer on the yard. Secondly and very annoying, is that most, including Isuzu, now have electrical engagement of 4wd and low ratio. They absolutely will not change while moving and take [what seems like] an age for the motors to engage whatever its meant to.
This means that you can't change from low to high on the move, like you can with LR products, even the Range Rover [with electric transfer box control].

Old Tip · Aug 3, 2015

Thanks for the detailed info @Cowabunga it's great to get such sensible feedback. Looks like I will be sticking to the Landrover for now till we see what the new version is like.
Driven most of the pick ups and to be honest the l200 is the best at getting the places I go but find it's a bit lacking when towing compared to the Landy, especially of road

cheggars · Aug 3, 2015

The idle control/traction control is totally useless on ours, best turned off as it will stall the engine. It is very slow to kick in when there is some wheel spin ,when towing (2nd ,3rd usually on a uphill corner) Nowhere near as good as a LSD. Which i believe is fitted to the Ranger .
2 wd in low range would be usefull for the reason cowbunga states above.
2 wd not a issue on the road, it will pull up a surprisingly steep hill in 2wd , usually only halted when the traction control kickes in by reducing engine power to the point of stalling.

joe soapy · Aug 3, 2015

Cowabunga said:
It has four wheel drive, traction control, a very nifty idle control system that prevents stalling while pulling at idle speed, and its suspension is very similar to any other. So given the same tyres, it will go where the others go. You can specify more aggressive tyres on the Isuzu at purchase I think.

Where they differ from LR is that they have way less axle articulation, mostly mitigated by traction control systems where fitted. Land Rover is going exactly the same way with its products, partly because handling is far better with a stiffer suspension. If you have ever had a 600kg bag or a full 1000litre IBC in the back of the Land Rover you will know that it is terrible to drive while these pick-ups are built for it and handle very well indeed.

Another couple of drawbacks with the pickup.
The first may be an advantage in the the wheelbase is approximate to a LR 130 not a 110, so while a double cab is far more roomy and the loadbed is adequate, boy is it big in comparison!
The second is a pure drawback. The four wheel drive system. The pickups are, apart from certain Mitsubishi models [which can't pull 3.5 tons] all part-time. Fine on a nice road, but they spin in 2wd like you'd never believe, so you need to engage 4wd more often than you might think. Another two issues with this. Firstly they don't have a centre diff and do have a long wheelbase, so they wind-up like crazy on a more grippy surface like when manoeuvring a trailer on the yard. Secondly and very annoying, is that most, including Isuzu, now have electrical engagement of 4wd and low ratio. They absolutely will not change while moving and take [what seems like] an age for the motors to engage whatever its meant to.
This means that you can't change from low to high on the move, like you can with LR products, even the Range Rover [with electric transfer box control].

On the old highlux and diahatsu i used to unlock 1 hub for low speed maneuvers on hard surface.
Electric four wheel drive/diff/hi,low is the work of the devil for long term usability.on a farm,
and leaving off the free wheel hubs is nuts for a sympathetic driver

Cowabunga · Aug 3, 2015

joe soapy said:
On the old highlux and diahatsu i used to unlock 1 hub for low speed maneuvers on hard surface.
Electric four wheel drive/diff/hi,low is the work of the devil for long term usability.on a farm,
and leaving off the free wheel hubs is nuts for a sympathetic driver

Sorry, but manual free wheel hubs went out with the 1970's and those Daihatsu and second generation Hi-Lux. Its bad enough having to stop to engage 4wd let alone getting out to piddle with hubs.

I agree about the electric engagement though. No need for it at all. The contrast between modern pickups and my 1993 built 3.1 Trooper is like night and day. That has a lever you could flick quickly into 4wd, on the go as long as authohubs were engaged and it had synchromesh on high range for easy, smooth changing, on the go into high.

None are a patch on the Land Rover system though. Full time 4wd with an open diff even in low range. OK it could do with synchro on high range but most of us can change it smoothly after a little practise [I assume]. Also while the range box on the Mk3 Range Rover onwards is electrically shifted, it can certainly be changed from low to high on the move.

The main reason I bought an automatic transmission Ranger was for the torque converter, which allows it to pull away in high range with a heavy trailer, uphill, without resorting to low range and winding up while turning and having to stop on a busy main road while the damn electronics shift up to high.

Pickups are still very crude beasts. Let us hope that Land Rover launch a competitive new commercial that thrashes these pickups.

hally · Aug 3, 2015

Agree the auto box is a big step forward. We live at the bottom of a steep gravel track and with 50 lambs on board it involved setting off in low box in our old nissan and crawling up the hill in first as second could not handle it, then at the top going back up to high range and setting off again. Our new Dmax just flies up and handles all the load that much easier with no input from me.

GTB · Aug 3, 2015

@Old Tip We have a 62 reg dmax that has covered nearly 60k and apart from a couple of fuel in oil issues has been faultless. It does everything our previous 110 double cabs did but in far more comfort. We have knobbly tyres on ours and it will go anywhere a 110 can. I'd go as far as to say that on grassy slopes the dmax grips better. I will be looking at an auto box next time though as the manual is geared a bit too high for towing. Just to be clear I wouldn't consider going back to a landy now even though we do have an old 200tdi 90 running on red.

joe soapy · Aug 3, 2015

Cowabunga said:
Sorry, but manual free wheel hubs went out with the 1970's and those Daihatsu and second generation Hi-Lux. Its bad enough having to stop to engage 4wd let alone getting out to piddle with hubs..

wasent much of a fiddle, i never ran with hubs unlocked after getting stuck in a narrow lane,
and not able to open the doors, was handy to just unlock one to stop windup whilst maneuvering.
Often when needing to stop in a hurry i been grateful to be able to snick into 4wd to distribute
the braking force across all 4 wheels

west coast angus · Aug 3, 2015

Don't have one, but the new l200 has been voted best pick up of the year, dose 43mpg, and has the best 4 wheel drive system of all the pick ups, seeminly it's a big step forward from the series4 and hard to beat, and it is very keenly priced, very good value for money, have a look before you buy something else, think my next pick-up will be one!

Blue. · Aug 3, 2015

I find our dmax better off road than our old 90 and discovery,its a far better tow vehicle also,only fault off road is its a bit lower than a LR,I've never had to put it in low towing 4t+ maybe because its auto?

Blue. · Aug 3, 2015

west coast angus said:
Don't have one, but the new l200 has been voted best pick up of the year, dose 43mpg, and has the best 4 wheel drive system of all the pick ups, seeminly it's a big step forward from the series4 and hard to beat, and it is very keenly priced, very good value for money, have a look before you buy something else, think my next pick-up will be one!

What's the tow capacity on them?

Cowabunga · Aug 3, 2015

eulb said:
What's the tow capacity on them?

The new Mitsubishi is only rated to tow 3.1 tons I think. Not everyone needs to tow more, but a significant number of potential farm customers do need every ounce of the 3.5 tone legal limit. It looks like Mitsubishi will be found lacking in this key area.

Its styling mimics a previous generation Land Cruiser 120 version and is very very oriental. The automatic transmission remains to be the old five speed Aisin as fitted to the Isuzu as well. A good generation behind most others which have 6 to 8 speeds.

Blue. · Aug 3, 2015

Cowabunga said:
The new Mitsubishi is only rated to tow 3.1 tons I think. Not everyone needs to tow more, but a significant number of potential farm customers do need every ounce of the 3.5 tone legal limit. It looks like Mitsubishi will be found lacking in this key area.

Low tow capacity was the reason I never even considered a Mitsubishi,also put Toyota out of the running at the time.

Isuzu D Max

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