Owner Review: Cheap, carry anything, go anywhere - My 2015 ISUZU D-Max RT50 4x2

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Basic information

2015 ISUZU D-Max RT50 4x2

Reason why I bought this car

This car was meant to be for my wife. Initially I wanted to get her an Axia, but due to some future secret project that we have, we decided on a pickup truck. Furthermore, as a Sarawakian, a full size pickup is more appealing than the tiny Axia.

Car selection process

• I had a budget of: RM 100k
• Models that I have considered include: Mitsubishi Triton, previous generation Hilux (2nd hand)

The reason why I choose this car

The first choice was to find the cheapest Point A to Point B pickup truck. Sure enough, the previous generation of D-Max was plentiful to choose from. Surprisingly the second hand price is not that much lower than a brand new unit, but what’s more surprising was the amount of dent these older D-Max has. How in the world can you claim it was used gently, but has a dent in the middle of the roof, is beyond me.

The next choice was then the all mighty Hilux. Albeit being 10k-20k more pricey (in the range of 60k ish), these are premium looking cars. It’s obvious that second hand dealers take extra precaution when taking in Hilux, as they only look for genuine road only use with low mileage. One 4x4 manual model was quite intriguing at 68k with about 60,000km on the road mileage (which means it must have done about 100,000km, I mean, comeon!.  This is Malaysia)

Yes, stuck again. No, tyres are not hanging.

After several visits to a second hand car dealer, it was high time to go to the showroom. Cheapest 4x4 at that time was the now defunct Great Wall Wingle. Nobody keeps a stock, not even the showroom and the servicing center is only at Glenmarie, with a long line of vehicles waiting.

Cheapest Japanese 4x4 at that time was the Mitsubishi Triton (they don’t have a 4x2 high rider model)  with the pricing hovering somewhere around 86k before insurance. Right after that I went to Isuzu showroom, the 4x4 being a 90k ish vehicle while the 4x2 is well below 80k after discount (this was later calculated as 74k OTR)

Been driving for hours without rear number plate....

There were 2 main comparators between these two models.

• Servicing.

D-Max boasts a 20,000km service interval and has a full list of servicing schedules up to 100,000km ready to be given to the client on request.

The Triton on the other hand, took about 5 minute for the salesperson to come out with the servicing list and they are only willing to show the first 40,000km. This means all hell breaks loose in terms of maintenance cost somewhere between 50,000km and 60,000km.

The D-Max showroom was also a service center cum custom assembly for lorries. There’s at most one or two vehicles waiting to be serviced. They also service Hino trucks, citing common parts for the engine.

Everything underneath this car is heavy duty.

• Cabin Space

While entering the Triton, I noticed how high I needed to put up my leg and it was almost interfering with the steering. The cabin does feel cramped height wise and the seat position is not yet at the maximum height adjustment. This truck was designed and positioned to be driven like a car.

The D-Max however was more of a van-like sitting position. I’m a person who loves the practicality of Hyundai Atos and the upright tall sitting position, so it was easy to decide which one suits me better.

• Spare Parts

Both Hilux and D-Max have about the same mileage/maintenance price. Turns out they share a common engine platform together with Ford Ranger. I only found out later that there are cheaper OEM parts for these vehicles, namely diesel filter, Engine oil filter and air filter that is the same model for all 3 trucks.

• Heritage

Isuzu has always been a lorry first company. What they created in D-Max is a consumer grade lorry. Mitsubishi on the other hand is a car first company and they have tried very hard to build a J model pickup truck that has all the nuances of a sporty vehicle.

This is someone's else car. Just to show the roof can take 3 adults.

We finally chose the D-Max, signed up some papers, my son chose the generic silver color and we went back home thinking of getting the car maybe in a week. The day after the salesman gave me a call and told me the loan was approved and some 3 days later, the truck is already on my porch.

Another use for the Big D.

User experience

• I have already done 68,000 km
• My average fuel consumption is 15 km/L

One of the first things I tried to figure out is the correct tyre pressure. Being a lorry, the car is really bumpy. Too low of tyre pressure and you start to get body roll. Too high it becomes bumpy and literally flies off the road in corners. 

Stuck, first day out offroad on a week old car.

And you get back pain.

The middle line pressure is between 34-38psi. Some D-Max owners went down to 28-30, but this will have an effect on fuel consumption and the car will struggle when being pushed in the fast lane.

The lorry has a really good straight-line acceleration and braking, in spite of not having ABS and EBD. The handling is predictable, but in terms of keeping to its own lane, it’s horrible.

stuck again...(need a tractor to pull this one out)

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Really good off road, able to climb inclines that normal cars will rub bumpers.
• Feels stable even when one tire partially hangs off a cliff. The car is balanced as such it will be stable on 3 wheels.
• Can carry a lot of things as long as it can be safely tied down because the rear is really bumpy.

Cons

• No rear sensor. Yes, I’ve reversed into another car before in spite of being able to go into the parking lot in one try. I also reversed into many other things. As long as you are gentle and not fully on power while reversing, you won’t damage anything except maybe for a little scuff.
• Totally useless off road as soon as it rains. The rear wheel has no differential lock, so one wheel will always spin freely when it’s slippery. I've been stuck once or twice where all 4 wheels are on the ground and one rear wheel just spins in half an inch of mud.
• Turns out you need some serious modification for a pickup truck to be off road capable, even when it is a 4x4.

3 adults can safely stand on the rear gate. Really heavy tough thing, do not let small kids open it.

Ratings

• Total Score: 4.5
• Performance: 5

On the long LEKAS uphill, the truck can start the climb at 60kmph in 5th gear and reach 160kmph just before the peak of the hill, and it will overtake Alphard, Mercedes and other non sports cars. This is of course nothing compared to the violent acceleration of a Triton and Navara. Those trucks are a lot faster.

• Quality & Features: 4

The truck has 0 features, nothing to break down. Yeah!

Thank god they provide a CD player and a folding/power side mirror. Yes, you read that right. A CD player. It cannot play DVD.

• Space: 2.5

Less cabin space than myvi. Grocery run in this car feels funny. You cannot put stuff on the back since it will bump around and it’s really hot during daytime. Even if you think that you want to modify the rear so that it can store and lock stuff better, the tremendous height and distance to place your items will put a strain on your back. The rear gate is almost 2 feet long and you need to sort of reach in to put anything. (but the rear gate is strong enough to hold about 300kg of weight).

Only a little while later I noticed a Hilux rear is a lot taller.

• Ride Comfort: 2.5

So so on bumpy roads, the lorry is meant to carry loads. Maybe I need to modify the springs. Steering is sharp but handling is lousy. I can almost predict where I will slide and crash if traffic suddenly stopped.

• Fuel Economy: 5

Very good, 15km per liter at breakneck speed on the highway

• Price & Cost: 4.5

Cheap, carry almost anything, go anywhere. Easy on the maintenance as parts are available everywhere and roughly the same price with Ford Ranger and Hilux as they share common serviceable parts.

Summary

Originally I wanted to buy my wife a car. Maybe a nice cute Axia or Saga, something that’s easy to park and handle for a small cute lady like her. Unfortunately, I totally forgot that she is a Sarawakian and Sarawakian has a thing for pickup trucks.

At that time, we also had started some small projects that ‘may’ require the use of a pickup truck.

Rescuing a group of recreational offroad bikers because one of them was getting a heat stroke. (he's inside the car enjoying the aircond)

In spite of the huge size of the car, she actually still managed to do a 3 point turn and drive it around. The tall sitting position helps even if you are not a very tall person. The response of the engine and clutch is akin to a regular car, more like ‘Myvi’ I would add, but the clutch is heavier.

I find it amazing that modern day pickup trucks are so driveable, compared to older boxy Isuzu Troopers or the infamous Ford Ranger Splash of the 90s. There is no turbo lag, gear changes are smooth, clutch and pedal response feels like a small car. As soon as you floor it, it will go. Which brings me to the most important point.

Pickup trucks are not for beginners.

Modern day trucks carry so much power and so much momentum but very little in the handling department. It will do 0 to 100 at least as fast as the Malaysian Myvi King, but it does so uphill. Handling of the Isuzu D-Max (and I’m pretty sure, all modern pickup trucks) are sharp and precise, but these trucks have really lousy turning capability. When pushed in corners, it does feel like it would take the corner without issue, but before you know it, the tires will squeal and suddenly you are half a lane into incoming traffic. Brake too hard or floor the accelerator too much, the rear will start to sway and if you are a panic breaker, you will totally lose control of the truck. The slightest bump may send you a turtle because of the high center of gravity but really good grip of the road.

great...stuck in shallow mud because there's a burst pipe underneath. took hours to dig out.

Now add this all up on a rainy Malaysian road and you have the perfect recipe for disaster. All it needs is a clueless driver who’s just beginning to enjoy the power of Variable Valve Turbo Engine.

My general advice, if this is your first car, take it easy. Second, do not crash into motorcycles. There’s so much metal protection underneath the truck that you will maim the rider for life.

A shallow slope that the truck cannot go up because it's not a 4x4 and it needs a serious off road tyres.

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