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| 2005 Isuzu Ascender Review | |||
| Whether you're about to spend $40K on a brand new car, or half that on a used car, it is always important to learn as much as you can about the used car. Read these car reviews to learn about all aspects of the vehicle. Each of the usedcar reviews cover interior and exterior features, options, road tests, and more. | |||
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Introduction
| Road Test
| Inside & Out
| Other Thoughts
| Last Word
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| Inside & Out | |||
Isuzu wasn't given permission to touch one surface of the TrailBl.... er, Ascender's interior. Too bad. The unlabeled cruise control makes no sense at all: flip a tiny stalk-mounted button one step to the right to turn on the main switch; push in a button at the end of the lever to activate it (or deccelerate); go back to that first switch and flip it more step to the right to accelerate or resume. Clunky. The wiper controls were somehow crammed onto this same busy left-hand stalk, even though everyone else in the auto industry puts these functions on the right side of the wheel or on the wheel itself. But that's impossible, because the steering wheel's open space was usurped by the scattered trip computer and radio buttons. The power windows are of the child-decapitating rocker-switch variety - something to think about if you have a family - and even the slightest touch annoyingly activates the auto-down function. Lastly, you'd think that 14 years after making the original Saturn, GM's designers would have figured out a way to prevent leftover rainwater from gushing all over the power window switches when you open a window. After testing so many Volkswagens, Hondas, and Mazdas in a row, it's refreshing to be able to count on the General to give a critic something to complain about.On the upside, the appearance of the dashboard, air vents, and steering wheel are attractive; that even goes for the bogus wood. I liked the way the speedometer is marked off in 10 MPH increments. I liked GM's trademark aqua glow font. Though I wished for intermittent wipers, the automatic rain sensors seemed to have good judgment. Short drivers will appreciate the power adjustable pedals; tall ones will appreciate the sky-high headroom. The first set of back seats is comfortable enough. Room is identical to the five-passenger Ascender's, and the rear climate and radio controls are a nice touch. Passengers number six and seven will be okay in the third row as long as they're about six or seven. For adults, legroom is wanting, the seats are too close to the floor (which has been raised in back, necessary for clearing the live axle) and the cushions are short in length, entailing any adult to stick his knees in his face. The Ascender's 4-door configuration call for an undignified climb over the second-row seats to get back there anyway, so consider it a kid-zone. You can make the third row disappear, but unlike most minivans, it's a multi-step process that must be done once from each side of the car, and it doesn't result in a flat floor once you're done. Also, max cargo volume is only 107.4 cubic feet. Minivans share neither the seating nor space deficiencies, usually seating seven or eight adults (operative word: adults) in comfort and offering around 150 cubic feet of storage, despite being smaller vehicles. Overall, the interior is a reasonable balance of give-and-take until you take a long freeway drive, when you, the driver, notice your seat becoming less comfortable the longer you sit in it. To me, that's a deal-breaker. |
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