Tow Test: Isuzu D-Max

Isuzu D-Max LS-T Crew Cab
Tow Test

Price Guide (recommended price before statutory and delivery charges): $49,500
Options fitted (not included in above price): Auto transmission $2200, Tow bar kit $639; tub mat $167, metallic paint $300
Crash rating: Four-star ANCAP
Fuel: Diesel
Claimed fuel economy, solo (L/100km): 8.1
CO2 emissions (g/km): 214
Also consider: Ford Ranger Wildtrak (from $57,390), Mazda BT-50 GT ($52,710), Volkswagen Amarok TDI420 Ultimate ($61,490)

With summer around the corner, many plans are in motion to hitch up the boat or caravan, and head to a favourite beach, lake or river for some well-earned R&R.

When it comes to serious, family-friendly tow vehicles, the number of decent contenders has risen dramatically in recent times thanks to the latest batch of dual-cab utes. Along with their superior load lugging abilities these up-market, five-seat workhorses now offer in many cases an SUV-like experience on the road.

Entering the fray in mid-2012 was the second-generation Isuzu D-Max which boasts the same trusty 3.0-litre, four-cylinder turbodiesel engine as its predecessor but with improvements in most departments.

If you’re looking for a tow tug, the 4x4 version of the crew cab D-Max stacks up pretty well on paper.  While its three tonne towing capacity and 300kg towball limit isn’t class-leading (pipped by Holden Colorado with 3500kg and Ford Ranger/Mazda BT-50’s 3350kg), the Isuzu can tow at the maximum limit while carting close to one tonne in the tray, thanks to a gross combined mass (GCM) of 5950kg.

To see how it fared in practice, we hooked up a Jayco caravan weighing 2190kg and with a towball mass of 158kg. There was no extra weight in the ute, apart from the 95kg driver.

Before the tow test, we spent a few days driving the ute solo on our usual daily commute which combines rush-hour suburban traffic with some time on the freeway. According to the trip computer fuel consumption was an impressive 7.8L/100km – better than the official combined figure.

The tow test component included a 100km bitumen stretch of undulating country roads with some flatter highway work. The result was an equally impressive 12.6L/100km – one of the best tow test figures we’ve achieved this year. It was all the more impressive considering the gutsy turbodiesel had to work particularly hard over quite a few steep inclines.

Apart from some minimal pitching, the D-Max proved a stable towing platform, with just a slight drop in rear suspension height justifying our decision not to use load levellers.

The only letdown was in order to maintain speed up the hills, the five-speed transmission was forced to drop down a gear or two, causing the engine to rev up to 3000rpm and resulting in considerable engine noise in the cabin.

It’s a shame, as under most other circumstances, including off-roading, the engine remained barely audible and civilized, with only light throttle inputs and minimal revs required to keep the vehicle on the pace.

On the freeway it revved quietly in fifth gear at 1800rpm at 90km/h, and was quite happy trundling around town in top gear at around 1200-1500rpm. Despite just five ratios, the auto transmission worked smoothly and efficiently. Being able to manually select gears was also useful for engine braking on long, downhill stretches while towing.

The D-Max might be one of the newest utes on the block (along with its Holden Colorado cousin) but it doesn’t set any new benchmarks in on-road dynamics. While the steering is reasonably sharp and grip levels decent, body roll is easily elicited around corners.

The jittery, even bouncy ride on anything but smooth bitumen is also an issue while towing, with many road imperfections felt through the steering wheel and seats. While never harsh nor skittish, the ride/handling compromise is no match for BT-50/Ranger’s or Volkswagen Amarok’s, which both perform better on-road when unladen.

Another obstacle for the D-Max is its surprising, four-star ANCAP safety rating which it achieved despite boasting similar six airbag safety as some of its five-star rivals. It’s one reason (confirmed by an Isuzu dealer) that the D-Max currently languishes in eighth place, in year-to-date sales, in the 4x4 dual cab ute market, which accounts for more than 10 per cent of all new vehicle sales.

Not in dispute is D-Max’s value-for-money though, especially in $51,700 LS-T auto form. The top-spec ute gets an almost unbeatable package including 17inch alloys, leather seats with electric adjustment on the driver’s side, cruise control, carpet, side steps, air-con (but not climate control) and roof rails.

The multimedia touchscreen display, with Bluetooth audio connectivity, sat nav with off-road maps and reverse camera, is another bonus at this price. The aftermarket-style Clarion unit lacks wheel mounted controls and is a bit fiddly, but is otherwise a welcome addition.

With its utilitarian interior and rumbly engine, the D-Max may be more ‘truck-like’ than some of its rivals, but it does come with a solid reputation for rugged reliability. Our test vehicle had 16,500km on the odo, which included an earlier trip from Melbourne-Queensland and back towing a boat, but felt rock solid, bar some minor rattling from the rear tray.

While impressive towing 2.2 tonnes, or just over 70 per cent of the maximum, it’s fair to say the D-Max might struggle with the full three tonnes, plus extra people and cargo on board (not to mention get pretty raucous in the cabin!) 

In our experience, the 130kW/380Nm engine lacks the low-down grunt required for serious towing jobs. By comparison the LandCruiser, generally regarded the king of the tow tugs, boasts a stump-pulling 650Nm – almost twice the torque. The Ranger/BT-50 – both excellent towing machines – offer 90Nm more torque.

We’d still recommend the D-Max for its bargain pricing, truck-like build and frugality at the fuel pump. But if interior comfort, on-road refinement, and pulling power are of greater importance, you’re better off with the Ford or Mazda utes.

* Thanks to Page Bros RV in Seaford, Victoria, for loan of the Jayco caravan for this test.