2002 Isuzu Axiom

I never even got an Isuzu VehiCROSS. The ultra rugged, ultra bizarre two-door off-road vehicle made such a brief U.S. visit from ’99 to ’01, it didn’t even make the usual review rounds. I did get an Axiom, however, Isuzu’s latest idea of a cross between utility and luxury. After reading this, they will probably wish I hadn’t. It’s not nearly as strange as the VehiCROSS and certainly has more potential. But that’s not saying a lot. The Good News
The best thing about the Axiom is its commercial that spoofs Jeep Grand Cherokee’s self-important ads. It’s brilliant.

Aside from that, if you want a sport utility that doesn’t look like everything – make that anything -- out there, the Axiom is your ride. It’s somewhere between a locomotive-inspired station wagon and a muscled-up Toyota Highlander in appearance. In either case, the Axiom comes off as quite distinctive, very modern and attractive, depending on your threshold for different.

Built in Indiana, it’s based on the Isuzu Rodeo and comes in either rear- or four-wheel-drive. It uses a four-speed automatic transmission and the same 230-horse 3.5-liter V-6 found in the Trooper, which delivers exceptional acceleration in this Axiom but not without considerable noise. As in “What happened to the radio?”

My test vehicle was the XS 4WD model, top of the line. It uses the Trooper’s sophisticated electronics to manage four-wheel drive and shift torque where it’s needed. Unlike many such “automatic” four-wheel-drive setups, however, the Axiom does offer a sure ‘nuf 4WD low range, handled manually via a knob on the dash.

Determined to differentiate the Axiom from its more rugged, trucklike siblings despite having so much in common, Isuzu upped the luxury quotient inside. The buttery leather is lovely, if not wholly practical in such a vehicle, and the goodies like seat heaters and 8-speaker audio are appreciated.

The Bad News
My father used to have a great saying about dressing up a country boy to take him to the city, but he was still a country boy underneath. Or something like that.

Well, that dilemma describes this Axiom’s downfall. It may try to look like a luxury sport utility/crossover/whatever, but it is a truck. What’s worse, in trying to dress it up, they made it far worse than a truck.

For starters, its ride would rattle the dentures out of Martha Raye, Polident or no Polident. It has a very complex electronic suspension system that is supposed to adjust shocks to whatever the road dishes out, thus smoothing out the ride. Mine must have been short-circuited, because it was absolutely jarring. I tried both in and out of “Sport,” a manual selection drivers can make. Nothing helped.

Then there are the Axiom’s many design flaws. The instrumentation is OK, but the LED display that offers everything from radio to clock to trip computer is practically indecipherable going down the road. Identical knobs are placed such that you reach for the A/C and wind up with AC/DC. If they wanted to distract us while we drive, why didn’t they just throw in a free cell phone, too?

I don’t like the way the floor comes way up to meet the seat instead of offering a more natural angle. I don’t like having to remove headrests, fold seat bottoms forward and then seatbacks down to flatten the rear bench out for cargo. I don’t like hitting my head on door frames getting in and out of the back seat or doors that don’t open wide enough for me and my stuff to get in. Ditto for the rear hatch.

And I don’t like an engine that roars at me, unless it’s a Viper or a Porsche 911 Turbo or something that has a reason to roar.

Gas Mileage
EPA rated at 16 mpg city/20 highway

Price
Manufacturer’s base, $30,785;
Price as tested, $31,330

Is it worth it?
As fate would have it, a Toyota Highlander 4X4 followed on the heels of my Axiom test drive. These vehicles compete closely in size, equipment, etc. The Toyota was everything the Axiom was not: comfortable, quiet, fun to drive, accommodating for passengers and cargo, you name it. The Highlander was about $3,000 more than the Axiom comparably equipped.

Even without this comparison, it’s obvious the Axiom has many challenges. I rarely run into vehicles that have few redeeming qualities these days, but I would put this Axiom in that category.

Given Isuzu’s recent track record on new introductions, may I suggest for future consideration something called a focus group.

Beth Stein is a life-long car buff and free-lance journalist living in Nashville. She has reviewed new vehicles in print for 12 years as a weekly columnist for Nashville’s daily newspapers and on television for Road Test Magazine and Motor Trend Television. Currently, her reviews appear nationally on Car And Driver Television.