Buying a used Isuzu D-MAX (2012-2020)

Isuzu existed as a manufacturer of trucks, buses and passenger vehicles for over 80 years before introducing the Isuzu D-MAX.

Australia had been familiar with Isuzu since the 1960s when its Bellett was a popular compact passenger car, but then the truck division became dominant.

The D-MAX name was co-opted from an engine manufacturing facility in the US state of Ohio, where diesel V6s to be used jointly by General Motors and Isuzu were being made.

D-MAX pick-ups – utes to us in Australia – were manufactured in Thailand and from there exported to numerous South-East Asian markets plus Australia.

Locally, they were first seen with Holden Rodeo and later Holden Colorado badging, however the arrangement with General Motors fizzled and by late-2008 the D-MAX was being sold here in its own right.

Initial sales were slow, with the Isuzu managing just three per cent of the 4x4 pick-up market in 2009 and 5.3 per cent in 2011.

Updating was needed, not only for our market but worldwide. It came in the form of a restyled RT series that was available here from June 2012.

Buying Used: Isuzu D-MAX (2012-20) RT Series – Quick Checklist

When launching the RT-series Isuzu D-MAX onto the Australian market, Isuzu Ute Australia trumpeted the numerous ways in which the new version had been redesigned to improve practicality, comfort and primary safety.

Central to this change was a new i-GRIP (Isuzu Gravity Response Intelligent Platform) chassis which, the company claimed, had improved rigidity by 42 per cent.

Wheelbases across the range were extended and major changes made to the suspension. Although the design at the rear – where some might think the need was greatest – didn’t change, the leaf springs were extended and mountings moved to improve stability.

Up front the change was more significant, with new upper and lower wishbones, coil springs and uprated shock absorbers.

The local RT range at launch comprised 22 variants, beginning with a bare single-cab at $27,200 plus on-road costs. Cheapest of the dual-cabs was a rear-wheel drive SX manual at $33,200 plus ORCs.

Extra ground clearance for 4x2 versions was available via the optional High Ride suspension set-up.

Buyers were attracted as well by the amount of included convenience equipment. Every version had air-conditioning, electric mirrors and windows, a CD player and even leather wrapping for the steering wheel.

Features like these play a big part in sustaining used-car values too.

You could climb further up the equipment ladder to the EX two-seat extra-cab chassis, followed at $39,100 by the SX 4WD. Both are listed as four-seaters but the bench in the back is only for short jaunts – and short people.

The cheapest 4x4 D-MAX with seating for five adults was the SX manual with no tray. When new it cost $41,300 plus ORCs, with the automatic $2200 more expensive.

From there the track was littered with 4x4 D-MAX models and pricing quickly soared past $50,000.

Top of the range in 2012 was the LS-T automatic with 17-inch alloy wheels, a rear-vision camera and lots of exterior chrome. Inside was leather upholstery with electric driver’s seat adjustment, Clarion infotainment including satellite navigation, sports instruments and a trip computer.

Shift-on-the-fly 4WD engagement was actuated via the console-mounted controller. It would engage high-range 4x4 at speeds up to 100km/h and drop back into 2WD with similar ease. You still needed to stop though to engage low-range.

For reasons we can only attribute to penny pinching, a lockable rear diff wasn’t installed or even optional. Instead, there was electronic traction control that braked any wheel which was spinning and redirected torque to those tyres still in contact with something solid.

The only engine was a 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel with 130kW of power (up 10kW on the previous version) and 380Nm of torque, available from just 1800rpm.

Two types of transmission were initially available: five speed manual or the creatively described RevTronic five-speed auto with manual override, hill ascent and descent modes.

Early 2017 brought minor engine and systems management updates to comply with Euro 5 emission standards while reducing maintenance to components like the turbocharger.

The shape of the front panel changed too, with improved headlights and fog lights making life in the dark a little easier.

Most importantly, the D-MAX also (finally) caught up to its rivals with the introduction of six-speed automatic and manual transmissions.

By this time, it had become impossible for anyone not adept at stock control to keep track of some 49 D-MAX variations and those venturing into the used market with their eyes on a three-to-five-year-old D-MAX will quickly become bewildered.

Before heading out into the market it is worth listing features that are ‘must haves’ and making sure the vehicle you are shown has most of them.

Let’s talk first about what a D-MAX is like off the road, because that’s the place this model seems to do its best work.

Plentiful clearance and solid bash plates mean that rutted tracks with the odd protruding rock can be traversed without too many worries. Sand tracks are equally benign and drivers who employ the correct techniques can even tow big vans and heavy boats to quite remote beachside sites.

Just don’t expect a stock D-MAX to perform like some of the modified off-roaders you see in the wild, because the suspension articulation isn’t brilliant and will always be a compromise.

As mentioned earlier, RT-series D-MAX embodies old-school design values, with some aspects of its shape and a lot of the engineering stretching back to initial 2002 versions.

Accordingly, Isuzu had some catching up to do, especially in areas such as road noise minimisation and engine noise. There also was no excuse in 2012 for a reversing camera to be missing from the spec list for the D-MAX.

Interior space is plentiful, with even those sitting in the back of a crew cab enjoying decent amounts of legroom. Seat shape and rake aren’t as appealing, however.

The steering column adjusts for height only, but top-spec models with the fully adjustable seat can be finetuned to suit drivers of most heights.

The dash may appear drab to some, and the climate control ‘hub’ does look strange, however it all works fine and without the sometimes-useless gizmos that fail and trigger fault codes as the electronics grow older.

In terms of safety features, the RT certainly aged faster than was desirable. While more recent rivals in the dual-cab segment bristle with cameras and sensors, the pre-2021 D-MAX made do with a minimum of visual aids.

One major change which can be seen as safety-related was the switch in some versions away from five-leaf rear springs to more pliant three-leaf units. The benefits are said to become apparent when transitioning from bumpy dirt to smooth bitumen, but owners and even professional testers found the difference minimal.

On the subject of suspension, some owners will fit aftermarket lift kits and other non-stock components that improve clearance and traction in difficult terrain. However, such modifications affect tyre wear, so check especially the inner edges and accept that the steering in modified vehicles will be heavier.

Fuel economy is an attractive D-MAX attribute, with that torque-laden engine largely responsible for an 8.0L/100km average.

Getting underway requires a very light touch on the throttle and even owners who tow heavy caravans report 13-15L/100km is easily achieved.

Warranty coverage also draws people to these vehicles as a used car buy. Earlier versions had five-year/130,000km cover and from 2019 that increased to six years or 150,000km.

Used vehicle grading for Isuzu D-MAX RT 2012-20
Design & Function: 13/20
Safety: 13/20
Practicality: 15/20
Value for Money: 13/20
Wow Factor: 10/20
Score: 64/100

Also consider: Ford Ranger, Mitsubishi Triton, Nissan Navara, Toyota HiLux, Volkswagen Amarok