Used 2008 Isuzu i-Series Consumer Reviews
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We have a limited number of reviews for the 2008 i-Series, so we've included reviews for other years of the i-Series since its last redesign.
36,000 mile review
Jon, 10/28/2010
2008 Isuzu i-Series i-290 S 4dr Extended Cab SB (2.9L 4cyl 5M)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
I bought my I-290 with just 20 miles on it. Recently I finally turned over the 36,000 mile mark so thought it was appropriate to write a 36,000 mile review. Bought the truck in phoenix, and have had it while I lived there ( handled the heat extremes well ) I moved to Wyoming for awhile and gave it a -40 degree f winter, and popped the radiator at 12,000 miles. I was displeased that the vehicle could not be serviced at the local gm dealer and had to be towed 150 miles away to an isuzu dealer, and i was stuck having to figure a way to go get it when it was fixed. Other than that this truck has been reliable. The tire sensors are a bit touchy when the weather gets cold.
Excellent Power
BPA, 08/18/2008
2008 Isuzu i-Series i-290 S 4dr Extended Cab SB (2.9L 4cyl 5M)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
Quite a Spartan little truck, though I was surprised by the I290's peppy performance. Much better than my 2.3 liter, I-4 Ford Ranger. Mileage was better, too. It handles very well on the road with the exception of body roll on tight turns and has a wider than expected turning radius. Visibility is very good and gives the feeling of zero blind spots. All of the controls are easily manipulated and ergonomically placed, plus the instrument panel is logically laid out. The vinyl seat of the base model leaves much to be desired. Base model appointments are very base model and make the Ranger XL feel almost plush. Mine has been in for a front-end rattle which will require multiple visits.
2008 Isuzu i-Series for sale near you
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- i-290 S Extended CabMSRP: $5,9501,022 mi away
- i-290 S Extended CabMSRP: $9,9992,597 mi away
Great so far
Nan, 01/04/2008
2008 Isuzu i-Series i-290 S 4dr Extended Cab SB (2.9L 4cyl 5M)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
My first 400 miles, all city, got 24.8 miles to the gallon. I can't wait to try a distance trip. The little booster seats in the back have wonderful hooks for the child car seat and are safe. The windows are perfect for viewing all around. My little girl loves that she has a back seat speaker for the radio, and a window just the right height to be able to see. The heater does not blast me on the foot as some vehicles do and have louvers that really close. I am long legged and this little truck gives me plenty of leg room. That is a major plus. Driving it up the mountain to the top of the Sandia's was no problem even though there was plenty of snow and ice to deal with. A plus so far
Best vehicle ever owned in 50 years of driving!
Doktorschley, 04/17/2017
updated 10/18/2018
2007 Isuzu i-Series i-370 LS 4dr Crew Cab 4WD SB (3.7L 5cyl 4A)
3 of 4 people found this review helpful
This decked-out I-370 is the best vehicle I have ever owned. With 247,000 miles on it, the only work it has EVER needed was a power-steering pump, rack-and-pinion at 222,000. The all-leather interior with motorized heated seats makes it a dream for long-distance travel. Performance-wise, it got the best gas mileage in its class when I bought it, and I improved that with a straightened tail pipe (to accommodate a full-sized spare) and the addition of a Magna-Flo muffler system ($164) and a K & N air filter ($50). It has better power than a comparable Tacoma and better gas mileage (Highway average at speed is about 23-24 mpg, but I have gotten as high as 31 mpg!). The 4WD on the fly system is also great. It is an Isuzu design, with requisite GM features such as automatic on-off lights (interior and exterior) that never let you burn out your battery. I have always run Big-O AT OFF-ROAD radials, and have gotten as much as 90,000 miles out of a set of tires on five-way rotation. The secret to owning this vehicle is regular servicing at a reliable dealer, and a good wash, including undercarriage, every two weeks. The fact that it is a GMC-Canyon/Chevrolet-Colorado clone makes any parts replacement extremely affordable.
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Bought it used
J-Cash, 07/01/2020
2008 Isuzu i-Series i-290 S 4dr Extended Cab SB (2.9L 4cyl 5M)
2 of 3 people found this review helpful
I bought it used with roughly 108k miles and I've put almost 4k miles on it so far. I bought the truck for it's ability to move things ie furniture, kayaks, etc. I haven't used it to tow anything yet but the mounts in the bed for ratchet straps/tie downs have held so far when using them. The bed is only mid sized but I was able to fit a one passenger and a two passenger kayak semi-overlapped just fine in the bed with the ends going over the cab of the truck. I also bought the truck for it's low price compared to a Tacoma and for it's fuel economy ratings I saw online. I was disappointed when I ended up getting 13 city/15 hwy. I replaced the throttle body, cleaned the mass air flow sensor, replaced the spark plugs and changed the air filter and now I'm getting roughly 15 city/17 hwy and that's driving it conservatively. According to fueleconomy.gov I should be getting 18 city/24 hwy. I'm going to replace the O2 sensors and see if that improves my gas mileage at all. It doesn't have a lot of get up and go like my 2008 Mustang GT did but I guess it's what you'd expect from a 4 cylinder engine. I do like it's reliability which is what I look for in any vehicle that I consider purchasing. I recently moved half way across the country, making the trip in under a day and a half, and the truck held up just fine. It does however seem to struggle to get up to highway speeds ie 70 mph, that might just be because of the transmission in mine, but once there it can get up to 80 mph no problem with the rpm staying below 3250-3000 if I'm not mistaken. Handling is fine, it does have a wide turn radius so keep that in mind, I mean it is a truck after all. It's the perfect daily driver and easy to maintain. The oil drain pan bolt and oil filter are easily accessible as well as the transmission pan bolts if you're going to replace the transmission fluid, filter and gasket (there's no drain bolt for the transmission pan but you could install one if you wanted to). There's also a plastic oil catcher/funnel like thing below the oil filter that's attached to the frame rail, which is nice for when draining the oil into a drain pan. Everything I've replaced (including the things I've already mentioned that I've replaced) has been an easy job so far. I've replaced the rear brake drums, serpentine(drive) belt, belt tensioner, wiper blades, a tail light and I even did a brake flush with little to no problems. The only thing maintenance wise that I didn't like was when I did a coolant flush. You have to disconnect a hose connected to the radiatior, there's no drain valve. When you remove the clamp and remove the rubber hose from the radiator the coolant comes spewing out, making it a messy job. Also, the fuel filter and fuel pump are a combined assembly which I don't like. To make matters worse, they both rest inside the gas tank. You can reach the assembly from the top of the gas tank, but you have to drop the whole gas tank in order to do so. I also wanted to be able to replace my fuel filter in order to possibly improve fuel economy, but since it's in a combined assembly with the fuel pump, I'd have to shell out $250-$260 for a whole new assembly. The cost alone is enough to make it not worth replacing and you'd also be throwing out a fully functioning fuel pump which is a waste of money and resources in my opinion. I'll deal with the slightly reduced gas mileage until the fuel pump goes out. Also, the A/C during a really hot day might not immediately feel cool but it will eventually start cooling the cab off as soon as you start driving at a decent speed. All in all, so far I like this truck and would recommend it or even sell it to a friend. For someone with a budget, this is the perfect truck in my opinion.
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- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value