Despite the recent barrage of off-road SUVs coming onto the market, Isuzu's MU-X has continued to be the most popular of its ute-based rivals. The four-wheel drive version of the MU-X in LS-T spec is the king of the range - and here are the top five reasons to buy it.
#1 Great seats
The first thing you’ll notice and feel when you climb up into the cabin are the great seats. The MU-X is a workhorse of an SUV and we wouldn’t minded much if all it had was a plank of wood to sit on, but the comfortable seats are a really pleasing feature. Sure, they could do with a bit more support at the sides, but we found them comfy even after a couple of hours on the road.
The top of the range LS-T specification brings leather upholstery, too and that adds a more premium feel. It’s not the finest leather known, but we can say with some authority that if your child mashes their banana into the upholstery it wipes straight off with a wet cloth.
#2 Capable off roader
We had the four-wheel drive MU-X (there is also a two-wheel drive only version) and it’s a hugely capable off-roader. Like the D-Max ute the MU-X’s body sits on a ladder frame chassis which is prized by four-wheel driving fans because it acts like a steel skeleton giving the vehicle torsional strength and rigidity. Drive can be swapped from two to four wheels with a high and low range.
#3 Comfortable ride
For something that’s related to the D-MAX hardcore off road ute the MU-X has a comfortable ride – it’s a pleasant surprise. We’re not saying it’s better than a car or ‘soft roader’ but it is impressively good for something that is built to handle the toughest terrain.
For the MU-X, the ute’s leaf springs have been replaced by a multilink coil suspension which improves the ride vastly.
#4 DVD player
The LS-T comes with a stack of additional kit over the lower spec version such as satnav, reversing camera and proximity unlocking, but it’s the DVD player which has caught our attention. There’s a roof-mounted 10-inch screen and the sound system with two speakers in the roof is great. It’s a standard feature in the LS-T may well save you from a holiday traffic meltdown by keeping the kids distracted.
#5 Decent third row
There are SUVs with seven seats and then there are SUVs which can actually fit seven people – both aren’t normally one and the same. The third row in some is really only suitable for kids, but the rear seats in the MU-X are very decent. There’s not huge amounts of legroom and headroom, but most adults will be able to fit back there comfortably for shorter trips.
When not in use the third row seats fold flat and free up the cargo area, we much prefer this to other types which fold up and clutter the boot.
Drawbacks
The Isuzu MU-X in LS-T spec is honest off-roader with some premium touches which make life more comfortable, but there’s a few place we reckon Isuzu could make improvement. An automatic tailgate would be great – the current manual one can be heavy to lift for some people. Also the smart entry system which unlocks the SUV when you touch the handle only works on the driver’s door – we’d like to see the feature work on all doors.
You'll find anything MU-X related at our Isuzu MU-X hub.
Related: check out our buying guide for 7-seater SUVs here.
Plus: find all off-road SUVs here.
At a glance
Price from: $54,000
Warranty: 5 years/130,000km
Safety: 5 stars
Engine: 3.0-litre 4-cyl turbo-diesel, 130kW/380Nm
Transmission: 5-spd Auto, 4WD
Thirst: 8.3L/100km
Seats: 7
Dimensions: 4285mm (L), 1860mm (W), 1860mm (H)
Weight: 2075kg
Spare: Full-size spare
Towing: 3000kg (braked)
