Isuzu D-Max vs Mercedes-Benz X-Class

What's the difference?

The D-Max X-Rider has adequate appeal as a daily driver – it’s functional and comfortable – and it’s also working off a proven 4WD platform.

This mid-spec ute lacks the polish of higher-grade D-Max grades, but it may still entice those ute fans who want a workhorse with a tractable engine and don’t care at all about frippery.

Does that 2.2-litre engine add anything substantial to the package? No, and the potential fuel savings it represents don’t seem so likely as the 3.0-litre doesn’t use a lot more fuel than the 2.2-litre D-Max anyway – and the 3.0-litre version only costs another $2000 or so to buy.

The 3.0-litre D-Max remains the better option because while the 2.2L is effective off-road, it’s only reasonable in general day-to-day driving, as it lacks grunt and has to work that much harder and is that much noisier under load than the 3.0-litre in most driving scenarios, including 4WDing.

The X was an opportunistic shot at a market segment new to Benz. With even apprentices able to afford to buy a well-specced Hilux, it's become harder to separate the foreman from the kids. I, like Mercedes, thought this would be the boss's car. Mercedes saw the gap and went for it, thinking it could grab sales from top end utes from VW, Toyota and Ford, while maybe saving a few folks from buying a RAM or an F150.

The problem is, the target market knows its utes. And in a rough-and-tumble workplace, the perception is that if you've spent up big on this Merc, you've actually just paid too much for a Nissan Navara. Still, like those flawed movies I enjoy, the X-Class is a fine thing - and I don't blame Mercedes for trying. It just costs too much, and yet isn't Mercedes enough to justify that price.

Nothing much – if anything at all really – is different about this D-Max’s exterior compared to others in the stable.

Sure, the X-Rider has a tweaked front grille, 17.0-inch gloss black alloy wheels and black sports bar but those elements are mere frippery on top of what is already a tidy looking package.

The D-Max X-Rider is 5205mm long (with a 3125mm wheelbase), 1870mm wide and 1785mm high.

Inside, it is a clear uncluttered space, which is spot-on for this ute and part of the line-up’s rough charm.

The D-Max retains even an undeniable robust presence when compared to the more stylish Mazda BT-50 and Ford Ranger, or even rivals such as the Toyota HiLux.

Despite being a Japanese ute in drag, the X-Class isn't immediately rumbled as resembling a Nissan, which certainly should count in its favour. Everyone who asked about it had little idea it wasn't a Daimler from the ground up, until you pointed out various details. Up here in the higher reaches, it's a really quality-looking thing, with beautiful paint and enough differentiation to make it look like a Merc. The headlights do seem a tad small next to the rest of the Mercedes range, but the whopping great three-pointed star in the grille leaves no one in doubt. 

It's fairly tasteful in silver, too, and with a few carefully chosen options it looks pretty tough.

Once you're inside you see where it starts to get confused about itself. The hard, scratchy plastic dash pokes out from behind a huge slab of metallic trim. The centre console is clearly a brother from another mother, as is the overall dash layout. The cabin lacks the thoughtfulness and quality of a Mercedes design - you can't just slap on those signature air vents and expect to get away with it. Every piece that comes from Mercedes appears glued on, and it's jarring. 

This might have been less of an issue if the car was significantly cheaper and not likely to be purchased by people who are familiar with the brand.

The X-Rider is a solidly spartan mid-spec ute.

From its myriad durable plastic surfaces through to its high-grade cloth seats, this ute is booted and suited for the dirt and dust of real day-to-day life.

Sure, it misses out on some of the more appealing aspects of higher-spec D-Max grades – including a bigger 9.0-inch touchscreen, built-in sat-nav, and less-tinny nine-speaker audio system – but it remains steadfastly true to the spirit of Isuzu’s workhorses where substance wins out over style every time.

As in any good ute, the cabin has a comfortably familiar feel about it and it’s an easy space in which to spend lots of drive time.

The interior is adequately spacious with supportive seats upfront and a reasonably comfortable bench-style pew for the three back-seat passengers.

While the touchscreen system is a bit clunky in operation – it takes some time and effort to navigate your way through menus and sub-menus to reach the area you want (usually the driver-assist tech that you want to adjust), the general mix of controls (on-screen and real switches, buttons and dials) are welcome.

There are plenty of charging options – a mix of USB-A, USB-C and 12V upfront, and USB-A for the back row – and storage places include recesses for your wallet, keys etc, a deep-ish centre console, as well as dual cupholders upfront and cupholders in the back seat’s fold-down armrest, and bottle holders in the doors.

Back-row passengers get USB ports, directional air-con vents and shallow under-seat storage.

The tub is 1570mm long (at floor level), 1530mm wide (1122mm between the wheel-arches) and 490mm deep. It has an under-rail tub liner, two cargo tie-down points, and it has tailgate assist.

Our test vehicle had a soft tonneau cover, which is annoyingly fiddly to close at the top edge of the tailgate.

Tub options for D-Max owners include a tonneau or roller cover (which offers at least some degree of security from thieves, and protection from rain, mud, snow etc), or an Isuzu or aftermarket canopy, although a canopy impacts the versatility of the load space because once it’s an enclosed area it makes it more difficult to carry long, awkward and/or large loads in the tub.

I really can't imagine how anyone signed off on the most annoying features of the X. Front-seat passengers get a solitary, shallow cupholder (the second one is unusable), and big door bins that could hold a bottle if you didn't mind it getting smashed from sliding around (they're unlined), and nowhere to put your phone. Like, nowhere, except maybe the glove box. Even the centre console bin is shallow and not much good for anything, apart from as an armrest.

The front seats are reasonably comfortable but the rears are way too high (in the name of a better view) and rammed hard against the rear bulkhead. The rear doors are also pretty narrow, so entry and egress can be a bit of a challenge if you're large or toddler small. Once you're in the seats, legroom is limited and headroom marginal. At least you get air-conditioning vents, but you don't get an armrest in the rear. On a nearly $80,000 ute. Even the dark-ages Colorado has one of those.

Anyway, that's enough said about the interior flaws.

The tray is a big boy, but it's worth knowing that the roller cover does rob a bit of space, as it does on any ute. The optional tray liner looks good and with Mercedes-Benz stamped in it, reminds you again what you've got. All told, it's 1581mm long, 1560mm wide (1215mm between the wheelarches) and you can load up nearly a tonne of people and things into the X350. You can also tow a massive 3500kg braked and still be able to carry a payload of 490kg. Gross vehicle mass is 3250kg (tare is 2190kg).

The X-Class range starts at the $45,450 X220D manual dual-cab and reaches all the way to the $87,500 X350d Edition 1. One step back from that is the $79,415 X350d Power dual-cab with all-wheel drive. That nets you 19-inch alloy wheels, an eight-speaker stereo, climate control, around view camera, reversing camera, keyless entry and start, front and rear parking sensors, electric front seats, sat nav, auto LED headlights, fake-leather interior, heated and folding rear vision mirrors, power windows and a full-size alloy spare.

An 8.0-inch screen hosts Mercedes COMAND system, complete with rotary dial and the weird scratchpad. COMAND is not as good as its German rivals and for some reason doesn't have Apple CarPlay and/or Android Auto, which is a mammoth oversight for a car of this type and cost.

Our car also had the lockable roll cover for $3295, the $1551 styling bar, a tow bar ($836) and, presumably, tow-bar wiring ($462).

The 2.2L D-Max X-Rider has a 2.2L four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine producing 120kW at 3600rpm and 400Nm between 1600-2400rpm and it’s matched to an eight-speed automatic transmission.

While the 3.0-litre D-Max has always been mostly unstressed in the majority of driving scenarios – even low-range 4WDing – the 2.2-litre feels underpowered.

It is noisy, especially under heavy acceleration or load. It has to work harder than the 3.0-litre and, again, it is noisy. Yes, the 3.0-litre D-Max is gruff, but there's a strained edge to the roughness in the 2.2-litre that is very noticeable while driving on sealed surfaces at speed.

Have I mentioned that it’s noisy?

The good news is that the eight-speed auto feels as slick and as smooth in application here as it does in this ute’s stablemate, the MU-X, and, as such, it feels right at home in this ute.

This D-Max has a part-time 4WD system which includes a dual-range transfer case (with high- and low-range 4WD) and a rear diff-lock. The driver is able to shift from 2H (two-wheel drive, high-range) to 4H (4WD high-range) while on the move up to speeds of 100km/h. The diff-lock may only be engaged when the vehicle is in 4L (4WD low-range).

The D-Max also has a switchable terrain mode system which tweaks the engine, transmission and traction control to suit the driving conditions. 'Rough Terrain' mode, like a steroids-enhanced off-road traction control, is king of these modes when you’re off the bitumen.

The X350d has something very Mercedes about it - the engine and transmission package. With 3.5-litres of turbo-diesel V6, you get 190kW at 3400rpm and a thumping 550Nm between 1400 and 3200rpm. These kind of figures at least put it up there with the brawnier VW Amarok.

Feeding the power to all four wheels is Mercedes' own seven-speed automatic. A centre diff apportions power front to rear and you have a choice of three modes - automatic, high range and low-range.

Official fuel consumption for this D-Max is 7.1L/100km.

Real-world fuel consumption on this test was 8.4L/100km.

The D-Max has an 76-litre fuel tank, so, going by that on-test fuel consumption figure, you should be able to get a driving range of about 904km.

But remember, your fuel consumption has the potential to be much higher than our tested figures because chances are you'll have family, friends, pets, camping gear, water craft, the whole kit and caboodle on board. I only carried vehicle recovery gear, MaxTrax, and a first-aid kit, so I didn’t have a huge amount of weight on board.

The X350d did pretty well in the week I had it - the official figure of 8.8L/100km was never going to happen but with a long motorway run to the Blue Mountains and the rest bashing about town, the 10.5L/100km I did achieve without trying was not bad at all. The 80-litre tank should give you a decent range of 750km, or thereabouts.

The D-Max has for some time been regarded as reasonable on-road - comfortable, composed, and somewhat refined for a 4WD ute.

However, while the 3.0-litre D-Max is gruff and laggy and yet retains a certain rough charm, the 2.2-litre version is simply noisy and sluggish and forgoes the charm.

This D-Max has to work harder than the 3.0-litre does, and it makes that abundantly clear with a caustic edge to the roughness in the 2.2-litre that is very noticeable on road.

It’s slow off the mark, exhibiting a disconcerting lag under heavy throttle from a standing start. And it’s far from the most dynamic vehicle to drive. But its low-key appealing tractability almost manages to negate these flaws – but not quite.

As mentioned earlier, the eight-speed auto is a smooth operator, micro-managing the engine as best it can.

When it comes time to leave the bitumen and hit the dirt, this D-Max – with a kerb weight of approximately 2010kg and a not-insubstantial turning circle of 12.5m – feels nimble on bush tracks and it is still very capable.

Even though the 3.0-litre D-Max is not the ute segment’s torquiest, it offers plenty of pulling power across a broad rev range – with peak torque between 1600rpm and 2400rpm – and it delivers that torque in an even-handed way. It still has a decent amount of low- and mid-range torque, which makes dirt-road cruising and low-speed 4WDing easy.

One of the major differences between the two engines is that the 2.2-litre D-Max has to work that much harder than its stablemate, and, as a result, it’s noisier and harsher.

However, this D-Max has part-time 4WD (with high- and low-range 4WD), a rear diff lock and an effective off-road traction control system (which has been recalibrated over the years), so it still retains all of that off-road capability the D-Max has built its reputation on.

Ground clearance is 235mm and wading depth is 800mm, so there’s an adequate amount of clearance for most reasonable off-road challenges (for standard unmodified vehicles) and its listed off-road angles of 26.9 (approach), 23.9 (departure) and 23.3 (ramp-over) all check out.

This ute’s wheel travel – how far the axle can move up and down relative to the chassis – has more than an adequate amount of flex, stretching its tyres close, if not all the way, to the dirt.

This D-Max’s 255/65 R17 all-terrain tyres (Dunlop Grandtrek AT25s on 17” x 7” alloy rims) are adequate for off-roading but an even more aggressive set of all-terrains would boost this ute’s off-road capability.

The general rule applies here as with any standard unmodified off-road vehicle: drive with care, control and consideration and you shouldn't have any trouble tackling light to moderate 4WDing in this ute.

The 2.2L D-Max has a listed kerb weight of 2010kg. In terms of packability, gross vehicle mass is 3100kg, so theoretically this ute has a payload of 1090kg (GVM - kerb weight = payload), but Isuzu has based that figure on the cab-chassis variant’s weight.

This ute’s payload total – after the weight of onboard accessories and a 200kg total of driver and passengers are subtracted – is 818kg, according to Isuzu’s own payload calculator.

The 2.2L D-Max can legally tow 750kg (unbraked trailer) and 3500kg (braked). It has a listed gross combined mass of 6000kg.

One of the weirder things to make it into the X-Class is the world's second most irritating column stalk, which is asked to pack in indicators, headlights and wipers. Thankfully, the world's most irritating column stalk, the Mercedes automatic shifter, wasn't inflicted on the X-Class. But the obvious problem is the key, which clearly isn't a Mercedes unit - even the star is ill-fitting and will probably fall off after a while. This is not a premium experience.

Thankfully, the big turbo-diesel wipes away a lot of the complaints about this car not being Mercedes enough. Brawny and super quiet (twin balance shafts will do that), the X is a very easy car to live with. While not especially lively, it's easygoing in the city and very refined.

On the open road it cruises almost silently and the ride is way above what you might expect from an unloaded tradie-mobile. It doesn't feel as high as some utes, which makes it feel a bit more car-like, and will no doubt appeal to some who might have to swap in and out of a traditional SUV and into the X, for whatever reason.

It is by far the most civilised ute I've ever driven and was worlds away from the Colorado I drove last week, to the point where I could almost - almost - see a justification for the unbelievably hefty price tag.

Credit for the refined ride and handling goes to the coil-spring rear end, much maligned in some quarters. While that style of suspension is not the ultimate in load-lugging, it's way more comfortable for passengers and, given the likely buyer profile, probably more agreeable than a cart-sprung rear-end.

I would cheerfully drive long distances in the X and it feels like it could go anywhere.

The Mercedes-Benz finally starts to puts its nose ahead of its competitors on the safety front.

The X350d has seven airbags, ABS, stability and traction controls, forward collision warning, low speed forward AEB, pedestrian detection, lane-keep assist and around-view cameras, trailer-sway control and hill-descent control.

It also has three top-tether and two ISOFIX points.

Its five-star ANCAP safety rating was awarded in 2017.

The D-Max has a six-year/150,000km warranty and seven years of roadside assistance. Unlimited kilometres in the warranty would be welcome.

A free inspection is pencilled in at the three-month or 3000km mark (whichever occurs soonest), then service intervals are scheduled for every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever occurs soonest.

Capped-price servicing covers the first five scheduled services (up to five years/75,000km – whichever occurs soonest) at a cost of $489 for each service.

Isuzu Ute Australia has a nationwide network of more than 160 dealer sites.

Mercedes offers a three year/200,000km warranty for the X, which isn't too bad. It also throws in roadside assist for the duration. Also worthy are the 12 month/20,000km service intervals. 

A basic capped-price service scheme will hit you for $1950 (pre-paid) or $2,555 if you pay when you front up for each of the three services covered. The servicing isn't super-cheap, as you can see, but at least you know what you're up for.